Crazy Christmas 2012
(picture courtesy of Dream Academy Productions)
Event: “Crazy Christmas 2012” by Dream Academy Productions
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Run: 28th Nov – 9th Dec 2012
Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Hollywood
Christmas comes early to the Esplanade in the form of Dream Academy’s fifth installment of “Crazy Christmas”, a now staple year-end feature of the local theatre calendar.
Dream injects new life into a series that was threatening to lose its freshness by introducing the intriguing “Silver Screen Meets Silver Bells” theme, and this shot in the arm proves the much-needed ingredient that gives this year’s edition a charming and somewhat nostalgic slant.
It’s a show replete with songs, costumes and impersonations that harken back to Hollywood’s Golden Age, the era where legends such as Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Bette Davis, Judy Garland and Marlon Brando ruled the silver screens.
The show stars Selena Tan, Adrian Pang, George Chan, Robin Goh, Karen Tan, Judee Tan, Michaela Therese and Hossan Leong, and is what we’ve come to expect from the “Crazy Christmas” formula – incredible voices, intricately-arranged yuletide numbers, clever mashups, dazzling choreography, delightful comedy, and a generous dose of holiday cheer.
A brass quartet at the side of the stage heralds the start of the show, while onstage the sight that first greets us is musical director Elaine Chan on the resplendent white Boston grand, while being backed by an impressive 17-piece orchestra.
The opening medley of “Let’s Go to the Movies” included songs like “Silver Bells” and “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas”, although what I really enjoyed was the inclusion of that little rap bit from Madonna’s “Vogue”.
George Chan, playing Gene Kelly, does a remarkable rendition of the song Kelly was perhaps most well known for – the classic “Singin’ in the Rain”, flanked by a cast of eight industrious Merry Miss-el’toes, and the choreography with umbrellas, though slightly untidy at points, was a joy to behold.
The show’s main comedy skit comes in the form of Adrian Pang playing Dorothy in a slightly bizarre localised version of “The Wizard of Oz”, with Judee Tan playing a bubble tea straw girl without a “brain”, Karen Tan as a condensed milk tin lady without a “heart”, and Selena Tan as a Tiger Beer lady without “courage”.
Along the way, there was also a reference to the National Conversation, buying “Toto” (but of course!), and even a hilarious rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, done in a-go-go style.
I thought this segment was a little bit too heavy on the allegories which came fast and furious, and I’m not sure if everyone was able to fully catch on.
But it was still an enjoyable little segment nonetheless.
The trump card in the form of Judee Tan’s infamous “Dr. Teo Chiew Muay” character was duly rolled out at the half-hour mark, and even if one was not familiar with TCM’s past sightings at “Happy Ever Laughter” and “The Hossan Leong Show” (Episodes 2 & 3), it didn’t take long before the audience started to warm up to this most fascinating of theatrical creations.
I’ve always been an immense fan of Judee Tan and her TCM shenanigans, and as always, she never fails to bring a house down, although it did seem as if her material this time round was not as strong as in the past three appearances.
Perhaps the most heartfelt moment in the show was when Rachel Quek and Xander and Zack Pang, children of Karen Tan and Adrian Pang respectively, came on stage to do their own little numbers, shortly after which their parents appeared on stage as well – albeit in full metal rocker garb – to join them in singing some rocked-out versions of Christmas numbers such as “Silent Night” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”.
I thought it was a rather sweet little moment on stage, probably the most tender moment in a show which tends to be generally slick and so full of polish.
Hossan’s stand-up routine was vintage Hossan, and is notable for his ingenious mime to the lyrics of “Silent Night”, a la Charlie Chaplin.
And the entire cast saves what is perhaps the highlight of the 90-minute show for the end, in the form of a thoroughly entertaining movie theme medley that draws from famous films such as “The Godfather”, “The Little Mermaid”, “Titanic”, Jaws”, “Rocky”, “Xanadu” and so on.
The group of seven renders the brilliantly-arranged themes a cappella, and the segment is both an incredible thrill and a fantastic note to end the show off on.
There aren’t too many surprises when it comes to “Crazy Christmas”.
