Mata Hati
This review comes a bit late and I understand Jeremy had already done his part, as well as his year-end accolades, so I shall keep this as short as I can, judging from my fading memory anyway.
I believe “Mata Hati” means “eyes of the heart” and should not be confused with the ongoing exhibition at National Library, which coincidentally, is called “Mata & Hati“, an exhibition about literary pioneer, Abdul Ghani Hamid’s life and works.
Set in the style of an interview on the onset followed by flashbacks, maybe in an attempt to do an “Interview with the Vampire” since Lestat was mentioned (although, wasn’t it Louis that was interviewed in Anne Rice’s book?), we are presented with first, a sardonic character, Amir Mahmood (Johari Aziz), the protagonist, and then the background of this character and his “personal demons” or memories of his fall from grace, when he had many things going for him as a rising political star.
It was an interesting text, exploring many references – race, politics and sexuality and stereotypes (assumptions). But, that was the thing, too many themes were going on at the same time so there wasn’t a main message or theme that was able to come through. This might be one reason why it didn’t engage me as much as I hoped it would. I believe a better direction would have helped in this. Nonetheless, as Alfian Sa’at commented in the post-show dialogue (who was in the audience that night), I believed he hit the nail on the head when he said that the parts about the race and the sexual scandal were more like red herrings, which I agreed, as I had felt that though they were thrown in a fair bit, they were vaguely, not strong enough. It was more about the political dynamics and manipulation by the government for its political agenda. You could say compliance is key, no matter how meritocratic it says it is. However, I guess each of us would take away a different direction depending on which area would be most relevant and stood out personally.
I felt Eleanor Tan was one of the better performers that night with her Rebecca, the PM’s aide assigned to Amir. Her bureaucratic, hard as steel countenance was skillfully changed to a softer one, which totally turned the mood of that scene, and aptly allowed (as planned) Amir’s character to finally lay down his defensiveness. But unfortunately, I felt the overall cast just didn’t have that chemistry or dynamics together that would bring the play to another level of engagement. Maybe a touch of realism and raw emotions would help?
Another notable point were the taboo comments about Malays thrown out, which raised some “protests” and buzz among the audience, but as Amir said, it’s not racist if a Malay says it. Hmm… Well, it’s interesting to note that Teater Ekamatra had taken on such “daring” exploits as these, like with “Charged” and “Nadirah” that dealt with race and religion.
A rich text nonetheless, I believe the script offers a lot more than what was portrayed.
Jeremy’s “Buttons in the Bread” Theatre Accolades 2011!
The overriding theme for 2011 might have been “restagings”, because we saw the restaging of productions like “Model Citizens”, “H is for Hantu”, “Emily of Emerald Hill”, “Charged”, “Nadirah”, “Gemuk Girls” and a few others.
Nonetheless, there were a few notable new productions which impressed greatly as well.
Hence, this being the year end, I’d like to take the opportunity to reflect upon the year that was and recount the best and most quirky experiences we’ve had in Singapore theatre for 2011.
And unlike the annual Life! Arts Power List, our winners don’t always remain the same, so here goes:
Most Enjoyable Productions:
1) “I Love A-AI”《我爱阿爱》 – This Chinese play written by Hong Kong playwright Raymond To was strangely satisfying, although the Tamagotchi and Andrea Bocelli references were slightly puzzling. Never enjoyed a Chinese play as much as this before.
2) “Into The Woods” – The difficulty level of Sondheim’s music can often be considered ridiculous, and you could see that Dream Academy had put in a great deal of effort into this one. Not the most memorable of productions, but competently executed nonetheless. Having the guts to even stage this show (at the Esplanade Theatre, no less) was commendable in itself.
3) “Gemuk Girls” – Technically a restaging, but my, what a performance. No one walked away without feeling deeply disturbed by this play about ISA detention, and that was the whole point of it all really.
4) “On This Emerald Hill” – This solo act was highly memorable, if anything at least for the experience of having theatrical Svengali Jonathan Lim make you swear you saw at least four different actors on stage.
Least Enjoyable Productions:
1) “The Juggler’s Tale” – Wasn’t able to review this as I couldn’t bring myself to sit through the entire play, and even if I did, I don’t think I would have wanted to anyway. Intermission couldn’t have come soon enough. Pity, as it all started so promisingly.
2) “881 The Musical” – Could have been so much better, but chose to go the “Fried Rice Paradise” route. I gave up the ghost when the Durian sisters started squirting soya milk out of their chests.
The “She Works Hard For Her Money” Award:
You’ve got to hand it to Karen Tan – is there a harder worker in local theatre than the beloved veteran actress? Off hand, I can think of “Model Citizens”, “Beauty Kings”, “Aladdin”, “To Whom It May Concern”, “Family Outing”, “Twice Removed” and “DNR” as productions she’s starred in this year. Truly one of the gems of our local theatre scene (and my favourite actress as well!).
