He died some 35 years ago but Boonpong Sirivejjabhandu – a Thai merchant and member of the underground resistance known as V Organisation during the Japanese occupation of Thailand during World War II – is still remembered in his homeland, and no more so than in Kanchanaburi.

His story was brought to the small screen in 2013 in the Thai PBS drama “A War Hero Named Boonpong of Death Railway” with Ruangsak “James” Loychusak portraying the hero. Now, four years on, James is back, this time playing Boonpong in the musical “Death Railway Hero the Musical” as part of Kanchanaburi’s annual sound and light extravaganza.

“Kanchanaburi’s River Kwai Bridge week takes visitors back to the construction of the historical bridge and the lives lost. This year, for the first time, the activities will include a musical. The aim is to remind us, particularly children and youth, of a true war hero, Boonpong,” says Bavornsak Vanich, deputy governor of Kanchanaburi.

“Ambassadors from nine countries have accepted our invitation to attend the opening ceremony.”

The musical has been put together by Index Creative Village, which has a wealth of experience in organising the event.

“The more we researched the life of Boonpong Sirivejjabhandu, the more we were amazed by his courage. He received the highest praise from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom who presented him with the George Cross and rank Lieutenant Colonel of the British Army. Australia initiated a foundation, ‘the Weary Dunlop-Boon Pong Exchange Fellowship’, which offers scholarships for Thai medical students, as an expression of gratitude for Boonpong’s help to the prisoners of war. We are very proud of this Thai hero, who risked his own life to help others. So, we decide to create this musical based on his story,” says Kriengkrai “Mok” Kanjanapokin, the company’s founder and chief executive.

Boonpong was a Thai merchant and member of the underground V Organisation during the Japanese occupation of Thailand in World War II. Boonpong used his contract with the Imperial Japanese Army as a cover to supply the canteens of Allied POWs working along the Kwai Lo River. He smuggled medicine, money and contraband food to the POWs and is credited with saving thousands of lives during the building of the Burma Railway.

Although Thailand made peace with the Japanese after being invaded, the underground movement remained active. One prisoner recalls how Boonpong was the merchant with the lowest prices and the smallest mark up. However, he performed other services risking his life and those of his family. He lent money, provided extra medicines and ran messages. With access to medicines, the death rate of the prisoners was reduced from five a day in May 1943 to one a week by the following November.

After the war, Boonpong was attacked by the Thai police and Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop, another hero of the POW camps, ordered a report on the condition of the man who had done so much for prisoners of war. In 1947 he was facing dire financial difficulties and a POW association organised a collection for him. Shortly afterwards Boonpong started the Boonpong Bus Company. In 1948 he was awarded the MBE by the British Government.

The Australian medical scholarship was later named in honour of him and Sir Edward, both of whom were portrayed in the documentary, “The Quiet Lions”, in 2006. Boonpong also figures prominently in “Beyond the Bamboo Screen”, a collection of anecdotes by Scottish POWs.

James is joined on stage by Candy Rakkaen, who plays his wife Surat and Chomputhip “Eclair” Temthanamongkol as their daughter Panee. Stephen Thomas portrays Sir Edward.

“When the drama was being shot for Thai PBS, I had the chance to meet Boonpong’s daughter Panee, who was an elderly lady by then. I also visited the war hero’s family in Kanchanaburi and Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. The TV production reflects the brutal cruelty, suffering and adversity as well as a hidden moral. In a scene from Hellfire Pass, the prisoners of war worked drilling the mountain for a train to pass through all day and night long. They were hungry and at risk from wild animals as well as from the cholera epidemic,” says James.

“The musical is a little more difficult for me as I have to sing much of the dialogue in front of a live audience.”

The show is under the overall supervision of Marut “Tor” Sarowat and features a script by Thanavadee Stityuthakarn and music composed by Sarawut Lertpanyanuch. Nipon Wannamahin directs.

“I would like all Thai people to see this light and sound musical and acknowledge the high morals this hero displayed during the war. How would it have been without Boonpong? We can’t deny the cruelty of war but at the same time we can celebrate the morals, courage and sacrifices of our war hero, Boonpong,” says Tor Marut.

