# Golden Lotus (musical)

Golden Lotus is a musical written and composed by George Chiang. The musical is based on the classic 17th-century Chinese novel Jin Ping Mei (The Golden Lotus). Set amidst the dying, war-torn years of Song dynasty China, the musical tells the story of the Golden Lotus (Pan Jinlian), whose desire for true love leads her into a web of deception and desperation with the valiant tiger slayer Wu Sung, the rich and powerful Xi Men (Ximen Qing), and the humble peddler Wu Da (Wu Dalang).

## Development

Golden Lotus participated in the ASCAP Foundation/Disney Theatrical Productions Musical Theatre Workshop in New York City during March and April 2003 with artistic direction by Stephen Schwartz. The three-week workshop included two live performances by a cast of sixteen performers which included Harriet Chung as Golden Lotus, and Scott Watanabe (who also served as the music director) as the District Intendant.
The musical was presented to a series of focus groups, which led to further revisions. This was followed by a year-long workshop led by Jim Betts with Script Lab's workshop in Toronto, modeled after BMI's Lehman Engels Musical Theater workshop in New York. Following the workshop, Betts worked directly with Chiang for several months on the musical as its dramaturge.

## Hong Kong World Premiere

On September 12, 2014, Golden Lotus premiered in Hong Kong at the Y-Theatre with a cast of twenty-six performers. The production featured Harriet Chung as the title character, Boon Ho Sung as Wu Sung, and Ronan Pak Kin Yan as Ximen. Also featured were Billy Sy as Wu Da, Samantha Fa as Madam Wang, Scott Watanabe as the District Intendant, Marc Ngan as the Fruit Peddler, and Soraya Chau as Ping. Emily Chan directed the production, with music arrangements by George Gao, choreography by Ivy Chung, and set and costume design by Moe Mo.
The production hailed Golden Lotus as "Hong Kong's First Musical." Its signature pop love song, "A World Away", has been praised. The production was recognized with three Hong Kong English Drama Award nominations for Best Show, Best Actress (Harriet Chung), and Best Original Work.

## Musical film

The Hong Kong production of Golden Lotus was captured live during four consecutive performances and later edited into a feature-length film showcased at film festivals during 2021–2023. The musical film won over 60 awards across multiple categories, including Best Picture of the Festival at the 2023 World Independent Cinema Awards (WICA). Golden Lotus was selected as the standout film of the year and named the best film from all 11 festivals.
On May 1, 2024, Golden Lotus began streaming on the Stratford Festival's digital platform. Chiang called the deal a "proper alignment" with Straftest@Home due to their commitment to showcasing world-class theater.

## Musical numbers

Act I :
| | Song | Performer(s) |
| 1 | "Prologue" | Fruit Peddler |
| 2 | "Wu Sung Slayed the Tiger" | Fruit Peddler, District Intendant, Townspeople |
| 3 | "Captain of the Guard" | Wu Sung, Chingho Guards |
| 4 | "Fresh Buns for Sale" | Wu Da, Street Kid, Fruit Peddler, Townspeople, Xi Men |
| 5 | "Confrontation" | Wu Sung, Xi Men |
| 6 | "Reunited" | Wu Da, Wu Sung |
| 7 | "When I Close My Eyes" | Golden Lotus |
| 8 | "Forgive Me" | Golden Lotus, Xi Men |
| 9 | "Ten Thousand Fold Happiness" | Golden Lotus, Wu Da, Wu Sung |
| 10 | "Loyalty" | Golden Lotus, Wu Sung |
| 11 | "Verdant Spring Bordello" | Sing-Song Girls, Patrons, Madam Wang, Xi Men |
| 12 | "Paradise" | Xi Men, Sing-Song Girls |
| 13 | "Her Name is Golden Lotus" | Madam Wang, Sing-Song Girls, Xi Men |
| 14 | "Garnering the Glow" | Madam Wang, Xi Men, Sing-Song Girls |
| 15 | "Fresh Buns for Sale " (Reprise) | Wu Da, Fruit Peddler, Madam Wang, District Intendant, Xi Men |
| 16 | "Imperial Envoy" | District Intendant |
| 17 | "As Each Day Goes By" | Golden Lotus, Wu Sung |
| 18 | "Fried Dumplings" | Golden Lotus, Wu Sung |
| 19 | "Dreams of My Heart" | Golden Lotus, Wu Sung |
| 20 | "A World Away" | Golden Lotus |
| 21 | "Life or Death" | Madam Wang, Xi Men, Golden Lotus |
| 22 | "Purple Stone Street" | Fruit Peddler, Street Peddlers, Townspeople, Madam Wang |
| 23 | "Clandestine Affair" | Fruit Peddler, Street Peddlers, Townspeople |
| 24 | "The Perfect Plan" | Wu Da, Madam Wang, Golden Lotus, Xi Men |
Act II :
| | Song | Performer(s) |
| 25 | "Does Anyone Here Know?" | Wu Sung, Townspeople, Fruit Peddler, Madam Wang |
| 26 | "Keep on Looking Down the Street" | Fruit Peddler, Wu Sung |
| 27 | "Flag of Death" | Wu Sung, Ghosts, Wu Da |
| 28 | "WaterLily Pavilion" | Xi Men's Wives, Xi Men |
| 29 | "Fallen" | Wu Sung, Golden Lotus, Xi Men |
| 30 | "Banished" | District Intendant, Xi Men |
| 31 | "A World Away" (Reprise) | Golden Lotus |
| 32 | "Little Brother Mandarin" | Xi Men, District Intendant, Ping, Wedding Guests |
| 33 | "Little Brother Mandarin (Reprise)" | Ping |
| 34 | "Lord of the Five Ways" | Ping, Golden Lotus, Ghosts, Xi Men |
| 35 | "The Concubines" | Fruit Peddler |
| 36 | "Destiny" | Wu Sung, Soldiers |
| 37 | "The Auction" | Madam Wang, District Intendant, Fruit Peddler, Wu Sung |
| 38 | "Eternity" | Wu Sung, Golden Lotus, Madam Wang |
| 39 | "When I Close my Eyes" (Finale) | Wu Sung, Golden Lotus |

