Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theatre. Show all posts
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (2008): Something Wild
Something Wild
Elena Wang, Dwayne Tan
There is something in the air
So delicate and rare
I hear the tigers purring
The elephants are stirring
There is something in the air
You'll feel it if you dare
I see the hippo yawning
Is this a kind of warning
There is something in the air
It's caught me unaware
See the baboon leering
Just listen to their jeering
It's something wild
It's something wild
It's something wild I can't deny
I'm growing wings and flying high
Why does a peacock spread its tail
How does one be an alpha male
What explains the bower's birdsnest
Or locking horns just to impress
Well the breath is like a butterfly
That flutters sweetly in the sky
The heart is like an untamed horse
That gallops on its destined course
It's something wild
It's something wild
It's something wild I can't deny
I'm growing wings and flying high
Beauty and the Beast (2009): Come Closer
From one of my favourite theatre thespians. (:
Come Closer
Emma Yong, RJ Rosales
Excuse me young lady, but would you like to dance?
I'm hardly Mr. Twinkle Toes, but I deserve a second chance.
How could this girl say no to one so kind and so sweet?
I might have to warn you though, watch out, I might have two left feet.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, the rhythms move as one.
Excuse me young lady, I didn't mean to be rough
I don't know my own strength, I can't tell when it's too much
How could I teach you what you already know?
The feelings that we hide inside are not the feelings that we show.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, our rhythms move as one.
Come Closer
Emma Yong, RJ Rosales
Excuse me young lady, but would you like to dance?
I'm hardly Mr. Twinkle Toes, but I deserve a second chance.
How could this girl say no to one so kind and so sweet?
I might have to warn you though, watch out, I might have two left feet.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, the rhythms move as one.
Excuse me young lady, I didn't mean to be rough
I don't know my own strength, I can't tell when it's too much
How could I teach you what you already know?
The feelings that we hide inside are not the feelings that we show.
Can music move the hardest hearts,
Or tame the wildest beast?
Let's try this one more time and see.
Forget the false and tricky starts and let us now make peace
Where once we stood so far apart, come closer if you please
Let's try again right from the start, we've only just begun
Just listen to our beating hearts, our rhythms move as one.
Cinderel-Lah!! (2010): A Waltz To Fall In Love With
The 2010 W!ld Rice Pantomime is once again an enjoyable production to catch. There were similar elements to 2009's Pantomime: Beauty and the Beast - Darius Tan and Chua En Lai 'reprised' their roles as evil step-sisters of sorts, and Emma Yong starring as the belle of the show.
Emma Yong was once again stellar and mesmerising as Cindy, belting out beautiful numbers which melted my heart(: But I wished Sebastian Tan (Prince Charmee) had more opportunities and musical numbers to showcase his voice. Gurmit Singh bordered on being a little annoying though, while Darius Tan and Chua En Lai's roles were, I feel, too over-exaggerated for my liking. But the interaction with the audience was quite fun, the kids at the show definitely enjoyed it.
Comparing it with Beauty and the Beast,the songs in Cinderel-Lah!! are probably less memorable, with the exception of 1 or 2 numbers. My favourite one's A Waltz To Fall In Love With, a duet by Sebastian Tan and Emma Yong.
You can't search for your true love based on a slipper. You will know your true love when you meet her.
A Waltz To Fall In Love With
Emma Yong, Sebastian Tan
Oh the thrill of a new love, a fresh beginning
In your eyes, my heart is still
Would I try to imagine a feeling so overpowering
That has sent me reeling to the skies
On this night when the stars shine on bright
Making light of all that's past or here at last
More than a myth
I can hear a waltz to fall in love with
A waltz to fall in love with
Enthrall in love with
Give all your heart can hold
Behold the love that comes from deep within you
I hear a waltz to fall in love with
Feel a waltz to fall in love with
Dance a waltz to fall in love with you
Simply lovely.