On stage from tonight

– “Death Railway Hero the Musical” starts today and runs through December 3 at River Kwai Bridge, as part of the River Kwai Bridge light and sound week in Kanchanaburi Province.

– Tickets cost from Bt300 to Bt1,000 at http://www.ICVPapp.com/kanchanaburi.

Find out more by calling (083) 989 6780 and (083) 989 6824.

Now the original singer, king of Mandopop Jacky Cheung, will be crooning it for fans in a concert at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani, on January 13.

With a successful musical career spanning more than 30 years, Cheung is widely regarded as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Hong Kong alongside Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau and Leon Lai. The 56-year-old singer has performed more than 100 live shows in 61 cities across China, USA, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia since 2016.

All 30,000 tickets to his three performances in Singapore held here earlier this year in February sold out within a day!

The concert, a visual extravaganza coupled with Cheung’s impeccable vocals, promises to be nothing short of amazing.

Tickets cost from Bt3,000 to Bt10,000 at Thai Ticket Major.

The tour, the American pop rocker’s third, kicked off in Phoenix, Arizona in September and will wrap in Stockholm in April.

The 2014 Grammy Award winners for Best Rock Performance, whose hits include “It’s Time”, “Radioactive”, “Demons”, “Believer” and “Thunder”, first came to Bangkok for a soldout show in 2015 on their “Smoke + Mirrors Tour”.

Tickets costing from Bt2,500 are now on sale at Thai Ticket Major counters and online at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com. Find out more at http://www.BecTero.com and Facebook.com/bectero.

The country legend died of suspected respiratory failure at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida, publicist Don Murry Grubbs said in a statement.

“Tillis battled intestinal issues since early 2016 and never fully recovered,” he said.

Tillis, a father of six whose stammer and self-deprecating charm endeared him to fans, recorded more than 60 albums, scored 35 top 10 singles, and saw 600 of his songs recorded by major artists during a career spanning six decades.

The former Air Force baker — who had his heyday in the 1970s — also dipped into film and television, appearing on shows such as “Hee Haw” and movies including “Smokey and the Bandit II” (1980) and “Every Which Way but Loose” (1978), alongside Clint Eastwood.

He was also active in business ventures that included radio stations and publishing companies, as well as his own theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed thousands of shows, according to The Tennessean newspaper.

In 2012, then-President Barack Obama awarded Tillis the National Medal of Arts. He was also a member of the Grand Ole Opry — a pantheon for country music stars — and a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee.

A representative for Tillis’ daughter Pam, also a country singer-songwriter, wrote on her Facebook page that his death was “sudden and unexpected.”

“The Voice” judge Blake Shelton described Tillis’ death as “a truly devastating loss” on Twitter, while musician and actor Tim McGraw remembered him as “one of the coolest guys in country music ever.” “I’m saddened to hear of the passing of my friend, Mel Tillis,” Grammy Award-winning country singer Crystal Gayle wrote on Twitter, adding, “There will never be another Mel Tillis!”

Meanwhile, the Grand Ole Opry took to Twitter to thank Tillis “for the songs, stories and years of incredible entertainment.”

One of the hottest tech-trance producers in the UK, Askew is conquering dance floors all around the world. He has been featured as the headliner in such notable festivals as Homelands, Electronic Family, EDC, Luminosity, and Creamfields. His DJ sets are full of high energy, deep pulsating basslines and dark techy beats drawing inspiration from techno with less influence from typical mainstream music.

The December event marks a successful year-end for Trance Lovers Thailand community as well as Trance music genre on the Thailand market. The community has been the driving force behind the growing music trend in both Thailand and the region, as seen in the first half of 2017 with major events highlighting Trance Music. Throughout the past 12 months, starting with Mystic Valley, the first ever-festival in Thailand to dedicate one stage per music genre featuring an all-trance stage, Transmission Festival Asia, a progression from the biggest indoor trance festival in Europe with over a decade running, along with debut shows from many Trance artists under Trance Lovers Thailand promotion and management including Vini Vici, Coming Soon, and ReOrder.

Trance Music Lovers In Thailand community has been responsible for the rapid growth of Trance and Electronic Dance Music scene in Thailand. From small scale monthly gatherings to large-scale club events and music festivals, TLT has been the driving force with dedicated DJs, management team and devoted fans of almost 25,000 to date and rapidly growing.

