George Chiang is a Canadian actor, writer, lyricist, composer and producer. Chiang has created several award-winning projects including the musical, Golden Lotus, the children's book, The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing and the song and music video for A World Away (Remix).
George Chiang | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Guelph Nipissing University |
| Occupation | Actor, writer, lyricist, composer |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Awards | Full list |
Chiang began his acting career appearing in many plays in Toronto. He received critical praise for his performances in David Henry Hwang's, The Dance and the Railroad, Serpent Kills, and Urban Donnelleys, which he co-created.[1][2][3][4][5][6] He also spent a season, as a member of the acting company, at Canada's flagship theatre, the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where he performed in Othello and Twelfth Night. Since then Chiang has appeared in other theatre productions such as The King and I and many film and television productions which include, Disney's Eloise at the Plaza, American Girl's McKenna Shoots for the Stars, Mary Kills People, Dark Matter (TV Series) among many others.[7]
Chiang wrote and composed the musical Golden Lotus, which is an adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei. The story follows the plight of young woman who journeys into a bloody path of forbidden love and passion as the world around her burns into ashes.[8] Golden Lotus is a sung through musical with a score that is a blend of pop rock songs mixed with Chinese instrumentation.[9] Golden Lotus was the first Canadian musical ever presented at the ASCAP Foundation/Disney Theatrical Productions Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, artistic directed by Stephen Schwartz. The musical received its world premiere on September 12, 2014, at the Y-Theatre in Hong Kong.[7] The score and its signature pop love song, "A World Away", were unanimously praised by critics.[10][11][12][13] The production garnered three Hong Kong English Drama Award nominations for "Best Show", "Best Actress" and won for "Best Original Work" at the 2015 Hecklers Awards.[14][15][16]
The Hong Kong world premiere production of Golden lotus was captured live during four consecutive performances and edited into a feature-length film. The musical film produced by Chiang was released in September, 2021 to film festivals around the world the film has received critical praise. "The most important part of any musical is the music itself and it is here that 'Golden Lotus' manages to shine. The actors sing perfectly, the music aiding their performances in a magical way .... Sure to be a cultural phenomenon, the Golden Lotus is a mesmerizing achievement with stunning choreography and equally stunning physical performances."[17] The musical film has been widely acclaimed and garnered dozens of awards across the globe.
Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical was released on May 31, 2015. It is an album consisting of fifteen songs from the Hong Kong production of Golden Lotus, written, composed and produced by Chiang, as they appeared in the Hong Kong world premiere. Recorded in Toronto with Harriet Chung as Golden Lotus, Charles Azulay as Wu Sung, Thom Allison as Xi Men, George Chiang as Wu Da, Stacey-Lea Marhue as Madam Wang, Scott Watanabe as the District Intendant, Pierre Bayuga as the Fruit Peddler and Josette Jorge as Ping. It was music directed by Tim Stiff with arrangements by George Gao.[18]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wu Sung Slayed the Tiger" | Scott Watanabe | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Captain of the Guard" | Chales Azulay | 2:17 |
| 3. | "Fresh Buns for Sale" |
| 1:43 |
| 4. | "Paradise" | 2:15 | |
| 5. | "Her Name Is Golden Lotus" | Stacey-Lea Marhue | 2:45 |
| 6. | "As Each Day Goes By" | Charles Azulay | 2:40 |
| 7. | "A World Away" | 3:31 | |
| 8. | "Purple Stone Street" | Pierre Bayuga | 2:31 |
| 9. | "Clandestine Affair" | Pierre Bayuga | 2:56 |
| 10. | "Does Anybody Here Know?" | Charles Azulay, Pierre Bayuga | 3:04 |
| 11. | "Flag of Death" | Charles Azulay
| 4:25 |
| 12. | "Waterlily Pavilion" | Marisa Mclntyre, Katie Beetham, Leah Canali
| 2:34 |
| 13. | "A World Away (Reprise)" | 2:21 | |
| 14. | "Little Brother Mandarin" | Scott Watanabe, Josette Jorge | 3:52 |
| 15. | "Destiny" | Charles Azulay | 3:42 |
| Total length: | 40:28 | ||
A newly arranged single of A World Away, from his musical Golden Lotus, titled A World Away (Remix) was sung by Harriet Chung and released on August 25, 2020. The single was produced by Hayward Parrot, arranged by Warren Robert and recorded with a live orchestra in Toronto. The music video for A World Away (Remix), produced by Chiang and directed by Theresa Kowall-Shipp, has won numerous Best Music Video Awards from the World Distribution Award, Canadian Cinematography Awards, World Film Carnival - Singapore, Silver Mask Live Festival - Los Angeles, Rome Movie Awards, Amsterdam International Film Festival.[19][20][21][22][23][24]
The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing concerns a teenage boy who ventures to North America to build the transcontinental railway through the Rocky Mountains. There are disasters, encounters with wild animals, friendships and unforeseen events that mark Sing's journey. The book was inspired by stories told to Chiang by Ike Sing whose father is the title character of the book. The chapter book for young readers, published in March, 2017 contains full colour illustrations by Jessica Warner and is available in hardcover, paperback and ebook formats.[25][26] The book has won numerous awards such as the Pacific Book Award, two Global Ebook Awards, the Reader Views Reviewers Choice and the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.[27][25][28][29][30]
| Award | Year | Catogory | Recipient(s) and Nominees(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecklers Award | 2015 | Best Original Work[14][15][16] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Best Show | Golden Lotus | Nominated |
| Award | Year | Catogory | Recipient(s) and Nominees(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score[31] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Best Musical Film[32] | Honorable Mention | |||
| Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival | 2021 | Best Art Film[33] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Barcelona International Film Festival[34][35][36] | 2022 | Best Producer[37] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Black Swan International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Film Score - Soundtrack[38] | Golden Lotus | Outstanding Achievement Award |