Emma Yong was once again stellar and mesmerising as Cindy, belting out beautiful numbers which melted my heart(: But I wished Sebastian Tan (Prince Charmee) had more opportunities and musical numbers to showcase his voice. Gurmit Singh bordered on being a little annoying though, while Darius Tan and Chua En Lai's roles were, I feel, too over-exaggerated for my liking. But the interaction with the audience was quite fun, the kids at the show definitely enjoyed it.
Comparing it with Beauty and the Beast,the songs in Cinderel-Lah!! are probably less memorable, with the exception of 1 or 2 numbers. My favourite one's A Waltz To Fall In Love With, a duet by Sebastian Tan and Emma Yong.
You can't search for your true love based on a slipper. You will know your true love when you meet her.
A Waltz To Fall In Love With
Emma Yong, Sebastian Tan
Oh the thrill of a new love, a fresh beginning
In your eyes, my heart is still
Would I try to imagine a feeling so overpowering
That has sent me reeling to the skies
On this night when the stars shine on bright
Making light of all that's past or here at last
More than a myth
I can hear a waltz to fall in love with
A waltz to fall in love with
Enthrall in love with
Give all your heart can hold
Behold the love that comes from deep within you
I hear a waltz to fall in love with
Feel a waltz to fall in love with
Dance a waltz to fall in love with you
Simply lovely.
Friday, September 3, 2010
That Girl
That Girl
Fried Rice Paradise
Performed by Sebastian Tan and Taufik Batisah
She's really not the perfect match
But now she seems like the perfect catch
She's not my type, and that's a fact
Well, as you know opposites attract
I go about my own routine
As if I'm in some kind of dream
And yet I'm glad
Somehow I can't forget someone I just met.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
It's hard to say the way I feel
I can't explain but I know it's real
I've never felt this way before
But this sweet pain keeps me wanting more
What should I do? I'm so confused
She's not someone I can lose
How can it be
That it's still hard to see if she's into me?
There's something strange about that girl
She's overturned my very world
She's not the kind that I would call my type, so call me a fool
Cos I am mad about that girl
How did she come into my world?
I wanna shout, I'm all about that girl.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
------------------------------------------------
Love the bass and the groove. The retro feel.
Fried Rice Paradise
Performed by Sebastian Tan and Taufik Batisah
She's really not the perfect match
But now she seems like the perfect catch
She's not my type, and that's a fact
Well, as you know opposites attract
I go about my own routine
As if I'm in some kind of dream
And yet I'm glad
Somehow I can't forget someone I just met.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
It's hard to say the way I feel
I can't explain but I know it's real
I've never felt this way before
But this sweet pain keeps me wanting more
What should I do? I'm so confused
She's not someone I can lose
How can it be
That it's still hard to see if she's into me?
There's something strange about that girl
She's overturned my very world
She's not the kind that I would call my type, so call me a fool
Cos I am mad about that girl
How did she come into my world?
I wanna shout, I'm all about that girl.
That's something odd about that girl
She's overtaken my whole world
She's not the kind that I would look at twice, but look at me now
Thinking so much about that girl
How did she come into my world?
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
And even more, I'm falling for that girl.
------------------------------------------------
Love the bass and the groove. The retro feel.
Monday, August 16, 2010
雨季
Good news to all my loyal blog-readers (if there are any) - I'm back to blog! E-med EOPT was just over last week, I would have blogged, as per tradition during EOPT periods, if I weren't busy playing StarCraft so I can be inspired to buy SC2.
And so, ENT, Pathology, and E-Med came to pass. Besides the World Cup-Paul the Octopus craze, the visit to the mortuary and watching autopsies, the ambulance runs and setting many IV lines, nothing really spectacular or especially memorable happened.
In a span of 15 days from 14th - 29th Aug, I would have caught:
1. 张信哲 －幸福决哲演唱会
2. 雨季 December Rains
3. Boeing Boeing
4. Fried Rice Paradise
5. Mendelssohn's Elijah
Not forgetting Blackbird in Sept and probably Cinderellah！ in December, many of my friends express awe and sometimes shock that I catch so many shows. It probably forms the bulk of my expenditure; the only other things I spend on are DVDs and CDs.
