Is There A Singapore Musical Theatre?
by Kenneth Lyen
Are Singapore musicals a 'copy' of Broadway/West End musicals?
Yes, there is a very strong Broadway/West End influence in Singapore musicals in English. Most of our musicals are fashioned after the Western model. Is this desirable? No, not in the long run. We need to find our own voice, our unique identity.
Do you see any distinct difference in local and foreign musical productions?
Yes, it is still fairly easy to differentiate a foreign from a local. Foreign musicals are usually slicker, more self-assertive, better marketed, and tend to have higher ticket prices. Singaporeans, in general, hold a higher opinion of overseas productions compared to local ones.
With a few exceptions, most locally produced musicals are not as polished or as lavish as foreign productions. The more conspicuous foreign productions that have come to Singapore, like Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Cats, etc., cost millions of US dollars. In contrast, most local productions are way under one million Sing dollars. With a budget of millions, one can attract world class singers, directors, designers, beautiful costumes, stunning sets, etc.
Of course a high budget does not guarantee quality. But a high budget usually results in better production values, and more effective marketing. Unfortunately it is a vicious cycle. Local shows are strapped for finances. As a result corners are cut, compromises made, resulting in most performances lacking the pizzazz and the wow factor. Audiences come home disappointed, and their opinion of local shows being of inferior quality becomes increasingly ingrained in their psyche.
Singapore musicals are still in their infancy. Do you agree?
Musicals in the West have been evolving over the course of 100 years, whereas Singapore's first musicals were staged in 1988, only 21 years ago. We have on average had about 2 to 4 original musicals publicly performed annually in these 21 years. This is in contrast to the 40 or more musicals produced annually in Broadway and West End, of which in good years, some 10-20 are newly written musicals.
What is lacking and what are the strengths of Singapore musicals?
Because of the relative poverty of musicals staged by local theatre companies, it has been a struggle to sustain a thriving musical theatre industry. There are too few opportunities for writers and composers to have their works staged. This results in directors not getting the opportunity to direct, performers getting the opportunity to perform, and technical crew getting the opportunity to develop their expertise. Furthermore, this affects the quality of musicals because we do not have a strong base of outstanding directors and performers. When the public watches a Singapore musical, they are often disappointed, and they may not return to watch another made-in-Singapore musical. Hence the audience base for local musicals is very small.
On the other hand, we do have our own Singapore stories to tell. We are situated in Southeast Asia and we are influenced by many Asian musical and theatre styles. Our ability to fuse eastern and western styles may prove advantageous. Hence our potential for creating a genuine Singapore musical fashion is not only possible, but given time, is very likely.
Has the local arts scene developed in any way as compared to previous years?
The arts scene has improved dramatically (sorry for the lame choice of word) over the past few decades. Before 1988 there were no locally written musicals. Nowadays we can look forward to a few new made-in-Singapore musicals each year. Overall, production values have improved, with better singers, actors, dancers, sets, sound, and lighting. Audience size has expanded, and there is a larger core group of supporters. There are more venues for staging shows, but the price of rental has remained high.
Why aren't we developing our own brand of musicals?
We are strongly influenced by Western musicals, and the big mega musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables and Cats, have made their mark in Singapore. Audiences like to watch these large scale spectacular musicals, and they in turn influence the style of musicals written.
Furthermore, producing musicals is relatively expensive compared to straight plays and concerts. We do not have sufficient financial support from either government or private companies. Few production companies are prepared to take the risk of staging new local musicals.
Writers and composers therefore have scarce opportunities to see their works staged, and many are discouraged from writing. Without a flurry of new works, our prospects of evolving our own brand of musicals is dimmed.
What is the solution? The answer is if you want to create a brand of musical unique to Singapore, there must be more concerted and pro-active support by the National Arts Council together with the private sector.
What does it take to make our own world-class musicals?
We need to tell our own special Singapore stories in a way that engages our audience. To be world-class the quality of the musicals must be of the highest level, with world-class performers and staging. This requires a leap of faith and courage to write ground-breaking original musicals coupled with the best production values. It is only through writing and staging many more musicals that will enable us to push our standards up to an international level.