The “I Think I Just Crapped My Pants” Award:
“H is for Hantu” – There was no scarier theatrical moment this year than when Angie suddenly appeared with that little floating ghost over her shoulder. Even that supposed visit by the MDA officer in “Fear of Writing” had nothing on this. And oh, speaking of “Fear of Writing”…
The “Thanks, Social Media, For Letting The Cat Out Of The Bag” Award:
“Fear of Writing” – This was a play like no other in 2011. It was an event. There was actually a palpable sense of anticipation in the air before the play began, and I’d never experienced such a feeling before. You could attribute it to the fact that it was Tan Tarn How’s first play in about 10 years, plus the fact that there was a lot of buzz about the play on social media immediately after opening night regarding the “friendly MDA visit”. It’s a pity the invisible theatre ruse at the end of the play misdirected audiences from rationally examining the merits of the rest of the play.
The “If All Else Fails, At Least We Get To See The Hunks In Speedos” Award:
“Beauty Kings” – The most gratuitous display of male flesh on a theatrical stage this year. Just as well that it was all actually somewhat relevant to the plot!
The “Most Unbelievably Eloquent And Beautiful Script” Award:
“The Weight of Silk on Skin” – There is no argument here. Huzir Sulaiman’s incredibly lush script was worth the price of admission alone, and to hear it being bravely articulated on stage by Ivan Heng was one of the highlights of the Man Singapore Theatre Festival.
The “Most Finger-Punishing Regime” Award:
“Turn By Turn We Turn” – The Finger Players live up to their billing as true players of fingers, by risking their digits for this epic adventure that is depicted through the use of intricate Chinese hand puppets. A joy to behold, but it surely must have been absolutely gruelling on their fingers too.
The “Oh, It’s Over, *CLAP*…Oh Wait, It’s Not!” (i.e. Most Awkward Ending) Award:
“Family Outing” – Credit to Joel Tan – how many 24-year-olds can say that they have had their full-length play staged at the Drama Centre Theatre? “Family Outing” was by no means a poor effort, although the flow of the ending definitely needed a bit of work. And oh, the large origami boat at the end is still one of the more haunting images of 2011 theatre, and not in a good way.
The “Best Viral Promotional Video” Award:
“Emily of Emerald Hill” – Ivan Heng’s video set to Madonna’s “Material Girl” to promote the play “Emily of Emerald Hill” earlier this year was a stroke of genius. I mean, how many people can actually pull it off? And just for the record, let it be remembered that Ivan Heng played to sell-out theatres at both the Drama Centre Theatre and the Esplanade Theatre this year with full-length monologues. Yes, he commanded an entire theatre by the strength of his ability and personality on two separate shows this year. I’d like to see that being matched anytime soon.
The “Best Use Of 87 Chairs To Close A Show” Award:
“Cooling Off Day” – Alfian Sa’at’s piece of verbatim theatre on our watershed 2011 General Elections was both refreshing and thought-provoking. Most people would tell you that what they’d remembered best was the glimpse of the 81 white chairs and 6 red chairs all neatly lined up on stage before the lights went out to close the show. Truly one of the local theatre’s most memorable images this year, and in a good way.
Teater Ekamatra Presents “Mata Hati”
Event: “Mata Hati” by Teater Ekamatra
Venue: Drama Centre Black Box
Run: 15th Dec – 17th Dec 2011
Do not mistake this play with the “Mata & Hati (Abdul Ghani Hamid)” Exhibition, currently also running at the National Library Building.
It’s hard not to be amused at how extraordinarily similar the titles of the two events are, plus the fact that they are running in the same building at the exact same time, and although the “Mata & Hati’ exhibition features the life and works of a man who has made significant contributions to the development of Malay arts in Singapore, “Mata Hati” the play portrays a snapshot of a fictitious Malay political figure who is held in equally high regard.
“Mata Hati” is singular – and this point has already been sufficiently covered in the press – because of the fact that it is a play which attempts to tackle issues affecting the Malay community through the life and times of a troubled Malay politician, but ironically written by Chinese playwright Dr Robin Loon.
This marks Dr Robin Loon’s latest staged play, the previous one being “DNR”, which was presented at the Esplanade Theatre Studio in April this year.
Most people would tell you that “Mata Hati” stands up to scrutiny on paper, and I completely agree – the play is well-written and is generally sound, although there is the tendency for some of the characters to be unnecessarily verbose or unrealistically articulate at times.