The show pretty much delivers on what it’s been known for, and although, as I’ve mentioned before, the term “crazy” perhaps isn’t the best way to describe the show, I wouldn’t agree with the Straits Times’ suggestion of this year’s edition being “sedate” either.
What you get is great singing, exquisite musical arrangements, wonderful orchestration, beautiful costumes, and a large dose of comedy as well.
And if you’re looking for a perfect way to commemorate the Christmas season, then there isn’t really another show out there which gives you all these and more.
It’s been five years and running, and the way things are going it seems the “Crazy Christmas” franchise is going to be around for some time yet.
Roots
Event: “Roots” by The Finger Players
Venue: Drama Centre Black Box
Run: 29th Nov – 2nd Dec 2012
小城故事多
The story goes that the small village is by the sea, and that everyone who lives in it bears the surname “Chong”, and that there is an ancestral hall there.
These are all the clues to go by, really.
And hence begins the arduous quest to trace his ancestral roots in a hitherto unknown part of the Guangdong region of China, armed with nothing more than these three measly clues and an inconvenient lack of the ability to speak the indigenous Siyi dialect.
Such was the uphill task facing The Finger Players’ other Chong – not Tze Chien but Oliver – in a tale which, though fraught with numerous obstacles, made for such a compelling and engaging journey throughout.
The impetus for “Roots” came after Oliver, who is also a Resident Director at The Finger Players, returned from attending a directors’ workshop at La MaMa in 2010, and the 75-minute play is conceived, written, directed and performed entirely by him.
Talk about a one-man show.
The set resembles a giant sandbox, although upon closer inspection one realises that it is in fact rice grains and not sand which fills the entire box.
And this is the canvas on which Oliver deftly paints his story, scene by scene, with nothing more than a pair of rakes and an incredible knack for storytelling.
His 89-year-old grandmother starts out by giving him some rather vague but vital clues regarding his great-grandfather Chong Kun Hup and how he had supposedly uprooted from his hometown many decades ago with his children to come to Singapore, and from there Oliver embarks on a journey of discovery – from searching for the niches at Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng Columbarium in Bishan, to doing his research on his ancestral village on online forums, to booking a flight to Guangzhou, to finding his way to Taishan, to lucking into one serendipitous meeting after another with kind strangers along the way who would aid him in his quest to get to the elusive village.
Oliver recounts his adventure with a keen sense of earnest that is immediately endearing, and one cannot help but root for him right from the start.
The desire to know more about one’s ancestral roots could perhaps be a universal one, and coupled with Oliver’s candour and chameleon-like ability to juggle between multiple roles and languages with ease, it’s hard for the viewer not to want to hop along for the ride as well.
The tale is, however, not without its share of curveballs, and though finding his way to the village was fortuitous enough, Oliver realises that piecing together the full backstory of his family tree proves to be far more difficult than he had imagined, thanks to the strangely conflicting accounts between those of his distant relatives from the village and his own grandmother’s.
Ultimately, the quest yields no easy answers, and although Oliver manages to postulate a highly plausible theory as to the actual sequence of events concerning his family history, it is by no means conclusive nor satisfactory.
But as with many things in life, it is not the destination but the journey that truly matters, and the lessons learnt through his journey are perhaps more valuable than anything else.
It doesn’t really matter in the end how many sons Chong Kun Hup had, or if he had a daughter, or who the daughter was raised by, or how the village chief is related to him.
Some stories are left in the past and perhaps will and should remain there forever.
What matters is the meaningful insights he has gained through his expedition, and how he now views his ancestors and ancestral worship in a fresh light.
“Roots” is a fascinating piece of theatre which is held together by an exceptionally strong and well-crafted script, and deftly executed by an undoubtedly gifted actor in Oliver Chong.
It is one of the more enjoyable experiences I’ve had in a theatre all year, and I would highly encourage everyone to go watch it before it ends its run.
Coming Soon: The Acid Test
Event: “The Acid Test” by Buds Theatre Company
Venue: Drama Centre Black Box
Run: 6th – 9th Dec 2012
Buds Theatre Company presents a new work by acclaimed British writer Anya Reiss in the form of “The Acid Test”.
Anya Reiss is celebrated as the youngest playwright ever to have had a play staged in the West End.