What elements would go into it?
We should be more willing to explore Asian music and theatre. On the one hand we can explore the fusion of Western and Eastern styles, and on the other, we should write about ourselves, and let our imagination soar. We need to explore developing our musicals with film, television, puppetry, multimedia, animation, and computer games. There is considerable creative synergism when different media meet.
In general, we need to continue writing and to stage more original musicals, at ticket prices that people can afford, so we can develop a new audience base.
What about turning local stories into huge stage musicals?
Indeed, we have a wealth of local stories, myths, and folk tales. This is a huge reservoir of untapped stories, to be told in our own incomparable way. Huge stage musicals are expensive and the risk of failure is high.
Therefore, to start off, we should do small-to-medium-scale musicals, until we are confident in producing quality musicals.
Do you think we can export our musicals around the world?
Yes, I believe there is a hunger for new musicals worldwide. A local Singapore story with universal themes can be exported internationally. We need to concentrate on creating a large number of original works because it is unpredictable which ones can be exported.
What stories or material are worth turning into stage musicals?
Personal stories, historical stories, myths, and folk tales are eminently suitable for turning into stage musicals. But in essence, we are only limited by our own imagination. It used to be said that horror, action, and extremely sad stories are not suitable for musical theatre. However, this is being disproven, as musicals in these genres are being produced and gaining popularity. In short, the sky's the limit!
Singapore has seen a rise in the staging of local musical like Beauty World, Forbidden City, Man of Letters, Sleepless Town, etc. In your opinion, what could have contributed to this? (i.e. larger audience? Esplanade’s drawing power?)
Local musicals can tell stories and touch Singaporeans in ways that imported foreign shows may fail to do. The audience is there. But there are not enough local musicals being written and staged.
Every production of a new musical is important. It sparks the creative process, it helps discover new talent, and it widens the audience base. Furthermore, for the creators of new musicals, each time one is staged, something will be learnt, new experiences gained. This is absolutely essential for the evolution of musical theater, and in time, we will find our own unique Singapore artistic voice.
The Esplanade has been actively encouraging the incubation of new works, and they should be applauded for this. Our audience size is expanding, but it is still relatively small. Local shows can barely last more than a couple of months at best. We could market our shows better both locally and to the region. Perhaps the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board could be more active in tapping on the tourist market.
What are your views on the local market for musicals: Is Singapore ready? Do we have to stick to certain formulas e.g. commercial mass appeal? Or should we merely import Broadway scripts to succeed?
The best time to develop and market our musicals is now. We need a multi-pronged approach. There is value in producing well-known musicals, like Cabaret and Little Shop of Horrors. We get to see what the international standard is, and this allows us to benchmark ourselves.
However, we must develop our own Singapore musical. While considerable latitude should be given to the writing-composing teams, this does not mean there is a free-for-all. Sadly, some artists tend to forget there is an audience, and become a little too self-indulgent. The result is that their works may either be incomprehensible or somewhat boring. Hence the need for intelligent reviews, especially by the critics writing for the mass media.
The problem of nurturing our own creative works is made more difficult by the relative lack of support by our institutions. For example, there have been no Singapore musicals in the main program of the Singapore Festival of Arts for the past 10 years.
With large productions being staged here, can Singapore be the 'Broadway of the East'? Hollywood for musical performance? Or do we have a long way to go?
Yes, Singapore can indeed be the Broadway of the East. We have several unique attributes. Firstly, there is a wealth of stories waiting to be told in the genre of musical theater. We also have a fascinating variety of Asian music, with different rhythms and different instruments. Our talent pool is immense, and largely untapped. We have not reached the stage where musical theater prohibitively expensive to stage.