Story-wise, it is rather conventional in its approach, starting when a young female post-graduate student attempts to interview a former high-flying Malay minister, and in the process, the ghosts of his past are slowly but surely resurrected.
The protagonist Dr Amir Mahmood is both a complex and believable character, a true “tragic hero” in the sense of the phrase, and the conflicts which he face in the course of his political career are well-portrayed.
The set design of a cross-shaped elevated runway platform is a curious one, and the jury is still out on whether it was effective in serving the needs of the play or not.
But in my opinion there were two things which sadly worked against the play – weak acting and creaky boards.
I thought Eleanor Tan did a great job in her portrayal of the PM’s aide “Ms Rebecca Tan” in what was probably the most intense scene in the entire play, although I felt that generally the level of acting in the cast seemed to lag slightly behind the calibre of the script.
You had the niggling feeling that more could perhaps have been done to bring out the full richness of the script.
And I don’t know if it was because of the acting or the script, but throughout the play I was left strangely unsympathetic towards the protagonist Dr Amir.
As for the creaky boards, well, they were a tad distracting especially in the opening scene where the actors attempted to quietly tread across the platforms.
Essentially, I felt that “Mata Hati” was more a take on the cold and relentless Singapore government machinery than a true examination of racial issues.
Yes, there was the occasional hard-hitting, gasp-worthy line about how Malays are generally viewed in Singapore, but when you look at it in its totality, “Mata Hati” was in essence a portrayal of a highly-respected Malay minister, who by virture of his outstanding academic qualities has found himself in a position of high leadership carrying the hopes of an entire community on his shoulders (even though he is dangerously out-of-touch with the people on the ground), and because of personal weakness and lapse in judgement has found himself in a deeply conflicted position and been forced to step down in a discreet and well-managed manner, for the greater good of the governing party.
It’s not so much a play about race, as it is about humanity, struggle and redemption.
Kudos to Teater Ekamatra for consistently putting up works which continually challenge us and confront issues which are close to our hearts.
“Crazy Christmas” by Dream Academy
Event: “Crazy Christmas” by Dream Academy
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Run: 14th Dec – 23rd Dec 2011
Repeat The Sounding Joy
The Esplanade Theatre heralds the arrival of the fourth installment of Dream Academy’s annual festive song-and-dance, and when a show such as “Crazy Christmas” is staged at the Esplanade Theatre, that’s when you know that it has finally arrived.
The franchise has certainly come a long way, and the plush venue, generous production values, and massive ensemble featuring a six-piece brass section all point to the fact that the show has come of age.
Sadly, the show must be prefaced with two unfortunate pieces of news – one, that RJ Rosales is no longer with us, and two, that Emma Yong had to pull out of the show due to health reasons.
In memory of RJ Rosales, I would like to take this opportunity to recount my most memorable solo performance of all the three “Crazy Christmases” I had attended (I missed the 2008 one).
As detailed in my review of last year’s show (here), the one singular performance that has always stayed with me up till today was when RJ Rosales sang “O Holy Night” at the Drama Centre last year.
He was blessed with one of the most amazing set of vocals I had ever heard, and when he nailed the climax high note “night” at the end of the song, it was one of the most exhilarating moments in a theatre for me ever.
Rest in peace, RJ Rosales.
I’d like to describe “Crazy Christmas” as a comedy show sprinkled with some well-arranged Christmas tunes, and not the other way around.
Sure, the song-and-dance numbers were somewhat enjoyable, especially the extraordinarily well-arranged “12 Days of Christmas” number (reminiscent of the equally-impressive version of the same song arranged in 2007) sung by the seven of them, but the moments which really rocked the house were when Kumar and Sebastian Tan both did their separate turns as solo standup comics.
Pam Oei returns picking up where she left off last year with the Batgirl routine, but honestly, this gag really doesn’t fly (sorry bad pun), and I was glad that she quickly shed her Batgirl costume in favour of an equally curious bunny gag.
The trio of Pam Oei, Selena Tan and Denise Tan (standing in for Emma Yong) doing the whole bunny routine was mildly entertaining, but somehow you get the sense that the chemistry just isn’t quite the same without Emma, as if you had swapped Mick Jagger into the Beatles in place of Paul or something.
Nonetheless, it would be unrealistic to expect the same level of chemistry as the original Dim Sum Dollies trio, and one has to credit Denise Tan for filling in marvellously and gallantly putting in such a fine performance on such short notice.
The problem with doing a show filled with Christmas songs is that by now, thanks to the endless blaring of cheesy Christmas recordings in malls and restaurants since November, we’ve probably heard them all by now, in all their variants, both good or otherwise.
And without the two outstanding comedy segments by Kumar and Sebastian, I wonder if there would have been enough solid entertainment in the 90-minute show to have kept the audiences sufficiently thrilled.