Her debut piece “Spur of the Moment” was heralded as “the most accomplished debut from a young playwright I’ve ever had the pleasure to see” by Dominic Cavendish of The Daily Telegraph.
The play went on to win the 2010 TMA Award for Best New Play and Reiss herself won the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright.
“The Acid Test” is her second piece, written under the mentorship of The Royal Court’s Young Writers Programme and staged at The Royal Court on 13th May 2011.
The play is about three young women living away from home and dealing with the complexities of independence when the father of one character, Jess, turns up unannounced at their doorstep, having been evicted from his family home by Jess’s mother, who is now having an affair with the builder.
Jim, the father, begins to behave as recklessly as his daughter and her friends, leading us to question: Does age really equal maturity?
“The Acid Test” is directed and produced by Claire Devine, and stars Kristy Griffin, Rebecca Lee and Gloria Tan.
Show Dates: 6th – 9th December 2012
Show Times: 3.00pm 8th & 9th December 2012, 8.00pm 6th – 8th December 2012
Ticket Prices: S$30 & S$20 Concessionary Prices
Ticket Purchase: Visit www.apesnap.com/event/acidtest or www.budstheatre.com for ticketing and further information.
Jersey Boys
Event: Jersey Boys : The Story of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
Run: From 15 November 2012
Venue: Sands Theater, Marina Bay Sands
Book by: Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice
Music by: Bob Gaudio
Lyrics by: Bob Crewe
The latest anchor show at MBS brings us back to the 60s where the greatest hits were created by a band of blue-collar guys (Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi) from New Jersey. You may not be familiar with the name now, but the songs you must know as they have been covered numerous times. Meet Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons, the group that brought you hits like “Sherry“, “Big Girls Don’t Cry“, “Walk Like A Man“, “December 1963 (O What a Night!)“, “My Eyes Adored You” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You“. Honestly, I didn’t know some of these songs were by them for they have passed through the decades, sung and re-sung. Listening to them at the production, one can’t help but want to sing and dance along to the tunes, and you must admit, some of these are still quite timeless.
The first act was basically how the group was formed, starting from Tommy’s initial own trio band, till he roped in Frankie, and after shuffling here and there, the final group started off as The Four Lovers initially. This was followed by how they became a hit starting from “Sherry“, which was written in 15 minutes! And the hit songs just kept coming. I felt one of the defining moments here came when the four of them sang together for the first time. It was like everything finally fitted into place; the voices, the people. It was like magic. I don’t know how they created that effect; that moment when nothing else was right before until that destined moment when the four converged.
For something like this, the casting would have to be crucial. For the show I caught, I had Jaco van Rensburg as Frankie, Daniel Buys as Tommy, Kenneth Meyer as Bob and Emmanuel Castis as Nick Massi. Jaco was great in his falsetto. I don’t think it’s that easy to find someone with a similar range as Frankie. There was also a need to cast a team that was as close to the originals as possible, and the harmonisation required. I thought Emmanuel’s bass vocals could have been amplified a little though.
If the first act got you swinging in song, the second act took on another turn when emotions ran deep. Fault lines had appeared, but one also saw loyalty. Act 2 had me tearing as you watched the original group breaking up and when Frankie finally presented “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (though there was a slight wavering in the delivery). The scene with “Fallen Angel“ was heartbreaking too as Frankie grieved the loss of his daughter, Francine. But it was heartening when you saw the group come back together again near the end.
I think Jersey Boys is something worth catching not just simply for the hit songs, but also for the story of how one group made their own way through the charts writing and producing their own music. I think theirs was an amazing journey. Makes me want to grab their albums.
You can find out more about the show at http://www.jerseyboys.com.sg.
“Hansel & Gretel” by W!ld Rice
Event: “Hansel & Gretel” by W!ld Rice
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Run: 22nd Nov – 15th Dec 2012
My Milkshake Brings All The Kids To The Yard
It’s hard to escape the delectably eye-catching publicity materials for “Hansel & Gretel” – W!ld Rice’s latest offering at the Drama Centre – which also happens to be their 9th pantomime production since 2003.
