I Have a Date with Spring
Encyclopedia
I Have A Date With Spring (Chinese: 我和春天有個約會) was a stage play originally written by Raymond To
. It was later adapted into a film that was released in 1994 in Hong Kong
.
of one fateful night in 1967 at the Flower Palace Nightclub. On the night of the Hong Kong 1967 Leftist Riots, Butterfly Yiu was given an accidental chance to perform the final show when the original and star performer, Pak Long, was stranded at another venue. This started a chain of events that will change the four character's lives forever.
The beginning and the end of the movie takes place in modern times, and Butterfly returns from retirement in Canada
to perform in a final charity show at the Flower Palace Nightclub before it is demolished.
to start a new career, only to be reunited with Butterfly at the end of the movie. This ending differs from the adapted ATV
series, as although Butterfly and Karl meet again, she cannot forgive him for leaving her.
Lulu Kim also became popular as a singer and actress, but not on the same level as Butterfly. Lulu eventually was married to Luk Tat Sun, the son of one of the directors of the Flower Palace Nightclub. He originally sought to marry Butterfly, but she waited out for Karl, and refused his advances.
Fung Ping continues her unlucky streak in romance. She followed Donny, her gambling-addict boyfriend, to Vietnam
with a show tour team. She arrived in Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War
, and was presumably killed during a bombing raid by US Forces. She gave birth to a son while in Vietnam, despite earlier promises of an abortion
, and Karl Sum adopted the son and took him to the US. He was united with Butterfly at the end of the movie.
Nancy eventually sought another job at another nightclub as a lounge singer. She remained obscure, and became depressed and an alcoholic. She eventually lost her voice due to alcohol and died of cirrhosis
. Butterfly only knew of this right before her charity show.
In 1995, "I Have a Date With Spring" was adapted into a television series by ATV
, starring Sheren Tang
as Butterfly Yiu and lasting a total of 40 episodes. Similar to the film, the series takes place in flashbacks by Butterfly as she walks through a newly restored Flower Palace Nightclub. The series explores not only the lives of Butterfly, Lulu, Nancy, and Fung Ping while working at the nightclub, but also their lives before they began working at Flower Palace (such as Nancy being raised in an orphanage), as well as ongoing issues with their families (such as Fung Ping's less fortunate background, and Butterfly's father's dying career as a Cantonese Opera
singer). It also expands more on the different characters working at Flower Palace, such as Yuen Bik.
In 2001-2005, the film was rewritten as a musical, the La Fa Palace (麗花皇宮), many elder famous singers played in it, sang some of their best songs. VCD and DVD of the karaoke
versions of the plays are released in 2001-2003. Alice Lau and So Yuk-Wah performed in many of different performances related to the play.
There is a book of the play by Raymond To (我和春天有個約會 ISBN 9627420611).
Raymond To
Raymond To Kwok Wai is a dramatist, screenwriter and film director from Hong Kong.-Filmography as director:* Master Q: Incredible Pet Detective * Miss Du Shi Niang * May & August * Forever and Ever...
. It was later adapted into a film that was released in 1994 in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Synopsis
Most of the film takes place in a continuing flashbackFlashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
of one fateful night in 1967 at the Flower Palace Nightclub. On the night of the Hong Kong 1967 Leftist Riots, Butterfly Yiu was given an accidental chance to perform the final show when the original and star performer, Pak Long, was stranded at another venue. This started a chain of events that will change the four character's lives forever.
The beginning and the end of the movie takes place in modern times, and Butterfly returns from retirement in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to perform in a final charity show at the Flower Palace Nightclub before it is demolished.
Ending Of Four Main Characters
Out of the four main characters, only Butterfly became very famous, and had a long career as a singer and actress. She had financial security, but lost out on romance, as her love interest, Karl Sum, cannot bear the pressure and relative shame of living with someone who is much more popular. Karl left for New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to start a new career, only to be reunited with Butterfly at the end of the movie. This ending differs from the adapted ATV
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
series, as although Butterfly and Karl meet again, she cannot forgive him for leaving her.
Lulu Kim also became popular as a singer and actress, but not on the same level as Butterfly. Lulu eventually was married to Luk Tat Sun, the son of one of the directors of the Flower Palace Nightclub. He originally sought to marry Butterfly, but she waited out for Karl, and refused his advances.
Fung Ping continues her unlucky streak in romance. She followed Donny, her gambling-addict boyfriend, to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with a show tour team. She arrived in Vietnam at the height of the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and was presumably killed during a bombing raid by US Forces. She gave birth to a son while in Vietnam, despite earlier promises of an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and Karl Sum adopted the son and took him to the US. He was united with Butterfly at the end of the movie.
Nancy eventually sought another job at another nightclub as a lounge singer. She remained obscure, and became depressed and an alcoholic. She eventually lost her voice due to alcohol and died of cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic liver disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative nodules , leading to loss of liver function...
. Butterfly only knew of this right before her charity show.