Tickets are Bt800 before November 30 and Bt800 from December 1 to 7  at/www.TicketMelon.com/event/johnaskew/ and Bt900 at the door.

The singer of “Roar” and “I Kissed a Girl” has more Twitter followers than anyone else in the world at 106 million but had struggled to win the hearts of two elderly nuns who used to live in the convent.

The Roman Catholic archdiocese had agreed to sell the property, which lies vacant, to Perry. But the two nuns were unmoved, even when Perry visited and sang for them, and insisted they had authority to sell the former convent to a restaurant owner, Dana Hollister.

A judge last year invalidated the deed issued to Hollister, who wanted to turn the scenic site in the hilly Los Feliz neighborhood into a boutique hotel.

A Los Angeles jury decided Friday after a day of deliberation that Hollister intentionally interfered with the sale to Perry, including by falsely claiming the title to the property.

It awarded $1.57 million to Perry and $3.47 million to the archdiocese to cover the costs of their lawyers.

The church and Perry could win even more at a second phase of the trial starting on December 1 that will consider punitive damages.

Hollister’s lawyer countered that the businesswoman believed she had a valid contract and that the $5 million in legal costs was exaggerated.

Perry has yet to finalize her move into the convent. She agreed to pay $10 million upfront for her future home plus $4.5 to build a replacement elsewhere for a prayer retreat on the grounds.

The ninth annual Pattaya Classical Guitar Festival and Competition takes place at the Siam Bayshore Resort Pattaya on November 26. Tickets are Bt400 (Bt200 for students). For Bt2,500 per night you can stay at the hotel and have breakfast and admission to the festival. Make reservations at (038) 428 678 or http://www.ThailandGuitarSociety.com.

Great jazz with Lezlie

New York City-based jazz vocalist Lezlie Harrison is performing with the Randy Cannon Group in the Living Room of the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit through December 2, Tuesday to Saturday. Book a table for a soulful night at (02) 649 8353 or dining.sgs@luxurycollection.com.

Latino nights in Bangkok

The Latinorama Festival will meld Latin American flavours and cultures on November 18 and 19 at the Commons on Thonglor Soi 17. Food stalls, a tequila bar, embassy popups full of goodies and plenty of activities and entertainment – including classes in salsa and zumba and a flamenco show – are on the bill.

Aussies in the groove, man

Australian psychedelic-rock band Pond will be onstage at Nakarin Space on November 21. Nick Allbrook, Jay Watson, Joe Ryan and Jamie Terry are touring Asia, and you can see what the fuss is about with a Bt2,000 purchase at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com or (02) 262 3456.

K-pop visitors hit Show DC

South Korean boy band Astro – featuring MJ, JinJin, Eunwoo, Moon Bin, Rocky and Sanha – plans a “Fan Meeting & Mini Live” at Show DC’s Ultra Arena on Rama IX Road on November 26. There are shows at 1pm and 7pm and passes cost Bt3,000, Bt4,500 and Bt5,500 at http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com and (02) 262 3456.

When news filtered through in October that British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran had been involved in a road accident and broken his wrist and elbow, his legions of Thai fans sank into a deep depression.

How could he possibly be well enough to perform in Bangkok in a little over a month, they asked? The mood become darker as announcements of cancellations of his shows in Taipei, Osaka, Seoul, Tokyo and Hong Kong were made but lifted again when the singer announced he was resuming the tour in Singapore and Malaysia, and yes, he would play Bangkok.

The concert went ahead as planned on Thursday night with a blowout show at Impact Arena, Muang Thong Thani and Thai fans were delighted to see for themselves that his guitar work hadn’t suffered as a result of his injuries.

American new-wave pop singer Lauv opened the show, performing his hits “I Like Me Better” and “The Other” to a colourful backdrop of graphics on the huge screen.

Sheeran attired in his usual simple attire of black T-shirt and jeans appeared on stage at 9.05pm and opened his set with “Castle on the Hill”, a track from his latest album “Divide”. He then greeted fans with a “Sawasdee” and thanked them for coming before evoking childhood memories with the acoustic rap number “Eraser”, which talks about his days of singing in church.