Even if one is unfamiliar with the company’s past pantomime works, there are two things which the show definitely has going for it – one, the well-loved Brothers Grimm story featuring arguably Fairytale Land’s most celebrated pair of siblings, and two, the insatiable love for all things food, which is ever so Singaporean.
In some ways this 2012 pantomime does feel like a fresh break of sorts from the previous ones.
For a start, it features popular comedian and Dim Sum Dolly Pam Oei in her very first outing in the director’s chair, and thematically, it’s a show not about your usual princes and princesses, but rather about a pair of adorable siblings.
Casting wise, it was also refreshing to see Vernetta Lopez taking to the stage, as I’d never seen her on a theatrical stage before.
As with all W!ld Rice pantomimes, the story is unabashedly localised and leaves no doubt in the viewer’s mind that the entire tale takes place in Singapore.
Librettist and lyricist Alfian Sa’at showcases his famed satirical wit right off the bat with the opening number “In Sunny Queenstown”, which pokes fun at a certain recent regal visit to the district.
He then goes on to pepper the book with well-placed jokes about domestic helpers, singing pastors, and even a whole new take on a very recent NDP song, which seemed to make more sense lyrically than even the original version.
In the music department, “Hansel & Gretel” offers an entire score of original songs composed by Elaine Chan, who has also been responsible for 5 other W!ld Rice original scores to date – “Cinderel-LAH!” (2003 & 2010), “Aladdin” (2004), “Jack and the Bean-Sprout!” (2006), “Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs” (2008), and “Beauty & the Beast” (2009).
The score is what we’ve come to expect from Elaine Chan – lively, upbeat numbers which have the uncanny ability to capture a certain local essence, although there seems to be a palpable lack of the slower, more emotional ballads in this score.
This could perhaps be attributed to the nature of the story itself, which might not have allowed much room for tender ballads (as compared to the previous pantomimes), and although “We’ll Never Be Apart” definitely qualifies as one, and possibly even “Dead At First Light” too, it’s hard to ignore the sense of imbalance in terms of song mix, as the introduction of more ballads could have offered the viewer some respite from the many up-tempo songs.
Nonetheless, standout songs for me include “Irresistible”, which manages to throw in all the mouth-watering local delicacies into one song, and the light, breezy sounds of “Just You and Me”, which also showcased ingenious use of counterpoint as well as dramatic juxtaposition.
The two Dwaynes of Singapore theatre coalesce in this production, with Dwayne Lau playing the father of the two kids, while Dwayne Tan plays “Hansel” to Denise Tan’s “Gretel”.
Vernetta Lopez steals the show with her incredibly conniving portrayal of “Cassandra” the evil stepmother, which came as a rather pleasant surprise to me.
Her ability with accents and aural comedy had always been apparent on radio, but seeing her on stage was a whole new experience altogether.
I thought her role was one of the shining moments in the show.
The ever-reliable Siti Khalijah and Sebastian Tan deliver the comedic goods once again, with Siti playing both “Vilma” the maid (in a get-up strangely reminiscent of a scene from this August’s “Army Daze”) and the oddball character “Nicki Minah”, while Sebastian Tan is in supreme form as “The Chef”.
I thought the casting for “Hansel & Gretel” was excellent, as Dwayne Tan certainly looked the part of skinny Hansel, while Vernetta kept audiences riveted with her engaging performance, and Siti and Sebastian took turns to keep the audiences in absolute stitches.
The comedy factor in this show was especially high, what with all its running gags and visual humour, and I wonder if a large part of it could be attributable to director Pam Oei’s own innate comedic abilities as an experienced performer herself.
And as is with the tradition of W!ld Rice pantomimes, the show manages to pull off the remarkable theatrical magic trick of pandering to both adults and children at the same time, although this time round they even went the whole nine yards with the food theme by dispensing with generous portions of food and candy during the show!
Plot wise, I felt that “Hansel & Gretel” took a bit too long to get to the chef’s hut, as we only really got to the inside of the hut in the second act.
I understand it could be because they wanted to use the moment whereby we are first introduced to the mysterious Chef as the proverbial cliffhanger to end the first act, but for a show which kept putting up droolsome images of the delicious candyhouse in its publicity materials, it did seem like we finally got to the candies later rather than sooner.
