Students at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) drew to a close the weeks-long CityU Arts Festival 2022/23 with a performance of the famed Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof from 18 to 20 November.
President Way Kuo played the Fiddler, the soul of the story, singing and dancing with the cast, bringing this annual CityU cultural event to a successful conclusion.
Premiering in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof once held the record for the longest-running musical with over 3,000 performances before closing in 1972. It won nine Tony Awards, including, among others, “Best Musical”, “Best Book of a Musical”, “Best Composer and Lyricist”, “Best Director” and “Best Choreography”. It was adapted into a film in 1971 and many of its hit tunes such as “Tradition”, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, “If I were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise Sunset” have touched the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Deeply moved by the musical’s cinematic adaptation when he watched the movie in Taipei in November 1971, President Kuo said he was delighted to learn that students had chosen this show as the Festival finale and to be a part of the production since it allowed him to bond with our students, the producers and crew members during rehearsals.
The aim of the CityU Arts Festival, which President Kuo initiated in 2015, is to nurture the spirit of multidisciplinary excellence among students, encouraging them to immerse themselves in the arts, academics, and sports, just like the Confucian Six Arts (rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy and arithmetic).
The Arts Festival has won tremendous support over the years, which is evident in the full houses for nearly all performances.
Even in the absence of a music or arts department, talented students at CityU devote themselves to these grand events, working alongside renowned artists, performing Chinese and Western music as well as Broadway musicals to packed audiences, and showcasing their talents onstage, all while sharing the joy of music and the arts.
We hope that CityU Arts Festival will continue over the coming years.
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