Musicals, Theatre and Concerts 2010

Was surfing SISTIC again just now. Saw many productions which I'm interested in catching. I was just thinking for the upcoming year, I'll try to catch a larger variety of productions. But this also means I'll be looking at the lowest category of tickets (or thereabouts). Anyway, this is shout-out to all who may be interested in the following:

In chronological order:

1. Merchants of Bollywood (12th-17th Jan)
[Lowest priced ticket: $38]

"“Merchants of Bollywood” is a one of a kind musical - An original production from Australia with a cast and crew direct from India’s film city – MUMBAI. Hailed as the world’s first authentic Bollywood musical, it is inspired from the real life story of Vaibhavi Merchant, the show's choreographer. The show features a galaxy of internationally renowned dancers and stage performers including Carol Furtado (MTV) and Arif Zakaria (Dance Like A Man). The show features songs from super-hit movies like Dhoom, Bunty Aur Babli, Rang de Basanti etc and music by Oscar winnning composer A.R.Rahman.

With over 850 sell out performances worldwide, this musical has enthralled over two million audiences in London, Brussels, Paris, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Auckland, Sydney, Zurich, Berlin, Kuala Lumpur, Beijing and Bangkok - just to name a few cities. This theaterical spectacular is a heartfelt story of a young girl, her grandfather and their love for dance, music & Bollywood! Tear are shed, wounds healed and conflicts reconciled in a powerful journey to the sacred heart of dance. Bangles and beads, swirling colours in costumes and sets will excite the senses in this lavish production beautifully choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant and set to the high energetic music including smash hit songs arranged by Bollywood’s famous duo Salim and Sulaiman Merchant. Vaibhavi Merchant, regarded as one of India’s very renowned young choreographers is famous for her creativity that brings loads of vigour and life to all her spectacular shows.

The finale showcases a healing bond between old and new; in a fusion of Folk, Classical, Modern, Western and Indian dance forms. Their electrifying energy, lively rhythm and enchanting dance steps, undoutably makes this the most exciting musical of the year. So come ENJOY the glamour and glitter of Bollywood right here in Singapore !!!"

My comments: Indian musical. A first for me.

2. Puccini's La Boheme (29th Jan - 3rd Feb)
[Lowest priced ticket: $15]

This production is set in the 1930s by Andrew Sinclair, a resident director of The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London: "Having directed this opera a number of times in various settings from 1830 to the late nineteenth century, I thought it might be interesting idea to set it in another period in Parisian history when the country was economically depressed and the future uncertain. In the 1930s, France had lurched from one chaotic government to another in a short time. Life was unstable economically as it was politically. Despite this, Paris remained a melting pot for artists and writers and their hopes and ideals. People were determined to enjoy themselves and the cafes, theatres and restaurants were full to overflowing. Beneath this superficial gaiety, life was different".

Against this background, the two lead characters in the opera , Rodolfo and Mimi fell in love, separated and reconciled before she passed away.

Dubbed by New York Times as the 'world 's most popular opera', La Boheme has some of the most gorgeous arias in the Italian opera repertoire.

My Comments: Opera. Italian. Also a first for me.

3. To Kill A Mockingbird (26th Feb - 14th Mar)
[Lowest priced ticket: $35 before 15% for students]

Ripe with attitude, Goh Boon Teck’s delirious imagination has descended on one of literary history’s most perfect stories ever written, To Kill A Mockingbird. This stylized and unconventional adaptation features a strong multi-racial cast of veterans and promising actors from both television and theatre. Aggressively modern and assertively trendy, audiences will be treated to a visual pastiche inspired by the coexistence of good and evil, and the simplicity of light and dark. While taking artistic liberties in its staging, the issues of class, courage, compassion and prejudice, explored in the book remain fundamental. To Kill A Mockingbird will intoxicate with its gritty and intense look at human behavior, gone wrong.

My Comments: Read the book before. Would be interesting to see the stage adaptation.

4. KUMAR: Stripped Bare & Standing Up (4th - 7th Mar)
[Lowest priced ticket: $18]

The outrageously funny Kumar sold out his 5-show run at the Esplanade last year before the shows even started and when he finally hit the stage, everyone was squealing with laughter! Uncontrollable madness!

After 17 years in the "funny-biz", Kumar, the undisputed Drag-Queen of local comedy stripped off more than just the skin-tight panty hose and turned his "no-holds-barred" wicked sense of humour onto himself.

Nothing is sacred as he shares the hilarious (yet moving) stories of his growing up years with his Dad, how he was discovered in a dress after Boom Boom Room and his many escapades during Basic Military Training. There is nothing basic about this show which incorporates a wonderful "mini-docu" and culminates in Kumar showing off his dancing skills with Singapore's best known tabla-man, Maniam.

My Comments: Just for a good night's life :D

5. The Tempest (2nd - 10th Apr)
[Lowest priced ticket: $55 (Wed, 3pm). Prices for other timings are just too ex to quote]

In March 2009, Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT), in collaboration with Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, presented The Bridge Project - Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale starring Ethan Hawke and Rebecca Hall. Directed by Tony and Academy Award winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Cabaret), the production received rave reviews from both the press and public.

The Bridge Project is a partnership between Sam Mendes, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the Old Vic in London run by Kevin Spacey (Academy Award winner for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty).

In April 2010, Year two of The Bridge Project features another stellar transatlantic lineup in a work by William Shakespeare: The Tempest. In this celebrated classic, widely considered to be Shakespeare’s final play, Mendes and company explore outcasts, power, and magical lands.

My Comments: Shakespeare. Not my first, but I'd think it's worth a watch. If not for the price of the tickets ):

6. Chicago (16th Apr - 9th May)
[Lowest priced ticket: $70 for non-restricted view]

With over a decade of decadence on Broadway and London’s West End, CHICAGO will return to Singapore from 16 April to 9 May 2010, for a strictly limited season at the Esplanade Theatre with an all-star cast including the award-winning Sharon Millerchip (Roxie Hart) and Craig McLachlan (Billy Flynn).

CHICAGO tells the tale of Roxie Hart, a nightclub dancer who dreams of heading in Vaudeville, kills her lover, then convinces her husband to come up with the $5000 to hire Chicago’s shrewdest, smooth-talking lawyer, Billy Flynn.

CHICAGO has played over 15,000 performances worldwide, has captivated an estimated 17 million people around the world, and has been honoured with 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, a Grammy® Award and thousands of standing ovations. So whether you have seen the Academy Award® winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you have seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers with ‘sizzle and timeless class’ - TIME OUT.

My Comments: Probably going with some churchies. But if anyone wants to watch but have no company (hopefully not the case), sms/ring me. My grouse is that they've imposed a "student below 18" age-limit on $50 student tickets!!! Ugh.
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Kudos to you if you've gotten this far :D Let me know if anyone wants to watch anything =)