Also, certain plot elements took a bit of wrapping one’s head around, such as how the Chef could have had such selective myopia, or why the whole “minah spell” was cast and so on, but nonetheless, this is a family-friendly pantomime so maybe we should just take things at face value.
“Hansel & Gretel” is essentially a show about the importance of familial love, and is by all accounts a highly entertaining affair, scoring especially well for its talented and exuberant cast.
There is something for everyone – enough wonderful jokes, songs, gags and real candy in the musical to satisfy even the most demanding of appetites, both young and old.
And as such, “Hansel & Gretel” proves that you can definitely have your cake and eat it too.
Coming Soon: Hansel & Gretel
Event: “Hansel & Gretel” by W!ld Rice
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Run: 22nd Nov – 15th Dec 2012
Opens This Week!
W!ld Rice returns with the 9th edition of its annual year-end Christmas pantomime in the form of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Hansel & Gretel”, which opens this Thursday at the Drama Centre Theatre.
The star-studded cast includes Dwayne Tan as “Hansel”, Denise Tan as “Gretel”, Sebastian Tan as “The Witch” (aka “The Chef”), Siti Khalijah as “Vilma the Maid” and “Nicki Minah”, Dwayne Lau as the Father of Hansel and Gretel, Vernetta Lopez as “Cassandra the Evil Stepmother”, and so on.
The musical is directed by Dim Sum Dolly Pam Oei who makes her professional directorial debut, while Rotjana Patikarapong (Oh) choreographs and Joel Nah musical directs.
I am particularly looking forward to the original songs composed by Elaine Chan (who has done music for a number of the past pantomimes), as well as the lyrics by Alfian Sa’at, who is also responsible for the book.
Pantomimes with fully original songs tend to excite me the most, and I’m most certainly looking forward to catching this one.
There aren’t many musicals left for the year, so if you’re looking for the perfect musical to commemorate the year-end season, then W!ld Rice’s “Hansel & Gretel” is definitely it.
Go grab your goodies from SISTIC before they run out!
Ticket Purchase: SISTIC Link (here)
Facebook Page: W!LD RICE
Coming Soon: Crazy Christmas 2012
Event: “Crazy Christmas 2012” by Dream Academy Productions
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Run: 28th Nov – 9th Dec 2012
Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Hollywood
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and starting 28th November, Dream Academy’s annual yuletide special returns once again in the form of “Crazy Christmas 2012”!
This year’s theme is “Silver Screen Meets Silver Bells”, and features a 17-piece orchestra (the show’s largest ever) as well as a bevy of dancing girls known as the “Merry Miss-el’toes”.
Some of Singapore’s finest entertainers will be reprising the roles of silver screen legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and good ol’ Charlie Chaplin, while bringing you an endless array of song, dance, laughter and love.
Some musical numbers audiences can expect include a Marilyn Monroe medley (no prizes for guessing who plays Marilyn!), songs from the beloved musicals “Annie” and “Singin’ in the Rain”, as well as a movie medley.
Apart from the usual favourites such as Hossan Leong, Selena Tan, Robin Goh and Kumar, look out also for newcomers to the show in the form of the talented Adrian Pang and Judee Tan.
And fans of Judee Tan’s infamous “Dr. Teo Chiew Muay” character will be in for a real treat, because you can expect to see TCM on stage once again and attempting to do her very own version of a chinese Christmas song!
It doesn’t get better than this.
The show is co-directed by George Chan and Selena Tan, while Elaine Chan musical directs and Andy Benjamin Cai serves as choreographer.
Go get your tickets from SISTIC (here) before they run out.
“Crazy Christmas 2012” is the one year-end show you definitely would not want to miss!
Ticket Purchase: SISTIC Link (here)
Facebook Page: Dream Academy Productions
11•Kuo Pao Kun Devised, again
Event: 11•Kuo Pao Kun Devised, Again 再即兴郭宝崑
Run: 1-11 Nov 2012
Venue: Stamford Arts Centre
Devised by: Liu Xiaoyi and cast
Director: Liu Xiaoyi 刘晓义
Cast：Jonathan Lim (林志坚), Catherine Wong (黄慧敏), Goh Guat Kian (吴悦娟), Johnny Ng (黄家强), Su Jun Ying (苏君英), Li Xie (李邪), Jean Ng (黄丽心), Tay Kong Hui (郑光辉), Alvin Chiam (詹煇朕), Peter Sau (苏佳亮)
I have had mixed reactions about site-specific productions, which more often than not, ends in disappointment. However, I’m glad that this was one of the better experiences I’ve had, and agreed by my friend who accompanied me.