We have a long way to go. Funding Singapore shows is immensely difficult, and attracting large audiences to watch our local shows is an uphill struggle. Our talent is still not quite world-class in ability, but we are reaching international standards very rapidly. We are at a critical level of development, for we have the creative talents, but limited opportunities to stage the musicals that have been written. If we are truly to become a major tourist attraction, integrated resorts notwithstanding, we need to have a more vibrant arts scene, and our institutions should take a more proactive role.
What do you think is the formula for success for theater productions in Singapore? i.e. adopt Broadway productions, scripts, engage world class directors, train local talents, etc.
Musical theater is a collaborative art form. Every element must work for a show to be successful. The corollary is that failure in any one of its components can result in failure of the entire show. Thus, the main elements of success are:
a) Teamwork: collaborative creativity is one of the most difficult and yet the most vital skill that we must learn in Singapore. Choosing the right team is critical for success.
b) Attention to detail: it is said that a musical is not written, but rewritten. One needs to adopt a perfectionist attitude. The book, the lyrics, the music, the choreography, arrangement, performance, etc., needs to be close to perfect. This can only be achieved by paying attention to detail, and polishing until the performance sparkles.
c) Training: we should learn from the best, and therefore going overseas for training in musical theater is important. Inviting foreign directors, choreographers, are part of the learning process, but it is important that there is transfer of technology. It is sometimes far too easy to invite a famous overseas person for the sake of selling a show, but if there is no attempt to have the person give workshops, tutorials, master classes, it is an effort that goes to waste.
d) Flexible mind set: we should not have any rigid mind set about musical theater. Often I encounter people who tell me that they do not support musicals because it is too expensive, too old-fashioned, too plebeian, too superficial, and too western. Of course, musical theater can be all of the above, and also, none of the above. It is up to us to create our own unique and distinct art form. Thus, we should all keep our minds open and flexible.
Having said all this, I don't anybody really knows what the formula for success is!
Why do kids seem to love musicals, and how can we foster and turn them into a loyal audience base?
Musical theatre is telling a story through a combination of acting, singing, and dancing. It is a very entertaining art form, and with the aid of music, can be very powerful emotionally. Provided we produce quality musicals that can speak and touch our audiences, we will find a very large and loyal audience. Families love musicals, and children are often enthralled by the experience. It is good to start young, and introduce musicals into schools.
Where will Singapore go in the next ten years?
Development in the arts needs to expand in all directions. At the high end, we need to create high quality shows that can travel internationally. This can only be done if attention is given to the developmental process. Incubation of new works is a high priority in this regard, and funding should be given for this. Training singers, actors, dancers, directors, choreographers, and technical staff, etc., need to be enhanced. More courses should be made available, and subsidies given to allow more people to attend these classes.
Production costs for world-class musicals is high, and therefore a system of selecting the best for financial support should be set up. At the community, schools and tertiary educational institution level, encouragement should be given, not only for the writing of new works, but also in having more opportunities to showcase the works and talents. This is where young and promising talent can be spotted and nurtured. Also, those who have been involved in musical theater productions, then to be the most ardent supporters. Therefore, schools, tertiary institutions, and community centers need to have an active program that is focused on the promotion of musical theater.
You have been known to advocate musical theater in Singapore, being the brain child of Five Foot Broadway, a program that staged 5 locally produced musicals. Why the initiative and how has it helped?
Actually we have already staged over 30 new Singapore musicals under this initiative, and we are continuing our successful incubation program. Content is king, and we are focusing our efforts in creating new Singapore musicals. We have discovered that Singapore has a large pool of tremendously talented individuals in the creative as well as in the performance side. All these people need are encouragement and opportunities to showcase their works.
The spinoffs are important and wide-ranging. These include the creation of a wide range of new musicals. Collaboration with filmmakers, animation and games creators, television, puppetry, and the music industry, is already under way, and it underscores the centrality of musical theater in media and entertainment. Musical theater is an important art form in its own right, and there is cross-fertilization with other creative industries.
In these difficult economic times we believe that more support is critical in ensuring that this art form continues to grow and evolve. Our National Arts Council needs to play a more pro-active role in this regard.
