What's in... Irene Ang's Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

SINGAPORE - While she is known for her comic timing and great sense of humour, Irene Ang was anything but her usual upbeat self during this interview 12 days ago.

It had been less than 24 hours since she and musical director Beatrice Chia-Richmond had agreed that Ang, 45, would not reprise her role as Mary Chow in the upcoming musical, Ah Boys To Men. The musical is based on the hit film of the same name and its sequel.

In both films, she played the over-protective mother of a young man enlisting for national service.

While it is not uncommon for celebrities to cite scheduling conflicts as a reason for quitting projects, Ang said it is the future of her company that must take precedence over her passion for acting.

"My first priority now is the business," she said matter-of-factly, with an undertone of resignation. She is determined not to regret it.

She said: "Once I make a decision, I never look back."

At first, she thought she could handle the weekly rehearsals and still manage the company, she said. But it was unfair to the cast and crew that she had to keep answering her phone at rehearsals.

"Beatrice said that I grew up. I would like to do both but you have to sacrifice," she said.

Her role will now be filled by radio DJ Dennis Chew.

She has been stepping away from the stage slowly over the past five years. She got her first big break nearly 16 years ago, when she took on the now-iconic role of Rosie Phua in eight seasons of Phua Chua Kang Pte Ltd.

Her role in Ah Boys To Men was her only acting gig in 2012 and the role of the neurotic mother-in-law in last year's sitcom Spouse For House was her first role for Channel 5 in four years.

Having grown Fly Entertainment from a sole-proprietorship in 1999 to a 40-strong company of full-time staff and artists today, she is now looking to develop the two subsidiaries in the group.

One is a concert management subsidiary, Running Into The Sun, which started in 2009 and has since produced 25 concerts and musicals here and in Malaysia.

The $2-million production of Ah Boys To Men The Musical is its first full-scale in-house production and the musical numbers are conceived from scratch.

Another subsidiary is a film production arm, A.I Pictures, also established in 2009, which has seen her taking on the role of a producer more often.

Its upcoming projects include tie-ups with Amuse Inc, a Japanese entertainment company, on a film to be shot in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan. Also in the works is an English-Mandarin feature film with Singapore film-maker Tan Ai Leng, provisionally titled Sinema Paradiso.

"These days, I'm more keen to collaborate," she said.

In fact, the impetus for turning director Jack Neo's Ah Boys To Men into a musical stemmed from a casual promise she gave him.

"His dream was to turn one of his movies into a musical and I said only if this one is a blockbuster. So he came back to me."

Part of her new role includes looking for corporate sponsors, many of whom are now more open to being associated with local productions, as the scene has gone more mainstream.

Ang, who still has the title "Rising Star" hanging over her office door in Henderson Industrial Park, said it helps that she talks to the companies herself and explains about the benefits of engaging local artists and being a part of the local entertainment scene.

When she has talent and backers in place, her next goal is to adapt more local stories for local productions. The youth today, for example, do not get exposed to stories of Tales Of Xi Shi (China beauty) or Singapore war heroine Elizabeth Choy, she said.

Now that Neo is preparing to film another Ah Boys To Men sequel, does it also automatically mean a sequel for the musical?

She said with a mock stern look: "If he wants another musical, he would have to wait a bit."

Who

Singapore actress/comedian/host Irene Ang is best known for playing Rosie Phua in the comedy series Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, and for being the founder and CEO of talent agency, Fly Entertainment.

Her Samsung Galaxy Note Pro

"I started carrying a laptop but it was too heavy. Then I used my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 for everything, including presentations, but I have a lot of personal stuff in my phone.

"I like the Note Pro because it is big enough, and I am used to the S Pen as I use it on my phone too."

S Pen

"With the pen, I can make edits and changes by circling and highlighting them, and then sending the file back to the office. My instructions are clearer this way. This(left)  is the flyer for the musical and the changes that I wanted."

Sinema Paradiso

"I have videos to introduce the artists I manage and the big screen makes it easier to show them.

"This is a "feel reel" of Sinema Paradiso, a movie I'm producing.

"This was compiled by the director, Tan Ai Leng. It's not the full movie, but it is made to give people a general idea of what type of movie it's going to be about."

Calendar

"I have so many appointments. With one look, I can see what my schedule is like." 

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