For 20 years, Sebastian Tan has turned Hokkien punchlines, Broadway showstoppers and unapologetic “Beng” glamour into one of Singapore’s most beloved theatrical phenomena. But for TWENTY POON PIPI, the latest edition of the long-running Broadway Beng® series, the performer is adding an unexpected collaborator into the mix: Cultural Medallion recipient Lynnette Seah. The former Co-Concertmaster of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra will take the stage at the Esplanade Concert Hall armed with her extraordinary 1750 Gabrielli violin, creating what Sebastian laughingly describes as a meeting of “ang moh and Hokkien music manuscripts.”

On paper, it sounds delightfully improbable: a 276-year-old Italian violin accompanying high-energy Hokkien medleys and tongue-in-cheek satire. But speak to the pair, and the collaboration begins to feel surprisingly natural. For Lynnette, who grew up in a Hokkien-speaking household and has followed Broadway Beng since its 2006 debut, music has never belonged to one world alone. Read all about how the two find resonance in collaboration in the interview below:

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, you’ve shared the stage with many performers, but what went through your mind when you found out you’d be performing alongside Cultural Medallion recipient Lynnette Seah?

Sebastian: My immediate thought when she said yes was, are times really that bad? Or did she think she was asked to play the other (Johann ) Sebastian….Bach?! Hahaha….jokes aside, it’s a complete honour to have Lynette onboard. It brings to mind another cultural medallion recipient Maestro Tsung Yeh from The Singapore Chinese Orchestra who invited me to sing a whole concert with SCO at the very same Esplanade concert hall a few years back. Think the classical people just get Broadway Beng and know we’re but one united elevated people. Aiya, at the end of the day, music is music, whether the taugehs are on a angmo or Hokkien music manuscript all the same la, they’ll still transcend beautiful music!

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, you’ve spent over four decades in the classical world, what made you say an immediate “yes” to joining Broadway Beng on stage with your violin?

Lynnette: So when I was asked to perform Hokkien songs with Sebastian I immediately agreed.I love pop and Jazz too so I am open to perform with Sebastian whom I have enjoyed since his first show in 2006.

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, Broadway Beng is known for Hokkien humour and high-energy medleys, did you ever imagine your music being paired with a 1750 Gabrielli violin?

Sebastian: Huh, so old ah the violin?! Eh sai buay? Can make it or not?! Haha….But think can la, as the Chinese saying goes, the older the ginger, the spicier it is. Violin like Er hu are beautiful strings that will blend right in with our rich Broadway and Hokkien culture which is even older!

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, you’ve played Bach and the great masters, how does performing Hokkien medleys compare, technically and emotionally?

ILynnette: feel happy performing any genre of music as it is a Universal language and why not Hokkien or Chines songs?There is no separate technique just the feel and emotional elements.

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, do you feel any pressure knowing Lynnette has such a finely tuned ear for pitch and musical precision?

Sebastian: As the saying goes, the pressure is mine….or is it pleasure?

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, you mentioned Sebastian’s intonation is “spot on”, what surprised you most about his musicality?

Lynnette: Sebastian has a very good intonation and he is amazing to sing and entertain at the same time!

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, your show celebrates local culture, how does having a pillar of Singapore’s classical scene on stage elevate that celebration?

Sebastian: Lynette is very much part of our local culture even if most of the pieces she plays are foreign. Together, we are elevating the local culture!

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, this collaboration blends “atas” and “heartland”—what do you think it says about Singapore’s evolving arts identity?

Lynnette: I feel that Music should transcend to different forms and like Yo Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble where Eastern instruments and Western join together to make a fusion of both worlds.

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, can you give us an idea of how exactly does Broadway Beng interact with a classical violin on stage?

Sebastian: With TLC, tender, loving, care. It’ll be a special accompaniment. I may get physical with it. Hope I don’t break it.

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, your violin is nearly 275 years old, what does it mean to bring such a historic instrument to a show as cheeky and contemporary as this and will there be punchlines about it?

Lynnette: My 276 year old Italian violin is my voice so I am most comfortable with playing on it.

Bakchormeeboy: Sebastian, your humour often connects generations, how special is it knowing Lynnette’s own Hokkien-speaking family connects with your work?

Sebastian: Very special especially because at the end of the day, we’re but one big family no matter the music or creative genres we practice. As they say, you can bring the girl out of Fujian but you’ll never Fukien bring the Fujian out of the girl or something along those lines…

Bakchormeeboy: Lynnette, your background spans both a deeply Hokkien-speaking family and a lifelong immersion in Western classical music. How has that shaped the way you see this East-meets-West collaboration with Sebastian on stage?

Lynnette: I have Hokkien grandparents and mother who came to Singapore when my mum was 2 years old. My Ah Kong, Lau Yew Hock, was famous as a Hokkien story teller on Rediffusion and I grew up in a Hokkien home so listening to Sebastian’s Hokkien songs and jokes really resonate in me.

For me I don’t think Western music wether it is Bach, Mozart or Tchaikovsky as ‘atas’ because I grew up with my Classical pianist mum who was teaching and playing everyday. We should open up to a West meets East music since we are as a country a mix of different cultures and nationality.

Bakchormeeboy: Final question for both: if this “Tok Kong meets Baroque” collaboration is a hit, would you do more genre-bending performances together in the future?

Sebastian: 3 words…AR- BU- DEN ?!

Lynnette: I will be happy to perform with Sebastian again anytime and I am so looking forward to be on stage with him. I am giving a recital on August 19 at the Esplanade Recital Studio together with Jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro with Brahms Trio with violin,piano and Horn.This will be titled;‘From my Life’ my favourite pieces of Classical and Jazz.

Broadway Beng 20th Anniversary TWENTY POON PIPI plays on 10th and 11th July 2026 at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Tickets available at BookMyShow