I’m guessing not.
Which brings us to the question of what lies ahead for this well-established year-end franchise – does it forge ahead with the same formula of the usual festive song-and-dance plus the occasional comedy spot, or is it time for a revamp of ideas?
Because as much as we are starting to grow familiar with the “Crazy Christmas” formula, there is also the niggling sense that it’s starting to lose a bit of its freshness.
Nonetheless, as of now the show has absolutely nothing to worry about, as it offers audiences a night of great entertainment coupled with slick, well-executed Yuletide songs.
If you’re looking for good ol’-fashioned year-end entertainment, then “Crazy Christmas” might just be the thing for you.
“Wicked” The Musical
(photo credit: Andrew Ritchie)
Event: “Wicked” the Broadway Musical
Venue: Grand Theater at Marina Bay Sands
Run: 6th Dec 2011 – 26th Feb 2012
Gravity Defied
Arguably one of the best and most successful new book musicals in the last 10 years has finally made its way to our shores, and moors itself at the Grand Theater of Marina Bay Sands for at least the next few months.
The musical “Wicked” needs no further introduction, being winner of 3 Tony awards, 7 Drama Desk awards, and currently the 14th longest-running musical in Broadway history.
Fans who’ve seen the Broadway and West End productions would probably find that the Singapore production is almost an exact replica of those shows.
Yes, you’ve got the works – the huge flapping dragon at the top of the stage, the intricate detailing at the sides of the stage, the incredible sets, the beautiful lighting, the generously large ensemble down in the pit, etc.
It is a rather faithful representation of the productions you’d get in Broadway or West End.
But what truly elevates this production is the calibre of the two female leads Jemma Rix (Elphaba) and Suzie Mathers (Glinda), and especially Jemma, who shoulders the bulk of the emotional load in the musical.
After all, the entire musical hinges on the strength of the friendship between these two women.
Suzie, with soaring soprano vocals and all, plays the role of Glinda to perfection – blonde, ditzy and all Witherspoon-ish.
Her rendition of “Popular” – the biggest test for anyone who plays the role of Glinda – was incredibly well-played.
Jemma, whom I thought bore an uncanny resemblance to the original Broadway Elphaba Idina Menzel, was truly the gem of the show.
She managed to hit all the right notes brilliantly in “Defying Gravity”, and literally brought the house down at the end of the song to close the first act.
If that wasn’t an example of bringing the roof down at the Grand Theater, then it’s hard to imagine what is, really.
(I’m not sure if “Glee” had anything to do with the overwhelming reception at the end of “Defying Gravity”, but I have strong suspicions it did.)
You have to credit Stephen Schwartz – there aren’t a whole lot of top-tier Broadway songwriters outside of Sondheim who do both music and lyrics, and he proves incredibly competent in both aspects of the craft.
His rhymes are fresh and ingenious (my favourite being “Socrates” with “mediocrities” in the song “Wonderful”), and the music is sufficiently complex as well.
It has been said that the music in “Wicked” doesn’t really entrench itself in your mind upon first listening, but to be fair, not many new musicals do nowadays.
The first time I caught “Wicked” in London in Jan 2009, I came out of the theatre not being able to recall a single tune.
However, upon further listening of the CD, I’ve grown to appreciate the musical genius of Stephen Schwartz.
The story generally moves along at a rather brisk pace, as the first act tells the story of Elphaba’s growing pains and how she struggles to adapt to life at Shiz University while being viewed as an outcast because of the colour of her skin.
The book by Winnie Holzman sparkles, and like all good musical books, is succinct and filled with wonderfully clever lines.
But it is at the 50-minute mark where the first great song of the musical kicks in – “Popular”.
That is quickly followed by another of my favourites – “I’m Not That Girl”, and a few songs later the first act closes with the show-stopping number “Defying Gravity”, which represents the absolute emotional high-point of the entire show.
If you had to pick out the one defining moment in the show, then it would definitely have to be “Defying Gravity”.
The second act is where the comedy takes a back seat and things start to get more intense.
I loved the role reversal in the reprise “I’m Not That Girl”, sung by Glinda, in the middle of the second act as a direct contrast to Elphaba singing it in the first act, to show how they have suddenly both found themselves in completely opposite positions.
That was a beautiful touch.
And all the loose ends in the show are tied up nice and neatly in the finale “For Good”, which reaffirms the friendship between the two, since this friendship is what serves as the main emotional anchor of the entire story.
There is absolutely no doubt that one would get his or her money’s worth at “Wicked”.
True, it isn’t the most emotionally-gripping of stories, and the relationships portrayed aren’t exactly the most complex, but where “Wicked” shines is on sets, costumes, music, performances…and the sheer spectacle of it all.