So why do I watch so many concerts and plays? I used to just think of it as mere entertainment and relaxation and enjoyment (I still do), but after watching the 张信哲's concert and 雨季, I realised something else, a conclusion which many people have already analysed and come to .
Perhaps concerts and theatre are a form of escapism, to me at least. For the 2.5 hours, I am plunged into a completely different world, and needn't think about work, problems and issues. Sometimes I enjoy a performance purely because of artistic and musical merit, I simply enjoy the music and dance, like in the musical Chicago.
At other times, I'm immersed in a world in which I'm almost omniscient, knowing and in turn, experiencing by proxy, the myriad of emotions the characters portray. In some instances, an emotion that you've never experienced before, or experienced rarely, is thrown at you and you engage and ponder upon that emotion. For example,
"Mr. Cellophane, Mr. Cellophane, shoulda been my name, Mr. Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me, walk right by me,
And never know I'm there." - Chicago
"渺小的我，也想要轰轰烈烈地活
心中的话，也想要痛痛快快地说
渺小的我，习惯在全世界的背后沉默
如果有一天，我真消失了，究竟有没有人会偶尔想起我？" - 雨季
I'd say I don't really experience this emotion very often, if at all. But it's an interesting thought. But of course, when the character expresses this emotion, my heart goes out to him.
In other instances, theatre brings about a mix of reality and fantasy. Theatre allows one to identify with a character with his emotions, as if one could really step into his shoes. At the same time, theatre allows you to feel and imagine yourself as someone you know you would never be, or dare to be, in your life. The irony is that both could very well be portrayed in the same scene in the same song number by 2 different characters, and I would end up having a split personality and feeling for and like both characters. Example in 雨季:
男主角甲：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
在我彷徨时候 她的心就是我 世上最美的家
请你请你告诉她 我永远爱她
虽然大雨一直下 我有温暖胸膛 一生庇护着她
请你请你告诉她 我永远等她
沧海桑田都不怕 我愿付出代价 今生为她牵挂“
男主角乙：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
有没有人懂我 心中也有一朵 送不出去的花？
教我如何告诉她 我也爱着她
最好大雨一直下 让我无需面对 她那盼望脸庞
教我如何告诉她 我深爱着她
我想默默陪着她 哪怕付出代价 一生痛苦挣扎“
Not to mention, the female lead (Kit Chan, with her superb vocals) has a corresponding part in this song. What beauty! =)
There are times when you'd feel that nothing else could express your feelings more than the lyrics in a song, because you lack the 文笔 to express such, e.g.
"太想爱你是我压抑不了的念头
想要全面占领你的喜怒哀愁
你已征服了我 却还不属于我
教我如何不去猜测你在想什么
太想爱你是我压抑不了的折磨
能否请你不要不要选择闪躲
只想爱你的我 太想爱你的我
难道只能在迷雾中 猜你的轮廓？” - 〈太想爱你〉（张信哲）
Some may detract and say these poetic expressions are hardly realistic, and are nothing like that in reality. There lies the appeal in such expression - the escapism it provides to the receiver. Where the timid becomes courageous. Where something you never dared to say or do becomes expressed. Where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Where something out of your grasp can be firmly in your hand. When one lives in reality most of the time, it isn't overly indulgent to escape for 2.5 hrs, is it? Until dreams become reality..
And so, ENT, Pathology, and E-Med came to pass. Besides the World Cup-Paul the Octopus craze, the visit to the mortuary and watching autopsies, the ambulance runs and setting many IV lines, nothing really spectacular or especially memorable happened.
