Ghost the Musical at MasterCard Theatres: A review

This musical has a life on its own.  Adapted from the movie starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, the musical was faithful to the plot but made subtle changes to the sequence(eg. The ceramic making scene).  As a musical, the songs sustained the interest of the audience throughout the show.

A selling point of this musical was the special / visual effects, which was rendered effectively and did not overshadow the plot.    For example, after the protagonist Sam was murdered, the scenes depicting his struggle to open the door or pick up things, or the encounter of another ghost on the train, were done well with the execution of lighting and technology.

Performance wise,  the actors playing Sam and Molly were overall competent, but I would expect the actress playing Molly to show more grief when Sam was murdered.  On the other hand, the actors playing the psychic Oda Mae Brown and the baddie Carl Bruner were memorable.

While Ghost the musical may not be a worldwide hit, it is entertaining and enjoyable as it is.  The production standards for this show was good, and audience enjoyed a good evening out at the MasterCard Theatre.

Cirque Du Soleil's TOTEM: A review

A good feeling of familiarity at the Cirque du Soleil performance Totem:

The Big Tent

The beautiful stage

The excited audience.

And of course the acrobatics and the staging.  The giant turtle shell was lifted and the acrobats delivered a precision performance.

One of the crowd favourites were the 5 acrobats on one wheel cycle,

...and the trapeze artists.

While we had the usual comic moments, it tended to drag on a bit.  So it was a weak link for me.  But one could not forget the good musicianship of the show.  Always a pleasure from a Cirque du Soleil production.

It was a good production.  I would prefer the performance to be without the intermission to make it more tight.  But perhaps the organiser need to make some extra revenue from the intermission drinks and the sale of souvenir items.  Recommended.

Celebrating Nature in Singapore concert at the Singapore Bontanic Gardens

SAFA 2015: Nanyang the Musical

First show for me at the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2015 proper.  While the creator claimed it had its inspiration from the Singaporean artists who went to Bali and later inspired the "Nanyang" style of painting, not much "art", or even Singapore was featured in this performance.   What we saw on stage was relationships that stretched from Shanghai, Paris and Bali, without much plot development.

The stronger element was the music numbers by lyricist Xiao Han and composer Eric Ng, arranged by Goh Kheng Long. A few songs did have popular appeal.

Of the cast, Roy Huang (as Chen Kang) had a good singing voice and Trev Neo put up a competent job as the teacher Zhang Wen.   Most were handicapped by the weak script.  Overall not a good start to SIFA 2015.

From SG50 Sing-Along to Deng Zhi Hao 邓志浩 concert

On 2 consecutive Saturdays, I attended 2 Chinese music concerts.

As the name suggested, SG50 Sing-Along was a massive karaoke session featuring mainly Chinese songs over the past few decades, led by UFM radio presenters.   The attractive part of this concert, to me, was watching veteran singers like Huang Qing Yuan黄清元, Zhuang Xue Fang 庄雪芳, Maggie Teng 邓妙华performed for the first time, in addition to Roy Li Fei Hui and Jimmy Ye.  It's a pity that most of them only performed one song - could they also lead in some singalong?

The selection of songs was rather mish-mash: ranging from foreign folk songs, local and foreign pop hits, our campaign and Sing Singapore songs.  As a SG50 event, maybe a purely local-composition evening?  We definitely have enough local hits to sustain the whole evening.

The anti-climax part of the concert would be the singing by the various company bosses.  Knowing the fact that they were not professional singers, there would be a need to enhance the presentation of these items.

From a 10,000 seating capacity event to a 100 only intimate concert,  Taiwanese singer Deng Zhi Hao charmed the audience at Blackearth Museum in Joo Chiat on 18 July.  Catching his performance again after 20 years, Deng Zhi Hao still sounded as good as he was at his concert at Thian Hock Kheng Temple.  He was still as chatty as before, and this time round, he shared with audience the secret of getting old.

He sounded good with his acoustic set, and not those with accompanied orchestra track.

The concert also featured guest singer, local Xinyao musician Wong Hong Mok. Both of them blended well and they received warm applause from the audience.

An enjoyable concert overall.