Outside of Hogwarts, this is probably as magical as it gets within the confines of a large theatre.
Get your tickets early and go savour this marvellous spectacle of a musical.
I’m reckon it would be quite an unforgettable experience.
Who can say if you might be changed for the better, but you just might be changed for good.
Jen’s Homecoming
Event: Jen’s Homecoming by Skinned Knee Productions
Run: 25-27 November 2011
Venue: Creative Cube, LASALLE College of the Arts
Playwright: Yang Ming
Director: Hilmi Shukur
Okay, I know this is long overdue, but I did have the opportunity to catch this play more than a week ago, written by Yang Ming, a relatively new playwright on the theatre scene. Having just graduated from LaSalle, she is currently being mentored by Chong Tze Chien in NAC’s Mentor Access Project, and as I read in the programme, selected for the SRT’s Writers Week. It’s always encouraging to find new aspiring local playwrights being able to stage their plays and we should try to support them in one way or another. This was also Hilmi Shukur’s directional debut.
The story tells of Jen, a successful fashion designer who returns home from London after ten(?) years and finds herself a stranger to Singapore, left only with her memories of what it used to be. She tries to convince her father to move with her to London, but her father reveals his plans for her to stay in Singapore and take over his tailoring business. Soon after, Jen discovers that her father has dementia. Would that make her stay or would she bring her father overseas anyway, since he’s losing his memory?
Firstly, I think it was good that some social issues/topics are touched here, one being migration and the other, dementia. What drives people to want to migrate? Is it a feeling of estrangement of what was once home? Greener “pastures”? Love? These were all the reasons that Jen gave. And on dementia, the denial and the confusion that one experiences was gently and subtly introduced into the plot through the dialogue, which was good. I’m not familiar with dementia, but I do believe the symptoms slowly reveal themselves, maybe just like this.
However, I felt that these could have been delved a little deeper, or portrayed as such, so that they could have made a deeper connection with the audience (or me, in particular). One question that bugged me was, why was she so adamant in leaving? Could there be something else? That wasn’t really explained enough and somehow didn’t build up the climax enough to the point where I believed could be one of the main reasons, that she was engaged to someone in England already (I believe that was the twist of the whole show when her fiancé appeared). Even her fiancé began warming up to Singapore. I didn’t really like the part when she told her father it’s because of Lee, her childhood friend’s revelation of his love for her, which I felt was really an excuse she made use of and a little weak. It might have been better building up on the fiancé aspect for more depth, but that is just my view. I must take into account the intended length of the play. To add on, I found it a little difficult to engage emotionally; even though father and daughter were supposed to be close, I didn’t feel it much. How much did he really matter to her? Yes, the conversation did go in that direction, but expressions fell short. Granted, it was the first night that I went, so maybe the cast was having their first-night jitters, even as I felt the chemistry between actors a bit lacking. However, nearing the end, I observed the lead beginning to show signs of a better connection with the role (even tearing at the very end), which eventually managed to moved me as the play closed in a scene that left us hanging by what she said – was she going to stay or not? It made me realise how important emotions are portrayed by the actor which will actually bring out our own emotions…must be them exuding a certain “vibe” that induces us so. The “realness” as one might say. Maybe a quicker pacing could have made the show more intense and “dramatic”.
Actually, I was just thinking if there’s some irony here. I think I read too much here, but ironically, it is the little memory that she has which makes her want to leave, while it might be the diminishing memory of her father’s that might give her reason to stay.
Anyway, I heard some positive reviews from my friends for the later shows, so maybe it so happened this way for me on the first night. But I do think Yang Ming’s talent can be developed even as she is still young and already recognised by the opportunities given her. I sincerely wish her all the best and hope to see more works coming out from her.
W!ld Rice’s “Aladdin”
photo courtesy of W!ld Rice
Event: “Aladdin: A Magical Musical Adventure”
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Run: 24th Nov – 17th Dec 2011
Directed by: Glen Goei | Written by: Jonathan Lim | Music by: Elaine Chan
I was initially a little uncertain of how well this would go, especially with two new faces to musical theatre as leads, even though they were singers in their own right (my last experience with an Idol-turned-musical-actor wasn’t as fulfilling). But what can go wrong with a W!ld Rice pantomime right?
And true enough, I soon warmed up the moment the show started. I hadn’t watched the first Aladdin, so I came with no preconception of what it would be like. Anyway, it seems the whole show was rewritten and significantly different. And it sure was a crowd-pleaser, with something for everyone. And the choice of Hady Mirza (Aladdin) and Sylvia Ratonel (Jasmine) worked out well with this production (can I call it a pop musical?) as both were in their element of singing the cover adaptations of popular songs and gave it their all in their acting, fitting in well with the ways of stage theatre for this instance.