Characters List
- Butterfly Yiu (姚小蝶)- One of the "Four Crazy Kings" (四大顛皇) at the Flower Palace Nightclub (麗花皇宮夜總會). She was initially among the lesser known singers of the nightclub, but through a series of events, she started her road to stardom.
- Lulu Kim (金露露)- The second one of the "Four Crazy Kings" at the nightclub. She is the most unassuming of the four "kings", and eventually had a movie career and married the son of one of the Flower Palace Nightclub's sirectors.
- Nancy Hong (紅蓮茜)- The most flamboyant of the Four Crazy Kings. Nancy is known for her fiery tempers, which gets her into very heated (almost physical) arguments with her rivals.
- Fung Ping Lam (藍鳳萍)- The tragic one in the "Four Crazy Kings". She is unlucky in love, and falls in love with a gamble-addict brass band member.
- Pak Long (白浪)- The most famous singer at the nightclub at the time. He is known for a rather diva-ish demeanors. It is hinted that Pak Long is homosexual, but that is not revealed in the movie. Pak Long eventually declined in popularity.
- Yuen Pik (婉碧)- She is the diva of the nightclub, and was the most popular female singer at the time. She is also known for her fake bottom and breast implants, which was a part of a running gag. She was eventually outshone by Butterfly.
- Karl Sum (沈家豪)- The main band member in the Flower Palace brass band. He is the love interest of Butterfly. Their relationship is rocky, and Karl eventually cannot bear the pains of living under the much more popular Butterfly.
Movie Cast
- Radium Cheung - Pianist
- Fung Bo-Bo - Concert Mistress of Ceremonies
- Fung Wai-Hung - Eagle
- Alice Lau (劉雅麗) - Butterfly Yiu
- Law Koon-Lan - Lulu Kim
- Joey Meng - Fung Ping Lam
- Anita Lee - Bar Girl
- Teresa MoTeresa MoTeresa Mo Sun-kwan is a Hong Kong actress. She started her career in 1970s, and joined TVB in 1981. She became famous for being cast in The Justice of Life, which was based on Stephen Chow's works...
- Woman at Concert Hall - So Yuk-Wah - Nancy
- Tse Kwan-Ho
- Raymond Wong - Maitre d'
- James WongWong JimJames Wong Jim was a Cantopop lyricist and writer based primarily in Hong Kong. He was also a well known in Asia as a columnist, actor, film director, screenwriter and talk show hosts. He took part in creative directing positions within the entertainment industry in Hong Kong...
- Triad - David WuDavid Wu (entertainer)David Wu , also known by the nickname Wu-Man, is a well-known Chinese American film actor, TV personality and formerly MTV Asia and Channel V video jockey. He attended the University of Washington...
- Karl Sum - Yip Wing-Cho - Po
Awards
14th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards- Winner - Best Supporting Actress (Law Koon-Lan)
- Winner - Best New Artist (Alice Lau Ar-Lai)
- Winner - Best Screenplay (Raymond To Kwok-Wai)
- Nomination - Best Picture
- Nomination - Best Actress (Alice Lau Ar-Lai)
- Nomination - Best Supporting Actress (Fung Wai-Hung)
- Nomination - Best New Artist (Hui Fan)
- Nomination - Best Original Score (Lee Hong-Gum, Wan Hol-Geen)
Related products
The main theme song is 'I Have a Date with Spring' sang by Alice Lau. The drama was performed first by Hong Kong Repertory Theatre (香港話劇團) in 1992. The drama was later performed by the theatre (春天話劇團) of Spring-Time Stage Productions (春天舞台劇製作有限公司).In 1995, "I Have a Date With Spring" was adapted into a television series by ATV
Asia Television Limited
Asia Television Limited is one of the two free-to-air television broadcasters in Hong Kong, the other being rival Television Broadcasts Limited . It launched in 1957 under the name Rediffusion Television as the first television station in Hong Kong...
, starring Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang
Sheren Tang Shui-man is a famous Hong Kong television actress who is known for not signing a long-term contract with TVB, preferring to work on a per-drama contract with the TV station. She is most famous for her roles in the mega-hit TVB drama series like War and Beauty, La Femme Desperado, The...
as Butterfly Yiu and lasting a total of 40 episodes. Similar to the film, the series takes place in flashbacks by Butterfly as she walks through a newly restored Flower Palace Nightclub. The series explores not only the lives of Butterfly, Lulu, Nancy, and Fung Ping while working at the nightclub, but also their lives before they began working at Flower Palace (such as Nancy being raised in an orphanage), as well as ongoing issues with their families (such as Fung Ping's less fortunate background, and Butterfly's father's dying career as a Cantonese Opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
singer). It also expands more on the different characters working at Flower Palace, such as Yuen Bik.
In 2001-2005, the film was rewritten as a musical, the La Fa Palace (麗花皇宮), many elder famous singers played in it, sang some of their best songs. VCD and DVD of the karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
versions of the plays are released in 2001-2003. Alice Lau and So Yuk-Wah performed in many of different performances related to the play.
There is a book of the play by Raymond To (我和春天有個約會 ISBN 9627420611).