Set in the premises of Stamford Arts Centre, the show was conducted in a walkabout manner around the entire site, from the rooftop and corridors, to the rooms and even spilling over to the alley. 2 routes (A & B) were planned and participants were given the option to choose their route at the beginning. We chose Route A, “The Butterfly Knot in My Heart” (《我的心结 都像蝴蝶》).
The actors were commendable in their endurance and intense acting, keeping the audience drawn. The most cringing scene would be when Jonathan Lim was “stitching” his eyes up in the “I Want to Still Be Me” (《我要继续做自己》) scene. The most memorable part for me would be “In Solitude” 《在孤独中》), when we were closed up in a room in pitch darkness, waiting. Then “clang” “clang” “clang”, as Alvin Chiam hit metal against metal, piercing the darkness. The last scene was kind of symbolic with the human butterfly and the cleaning of the writings.
Although Peter Sau didn’t say a word throughout the whole performance, the words he scribbled all over the building were in interesting contradictions like “cowardice” vs “courage”. You might have thought they were random, but they were definitely not.
This show had too many points to remember and recall of which I can’t put all of them down. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that familiar with a lot of KPK’s texts, hence I couldn’t identify the references to them except for a few like “Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral”, “No Parking On Odd Days”? There were also the little personal stories of the actors of Theatre Practice and KPK which brought memories to some, while letting others see.
I think the biggest kudos I would need to give would be to the director. How he managed to pull off such a major coordination between actors and scenes confounds me as 2 separate routes were happening simultaneously with each group watching a fair share of the stories and actors. It made me super curious at what was seen on route B, “This Is Our Time” (《这是我们的时代》). It’s a pity I didn’t have time and also that registration was full, or else I would have gone back another night to find out.
At the end, we were asked “what is the butterfly era?”. What do you think?
The Bootleg Beatles
Event: The Bootleg Beatles
Venue: Grand Theater at Marina Bay Sands
Run: 8th – 11th Nov 2012
Ticket To Ride With The Fab Four
I’m actually not that old, but I’m as huge a fan of the Beatles as you can probably find, at least amongst my peers.
The group had long disbanded by the time I had come into existence, and I was barely one when John Lennon was tragically shot by Mark Chapman in New York City, so you can probably guess how old I am.
It was my dad who weaned me on the wonderful sounds of the Fab Four by playing Beatles records non-stop in the car, and it thus sparked my lifelong love affair with the most talented band the world has ever known.
I guess the thing about tribute band concerts it that it’s extremely hard for things to go wrong really, unless the band is woefully inept.
But considering this is the Grand Theater at the Marina Bay Sands, and considering the Bootleg Beatles have performed more than 4,000 shows since 1980, there was absolutely no way this show was going to be anything less than engaging.
The band performed the 2.5hr concert in chronological fashion, and the songs were grouped into three distinct segments representing the distinct phases in their career – the early mop-top teeny-bopper phase, the mid-career “Sergeant Pepper’s” phase, and the late-career “Abbey Road” hippie phase.
They kicked things off with the ever-popular “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, and what immediately struck me was how similar the Bootleg Beatles were to the actual group, right down to the tiniest detail.
They had the mannerisms all down pat – John’s trademark wide stance, Ringo’s metronomic head bop while on the drums, Paul’s wide-eyed exuberance on the bass, and George the quiet one in the middle of it all.
Even the instruments were familiar – the Rickenbackers often favoured by George and John, and Paul’s iconic Hofner bass.
And you know what was the most amazing thing?
Paul even played his bass left-handed!
I’m not sure if this Paul is a natural left-hander, but it would have been simply amazing if he were not.