Talking about covers, we already know that the songs used were not originals (as already told by Jeremy). The musical had an updated song list (not that I know what was before) including songs like “Born This Way” and “Marry You” but also of older songs like “Dancing Queen” and “I Want to Break Free”. So in a way, the songs were already set to relate to a wide range of audiences. But of course, under the clever hand of Jonathan Lim, they were not simply covers, but with lyrics close to our lives and home, with of course, a wittily humorous tweak. I agree with Jeremy that Jonathan is surely one of our best lyricist around. The songs were delivered with a good display of song and dance, and I liked “Rehab”, Jasmine’s “I Want to Break Free/Breakaway” and of course the lovely duet “A Whole New World” in the flying carpet scene.
I thought the simple, light-hearted and easily-understandable storyline flowed nicely, with its tinge of local flavour with Peranakan culture. The satirical references, although subtle and less in-your-face, could be picked up relatively ok, at least for me, like the dig at Siri (yah, I think I got most of the techy stuff), Emily of Emerald Hill, etc. But even if some were missed, the show still made for a fun-filled evening. I believe the lightly-grazed, not too heavily-accented references made for all-round enjoyment, rather than catering to any particular age group, e.g. too many political references might be lost on the children or foreigners (and it’s already been overdone this year). Certain minor points were quickly glossed over though, like the whole riddle part of who could enter the firewall with hints like “honest liar”, and maybe the part of “be careful of what you wish for” when Aladdin saw his wish of being rich almost colliding with his one true love. I was a little concerned about that element, but as predicted, there’s always a workaround that make all’s well that ends well, even though there was a conflict of interests over here. But the whole tone of the musical was meant to be light, so that was ok, I guess.
My favourite character has got to be ABBA-k’adab-rah, all thanks to the amazing and funny Karen Tan as the affable villian of pantomimes. The cooperative audience played a part too with their conscientious “boo”s (especially from the kids) whenever she appeared, of which Karen always responded with ABBA-k’adab-rah pomp and self-assurance, and also not forgetting ABBA-k’adab-rah’s self-indulgence of ABBA songs. Jeremy and I were just running through how many shows we had watched this year that had Karen Tan in it just before the musical, and this was yet another great performance by her. In addition, Darius Tan as Widow Wong Kee (Aladdin’s mum) gave us a “vivacious” element to the whole affair. I kinda liked Jo Tan too when she was the MaMa/Grandma Neo with her “naughty, naughty, naughty” slap-on-the-hand punishment. The children cast were simply adorable, especially the really young ones. Always a winner. All in all, we saw a relatively strong cast with good chemistry.
You would have caught me smiling throughout the show, as I found myself feeling rather happy watching it, maybe also being in Christmas spirit, not to mention the colourful sets and displays (even though the pyro stuff made me jump a little, but I still enjoyed them). I wouldn’t say there were many laugh-out-loud segments, but it was pure family entertainment. I think the combination of a good cast, wonderfully-designed sets (especially for a debuting effort by CK Chia), lovable characters, great lines and good songs made it all a fine carpet ride.
Just sit back, relax and enjoy.
“Aladdin” by Wild Rice
Event: “Aladdin” by W!ld Rice
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Run: 24th Nov – 17th Dec 2011
A Dazzling Place You Never Knew (All For Under $70)
W!ld Rice’s big year-end production “Aladdin” sees Glen Goei directing this incredibly colourful extravaganza, with two of the biggest stars from Singapore’s pop music world headlining the show.
This is “Aladdin 2.0”, not to be confused with the original “Aladdin” pantomime that W!ld Rice first staged in 2004, as it is significantly different in so many ways.
Jonathan Lim is the new bookwriter and lyricist, Elaine Chan musical directs, Richard Chia choreographs, and CK Chia is responsible for the set design.
Having Hady Mirza and Sylvia Ratonel play the lead roles of “Aladdin” and “Jasmine” for a musical is indeed an interesting experiment, considering it is their first attempt at musical theatre, but in my opinion it was an experiment which paid handsome dividends in the end.
After all, stars do help to sell a show.
Let’s get the important question out of the way first: Are the songs in “Aladdin” original?
No, all the songs are based on popular radio hits such as “Rehab”, “Dancing Queen”, “Born This Way”, “Genie in a Bottle” and “Jai-Ho”, except that some of the lyrics have been re-written under the wicked pen of Jonathan Lim in order to make the lyrics more relevant to the show.
