XN000022-1981-12-13 — Page 6

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1981

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BASED ON A GENERAL TRAFFIC GROWTH RATE OF FOUR PER CENT PER YEAR AND THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF TAI KOO SHING ESTATE, TRAFFIC DEMAND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE BY 20 PER CENT BY MID-1984.

ALTHOUGH THE ISLAND EASTERN CORRIDOR DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN MID-1984 WILL RELIEVE CONGESTION ALONG KING'S ROAD, THE NEED FOR THE NEW SCHEME IS STILL ESSENTIAL, MR LUI EMPHASISED.

+THIS IS BECAUSE EVEN WITH THIS MAJOR IMPROVEMENT, KING'S ROAD WILL NOT BE FREE OF CONGESTION BY 1991 AS PRESENT TRAFFIC FORECAST INDICATES,+ MR LUI SAID.

NO EXACT DATES OR TIMINGS ON THE SCHEME CAN BE GIVEN AT THIS STAGE AS FURTHER STUDIES OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME, NEED TO BE CARRIED OUT.

HOWEVER, NR LUI SAID THAT AMPLE PUBLICITY WILL BE GIVEN ONCE CONSTRUCTION DATES ARE CONFIRMED.

+AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS+

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THE MUSIC OFFICE IS PRESENTING GIAN-CARLO MENOTTI'S 'AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS' AT THE BAPTIST COLLEGE, ACADEMIC COMMUNITY HALL ON DECEMBER 26, 27 AND 28 AT 8 PM.

THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF THE OPERA, MR LO KING-MAN WAS BORN AND RECEIVED HIS BASIC EDUCATION IN HONG KONG. HE WON AN ITALIAN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR A PERIOD OF STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROME IN 1960, WHILE IN ITALY, HE WORKED AS AN APPRENTICE AT THE TEATRO DELL' OPERA OF ROME AND ON THE DESIGN TEAM OF MAURO BOLOGNINI'S STAGE PRODUCTIONS.

HAVING UNDERTAKEN THE DESIGN AND DIRECTION OF STAGE PRODUCTIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG IN 1964, HE BEGAN HIS PIONEER WORK OF INTRODUCING FULLY-STAGED OPERATIC PRODUCTIONS TO HONG KONG. HE WAS TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THE GARRISON PLAYERS DURING 1964-67. IN 1969, HE WORKED WITH PROFESSOR MAJORIE LAWRENCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, DIRECTING OPERA WORKSHOPS FOR MUSIC STUDENTS, MR LO HAS BEEN WORKING AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF MAJOR OPERATIC PRODUCTIONS.

SEVERAL OUTSTANDING LOCAL VOCALISTS HAVE BEEN INVITED, INCLUDING BRIAN CHEUNG, BOY SOPRANO, AS AMAHL.

BRIAN, AGED 14, IS A STUDENT IN DIOCESAN BOYS' SCHOOL. HE HAS BEEN A MUSIC LOVER FROM A VERY EARLY AGE AND HAS TAKEN LESSONS ON THE ELECTRONIC ORGAN AND CLARINET. AS HE HAS SHOWN CONSIDERABLE POTENTIAL IN SINGING, HE WAS ENCOURAGED BY HIS TEACHER TO APPLY FOR THE ROLE OF AMAHL IN THIS OPERA.

ANNE CHENG, SOPRANO, WHO IS TAKING THE ROLE OF AMAHL'S MOTHER, IS A TOWN PLANNER BY PROFESSION.

HE HAS BEEN