Entering the year of the dragon, it is time to list the 2011 arts and culture events that I have enjoyed. They may not be perfect, but somehow touched me one way or another:
1. The Rocky Horror Show: It is fun and has a good cast. Does not seem dated.
2. Art Stage exhibition. Interesting works from the (new) galleries.
3. Fantasie by Melvin Tan. Of course, most Singaporeans have been waiting to attend his concert for years. He finally appeared on stage after several postponements due to some reasons..
4. Guru of Chai by Indian Ink Theatre Company. Good script. Good acting. Engaging performance. And so sad....
5. Don McLean. His rendition of Vincent was truly memorable. American Pie was a bit too draggy....
6. Murder in San Jose. A good script with a capable ensemble that holds our attention. Would love to see more Hong Kong theatre productions in Singapore.
7. Gilberto Gil - The String Quartet. Usually "big name" acts under Mosaic series (at Esplanade) are more nostalgic and lack excitement. But Gilberto Gil did give an exciting and engaging performance.
8. Kuu (Emptiness) by Yoshito Ohno. Contemporary butoh. Seated near the stage allowed me to catch every nuance of his movement. And he did convey the feeling of emptiness in this piece. And how agile he is. The post show dialogue was equally entertaining and informative.
9. Radio Muezzin by Stefan Kaegi. A play about clerics' prayers being replaced by radio broadcast. It could be boring, but yet this production delivers.
10. Political Mother by Hofesh Shechter Dance Company. Maybe not as accessible as its previous production staged in 2010, Uprising/ In your rooms, I like its edginess and of course the merging of the live band.
11. k.d. lang & The Siss Boom Bang. Great singing. Fun entertainer. And the band is really great. (see my earlier write-up)
12. Elton John's Greatest Hits Tour. Catching him for the first time, and he still gives a great performance. Strike him off from the list of singers I want to catch...
13. SSO playing Rachmaninov with Stephen Hough. Always good to hear the Concerto No 3 live.
14. Pipa Master Liu De Hai and students concert. First trip in over 30 years. Pity that he only played 3 pieces. But just seeing him losing himself playing the pipa, "bouncing" to and off the stage and the humility shown by him, was worth the ticket.
It was good to see Janet Jackson again. This time, her concert was less elaborate and she danced less. Also glad to see Bob Dylan. Unfortunately, the concert experience was marred by the layout of the outdoor venue.
Hope that 2012 would be a better year!
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