Standout performances include the ever-reliable and ever-amazing Karen Tan, playing the role of the evil wizard Abba-k’adab-rah (who develops a strange fascination for peppering her speech with song names by a certain Swedish group not named Roxette), and the boisterous Darius Tan, playing the mother of Aladdin, who was simply a riot.
The sets were amazing, and you wonder how W!ld Rice quite managed to put forth such an impressive array of beautiful sets while charging no more than $69 for their most expensive tickets.
This, in my opinion, was essentially the biggest magic trick of the entire production…far better than the little piece of sleight-of-hand which Karen Tan attempted to pull off at the beginning of the show.
Personally, I felt that “Aladdin” suffered from a bit of lack of focus, in terms of who it was trying to play to.
It did not go out of its way to pander to the children in the audience the way past W!ld Rice pantomimes did.
Many of the jokes and adult references were lost on the children.
But yet, it didn’t exactly manage to completely grab the adults by the scruff of their necks either.
Some of the jokes seemed to had fallen flat, because in my opinion the tone of the musical was not firmly established.
True, there were plenty of ingenious lines, as is what we have come to expect from the pen of Jonathan Lim.
But the musical’s ambiguous tone, plus its slightly questionable denouement made things just seem a little short of perfect in the book department.
And let us give credit where it is due – Jonathan Lim is far and away the best lyricist in town.
We are usually quick to laud our playwrights and our composers, but hardly anyone ever talks about the skill of the lyricist.
And once again, through his clever re-writing of lyrics in “Aladdin”, Jonathan Lim convinces me that he is truly the most skillful known lyricist we have in local theatre today.
One example that comes to my mind is the use of two-rhyme when he pairs “F1” with “have one”, which is something an ordinary lyricist would not be able to do.
But unfortunately, because most of the songs in “Aladdin” were rock/pop in nature, a lot of the lyrics were drowned out by the sound of the drums and guitars, so I wasn’t able to catch all the lyrics that were being sung.
While the script was generally lively and pacy, I thought that genuine heartfelt moments in the musical were few and far between.
Perhaps more could have been done to illustrate the falling in love process between Aladdin and Jasmine, or maybe even the mother-son bond between Aladdin and Widow Wong Kee (which was so perfectly set up at the beginning).
Nonetheless, the main stars of the show did not disappoint.
Sylvia’s belting rendition of “Breakaway” in the first act was easily the highlight of the evening, while Hady held his own just as competently with the opening number of the second act (“I Want To Break Free”).
And of course, the two of them rendered Alan Menken’s lovely duet “A Whole New World” most exquisitely in the final scene.
“Aladdin” by W!ld Rice is essentially a fun and enjoyable experience at the theatre, something audiences both young and old alike will be able to enjoy.
It has something for everyone – witty lines, lovable characters, villainous villains, gags for the children, great sets, fantastic songs, plus the now-obligatory theatrical poke at Chinese nationals.
Not exactly high art, but good wacky fun nonetheless.
And for less than $70, this is probably as shining, shimmering and splendid as it gets.
Gemuk Girls
Event: “Gemuk Girls” by The Necessary Stage
Venue: The Necessary Stage Black Box
Run: 9th Nov – 20th Nov 2011
So much has been said about “Gemuk Girls” that it’s hard to add anything new to the discussion really.
I am just glad that a) I had finally managed to witness this remarkable piece of local theatre, and b) that I had finally made the trip east to visit the TNS Black Box, which turned out to be far more impressive than I had imagined, ignoring the fact that it seems to lead you down and down and down.
Don’t let the play’s title mislead you.
Despite its apparent light-heartedness, the profundity and gravitas of “Gemuk Girls” is apparent, mainly because it tackles what has been one of the major elephants in our room for decades – ISA detention.
It was not unlike sitting through a Beethoven symphony, with Haresh Sharma being Beethoven, Alvin Tan being Karajan, and Najib Soiman, Siti Khalijah, and Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit being gifted musicians, each being in perfect control of their technique, form and expression.
It is the perfect example of the magic of theatre when all the right elements come together to create something transcendental.
“Gemuk Girls” was first staged in 2008, and you could say that our awareness of ISA detention has grown somewhat since then.
This year’s General Election helped shed more light on the experiences of some of the former detainees (e.g. Teo Soh Lung), and Malaysia’s recent decision in September to abolish its ISA brings yet another angle to the subject.
But no matter whether it is 2008 or 2011, one comes away from “Gemuk Girls” with a rich sense of perspective on the whole issue of ISA detention and how it affects both the detainees and their families.
It is impossible to watch “Gemuk Girls” and not be moved by it.
The scene which many people would probably recount as the most moving was when Marzuki was so tantalisingly close to freedom after being locked up for so long, but because he refused to sign the forced confession, he was thrown back in again.
You could hear sniffing all around the theatre.