Such was their dedication to mimicking the real Beatles completely, that it was such a lovely yet surreal sight seeing these four musicians performing on stage, as if we were somehow being magically transported back to the Ed Sullivan Theater in 1964.
In terms of resemblances, I thought John was an absolute dead ringer, both in terms of looks and voice, while Paul’s facial features did somewhat look the part, although the timbre of his voice was quite different from the actual Paul McCartney.
(But then again, how many people can truly claim to sound like the real Paul McCartney?)
That being said, I thought this Paul was vocally very strong, and had wonderful range which enabled him to sing the higher harmonies the way the real Paul always did.
George and Ringo looked slightly less like the real thing than John and Paul, but these are but minor quibbles.
The band went on to dispense with the early favourites such as “Please Please Me”, “All My Loving”, “She Loves You” (a personal favourite of mine), and “Love Me Do”, which allowed John to showcase his impressive skills on the harmonica as well.
Musicianship-wise, the band was adequate but not extremely tight, although I thought they did very well with all the vocal harmonies, which was one of the things the Beatles were well known for.
The banter was highly entertaining, with each musician keeping in character throughout the entire show.
John displayed his familiar cheeky, sardonic sense of humour, while Paul remained the ever-cheerful, ever-earnest optimist.
One of the highlights was Paul doing his solo number “Yesterday” on acoustic guitar, backed by a string quartet, and this pretty much represented the emotional high point of the first segment.
The second act started with “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, after which Ringo ably sang his only song for the show in “With a Little Help from My Friends”.
This was followed by two more of Lennon’s compositions “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Strawberry Fields Forever”, which demonstrated the psychedelic direction in which he was embarking on at that point in his songwriting career.
The high point for me came right after these two songs, when Paul did his “Penny Lane”, which was the perfect juxtaposition against John’s earlier two songs.
“Penny Lane” showcased the ever-maturing songwriting prowess of Paul, and it was such a sweet and beautiful number especially when contrasted with the edgier earlier two pieces.
The band was also mindful to include two Harrison numbers in the show, namely “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Here Comes the Sun”, which reminded us how much of a talent George was as well in the songwriting department.
The last segment featured songs such as “Come Together”, “Get Back” and the show-stopper “Hey Jude”.
Of course, the Beatles oeuvre is so vast that it is impossible to cover every single hit song, but notable omissions in the show for me included “In My Life”, “Yellow Submarine”, “Let It Be”, “Across the Universe” and “The Long and Winding Road”.
But I’m just being difficult here.
Other than those few, I thought the band’s setlist was pretty much faultless.
Apart from the fact that it allowed us to once again relive the Beatles, I guess this Bootleg Beatles tribute concert was an excellent reminder of just how prolific and creative the Beatles were, and how they managed to evolve in their songwriting from one phase to another and yet keep churning out classic after classic.
There simply isn’t another band out there that has delivered as many classics as the Beatles have, and even though their musicianship may not have been the greatest, they were fortunate enough to have two of the greatest pop songwriters in history both in the same band, and with a third songwriter in George who was certainly no slouch either.
And as such, it’s hard to see how anyone would have walked out of the Grand Theater a disappointed person, after being treated to a full-length concert of some of the finest pop music ever written.
One can only wonder if we will ever see another phenomenon like the Beatles again.
But then again, who would have thought back in the 60’s that a group of four lads from Liverpool would go on to conquer the world?
Now Showing: Fantastic Mr Fox
Event: ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ by Singapore Repertory Theatre
Run: 1 nov-9 Dec 2012
Venue: DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT
SRT’s The Little Company is presenting Fantastic Mr Fox, one of Roald Dahl’s many well-loved stories that has been brought to stage and film.
Adapted for stage by David Wood, Fantastic Mr Fox is a classic tale of good vs bad. It is an inspiring story about the brave Mr Fox who devises a plan to steal food from three mean farmers in order to feed his family. The farmers, Boggis, Bunce and Bean, try to get Mr Fox by any means possible. See how Mr. Fox outsmarts the farmers with the help of his family and his friend, the Badger. Filled with humour and packed with action, this is a show to be enjoyed by children of all ages.
The show runs till 9 December. Tickets are available through www.sistic.com.sg
Buttons In The Bread 