Next To Normal

I have seen quite a number of musicals/theatrical productions lately in the past month but I have been too busy to do reviews for them.

But after watching Pangdemonium's "Next To Normal" musical, I know I really have to write something about it no matter how busy I am.

This is one of the best local musical productions that I have seen. Beautifully and well executed. It touches on various sensitive subjects of mental illness, dysfunctional family and death. These are probably societal issues prevalent yet not commonly discussed. But "Next To Normal" definitely managed to tackle such heavy-handed issues with great realism, bringing about greater awareness of mental illness.

The show has wonderful cast members as well. Adrian Pang aptly portrays the role of Dan and he has a captivating voice too. Sally Ann Triplett plays the role of Diana who suffers from bipolar disorder and she bravely captures her character's gamut of emotions. Julia Abueva who plays Natalie has amazingly strong vocals. She's definitely a young starlet on the rise. Other cast members include Nathan Hartono who plays Gabe, Linden Furnell who plays Henry and Juan Jackson who plays Dr. Fine/Dr. Madden.

The show has great musical numbers as well. Various tunes, such as "I Am the One" and "I'm Alive", probably stay stuck in your head even after the show. I don't know about others but somehow the song "Light" reminds me of "Seasons Of Love" from the musical Rent which is another well written musical piece.

As the musical progresses, you can hear people stifling their tears. It's really a touching work and one which audience members who have some experience with mental illness can easily relate to.

This may be a local production unlike musicals like Wicked, The Addams Family or the Phantom Of the Opera, but it is a  really good production and well-worth watching.

This may not be a wonderfully done review of the musical and certainly would not do the cast and crew of "Next To Normal" justice. (*Apologies*)
Nevertheless, this is definitely not just any other Normal musicals out there. Worth the time, worth the money.
Tomorrow's the last show for "Next To Normal" at Drama Centre Theatre! Do catch it if you can!
http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/next0913

Coming Soon: Everything But The Brain

Tickets from sistic!

Cook A Pot Of Curry

For this month of July, W!LD RICE presents Alfian Sa'at - In The Spotlight series.

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/wildrice.sg)

I managed to catch Cook A Pot Of Curry before tickets to the show are completely sold out. I really hope that they will consider adding in more shows. It is a great play by Alfian Sa'at, involving issues which are close to the hearts of fellow Singaporeans.

Most people would probably have heard about the incident between the two neighbours over the smell of curry as it was widely reported in the news back in 2011. If you are thinking that this play is simply showcasing the disagreement between the Chinese and Indian family over the smell of curry, well... that's probably just a tip of the iceberg. They definitely have much more in store for all.

Touching on issues such as population, identity, culture and integration. Cook A Pot Of Curry tries its best to include a myriad of perspectives and emotions on issues. Director Glen Goei does well with cast members made up of Rishi Budhrani, Nelson Chia, Noorlinah Mohamed, Neo Swee Lin, Najib Soiman and Judee Tan, the show's seriousness was aptly incorporated with lighthearted and timely comic relief.  I personally enjoyed Neo Swee Lin's performance the most, she played the role of beloved actress Daisy Irani (famous for her role in the TV series Under One Roof) perfectly, bringing much delight to the audience. The incorporation of Malay and Chinese dialect into the show was also warmly welcomed by the audience.

Through series of interviews on the stage with Singaporeans, PRs and immigrants, the show tries to capture the sentiments of what is happening in Singapore today, showcasing both sides of pertinent issues. You will get to hear from people like social worker Jolovan Wham, Population White Paper protest organizer Gilbert Goh and lawyer M. Ravi in this thought-provoking piece by Alfian.

I did enjoy myself thoroughly. Alfian Sa'at never fails to get me thinking with his plays. As entertaining, satirical and funny as it may be, one will leave the theatre thinking about issues in our society today.

Singapore, oh Singapore. What has become of you?

This pot of curry is definitely worth tasting.
Cook A Pot Of Curry runs until 20th July at The Singapore Airlines  Theatre, LASALLE College of the Arts.

From what I know, tickets have all been sold out!
To the lucky people out there who have successfully bought your tickets, enjoy! :)

The Addams Family (Singapore)

With the all-too-familiar *Snap Snap!* addams family theme song, The Addams Family is finally here in Singapore! I must say it is spooktacularly good!

(Photo taken from http://www.tafontour.com/)

The musical comprising of ghoulish Addams Family characters, created by renowned American cartoonist Charles Addams, together with a wonderful storyline and dark jokes would definitely appeal to audiences. The music and lyrics written by Andrew Lippa are both witty and hummable, a pleasure to listen and enjoy.

The Addams Family features an original story with deeply in love couple, Gomez and Morticia Addams, their two (not so adorable) murderous children, Wednesday and Pugsley Addams, spooky Grandma, the moon-lover Uncle Fester as well as the zombie-liked butler, Lurch. The story unfolds as Wednesday falls in love with a normal boy, Lucas, and invites his family over for dinner.

I was fortunate enough to catch the show on the opening night gala.

Before the show commenced, the usual cellphone warning came in the form of "The use of nooses, thumbscrews, guillotines and other torture devices is not permitted during the show, but strongly encouraged during intermission." This aptly sets up the atmosphere for what is to come.

The changing and coordinating of sets, lightings, orchestra and the cast performance are well executed. Try to spot the local touches added to the performance if you can! :)

The talented cast was not only entertaining to watch, efforts to engage and connect with the audiences can also clearly be seen, aptly showcasing what live musical is about!

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical)

Wednesday Addams, played by Jennifer Fogarty, definitely stole much limelight with her clear, crisp voice and strong vocals. It's disgustingly true! I was totally impressed with her rendition of "Pulled" (I highly recommend you to hear it live yourself!). Also, kudos to Jennifer Fogarty for being able to pull off such commendable poker face throughout the musical.

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical)

Also, the role of Gomez Addams is well-played by Jesse Sharp, wonderfully showcasing his oozing affection for his dear wife Morticia as well as his only daughter Wednesday.

KeLeen Snowgren, who played Morticia, wowed audience as she beautifully sang and dance in such a skintight "dress cut to Venezuela". Simply enjoyed how she delivered "Death Is Just Around the Corner", one of the show's best numbers.

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical)

Lurch, played by Dan Olson, might have very few lines in this musical but his comedic moves simply tickles the audiences. I really enjoyed his deep bass voice, allowing the musical to end on such a good note :)

There is also Grandma, played by Amanda Bruton, who will be remembered for her morbid sense of humour as well as her wide collection of potions.

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical)

Pugsley Addams, played by Jeremy Todd Shinder and Connor Barth on alternate nights, his act of mischief created a wonderful second act. The jealous brother loves being tortured by Wednesday. Besides being able to see him in a torture chamber, you can witness him singing in Soprano. 

(Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/theaddamsfamilymusical)

Not forgetting Uncle Fester, played by Shaun Rice, who plays a role as Cupid to help Wednesday and Lucas (played by Bryan Welnicki) in their romance. Uncle Fester even has a strange ability to generate electricity (who can forget his classic lightbulb scene). Shaun Rice definitely nailed his role as Uncle Fester, allowing him to be creepy yet sweet at the same time.

So are you game to catch some rigor mortis?
The Addams Family plays in Singapore from the 9th-28th July. Do grab your tickets now through Sistic!
It's definitely worth your time and money.