## Albums

Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical was released on May 31, 2015. It is a CD consisting of 15 songs from the musical as they appeared in the Hong Kong world premiere. It was 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. The music and its vocal arrangements were directed by Tim Stiff, and the music arrangements was by George Gao.
Golden Lotus: Sounds From The Musical (Deluxe Edition) was released on December 1, 2023, and features 4 additional tracks from the musical, which are: "When I Close My Eyes", "Verdant Spring Bordello", "Little Brother Mandarin (Reprise)", and "Lord of the Five Ways".

## Singles

A single of the signature pop ballad from Golden Lotus, "A World Away", was recorded by Harriet Chung. The song was arranged by Warren Robert, who also conducted the live orchestra for the recording. The single and its music video were released on August 25, 2020, as "A World Away (Remix)". The single won Best Original Song at the Hollywood Gold Awards.
Harriet Chung recorded a solo version and music video of the signature duet from Golden Lotus, "As Each Day Goes By" on October 6, 2023. The single and its music video won Best Original Song and Best Music Video at the International Gold Awards.

## Awards
### Theatre awards and nominations

| Awards | Year | Category | Result |
| Hecklers Awards | 2015 | Best Original Work | Won |
| Hecklers Awards | 2015 | Best Actress | Nomination |
| Hecklers Awards | 2015 | Best Show | Nomination |

### Film awards and nominations

| Awards | Year | Category | Result |
| World Class Film Awards | 2023 | Best Producer | Won |
| World Class Film Awards | 2023 | Best Acting Ensemble | Won |
| World Independent Cinema Award | 2023 | Best Picture of the Festival | Won |
| Barcelona International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Producer | Won |
| Barcelona International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Actress | Won |
| Barcelona International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Actor | Honorable Mention |
| Barcelona International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Costume Design | Won |
| Canadian Cinematography Awards | 2022 | Best Song | Won |
| Canadian Cinematography Awards | 2022 | Best Original Score | Won |
| Dreamz Catcher International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Performing Arts | Won |
| Dreamz Catcher International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Actress | Won |
| Film Fest International London | 2022 | Jury Award | Won |
| Film Fest International London | 2022 | Best Hair & Makeup | Won |
| Film Fest International Paris | 2022 | Best Picture of the Festival | Won |
| Film Fest International Paris | 2022 | Outstanding Actress in an English Language Film | Won |
| Film Fest International Rome | 2022 | Best Director | Won |
| Madrid International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Original Score | Won |
| Madrid International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| Moscow Russia International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Music Feature | Won |
| Mykonos International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Music Feature Film | Won |
| Prague International Film Festival | 2022 | Filmmaker of the Year | Won |
| Prague International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Original Score | Honorable Mention |
| Prague International Film Festival | 2022 | Best Editing | Honorable Mention |
| Seoul International Monthly Film Festival | 2022 | Best Production Design | Won |
| Amsterdam International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score | Won |
| Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival | 2021 | Best Art Film | Won |
| Best Actor& Director Awards - New York | 2021 | Best Actress in a Musical | Won |
| Cinematic European Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score | Won |
| Filmmaker Life Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Film | Won |
| Filmmaker Life Awards | 2021 | Best Film Score Composition | Won |
| Filmmaker Life Awards | 2021 | Best Female Filmmaker | Nomination |
| Filmmaker Life Awards | 2021 | Filmmaker Globe Award | Nomination |
| Golden Sparrow International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score - Feature Film | Won |
| Hollywood Global Film Festival | 2021 | Best Musical Film | Won |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song | Gold Winner |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Producer | Gold Winner |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Costume Design | Gold Winner |
| Hollywood Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Hairstyling & Makeup | Gold Winner |
| International Smyrna Movie Festival | 2021 | Best Original Score | Gold Winner |
| International Smyrna Movie Festival | 2021 | Best Art Director | Silver Winner |
| London Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song | Won |
| Megaflix Film Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Film | Platinum Award |
| Milan Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Producer | Silver Award |
| Milan Gold Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song | Silver Award |
| Munich Music Video Awards | 2021 | Best Musical Feature Film | Won |
| Naples Film Awards | 2021 | Best Original Score | Won |
| New York International Film Awards™ - NYIFA | 2021 | Best Musical Film | Won |
| New York Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Score | Won |
| New York Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Costume Design | Won |
| New York Movie Awards | 2021 | Makeup & Hairstyling | Honorable Mention |
| Oniros Film Awards® - New York | 2021 | Best Musical Film | Grand Jury Award |
| Only The Best Film Awards | 2021 | Best Original Song or Score | Won |
| Only The Best Film Awards | 2021 | Best Musical | Short or Feature Film | Won |
| Only The Best Film Awards | 2021 | Best Actress | Special Award |
| Portugal International Film Festival | 2021 | Honorable Mention | Won |
| Pure Magic Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Musical | Won |
| Pure Magic Film Festival | 2021 | Best Original Song | Won |
| Pure Magic Film Festival | 2021 | Best musical Score | Won |
| River Atreyee International Film Festival | 2021 | Best Performing Art | Won |
| San Diego Movie Awards | 2021 | Best Original Music | Won |
| Tokyo International Monthly Film Festival | 2021 | Honorable Mention | Won |
| Virgin Spring Cinefest | 2021 | Best Music Score | Won |