Preview: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by re:Sound

Singapore-based music collective re:sound, the first professional chamber orchestra in the country, is set to perform a new concert this July. Titled Standing on the Shoulders of Giants, the collective, comprising conservatory-trained professionals and some of Singapore’s most talented and dedicated musicians, will be performing songs such as Vivaldi’s Sinfonia to La Senna Festeggiante RV117, Haydn’s Symphony no.104 in D major, and Prokofiev’s Symphony no.1 in D major (“Classical”). … Continue reading Preview: Standing on the Shoulders of Giants by re:Sound

Preview: Bizet’s Carmen by Singapore Lyric Opera

You can’t keep a good opera down, and this August, Singapore Lyric Opera (SLO) brings back classic work Bizet’s Carmen for the fourth time, directed by SLO Artistic Director Nancy Yuen. Previously performed in 1998, 2002 and 2011, Carmen tells the story of the intriguing world of smugglers, cigarette factory workers, soldiers and most importantly, the bold, gorgeous, fiery and free-spirited titular Romani woman at the … Continue reading Preview: Bizet’s Carmen by Singapore Lyric Opera

Dwarf: An Interview with The Opera People Founders Jonathan and David Charles Tay, and Shridar Mani

The world as we know it can be a cruel place, where the slightest of differences can provoke discrimination and prejudice. With The Opera People’s latest production, they’re set to tackle this head-on, with a new version of Alexander von Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg (The Dwarf), in its Southeast Asian premiere. In speaking to the founders of The Opera People, namely Jonathan Charles Tay, David Charles Tay and … Continue reading Dwarf: An Interview with The Opera People Founders Jonathan and David Charles Tay, and Shridar Mani

Preview: Dwarf by The Opera People

After their debut production of Love and Duty in 2018, The Opera People, in collaboration with The Musician’s Initiative (formerly The Young Musicians’ Foundation Orchestra) returns to the Esplanade Annexe Studio to present Dwarf – Alexander Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg in its Southeast Asian premiere. Inspired by Oscar Wilde’s short story The Infanta’s Birthday, the original Der Zwerg revolves around a dwarf, who is presented as a gift to the … Continue reading Preview: Dwarf by The Opera People

Review: How I Learned To Drive by Wag the Dog Theatre

Learning to put the brakes on trauma with a lesson on driving. Getting a handle on trauma is often like driving on a rainy day. Your perspective is foggy, the road ahead is slippery, and you can’t shake the constant anxiety that accompanies every second in the driver’s seat. And with Wag the Dog theatre’s latest production, that concept of control and being controlled by … Continue reading Review: How I Learned To Drive by Wag the Dog Theatre

Arts in Malaysia: The Phantom of the Opera at Istana Budaya, presented by BASE Entertainment Asia

KUALA LUMPUR – It makes complete sense for a musical on tour to schedule the next closest country as its next stop. In the case of The Phantom of the Opera, that country would be Malaysia, following its recent run in Singapore. But what is perhaps so significant about this particular stop is that Malaysia hasn’t seen a musical of this scale tour to it for years, if … Continue reading Arts in Malaysia: The Phantom of the Opera at Istana Budaya, presented by BASE Entertainment Asia

Happy Waiting: An Interview with Grain Performance & Research Lab

As one of the founding fathers of modern absurdist theatre, the works of British playwright Samuel Beckett have been celebrated over the years, adapted in one form or another. This July, local art collective Grain Performance & Research Lab present the latest iteration of one such adaptation, bringing to stage not one but two of his plays in Happy Waiting – a brand new play by Beverly Yuen … Continue reading Happy Waiting: An Interview with Grain Performance & Research Lab

How I Learned To Drive: An Interview with Wag the Dog Theatre

In the third year since their inception, local theatre ensemble Wag the Dog is growing with each new production, stronger and better with each new staging. This June, they’re back again with their latest mainstage production, presenting Paula Vogel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play How I Learned to Drive. Says founding and cast member Sean Worrall: “As an ensemble, we’ve always aimed to stage the best available writing in … Continue reading How I Learned To Drive: An Interview with Wag the Dog Theatre

Museum Musings: Asian Civilisations Museum presents Guo Pei – Chinese Art and Couture 

If there’s one celebrity to look out for each year at the Met Gala red carpet, it’s Rihanna. And back in 2015, when the theme for the Gala was China Through The Looking Glass, the Barbados singer-songwriter stunned with an impossible-to-miss, yellow gown, its long train pooling into a golden circle, as the cameras snapped away. That iconic dress was designed by none other than … Continue reading Museum Musings: Asian Civilisations Museum presents Guo Pei – Chinese Art and Couture 

Preview: Both Sides, Now – Immersive Arts Experience by Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative

The third iteration of community engagement project Both Sides, Now comes to a close this year with an immersive arts experience at Telok Blangah this July. Presented by Lien Foundation, Ang Chin Moh Foundation, Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative, the project focuses on presenting end-of-life (EOL) issues in an accessible way to the public, and this year, has focused on the NOW – how one can learn … Continue reading Preview: Both Sides, Now – Immersive Arts Experience by Drama Box and ArtsWok Collaborative