Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Pajama Game - LASALLE Musical Theatre Department


The students of LASALLE's Musical Theatre programme present a production of the classic 1954 musical The Pajama Game. Made into a film starring Doris Day in 1957, it tells the story of workers in a pajama factory going on strike. It is a musical comedy interwoven with love stories. Find out more on the Events Page.


Piano Masterclass - Chopin's Music by Dr Krystian Tkaczewski



Chopin specialist Dr Krystian Tkaczewski will give a recital and talk about Chopin's music at the Steinway Gallery on 19 May 2015 at 3.30pm. More information and sign-up here:

http://www.steinway-gallery.com.sg/event/interpreting-music-of-frederic-chopin-by-dr-krystian-tkaczewski/

re:mix 2015: Singapore Through the Glass


Local string ensemble re:mix returns with a programme of new music, featuring the Singapore premiere of Phillip Glass's American Four Seasons and new works by local composers composers Denise Lee, Derek Lim, Chen Zhangyi and Dr Kelly Tang. Production house Birdmandog will collaborate with the group to create a multimedia presentation. Get your tickets at SISTIC!


Monday, April 20, 2015

Goodbye Mr. Leow Siak Fah


If you haven't read about this on social media yet, it is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of Mt. Leow Siak Fah, the founder of the Singapore Lyric Opera. Without his work in championing Western opera in Singapore, we wouldn't have had the opportunity to enjoy and perform in these excellent productions here.

Mr. Leow was a familiar face to many opera lovers here, whether onstage in his roles as Cavarodossi, Don Jose or Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, or backstage as a producer and businessman. You can find out more about his work and achievements via the links below:

Read all about it on The Straits Times:
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/theatre-dance/story/founding-chairman-singapore-lyric-opera-leow-siak-fah-dies-20150416


Tribute.sg, a collective spearheaded by the Esplanade, has a very informative biography and video interview:
https://www.tribute.sg/rewrite.php?displayname=Leow+Siak+Fah




Thursday, April 9, 2015

S'ing Theatre Presents Edith Piaf Tribute Concert 'La Vie en Rose'

 
S'ing Theatre presents a tribute concert to Edith Piaf, featuring a cast of local theatre mainstays including Linden Furnell, Sebastian Tan, Lim Kay Siu and Rani Singam, with music direction by Bang Wenfu.

Show runs from 27 to 30 May, early bird offer includes one set of French Hediard Rose-Lichee macaroons and a voucher. Check out the Events Page for ticketing details!

FREE: Cappella Martialis - Renaissance Motets and Chants for Holy Week


Renaissance a capella choir Cappella Martialis will present a recital of sacred music for Holy Week and Easter for voices and lute. Hear the journey of the Passion through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and Baroque periods, with music from Western, Central, and Eastern Europe, as well as the Middle East.

Admission is free. Full translations of sung texts will be provided both in print and e-programmes.

8.00 p.m. on Fri 17th April 2015 at St Joseph's Church, Victoria Street
7.30 p.m. on Sun 19th April 2015 at St Teresa's Church, Kampong Bahru

Full list of pieces as well as further updates and details at:

https://www.facebook.com/events/409369315891001


Victoria Chorale's 'A Ranaissance Affair' (27 March) in Review


After a long difficult day, it was a pleasure to be able to sit through the Victoria Chorale's concert A Renaissance Affair, featuring a programme of works by composers either named 'John' or 'Thomas' (hence the word 'affair' in the title). Conducted by Nelson Kwei, it was a very polished set sung with evident enthusiasm. Entries are mostly tight and clean, their responsiveness to dynamics finely delineated.

Where most choirs in Singapore have to deal with a crucial shortage of male voices, the Victoria Chorale have the enviable position of not only having substantial tenor and bass sections (with some strong individual voices where called for) but even a few in the alto section as well. The male voices got to showcase their collective strengths in Jesu, Dulcis Memoria by Tomas Luis de Victoria and In Manus Tuas by John Sheppard, each individual voice strongly projected but blends in nicely in a collective whole.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Beauty and the Beast (MBS) in Review

Review by Edwin Orlando Cruz


Beauty and the Beast was thoroughly entertaining and is the most magical show that have been presented in the Marina Bay Sands Grand Theatre in recent memory.

The musical was expanded from 1991 film of the same name and has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. The movie made history when it was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Though based on a film, the musical features new songs and new scenes that add more to the depth to the characters and plot. The most notable addition is the song A Change In Me.

The casting of the leads is top notch and their performances memorable. Belle was tastefully played by Hilary Maiberger and surprised everyone when it turns out that she is also a good dancer. Judging from her performance as Belle, one can say that she is a triple threat. Beast, as played by Darick Pead, was very successful in playing fearsome, funny and romantic depending on what is required by the scene. Pead’s voice has a tenor timbre that he used to beautiful effect in the tender moments. Adam Dietlein was both visually and vocally delightful as Gaston. Although the beginning of the songs Home and If I Can’t Love Her were more spoken than sung, the emotional and mental intent of the actors were clear.


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

W!ld Rice Children's Ensemble Auditions


W!ld Rice is looking for child actors to perform in their year-end pantomime The Emperor’s New Clothes. Here's more information:



Dear All,

W!LD RICE’s traditional year-end pantomime has become the most sought after training platform for young talents. This year, for our 2015 holiday season, we are staging The Emperor’s New Clothes, a cheeky, affectionate and hilarious re-telling of the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, set within today’s Singapore. Directed by Pam Oei, with a witty script by Joel Tan and a sparkling score by Julian Wong.

Through the years, W!LD RICE’s FIRST STAGE! has trained more than 250 children through their first experiences of perfoming on professional stage alongside established actors and entertainers. Our programme aims to provide a holistic experience for the children. In addtion to vocal, dance and movement classes to get the young talents ready for performance, the program tries to impart values such as teamwork, confidence, generosity, discipline and trust through their experience of theatre.

We are looking for 20 children, from the age of 5 – 12 years old. They have to be avaliable for:

Workshop: 7 - 9 September 2015 (10am – 4pm)

Rehearsal: 5 October – 15 November 2015

CD Recording: 19 October – 23 October 2015

Bump-in at Theatre: 16 – 19 November 2015

Show:19 November – 12 December 2015

There are no shows on Mondays.

If the children can commit to all of the above dates/times, they are invited to audition on:
· Saturday, 18 April 2015, Saturday (9am – 5pm) or
· Sunday, 19 April 2015, Sunday (9am – 5pm)
· 33 Kerbau Road, Singapore 219166 (Off Serangoon Road, nearest MRT station: Little India)

*We would like to highlight that there will only be one cast of child performers this year. All children selected will have to perform the entire run of the show.

Children coming for audition are to prepare to sing a song of their choice. Please try to avoid the song “Let It Go”. Simple choreography will be taught as part of the audition process. Children who can play handheld musical instruments (guitar, violin, recorder, harmonica, flute etc) are welcome to bring their instruments along for the audition. There will be a keyboard on site for those children who can play piano. While the ability to play an instrument is a bonus, it is certainly not essential. We are looking for a good voice, a steady sense of rhythmn and above all, enthusiasim to learn.

Please submit your children’s performance resume, if any, details and headshot to production@wildrice.com.sg by Friday, April 10 2015 to book an audition slot on a first come first serve basis.