Butterfly up High...An Evening of Song with Laurance Tan and Friends

Betty Oliphant Theatre - Saturday, October 20 at 7:30pm. Join international artist Laurance Tan and his musical friends for Butterfly Up High... End Quote

(1888PressRelease) August 24, 2012 - Toronto, Ontario - Join international artist Laurance Tan and his musical friends for Butterfly Up High... An Evening of Song with Laurance Tan and Friends on Saturday, October 20 at 7:30pm at the Betty Oliphant Theatre (400 Jarvis Street) for a night of original songs, crossover hits and classical show tunes that music lovers of all tastes will enjoy. Tickets are $35 for general seating and are available by visiting www.uofttix.ca or calling (416) 978-8849.

Produced by Laurance Tan and directed by Pierre Tetrault, former Artistic Director for Young People's Theatre, Butterfly Up High is not just a formal recital, it is a colourful production featuring beautifully-orchestrated musical numbers and vocals combined with solo performances by violinists, pianists and cellists accompanied by the interpretative artistry of Contemporary dance, Flamenco and Middle-eastern belly dancing.

Butterfly Up High represents Laurance's personal metamorphosis and rebirth. It marks his joyful return to the stage from a forced retirement due to the loss of his singing voice after the strain of continuous performance. Over the past two years, Lawrence has undertaken an intensive program of voice restoration and re-training in New York City with renowned opera singer and teacher, Dorothy Stone. He is now ready for his comeback to the performance stage, and to share with you this evening of musical celebration alongside many of his talented friends, including Miss Dorothy Stone.

"I have chosen each piece carefully to represent the many different cultures and musical genres that I have embraced throughout my life and career," states Laurance Tan. "Butterfly Up High ranges from the classical to show tunes, from contemporary opera to world music, featuring songs in English, Spanish and Italian, with Mandarin interspersed throughout the performance."

Musical pieces range from contemporary operas including songs from Les Misérables (Bring Him Home) and The Phantom of the Opera (Music of the Night), to music from around the world sung in different languages, to original compositions by Laurence Tan such as Lillie, My Soul Must Be Freed and A Heart, A Home. Many numbers incorporate multiple languages, such as Island Medley (English, Mandarin and Malay), Parla Più Piano/Speak Softy Love (Italian and English), Historia De Un Amor (Spanish and Madarin) and Bon Voyage (Japanese, Mandarin and English).

Butterfly Up High... An Evening of Song with Laurance Tan and Friends features:
Laurance Tan - vocalist
Ray Hanson - vocalist
Dorothy Stone - soprano
Michael Berkovsky - pianist
Thomas Osuga - pianist
Sho Omagari - violinist
Matt Pickart - violinist
Matt Kolodzieki - cellist
Je-an Salas - main principal dancer
Anjelica Scannura - Flamenco and belly dancer

About Laurance Tan:
Featured in film, theater and on CD, Laurance is an artist whose diverse career began in his native Singapore at the age of six. He studied ballet, jazz and conservatory singing into his early teens and began performing in musical theater. At the age of 22, Laurance directed and choreographed original musical productions for the Music and Drama Company. During this time, Laurance toured and performed throughout South East Asia and the Western Pacific. In his last two years with the Company, he appeared extensively on television shows as an actor and pop singer.

Laurance immigrated to Canada in 1988 and quickly established himself as a singer/actor, performing in numerous theatrical and television productions. He received critical acclaim for his roles in M. Butterfly, A Language of Their Own, Ghost Train, and was the lead in the award-winning film, The Offering which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. He also received critical acclaim for his world-beat CD, Sounds of the Tyger. In 2007 he won the Best Actor Award at the Mammoth Film Festival in Oregon for his performance in The Offering.

For further information or for interview requests for Butterfly Up High... An Evening of Song with Laurance Tan and Friends please contact:

Peter Ashworth | Ashley Lloyd | Ashworth Associates Inc. | 416-603-6005
peter ( @ ) ashworthassociates dot com | ashley ( @ ) ashworthassociates dot com

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