Pesta Raya 2018: Tarakucha! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Review)

The Esplanade’s annual Pesta Raya festivities are always a joy to attend and witness. With a whole host of well-curated activities celebrating Malay culture, this year’s festival even feels like a massive party, as fireworks went off nearby at the National Day preview, and a mini pasar malam was in full swing at the Esplanade itself. As part of Pesta Raya 2018, Malaysian singer Sean … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: Tarakucha! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Review)

Pesta Raya 2018: Alkesah (Review)

A colourful romp of unbridled fun through Malay folklore opens Pesta Raya 2018. The Malay oral tradition is a rich one, full of colourful characters and unforgettable stories. But as these tales become increasingly hard to hear in the traditional form, so must they evolve with the times to find a new audience. That evolution can be seen in the 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: Alkesah (Review)

On Tour: Petrina Kow’s Walking In Beauty Goes To London (produced by Blue Bean Productions)

LONDON/SINGAPORE – After a successful premiere at the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2018, Petrina Kow‘s Walking in Beauty is making a trip up to London, featuring new stories and new cast members in a one night only show at Theatre Delicatessen this July! Directed and curated by Petrina Kow and produced by Blue Bean Productions, Walking in Beauty presents a series of real stories told by women from both Singapore … Continue reading On Tour: Petrina Kow’s Walking In Beauty Goes To London (produced by Blue Bean Productions)

Pesta Raya 2018: TARAKUCHA! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Preview)

Created by and starring Malaysian singer and actor Sean Ghazi, TARAKUCHA! is described as “the Terrer-Menerrer Big Band with a Malaysian twist”, and essentially continues Sean Ghazi’s fascination with the Malaysian songbook, after the release of his AIM award-winning album ‘Semalam’. In TARAKUCHA!, expect a night of music from Malaysia’s greatest composers and songwriters, ranging from P. Ramlee to Sudirman to Jimmy Boyle. But know that these won’t be straight covers … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: TARAKUCHA! by Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana (Preview)

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Interview with Director Daniel Yang and Cast Members Jin Shi Jie and Pu Xueliang

Based off the memoir that shot American author Mitch Albom to fame, Taiwan’s Godot Theatre Company will be presenting their smash hit stage adaptation of Tuesdays with Morrie at the Esplanade next week! As a memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie found resonance with audience members worldwide when it was first published in 1997. Tuesdays with Morrie follows Mitch as he spends every Tuesday with his college professor Professor Morrie Schwartz, … Continue reading Tuesdays with Morrie: An Interview with Director Daniel Yang and Cast Members Jin Shi Jie and Pu Xueliang

Pesta Raya 2018: An Interview with Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid (Alkesah)

Just as one’s ears prick up for a story the moment one hears the magical words ‘once upon a time’, storytellers of Malay folklore begin their tales with an equally powerful opener – ‘alkesah’, or ‘as the story goes’. And celebrating that long history of oral tradition then, is the aptly titled Esplanade commissioned musical Alkesah, opening the Esplanade’s 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: An Interview with Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid (Alkesah)

Review: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Mozart gets funky in this accessible new interpretation that sets Il Re Pastore in a nightclub. Opera often gets a bad rap for being stuffy and inaccessible to the general public. But in their debut production, The Opera People are pulling out all the stops to produce a show that anyone from any background would be more open to attend and be able to appreciate. … Continue reading Review: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

There’s something about the Esplanade Recital Studio that is so special, given the intimacy it affords. This intimacy is what gives rise to the power of Japanese singer songwriter Sachiyo Nakagaki’s beautiful voice, crisp, sensual and chic as it wafted through the Recital Studio in her ‘A Song of Life’ concert last Wednesday (27th June). Sachiyo’s voice lends itself perfectly to the kind of music … Continue reading Review: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Opera has come a long way since the ‘park and bark’ style of the 1980s, with newer groups constantly attempting to buck the trend and make it trendy, modern and accessible. And perfectly in line with that, newly formed opera company The Opera People have arrived on the scene with big reputations and aspirations. Founded by opera stalwarts and brothers Jonathan and David Charles Tay, the contemporary opera … Continue reading Preview: Love and Duty – Mozart’s Il Re Pastore by The Opera People

Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo

Singapore-based, Japanese singer-songwriter Sachiyo will be staging her all new concert at the Esplanade Recital Studio next week. Having lived in Singapore since the age of four, the talented performer weaves elements from both Singapore and Japan into her songs, whose lyrical content is inspired by her own life. This concert will mark the 20th anniversary of the singer, and through her music, will tell … Continue reading Preview: ‘A Song of Life’ Concert by Sachiyo