Preview: Mahler 2 by Orchestra of the Music Makers

After a stunning midyear concert, the Orchestra of the Music Makers continues their 10th anniversary celebrations with the centre piece of the entire year – a performance of Gustav Mahler’s 2nd Symphony Resurrection. Mahler’s Second Symphony was known to have taken six years to perfect, changing the musical landscape forever on account of its scale and sheer ambition. Following a critically acclaimed 2010 performance of Resurrection, OMM is … Continue reading Preview: Mahler 2 by Orchestra of the Music Makers

Review: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Bringing the operatic drama of French nuns in a time of turmoil onstage.  In the history of operas, Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites is perhaps one of the bloodiest ones yet, with an entire nunnery sent to the guillotine and beheaded by the end of the play. Presented by New Opera Singapore, this new version of the French opera has been translated into English, and features over … Continue reading Review: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Sing’theatre’s Souvenir: An Interview with Director Samantha Scott-Blackhall and star Leigh McDonald

This September, Sing’theatre returns with an all new production of Souvenir! Based off the life of opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins, famed for her inability to sing, Souvenir! promises a show that will fill any audience member with verve, life and hope that passions are meant to be pursued, and any dream can be achieved. We spoke to director Samantha Scott-Blackhall and star of Souvenir! Leigh McDonald, who will be starring as … Continue reading Sing’theatre’s Souvenir: An Interview with Director Samantha Scott-Blackhall and star Leigh McDonald

Preview: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Following on from last year’s production of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, New Opera Singapore is back this August with an all new annual production! This year, the company will be presenting Francis Poulenc‘s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Written after George Bernanos’ 1947 play of the same name, Poulenc’s second opera is a three act French opera during the French Revolution, where nuns from a Carmelite monastery are … Continue reading Preview: F. Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites by New Opera Singapore

Preview: Souvenir – A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins by Sing’theatre

Meryl Streep may have popularised the story in a 2016 film, but this year, watch the story of infamous tone deaf opera singer Florence Foster Jenkins come to life onstage with Sing’theatre’s production of Souvenir! In this hilarious and heartwarming tale, watch as Singapore’s Hossan Leong takes on the role of Cosme McMoon, Florence’s accompanist on piano who lovingly tells the tale of her rise to fame … Continue reading Preview: Souvenir – A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins by Sing’theatre

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

Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(July 2018) by Nam Hwa Opera

Nam Hwa Opera is having a busy summer period. Just last week, the fifty year old Teochew Opera troupe performed two full length operas at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, and this coming Sunday, they’ll be showcasing the tenth edition of their quarterly Nam Hwa Blazes programme at the Aliwal Arts Centre! The last edition in April saw the troupe showcasing three classic Teochew Operas, highlighting the … Continue reading Preview: Nam Hwa Blazes 《万紫千红》(July 2018) by Nam Hwa Opera

Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

The Chinese Opera I experienced growing up was always a very communal type of activity. Setting up makeshift stilt stages on the roadside, I’d join my excited grandparents as they dragged us along to watch in the evenings, particularly closer to the seventh month periods. As much as I never did master any dialect, these operas remained a fascinating aspect of my childhood as the … Continue reading Review: 《告亲夫》Prosecuting the Husband by Nam Hwa Opera

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

Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)

Dick Lee is perhaps one of the few Singaporeans whose name is immediately recognizable. For many Singaporeans, Dick is best known as the composer of ‘Home’, the song most synonymous with National Day. Written abroad while harbouring thoughts of missing Singapore, the 1998 song has since gone on to become a mainstay at just about every National Day Parade, at any and every Singaporean event … Continue reading Nothing But Pride for Local Talent: An Interview with Dick Lee (Singapopera 2018)