Showing posts with label essays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label essays. Show all posts
Friday, April 24, 2009
Prescription for Singapore Musical Theatre
Prescription for the Development of Musical Theatre in Singapore
by Kenneth Lyen
“What drives the economy today is human creativity.”
- Richard Florida author of The Rise of the Creative Class
Musical theatre in Singapore is still relatively undeveloped compared to Broadway or the West End. Since the staging of the first Singapore musicals in 1988, there has been some progress over the past 21 years. However, development has been uneven, and the better “Singapore” shows are actually written at least in part by non-Singaporeans e.g. the book and lyrics for Forbidden City is written by Stephen Clark, and for A Twist of Fate, the lyrics are written by Anthony Drewe, and the book by Stephen Dexter and Tony Petito.
While it is expedient to get higher quality bookwriters and lyricists from abroad, this is definitely not the way to go in the long run. Indeed it has often been commented that Forbidden City and A Twist of Fate do not feel like musicals with a Singapore sentiment. Indeed they are really quite un-Singaporean, and they do not represent Singapore artistically or spiritually.
To put us back on the right track in creating Singapore musicals, I believe the Government should play a key role. It needs to focus specifically on musical theatre, and to draw up a coherent long-term strategy.
Why musical theatre? Because this is the centrepiece of the performing arts, embracing all its major elements, including acting, music, dance, and multimedia. Musical theatre can complement the related entertainment industry, including television, film, animation, advertising, and design. As an added bonus, musical theatre has the potential to a revenue generator in its own right, supporting the tourist industry, and becoming a major player when the integrated resorts become established. Finally, musical theatre plays an important role in encouraging social cohesion, and through its stories, music and dance, it will help us find our own unique creative and artistic heart.
What is the current state of musical theatre in Singapore? Let us look at the development of Singapore’s musical theatre from different perspectives. One can examine the state of musical theatre from a developmental standpoint, seeing where we have been in the past, and where we are going in the future. Are we going to follow the West, or are we going to develop our own unique voice? One can look at musicals from a bird’s eye view, seeing where it stands in relation to the overall state of Singapore entertainment, and how it will fit in with the integrated resorts and tourist industry. One can also examine musical theatre from an economic perspective, how it will enhance Singapore as a creative city, and how it can help attract and keep creative people in Singapore.
This last point is worth emphasizing. The increasing importance of the creative industries in our economy, the need to attract and retain creative people, and the necessity of anchoring people to its social fabric and cultural roots, make musical theatre an ideal vehicle for enhancing creativity and social cohesion.
Why? The reason is that a musical is a collaborative art form par excellence. The members of musical theatre’s creative team are of equal or near-equal importance, and this makes it one of the best training grounds for developing group creativity.
Musical theatre is at the crossroads of several art forms. It combines bookwriting, lyric writing, music composition, and choreography. It requires the performers to act, sing, and dance. Set designers, sound designers, and lighting designers, work together to create the appropriate atmosphere essential for theatre. All this is done in real-time, and therefore allows for immediate review, and changes can be made on the spot.
Musical theatre is also at the junction between live theatre, and the film industry. Royston Tan’s film, “881" and “Lotus 12” are two good examples where musical theatre (getai) can touch the nerve of the nation, generate some revenue at the same time. This film musical is also exportable, and by being shown overseas, it will enhance Singapore’s reputation.
Unfortunately, Singapore’s musical theatre industry is lagging behind, despite being around for 21 years. This is attributable, to a significant extent, to its neglect by the Singapore Government. There are grants given to playwriting and screenwriting, but none for the writing of, music composition and choreography of new musicals. The performance and technical complexities of staging a musical compared to a straight play means that more time is needed for mounting a production. However, no help is given to cover the increased staging costs.
The National Arts Council has advised musical theatre creators to write small-scale “chamber” musicals, and to volunteer for the neighborhood arts festivals. This has led to the writing of small-scale and cheap-to-stage musicals. While this is good for the short-term, I have some reservations about the implications of this advice. Currently, Singaporeans are directing their energies into writing and performing low-cost small musicals. These are unlikely to generate much revenue, are less likely to be exportable, and tend to be mired in the realm of amateur or community theatre. To date the National Arts Council has given relatively little financial support to content development for musical theatre.
