18 Facts About Tang Ti-sheng

Tang Ti-sheng, born Tang Kang-nien, was a Cantonese opera playwright, scriptwriter, and film director.

Tang Ti-sheng wrote the film scripts adapted from his own operas, directed the movies and at times acted in them himself.

Tang Ti-sheng collapsed in the Lee Theatre and died later of intracerebral hemorrhage in St Paul's Hospital.

Tang Ti-sheng was survived by his second wife, their two daughters and two more children.

Tang Ti-sheng worked as a copyist and assistant to Fung Chi-fen and Nam Hoi Sup-sam Long, two famous writers for the troupe.

In total, Tang Ti-sheng directed nine films and acted in four of them.

Tang Ti-sheng's rise from modesty to greatness went through a process generally taken to have three stages of remarkable improvements.

Tang Ti-sheng's archrival was husband of an actress who is famous for mostly fighting scenes although she was known by fellow performers as great old-school vocalist as Lady White Snake.

Lyrics that Tang Ti-sheng wrote before Mr Wong came up with the musical score.

Tang Ti-sheng worked with Tang until she retired around the time Tang died.

The brutal blow to Tang Ti-sheng's ego resulted in the first sign of enlightenment, better crafted lines spoken by the husband Cai Yong in ending scene of The Story of the Lute in early 1956.

Tang Ti-sheng only worked with those he found worthwhile to spend time and effort on.

For example, good vocalist Tam Lan Hing, whose physique was same as the first Mrs Tang Ti-sheng, was never on Tang Ti-sheng's radar.

Tang Ti-sheng botched a few times before finding his footing and came up with his life's work, in very quick succession, those titles now represent Tang Ti-sheng in Cantonese opera.

Tang Ti-sheng understood the limit of imagination of audience to follow his desire.

Tang Ti-sheng's desire was for audience to see the female lead as irresistible.

Ng Kwun Lai was an up-and-coming performer who just hit big with her martial agility in the breakthrough role of Leang Hung-yuk in How Liang Hongyu's War Drum Caused the Jin Army to Retreat when Tang Ti-sheng was ready to help her excel as "verdant-robed girls".

In 1990, not long since the passing of Yam, the second Mrs Tang Ti-sheng sold copyright of about 34 titles, mostly those Loong performed over the years, for a 6-figure sum in HK$, contrary to the gentleman's agreement Tang Ti-sheng made with his customers regularly as a librettist.