Random Musings

I would ideally like to start another blog chronicling any news related to musical theatre in Singapore, but I realise I’m too lazy to maintain more than one blog.

Anyway, some pieces of musical theatre news that I read about recently:

1) Zebra Crossing and its $1 million loss (here)

Quite sad to hear that the company which produced “Victor/Victoria” last November at the Esplanade Theatre has incurred a $1 million(!) debt as a result of the production.

The Straits Times deems it as a “flopped staging”.

That is scary.

I really wanted to go for it last November, but due to a series of unforeseen circumstances I ended up missing it.

Some of my friends who went for it said it was “so-so”.

From reading the official programme of the show, and seeing the number of people involved, I could tell that it was a massive production.

They even brought in Laura Fygi (here) as the main star.

Question: Were ticket sales that bad that the company had to incur a $1 million debt?

2) Dick Lee’s “Fried Rice Paradise” to be restaged in August 2010 (here)

Dick Lee’s classic musical “Fried Rice Paradise” will be restaged at the Esplanade Theatre from Aug 20 this year, to commemorate the 50th year of the People’s Association.

According to the article, the musical “will be restaged with a brand-new story and songs”.

Taufik will be the main star of the musical.

To quote from the article (here):

“A commissioned production from the Singapore Repertory Theatre, where Lee is associate artistic director, the reworked show is set in the 1970s and promises ‘elements of early Singapore nostalgia, racial harmony, friendship, neighbourliness, romance, and thrilling drama with several twists’, according to a press statement from the PA.”

I think it will be a pretty big production, because they probably will have quite a big budget to work with.

Question: If the musical will have “a brand-new story and songs”, we might as well call it a brand new musical right?

3) “Re:Kindle Love” (here)

There is a Chinese musical that is currently running at the Arts House until Feb 14 which caught my attention because it’s marketed as the “first ever Mandarin Dinner-Musical experience in Singapore”.

To quote the official blurb (here):

“Re:Kindle Love «再 见 爱 » is a tale about promised love that is destroyed under devastating circumstances. The story revolves around a young man and the various complexities which he faces with three women from different generations. It celebrates the optimism and hope that springs from true love, which is shared by a courageous man with those whom he loves during the journey of his life. But most of all, Re:Kindle Love «再 见 爱 » reminds us to cherish our present and our lives and to stay positive no matter how tough the going gets.

The special moments and songs that we have created for Re:Kindle Love «再 见 爱 » will warm each and every heart this coming 2010 Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day!”

I would have liked to attend the musical, just to see what it’s all about, but the ticket prices kinda put me off.

Question: Would anyone pay $150 per person and $250 per couple for this dinner-musical?