| Canadian Cinematography Awards[39] | 2022 | Best Song | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Best Original Score | Won | |||
| Cinematic European Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score[40] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Dreamz Catcher International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Performing Arts[41] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Film Fest International London[42][43][44] | 2022 | Jury Award[45] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Film Fest International Paris[46][47] | 2022 | Best Picture of the Festival | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Filmmaker Life Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Film
Best Film Score Composition[48] |
Golden Lotus | Won |
| Filmmaker Globe Award | Golden Lotus | Nominated | ||
| Florence Film Awards - | 2021 | Best Original Song[49] | Golden Lotus | Honorable Mention |
| Gangtok International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Film Score - Soundtrack[50] | Golden Lotus | Outstanding Achievement Award |
| Golden Sparrow International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score - Feature Film[51] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Hollywood Global Film Festival | 2021 | Best Musical Film[52] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song
Best Producer[53] |
Golden Lotus | Won |
| International Smyrna Movie Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score[54] | Golden Lotus | Gold Winner |
| London Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song[55] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Madrid International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Original Score[56] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Megaflix Film Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Film[57] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Milan Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Producer
Best Original Song[58] |
Golden Lotus | Silver Awards |
| Moscow Russia International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Music Feature[59] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Munich Music Video Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Feature Film[60] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Mykonos International Film Festival[61] | 2022 | Best Music Feature Film[62] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Naples Film Awards | 2021 | Best Original Score[63] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| New York International Film Awards - NYIFA | 2021 | Best Musical Film[64] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| New York Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Score[65] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Oniros Film Awards® - New York | 2021 | Best Musical Film[66] | Golden Lotus | Grand Jury Award |
| Only The Best Film Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song or Score
Best Musical | Short or Feature Film[67] |
Golden Lotus | Won |
| Paris Film Awards | 2021 | Best Original Score[68] | Golden Lotus | Honorable Mention |
| Prague International Film Festival[69] | 2022 | Filmmaker of the Year | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Best Original Score | Golden Lotus | Honorable Mention | ||
| Pure Magic Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Musical
Best Original Song Best musical Score[70] |
Golden Lotus | Won |
| River Atreyee International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Performing Art[71] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Royal Society of Television And Motion Picture Awards | 2021 | Best Film Score - Soundtrack[72] | Golden Lotus | Outstanding Achievement Award |
| San Diego Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Music | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Seoul International Monthly Film Festival | 2022 | Best Production Design[73] | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival | 2021 | Honorable Mention | Golden Lotus | Won |
| Virgin Spring Cinefest | 2021 | Best Music Score | Golden Lotus | Won |
| World Film Carnival (Singapore) | 2021 | Best Film Score - Soundtrack[74] | Golden Lotus | Outstanding Achievement Award |
| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) and Nominees(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Music Video[24] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Canadian Cinematography Awards | 2021 | Best Music Video[20] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Eurasia International Monthly Film Festival | 2021 | Best Music Video[75] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Europe Film Festival U.K. | 2022 | Best Music Video[76] | A Place for Dreams | Won |
| Festopedia Cinemas and Scripts | 2021 | Best Music Video[77] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Golden Lion International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Music Video | A Place for Dreams | Won |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song[78] | A World Away (Remix) | Gold Award |
| London Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song[55] | A World Away (Remix) | Honorable Mention |
| Open Window International Film Challenge | 2021 | Best Music Video[79] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Rome Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Music Video[23] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Rome Movie Awards | 2022 | Best Cinematography[80] | A Place for Dreams | Won |
| Silver Mask Live Festival (Los Angeles) | 2021 | Best Music Video[22] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Sweden Film Awards | 2021 | Best Music Video[81] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| Virgin Spring Cinefest | 2021 | Best Music Video[82] | A World Away (Remix) | Outstanding Achievement |
| World Distribution Award (London) | 2021 | Best Music Video [19] | A World Away (Remix) | Won |
| World Film Carnival (Singapore) | 2021 | Best Music Video[21] | A World Away (Remix) | Outstanding Achievement |
| Award | Year | Catogory | Recipient(s) and Nominees(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Ebook Award | 2017 | Children's/Juvenile Literature Fiction[27][25][83] | The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing | Gold |
| Pacific Book Award | 2017 | Best Children's Book[28] | The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing | Won |
| Pinnacle Book Achievement Award | 2018 | Best in Children's Fiction[30] | The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing | Won |
| Reader Views Reviewers Choice Award | 2017/2018 | Winner Canada West[29] | The Railroad Adventures of Chen Sing | Won |
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