He then invited fans to create a sea of stars with their mobile phones as he swung into “A Team” from his first album “Plus”. It took us back to the first day when he did a gig at a homeless shelter, where a girl named Angle inspired him.

Asking “how loud can Bangkok can sing?” Sheeran upped the tempo with popular songs “Don’t/New Man”, “Dive”, “Happier”, “Bloodstream” and “Galway Girls”, and seemed surprised that everyone knew the lyrics.

Teasing fans with the comment “I think you have never heard this old song”, he launched into “Tenerife Sea” from his “Multiply” album, which he co-wrote with Johnny McDaid and Foy Vance of Snow Patrol. Once again, the singer looked amazed that fans could sing along with every single word.

A friend of Sheeran’s appeared on stage – though he was never introduced – and played the piano on hit track “How Would You Feel (Paen)” from the “Divide” album, a song inspired by his girlfriend.

The concert wrapped with a non-stop medley of number one hits including “Photograph”, “Perfect”, “Nancy Mulligan”, “Thinking Out Loud” and “Sing”.

After a short break, Sheeran returned to the stage to screams and cries for more, performing hip-hop-infused songs “Shape of You” and “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You” before bidding a fond farewell to Bangkok.

He continues his Asia tour with stops in Mumbai and Dubai. The cancelled shows in Manila, Osaka and Tokyo have been rescheduled for April but Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong and Jakarta have been unable to accommodate the new dates.

The English band played the 114th and final show of its “A Head Full of Dreams” tour Wednesday night in Buenos Aires, completing a haul of $523 million in ticket sales, Live Nation announced.

Only two other acts have ever amassed more: Irish rockers U2, who grossed $784 million on their elaborate, in-the-round “360” tour from 2009 to 2011, and The Rolling Stones, who grossed slightly above Coldplay with their “A Bigger Bang” shows a decade ago.

Coldplay went hi-tech for the tour, with fans given interactive wristbands that change color to the music and eye-popping displays with lasers and confetti.

The rockers led by Chris Martin, who broke through in the early 2000s with a mixture of dark ballads and rock anthems in the fashion of U2, earlier hinted that “A Head Full of Dreams” would be their last full-length album, although they released a new EP in July.

The tour started in March 2016, also in Buenos Aires, and reached nearly 5.4 million fans, according to Live Nation.

The band sold out multiple dates at stadiums in London, Paris, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey and set a new attendance record of 67,451 at Mexico City’s Foro Sol.

Coldplay pushes into fourth place on the highest-grossing list Roger Waters, the former Pink Floyd member whose marathon 2010-13 “The Wall Live” tour incorporated elaborate effects as he pressed an anti-war theme.

Los Angeles-based DJ Tay James –Justin Bieber’s official DJ – is in Bangkok tonight for a show at Insanity Nightclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 that kicks off at 10. James has performed on some of America’s highest-rated TV shows of icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen Degeneres, Jay Leno, and David Letterman. Find out more and book a table at (082) 731 8885.

“Pumping” up the action

DJ Pump, one of Canada’s top turntablists who shot to fame after winning the DMC and ITF national championships, will be back at the Sugar Club on Sukhumvit Soi 11 on November 23 manning the decks from 10pm to 4am. He is known for his skilful blending of music genres, from hip Hop to funk, trap to soul, and disco to house. Book a seat at (061) 391 3111.

Spins from the SAR

Hong Kong-based DJ Ricky Stone will perform at Insanity Nightclub on Sukhumvit Soi 11 on November 24 at 10pm until late. He has been ranked on the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list for 4 consecutive years, peaking on the #35 spot in 2008. Call (082) 731 8885.

Straight from Windy City

Smartbar Chicago’s resident DJ and producer Chrissy, aka Chris E Pants and Murdertbot, will make his debut in Bangkok at Safe Room, Silom Soi 8, on November 24 at 10 as part of his Asia tour. The talented DJ will be supported by local hero Jaydubb. Find out more at (087) 061 1117.

Sounds of the Future

French DJ and producer Onra performs at the “Produce x Future Factory Music Series #1” at Future Factory in Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai on November 25 at 8pm. He will be supported by Pichy (Quay Records), and Boogie G (Nite Ride). Book early at (098) 253 9356.