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 =)

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

I've been trying to read more recently. By that I mean reading more non-medical literature. I'll try to pen some thoughts if I have, or identify some quotes which mean something to me; not so much to sell the book to readers, but more to remind myself of what I've read and the thoughts which struck me when I read the book sometime when I revisit my blogposts in future. (Hopefully Blogger doesn't crash/close-shop in the next 20 years)

Didn't really buy or identify with the 5 lessons that the character was supposed to learn from the 5 people he met in heaven. Picked out a short paragraph which I liked.

"Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.

Life has to end, love doesn't."

Tuesdays with Morrie

"The culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die. We're so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks - we're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?"

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"Why do people always say, 'Oh, if I were young again.'? You know what that reflects? Unsatisfied lives. Lives that haven't found meaning. Because if you've found meaning in your life, you don't want to go back. You want to go forward. You want to see more, do more.. You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now."

"I believe in being fully present. That means you should be with the person you're with. Really listening to someone - how often do we get this anymore?"

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

So many lessons to learn, I wonder whether I'll get them all at the end of the day. I certainly hope that I don't get them too late.

To my beloved sister and friend, you and your family are in all our prayers. You are loved by many more people in many more ways than you know. Hang in there. Continue to live.

Giant in the Basement

I was interpreting for my pastor who spoke in English in the Chinese congregation yesterday. He shared his experience about a 5 year-old girl asking him the following question:

Q: "Why is Vivocity so big?"
A: "Because there is a giant in the basement."

And so I interpreted, “因为在广场的地下层有一个巨人.” with a bewildered look on my face.

Majority of the congregation laughed. I didn't get it. And in a few seconds, I became the reason they were laughing. O.o At least, it woke those up who were about to fall asleep during the sermon.

Well, and if you didn't get it, it's normal, because you're just like me. (:

The Drug Development Process

When you are facing a severe lack of time in studying for a test in 2 days time, you wonder whether topics like "The Drug Development Process" should be the first thing on your mind, especially when you have all the therapeutic seminars pending your attention.

My obsessive-compulsive traits dictate that I should revise in chronological order. Hence. urgh.

Fortunately, some lecturers' notes do contain a tad bit of humour in them. (:

"Many men are rats but a man is not a rat!" ~ James Munch 1929, on the limitations of animal studies

Will probably be back a while later to talk about something else, when I need another break. Blogging does have its therapeutic effect, on me at least.

Federer Crowned 2009 ATP World Tour Champion

BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS
Federer Crowned 2009 ATP World Tour Champion
London, United Kingdom

by ATP Staff

24.11.2009

London, United Kingdom – Swiss superstar Roger Federer has been crowned ATP World Tour Champion for the fifth time, after becoming just the second player in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings to regain the year-end No. 1 ranking.

With five year-end No. 1 finishes, Federer ties Jimmy Connors’ mark and now stands just one back of Pete Sampras on the list of all-time ATP World Tour Champions. Sampras finished as the No. 1 player six straight years, from 1993-98.

Federer clinched the 2009 ATP World Tour Champion title by beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals tonight. Federer and rival Rafael Nadal, the 2008 ATP World Tour Champion, had entered the prestigious circuit finale at The O2 in London locked in a two-man battle to conclude the season atop the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings.

“It means a lot to have returned to No. 1 and to finish the year again at No. 1,” said Federer. “It was an incredible year for me both on the court and off the court and to be able to break the all-time Grand Slam record and finish the year on top is amazing.”

The 28-year-old Swiss held the World No. 1 ranking for a record 237 straight weeks from 2 February, 2004, to 17 August, 2008, before Nadal ended his streak. Federer reclaimed the top rankings spot on 6 July, 2009, after winning a record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

Federer now joins Ivan Lendl as the only players to have held, lost and regained the ATP World Tour Champion title in the history of the South African Airways ATP Rankings (since 1973). Lendl held the year-end No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking from 1985-87 and finished second behind Mats Wilander in 1988 before reclaiming the top spot at the end of 1989.

Federer began his return to the top in mid-May at the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, where he snapped a seven-month title drought by avenging his Australian Open defeat against Nadal. He followed with history-making performances in his next two tournaments. He became the sixth man to achieve a career Grand Slam with victory over Robin Soderling in the Roland Garros final, and then prevailed against Andy Roddick at Wimbledon to eclipse Pete Sampras’ record of 14 majors won.

After celebrating the birth of twin daughters with wife Mirka in July, he returned to the courts the following month to win his fourth title of the season at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati. He then became the first player in history to reach the finals at all four Grand Slams in the same year on three occasions, completing his 2009 campaign at the majors with a runner-up finish to Juan Martin del Potro at the US Open.

Federer is pursuing his fifth circuit finale title this week at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. He won successive titles in 2003-04 when the tournament was held in Houston and reclaimed the title in 2006-07 in Shanghai.

Law and Justice

Watching the first singles match of the ATP World Tour Finals, between Andy Murray and Juan Martin Del Potro. Quite an exciting match, with excellent and brilliant shot-making here and there. In summary, Del Potro fell to a 0-5 deficit in the 1st set, rallied to 3-5 before losing the 1st set 3-6. But he made an impressive comeback to win the 2nd set 6-3. Now third set.

Just finished reading Subhas Anandan's autobiography - The Best I Could. Have been wanting to buy this book since some time back, but due to some recent circumstances, I bought the book last week. Besides giving readers a glimpse of the events which shaped his character, worldview and philosophy, it also recounts certain high-profile criminal cases which have been featured (and which I've read) in the newspapers. I've got to say I found quite a bit of respect for him as a person and as a lawyer, from what he writes at least.

From what he described of his university days (and what some of our medical professors described of theirs), it seems that uni then was much more fun and happening. I wonder whether it's just me, or whether in general, university student life/culture has taken a backslide.

To the layman with an untrained mind in law, this book explores and discusses some concepts about law and the criminal system. I remember a friend (who is now in law school) once telling me that the most useful/important pre-U subject for law would be mathematics, and not literature or English, contrary to what many believe. Because more important than anything else, law is anchored on logic and extremely strong reasoning, even though many may interpret law differently.

Would just like to share 2 short excerpts from the book, something I feel worth thinking about:
"They say that sometimes justice and law are distant cousins. In the case of some countries, you'll be lucky to say that justice and law have the same parents. It is sad to say that sometimes we feel justice and law seem to be indifferent to each other. The law says something but when it is interpreted in the courts, it says something else."

"There are people I've defended who have been acquitted and walked out of court free men and omen. But in all honesty, they walked out free because the prosecution could not prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. The court does not at any stage say, "I am discharging and acquitting you because you are an innocent man." The statement is always, "I find you not guilty. Therefore I discharge and acquit you. It is a myth that everyone who is acquitted is innocent."

And Murray clinches victory with 6-2 in the 3rd set.
Now Roger will play Verdasco at 4:45am.