In a span of 15 days from 14th - 29th Aug, I would have caught:
1. 张信哲 －幸福决哲演唱会
2. 雨季 December Rains
3. Boeing Boeing
4. Fried Rice Paradise
5. Mendelssohn's Elijah
Not forgetting Blackbird in Sept and probably Cinderellah！ in December, many of my friends express awe and sometimes shock that I catch so many shows. It probably forms the bulk of my expenditure; the only other things I spend on are DVDs and CDs.
So why do I watch so many concerts and plays? I used to just think of it as mere entertainment and relaxation and enjoyment (I still do), but after watching the 张信哲's concert and 雨季, I realised something else, a conclusion which many people have already analysed and come to .
Perhaps concerts and theatre are a form of escapism, to me at least. For the 2.5 hours, I am plunged into a completely different world, and needn't think about work, problems and issues. Sometimes I enjoy a performance purely because of artistic and musical merit, I simply enjoy the music and dance, like in the musical Chicago.
At other times, I'm immersed in a world in which I'm almost omniscient, knowing and in turn, experiencing by proxy, the myriad of emotions the characters portray. In some instances, an emotion that you've never experienced before, or experienced rarely, is thrown at you and you engage and ponder upon that emotion. For example,
"Mr. Cellophane, Mr. Cellophane, shoulda been my name, Mr. Cellophane
'Cause you can look right through me, walk right by me,
And never know I'm there." - Chicago
"渺小的我，也想要轰轰烈烈地活
心中的话，也想要痛痛快快地说
渺小的我，习惯在全世界的背后沉默
如果有一天，我真消失了，究竟有没有人会偶尔想起我？" - 雨季
I'd say I don't really experience this emotion very often, if at all. But it's an interesting thought. But of course, when the character expresses this emotion, my heart goes out to him.
In other instances, theatre brings about a mix of reality and fantasy. Theatre allows one to identify with a character with his emotions, as if one could really step into his shoes. At the same time, theatre allows you to feel and imagine yourself as someone you know you would never be, or dare to be, in your life. The irony is that both could very well be portrayed in the same scene in the same song number by 2 different characters, and I would end up having a split personality and feeling for and like both characters. Example in 雨季:
男主角甲：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
在我彷徨时候 她的心就是我 世上最美的家
请你请你告诉她 我永远爱她
虽然大雨一直下 我有温暖胸膛 一生庇护着她
请你请你告诉她 我永远等她
沧海桑田都不怕 我愿付出代价 今生为她牵挂“
男主角乙：
"身边人影 左右褪尽 所有声音 渐渐停息
天地之大 我的眼眸中只有她
有没有人懂我 心中也有一朵 送不出去的花？
教我如何告诉她 我也爱着她
最好大雨一直下 让我无需面对 她那盼望脸庞
教我如何告诉她 我深爱着她
我想默默陪着她 哪怕付出代价 一生痛苦挣扎“
Not to mention, the female lead (Kit Chan, with her superb vocals) has a corresponding part in this song. What beauty! =)
There are times when you'd feel that nothing else could express your feelings more than the lyrics in a song, because you lack the 文笔 to express such, e.g.
"太想爱你是我压抑不了的念头
想要全面占领你的喜怒哀愁
你已征服了我 却还不属于我
教我如何不去猜测你在想什么
太想爱你是我压抑不了的折磨
能否请你不要不要选择闪躲
只想爱你的我 太想爱你的我
难道只能在迷雾中 猜你的轮廓？” - 〈太想爱你〉（张信哲）
Some may detract and say these poetic expressions are hardly realistic, and are nothing like that in reality. There lies the appeal in such expression - the escapism it provides to the receiver. Where the timid becomes courageous. Where something you never dared to say or do becomes expressed. Where the seemingly impossible becomes possible. Where something out of your grasp can be firmly in your hand. When one lives in reality most of the time, it isn't overly indulgent to escape for 2.5 hrs, is it? Until dreams become reality..
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
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.
-------------------------------------------------
Kudos to you if you've gotten this far :D Let me know if anyone wants to watch anything =)
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 =)
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