Singin’ in the Rain Review

This is a good staging of the musical, based on the 1952 movie  made famous by Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.  Set in 1927, it tells the story of the transition of the movie industry moving from "silent" to "talkies".   This old school musical feature tunes such as Good Morning, Make ‘em Laugh, Moses Supposes and of course the famous dance sequence Singin’ in the Rain.

Production wise, the set design, the costume and the Singing' in the Rain sequence were of high standard.  The staging of certain scenes, in particular the making of the "talkies", were quite funny.

Duane Alexander played the lead role of Don Lockwood, the silent movie star.  While he played the part admirably, he lacked the aura of a movie star for the role. Bethany Dickson sang well in her role of chorus girl Kathy Selden, the love interest of Don Lockwood and a star in making.  Taryn-Lee Hudson shone as Lina Lamont, the silent movie actress who had a shrieking voice.   While she was the "villain" in the story, audience enjoyed the comic moments by her.

Taking the production as a whole, Singin' in the Rain is an entertaining production.  While the storyline may be a bit dated to the contemporary audience, the show has enough substance and spectacle to capture our interest and imagination.

GoLi - Bringing theatre to the community

A large goli-shaped (marble) structure greeted me when I arrived at the field next to NEX shopping mall on 4 July.  This was the community / forum theatre project initiated by Singapore theatre company Drama Box to bring theatre to the community.  The event also featured various community groups outside the performing area to promote their cause.  

A sizeable crowd, consisting of mostly young people (in the arts?), attended the first presentation of the evening, Real Voices Real Lives by UK company Mind The Gap.  The forum theatre piece explored the society's treatment of people with learning difficulties, featuring actors with the same challenges.  Using a nursery rhyme as a starting, it told the story of these people being abused in public, be it on the bus or by ill-intent people.  The presentation did encourage audience to step up and take on the role of "spect-actors", replaying and changing the situation faced by the protagonists in the initial situation.   While the 3 actors may not be the best in terms of acting, they brought a sense of reality to this presentation.

Queued up for the next presentation, One Employee Two Bosses by Centre for Applied Theatre from Taiwan.  This play touched on labour issues, in particular sub-contract workers.  It was a more polished production in terms of acting and technical aspects, but the scenario took a long time to develop.  Imagine watching a Taiwan soap opera.  There were re-enactment and discussions, but overall it did not engage me that much.


Overall, it was a good initiative by Drama Box in bringing theatre to the community, though I am not sure the presentation of forum theatre would help build up the audience base.  However, I believe that the audience would leave the shows with a better understanding of the issues faced by certain segments of the society.

Björn Again‘s 25th Anniversary Tour at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands

The ABBA tribute show Björn Again would be returning to Singapore for 3 performances at the MasterCard Theatres.  Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Björn Again has been delighting audiences worldwide with their action packed performance.   I had the pleasure catching their performance when they last performed here in 2013.  (Bjorn Again 2013)


More on ABBA:
ABBA Museum in Stockholm Sweden

Review - Tartuffe, Titoudao, Legends of The Southern Arch

I admire Nine Years Theatre's effort in adapting foreign plays into Chinese, and Artistic Director Nelson Chia's focus on grooming actors for the Chinese theatre scene here.  The staging of Tartuffe by French playwright Moliere at the National Museum theatrette was however tame.  Maybe it was the difficulty in the translation, or the cast trying to speak with a posh accent.  The costumes also reminded me of those Chinese theatre productions staged in the 1980s.  It took a while for the cast to feel warm up to the play on the Sunday evening (last performance).  Of the cast, Jalyn Han had the best comic timing as Dorine the maid, and Darius Tan was convincing as the foolish master Orgonl.

The performance got better in the latter half.  I found this performance ok, not as bad as what ST had reported.

Toy Factory restaged its signature piece Titoudao at the Drama Centre in March.

Review: The Ultimate Tribute to Elvis

The songs of Elvis Presley filled the hall of MasterCard Theatres on Tuesday night.  Direct from Vegas, the “Legends in Concert” featuring The Ultimate Tribute to Elvis  performed for the first time in Singapore from 2 April to 5 April 2015.

Featuring the Ultímate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest winners, Bill Cherry (2009), Dean Z (2013) and Jay Dupuis (2014) as the principle cast, the show focused on key stages of Elvis' career: Sun Studios, television shows, movies and soundtracks, Vegas.