I suppose the name “Gemuk Girls” is a clever play on the name of the TV show “Gilmore Girls”, which incidentally also centres around the relationship between a mother and daughter.
However, I felt that in “Gemuk Girls”, perhaps the focus on the whole “gemuk” aspect as well as the mother-daughter relationship wasn’t as central to the play as the title would have us believe.
To me, it was still very much about the links between the girls and Marzuki.
The Haresh-Alvin brand of “magic realism” makes an appearance once again toward the end of the play, when both Kartini and Juliana get their chance to spend a moment with Marzuki, which once again adds a refreshing perspective to the proceedings.
Lastly, with regards to the sliding platforms set, I was unable to grasp its significance, and although it was an interesting concept, I thought the platforms seemed to add a touch of clumsiness to the set rather than facilitate the flow of the play.
This being the second “off-Broadway” staging of “Gemuk Girls”, I look forward to TNS seriously considering finally taking this show to the Drama Centre Black Box or even the Esplanade Theatre Studio, so that more theatre-goers would be able to witness this absorbing work of art.
It is most certainly deserving of playing at a “Broadway” venue.
TNS presents Gemuk Girls
Event: Gemuk Girls by The Necessary Stage
Run: 9-13 Nov, 16-20 Nov 2011 (all sold out)
Written by: Haresh Sharma
Directed by: Alvin Tan
Performed by: Aidli ‘Alin’ Mosbit (as Kartini), Najib Soiman (as Datuk), Siti Khalijah (as Juliana)
I think I’ve only seen such a ‘presentation’ style on film. I had thought that the limited time and space/backdrop given in a play didn’t really allow for this to happen. But I was wrong. Even though the play was only 90 minutes, the production team & cast managed to pull off two (short) ‘what-if’ scenarios where the play diverged in two directions, giving audience the perspective of two possible outcomes for the mother (Kartini) and daughter (Juliana). If you have watched the movie ‘Sliding Doors’ or ‘Run Lola Run’, you might know what I’m talking about. A sequence of events occur and at a particular point, two storylines are told, depending on particular decisions made.
In Gemuk Girls, the diverging point came with the news of the death of the mother’s estranged father Datuk, along with the discovery of his detainment under the ISA in the 60s for being a suspected communist. And at that point, we were presented with two scenarios set 3 years later:
1) The daughter switching to the opposition camp to put up a passionate fight for the exoneration of her grandfather’s guilt and injustice suffered while her mother remains seemingly aloof and caught up with making money (as an escape).
2) The roles reversed from scenario 1 as the daughter continues her rise as a pro-government MP, while her mother was the one who cared and dwells in sadness over the loss of her father.
Well, I hadn’t realised that they were providing alternate histories during the second scenario until they mentioned the timeline of 3 years. I had wondered how the daughter could switch her beliefs so quickly…maybe because of marriage? For a moment I had thought her “swaying” was the reason her mother was upset and “expected more” out of the daughter, which she reiterated many times. What did she expect from the daughter? Was it something as depicted in the conclusion?
As before, Haresh Sharma’s play sets us thinking, and leaves room for interpretation. Honestly, I went to the play not knowing much about it except that it was something about the relationship between a mother and daughter, and that it has been re-staged a few times (of which I didn’t manage to get tickets on the last 2 stagings). However, upon watching, I felt it wasn’t so much about the relationship between a mother and daughter, but one that explores the impact of politics on a family and also the dynamics of family politics as purported. Maybe we can draw a parallel between these two political environment. A state of magic realism surfaced again in this production, allowing mother and daughter to each communicate with the dead Datuk in the separate scenarios.
For me, one of the most moving parts was when the authorities tried to force Datuk into signing a confession at a so-called farewell party for him, tempting him with freedom just outside the door where his family awaited. But he couldn’t do it, as he couldn’t confess to something which was not true. You can’t help but feel indignant.
However, the sudden interjection of the scene with the three characters coming together left me a bit clueless about the reason for that segment. But something Juliana said struck me – something along the line of ‘if you want to fight, then know which side you’re on and live the consequences’. Maybe the 2 scenarios was just that? Another point I gleaned was that violence and oppression is not the answer. Patience and peace is. You might wait a long time, but there is always hope in the future.
As for the performance, I felt the cast did well in their roles. There was a certain amount of good interplay between them and their handling of the stage and roles. I must say, Siti Khalijah’s Mandarin wasn’t too bad.
After the show, the emphasis on numbers and permutations left me thinking that there can be a number of permutations of how circumstances like this might affect not just the individuals, but also their families. The weight, the stigma and more. Well, maybe I’m reading too much into all that went on, but I guess it’s good for something to allow one to think.
Buttons In The Bread 