Happy Birthday
s t a r m | s t January 28th, 2007
I’d wanted to watch this show because I know I’ll see myself in her. And true enough, I did.
Killer line from Louis Koo’s character, Xiao Nam: “I am just waiting for you to step out of your shadow..”
Archive for January, 2007
Hopeless Romantic
s t a r m | s t January 26th, 2007
To satiate L’s curiosity:
Me: How did you two meet? Was it when mum was already in nursing?
*both of them looked half-taken aback, half amused*
Mum: No, I was still studying then..
Me: So… was it love at first sight?
Dad [incredulous]: First sight? Half-sight and I was already…
Mum: *grin like a cheshire cat*
Me: *envious*
Castle on the Cloud
s t a r m | s t January 25th, 2007
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Can’t Stop The Pain
s t a r m | s t January 24th, 2007
Every night is a struggle, almost unbearable. I feel helpless in my own body, and there is nothing much to do to ease this agony. Somebody, just take it all away.
Kiss Goodbye
s t a r m | s t January 21st, 2007
It started with him, and I thought it was brilliant that he came up with it. Then he quoted it, and I realised it was from a movie. And then it was his turn, and then him, so I can’t take it anymore.
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Do You Hear The People Sing
s t a r m | s t January 19th, 2007
And so I went to catch Forbidden Chestnuts for the second time and I enjoyed it still.
During the “Theatre in 10″ segment when Judy and Hossan were onstage spoofing “Mobile!” with the funny accents, some of us caught Hossan trying really hard not to laugh.
Judy [scared expression on face]: I think your.. *repeats in strange accent* I thinketh your husbandeth touched me.
Hossan [sad and lost expression on face]: Whereth?
Judy [while Hossan’s mouth started twitching and he struggled not to smile]: Downeth thereth.
Hossan [still trying darn hard to keep from laughing]: 5thed floor?
*The audience roared at both Judy and Hossan’s expressions while they took the longest time to continue with their show*
Judy [regaining composure after a really long pause]: No, void deck.
While we are on the topic of local plays/films, Jon is really nice and generous to pass me a copy of Cut [which is banned in Singapore] when I asked him where I can get one. Cut is a 12-minute musical by Royston Tan that satirises censorship in Singapore. It was made after the Singapore’s film censors demanded 27 cuts on his film, 15, before giving it an R(A) rating. Jon asked me to spread the word of it far and wide [”Spread The Fun!” - his exact words], so if anyone wants a copy, do let me know! =)
[Disclaimer: Me No Pirate!]
Larger Than Life
s t a r m | s t January 16th, 2007
xtomic people sure love to act cute. =P
Forbidden Chestnuts
s t a r m | s t January 14th, 2007
I’m a convert.
Ok, not exactly. I still love musicals but now am equally impressed with local productions, having caught a couple last year and the most recent one today.
The five of us ladies headed down to NLB for the local play Forbidden Chestnuts: Portrait of a Brokeback Geisha [coincidentally, I met Uncle Mandy and his someone there. heh]. Like sister, it was the 1st time in the Chestnuts’ 10-year run that I caught the show, and I regret not catching the earlier 9 episodes.
The show started off with a familiar fanfare from the upcoming The Phantom of the Opera. Then it was off and running with wicked jibes and sly digs at anything and anyone.
[Spoilers ahead - this post is mostly lifted off from someone but mirrors what I feel]:
My favourite favourite favourite part: The Matrix segment.
In the background, the familiar glowing green characters flashed down the black screen rapidly. But instead of the binary code, we saw “Chinatown”, “Jurong East”, and “Tanah Merah” amongst others. Rodney Oliverio [a very droolable actor] played Keanu playing Neo. His “Woah! I’m confused!” was really spot-on [and he looked yummy in that black trenchcoat and sunnies].
The witty interplay between him and Jonathan Lim as the Gatekeeper summarised the feeling you got when you watched the actual Matrix trilogy: What the heck are they talking about?! The word play was so fast that one’s mind has to work really quick to get all the jokes. It was hilarious how the lines sounded very cheem without actually meaning much.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Instead of French lyrics in the musical, they had… hip hop rap. And a very, ahem, graphic gesture when Rodney as the Hunchback goes “my bells are ringing”, as the gyspy Esmeralda [Judy Ngo] pranced in front of him. When Rodney went “My hump my hump, my hump my hump my hump” - to Mr Brown & Mr Miyagi’s famous “Mai Hum” hit, everyone roared with laughter.
Thunderstorm by Cao Yu
A segment acted out entirely in Mandarin [with English subtitles running on the 2 boards by the stage]. The cheena type of Mandarin [I never knew Jon was effectively bilingual, hee!]. As the voiceover pondered how the classic play could appeal to the youngsters of today, at a tense moment in the scene, the swish of the wooden fan set off a percussion session by a teapot, the tray that carried the teapot, a chair, chopsticks and.. Hossan’s clogs [My God, when he bent down, took off his clogs and clapped them together - all with a deadpanned face, I laughed til my sides hurt]!
There, you have… Thunderstomp.
Singing “The Phantom Of the Opera”.
Other gushworthy bits - Brokeback Mountain, Death Note and Memoirs of a Geisha.
You just got to go catch the show! It’s still running, until this Saturday. Go here to get your tickets, and support local productions [I think I am going to watch it again]!!
My Fair Lady
s t a r m | s t January 12th, 2007
Determined to catch every single musical that arrives at our fair shores, I got L to watch My Fair Lady with me last night.
It was a charming show, reminding me somewhat of Singin’ In The Rain, with the quirky characters and the funny English lessons. But [now I’m sounding like Professor Higgins]. L said it seemed rather low-budget, and I thought it was not too well-paced. The songs were not singalongable, save for ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ and ‘On The Street Where You Live’, and during bits of the show, it was way too obvious that the cast were merely acting. =/ I think no musical can level up to my Les Miserables.
A nice finale:
Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!
I’ve grown accustomed to her face.
She almost makes the day begin.
I’ve grown accustomed to the tune that
She whistles night and noon.
Her smiles, her frowns,
Her ups, her downs
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.
I was serenely independent and content before we met;
Surely I could always be that way again-
And yet
I’ve grown accustomed to her look;
Accustomed to her voice;
Accustomed to her face.
But I’m so used to hear her say
“Good morning” ev’ry day.
Her joys, her woes,
Her highs, her lows,
Are second nature to me now;
Like breathing out and breathing in.
I’m very grateful she’s a woman
And so easy to forget;
Rather like a habit
One can always break-
And yet,
I’ve grown accustomed to the trace
Of something in the air;
Accustomed to her face.
I’ll See You In My Dreams
s t a r m | s t January 11th, 2007
Lately my memory seems to be fuzzy yet sharp; I cannot remember things I did words I have said in real life, yet my dreams burn in my mind’s eye so vividly.
It was the college gang one night [everyone in the group was in that dream, even May and Lou, even all their boyfriends], and then the band members another, and then some xtomicers the next. I dreamt I was good friends with her - something which will never happen in real life, not that way. I dreamt B & R came to my place and they were chatting with me and playing with my macbook. I dreamt of everyone around him except him himself. Things were so clear, so normal, and so real that I feel unnerved.
For some strange reason, I feel as though I am saying goodbye to the people I have dreamt of.
One by one, group by group, anyone, everyone.
Will I see you in my dreams?