Being a tribute show, the mood was more celebratory and the key events were mere background of introducing the songs.

The performers sounded and looked like Elvis, and they took the opportunity to be friendly with the ladies.   Inevitable a lot of the ladies hugged the performers and also received momentos from them. .

Review: Beauty and The Beast - A musical that appeals to both adults and children

You need not watch the Disney cartoon to better understand the plot, though knowledge of some side characters and songs would enhance your experience.

The story of a country girl Belle falling in love with Beast may be fairy tale stuff, but fortunately the plot and the dialogue had enough meat to engage the adults.

The songs were catchy and were performed by a good cast ensemble, most had those old-school Disney cartoon voice.   The actress portraying Belle handled the role well, and she had a good voice.   The Beast was convincing in its role when he sang, but sounded too "clean" rather than husky when he spoke. The supporting cast provided good comic support to the performance.

True to the fairy tale setting, he production featured a beautiful set design.  At times however, certain scenes could not be seen properly if you were seated at the back as screens were placed in front of the stage.

Review: Three Inches of Alive, and Serunding

Three Inches of Alive was the winning play of the 24-hour Playwriting Competition 2014 organised by TheatreWorks' Writing & Community Programme.  Written by Clarilyn Khoo, the play was about an archivist who did research on a deceased lady Leila who was considered a pioneer of Malaya.  The playwright presented it in a form of conversation between the dead and the living.  Interesting idea, but not much variation in the delivery of dialogue.

Director Irfan Kasban moved the production at a good pace and Gyan Lee and Siti Zuraida gave competent performance as the archivist and the Leila respectively.  The set design by Gerald Leow was realistic and beautiful.

With some re-writes, Three Inches of Alive could be restaged again for a wider audience.

In June last year, I had the opportunity to catch Serunding written by Ahmad Musta'ain Bin Khamis, another winning play of the 24-hour Playwriting Competition in 2010.

Aidli Mosbit was excellent as Safiah, a Malay homemaker and a devout Muslim.  Safiah was a typical mother, with a lot of expectations on her children and at the same time tried to get along with her mother in law.   Of course, things did not go well as planned, in particular her relationship with her daughter.

Set in the living room, we watched Safiah go through the daily routine while relating her story to us.  Reminded me of Emily of Emerald Hill, in a good way.

At the audience feedback session, some audience felt that the play could be extended to an hour or so.  The playwright replied that he was focusing on other projects and unlikely to rework on this script.  A pity, as I felt that this play has potential to be a good Singaporean work.  Nonetheless, a good play, a good production and good initiative by TheatreWorks in organising the playwriting competition.

Review: A Second Life and Circle Mirror Transformation

Theatre company Little Red Dot staged A Second Life The Arts House Playden in end January.  Tan Suet Lee has written an interesting play exploring reality versus virtual space and relationship.  The staging however was draggy as scene changes were too long - the space could be better utilised.  The cast of four were generally competent.  I like Varshini's portrayal of the cyber lover Louella.  Andrew Choo also gave credible performance as Adam, friend of the couple Lawrence (Ian Chionh) and Mary (Gillian Tan). Overall the play was stronger than the production.

I enjoyed past performances staged by theatre company Pangdemonium.  I however found its latest production, Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, rather tame.   While the play used the process of drama rehearsals to reflect on human relationships and interactions, the message was rather bland and did not offer audience much insights.

The ensemble was good (Adrian Pang, Neo Swee Lin, Nikki Muller, Daniel Jenkins) and young actress Selma Alkaff was a surprise in this production.  The play was directed by Tracie Pang and the set design was by Wong Chee Wai.

L'amour by ESO Symphony

A concert by amateur group ESO Symphony, led by Eric Lee Tsu Hock.  Pieces performed included Rossini's William Tell Overture, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante K364 and Bizet's Carmen Suite No 2.  Jeremy Chiew and Nanako Takata were soloists for the Mozart piece.

As an amateur group, the members were a disciplined lot. All in all, a good effort by them.

Review of CATS The Musical at MasterCard Theatres

The musical CATS by Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the most successful musicals in the 1980s.   Based on the T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, CATS was about a tribe of Jellicle Cats who met one evening and had to convince Old Deuteronomy that they were deserving to go to Heaviside Layer to be reborn.

As a musical, CATS does not have a strong narrative, but more a collection of musical numbers.  It is thus weaker in plot and rely more on the songs and the strength of the cast.

The ensemble cast surely did not disappoint. Formed for this tour which started in Korea last May, we saw a dedicated and enthusiastic team of singers and dancers, and their energy level rubbed on the audience.

Notable performances came from Earl Gregory (Rum Rum Tugger), Richard Woodfod (Gus), Christopher Favaloro (Mr Mistoffelees) and Martin Croft (Old Deuteronomy).   While Erin Cornell, as Grizabella, sang the main song "Memory" well, she looked too young for the part and did not convey the feeling of a down and out old cat to the audience.

Overall it was an enjoyable performance, the strength of the cast overshadowed the plot.  Cats will always remain a milestone in musical history - catch it for its historical significance.

DISNEY’S Beauty and The Beast coming to Singapore for the First Time!

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the award-winning smash hit Broadway musical spectacular, is coming to Singapore for the first time as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations with a first-ever international tour.  This elaborate theatrical production will come to life on stage at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands from 21 March 2015 for a limited season.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast opened in Istanbul in October 2014 and would also tour United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.  The international tour will see the show’s original Broadway creative team reuniting to bring this Broadway classic to life.

Based on the 1991 Academy-Award winning animated feature film, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast premiered on Broadway in 1994, where it was nominated for nine prestigious Tony Awards and ran for 13 years. It still ranks as one of the longest-running and highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time. Since its debut, the titles visibility and success have expanded globally with subsequent productions produced around the world. Since licensing of the title began in 2004, there have been productions in 22 countries, seen by more than 35 million people, translated into 8 different languages with over 28 thousand performances - equivalent to a run of 67 years, generating over $1.7B in revenue.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

The musical is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West, with Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward (Tony Award® winner for her work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast), Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Scenic Design by Stanley A. Meyer, Sound Design by John Petrafesa Jr. and Music Supervision by Michael Kosarin.

The musical boasts music by Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Tangled) and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), with additional songs with music by Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice (The Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar). The book is written by Linda Woolverton (screenwriter of The Lion King, Alice In Wonderland and the upcoming Maleficent).

PERFORMANCE TIMES: 
Tuesday – Friday 8:00pm;
Saturday: 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm and 5.00pm

TICKET PRICE:  
From $65
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$3 per ticket BOOKINGS:
THROUGH INTERNET: www.BASEentertainmentasia.com, www.BASEentertainmentasia.com or www.sistic.com.sg

BY PHONE:   +65 6688 8826

CATS returns to Singapore

CATS, one of the most successful musicals of all time, is returning to Singapore and performing at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands from 9 January 2015.

Based on the T.S. Eliot's “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”, CATS tells the imaginative tale of a tribe of Jellicle Cats (Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Skimbleshanks). as they gather together for the annual Jellicle Ball, and one by one tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, who must choose one of the Cats to journey to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn into a new life.

The show features a musical score composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, known for other works such as The Phantom of the Opera, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Starlight Express.  Most of us would know the song “Memory” featured in this hit musical.   Together with a fantastical oversized set, inspired choreography and mischievous costumes, CATS is a brilliant song and dance spectacular not to be missed.

Seen by over 70 million people world-wide, CATS first opened in London in May 1981 to rave reviews and went on to win a record-breaking number of awards internationally including two Olivier Awards for ‘Musical of the Year’ and ‘Outstanding Achievement of the Year in Musicals’, and seven Tony Awards.  It holds the record for one of the longest-running musicals in West End history playing for 21 years.  In addition CATS played 18 years on Broadway and has been presented in over twenty-six countries, in about three hundred cities, in fourteen languages.

PERFORMANCE TIMES:
Tuesday – Friday 8:00pm;
Saturday: 2:00pm and 8:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm and 6.00pm

TICKET PRICE:
From $65* through to $195
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$3 per ticket

BOOKINGS:
THROUGH INTERNET: www.BASEentertainmentasia.com, www.BASEentertainmentasia.com or www.sistic.com.sg

BY PHONE:   +65 6688 8826