I believe there should be no restrictions on creativity. Some musicals are small-scale, and others are large-scale. We should not exclude the development of mega-musicals.
To redress the problems faced by the entertainment industry in general, and musical theatre in particular, there needs to be greater Government and corporate involvement. I would like to make the following practical recommendations. I am aware that there are some grants already available (eg scholarships for individuals in the performing arts). As for musical theatre creative writing grants, the eligibility criteria may be too stringent so that organizations that need this support are not receiving it.
A. CREATIVE WRITERS, COMPOSERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS
1. Annual grants for writing new musicals.
2. Annual scholarships or bursaries for talented writers, composers and choreographers to go overseas to study the writing/ composing/ choreographing for musical theatre.
B. DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOPS AND STAGING
1. Annual grants for development and workshopping new musicals.
2. Grants to invite prominent overseas writers/composers/choreographers to come to Singapore to conduct workshops and give keynote addresses.
3. Annual grants for Singapore artists in residence (creative) to write and teach.
4. Annual grants for workshop no-frills staging of the newly developed musicals.
C. STAGING AND FILMING
1. Annual grants to stage the best musical at the Singapore Festival of the Arts or an equivalent festival.
2. Annual grant to bring a Singapore musical overseas.
3. Travel bursaries for directors, performers, technical personnel, and the creative team, to accompany and perform in the Singapore musical overseas.
4. Assistance in advertising and marketing Singapore musicals both in Singapore and overseas.
5. Grants for filming musicals for television and for feature films.
D. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
1. Encourage schools to perform musicals, especially musicals written by Singaporeans for Singapore schools.
2. Allow the use of Edusave or other similar funds to encourage school children to attend musicals.
3. Encourage corporations, community groups, retirees, disabled people, to have musicals specially written for them, and wherever possible, to have community groups retirees, and disabled people perform these musicals.
E. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
1. To research and develop new forms of musicals, and to help bridge musicals with other media, e.g. internet, multimedia, animation, film, puppetry, “Cirque du Soleil” style of performance, etc.
2. To foster links of musical theatre with all the other art groups in Singapore.
3. To consider the development of an annual Asian Festival of Musicals, similar to the annual New York Musical Theatre Festival http://www.nymf.org/ . Already Korea, Japan and Malaysia are writing and staging new musicals, and shortly China will follow suit. We need to take the initiative and prepare for such an Asian festival of musicals.
The role of musical theatre and its role in the shaping of Singapore’s future will depend on the steps taken today. We are at a critical junction. Judicious and wise policies established now will have a profound impact for the future.
It is the creative individual that the future of Singapore will depend.
by Kenneth Lyen
“What drives the economy today is human creativity.”
- Richard Florida author of The Rise of the Creative Class
Musical theatre in Singapore is still relatively undeveloped compared to Broadway or the West End. Since the staging of the first Singapore musicals in 1988, there has been some progress over the past 21 years. However, development has been uneven, and the better “Singapore” shows are actually written at least in part by non-Singaporeans e.g. the book and lyrics for Forbidden City is written by Stephen Clark, and for A Twist of Fate, the lyrics are written by Anthony Drewe, and the book by Stephen Dexter and Tony Petito.
While it is expedient to get higher quality bookwriters and lyricists from abroad, this is definitely not the way to go in the long run. Indeed it has often been commented that Forbidden City and A Twist of Fate do not feel like musicals with a Singapore sentiment. Indeed they are really quite un-Singaporean, and they do not represent Singapore artistically or spiritually.
To put us back on the right track in creating Singapore musicals, I believe the Government should play a key role. It needs to focus specifically on musical theatre, and to draw up a coherent long-term strategy.
Why musical theatre? Because this is the centrepiece of the performing arts, embracing all its major elements, including acting, music, dance, and multimedia. Musical theatre can complement the related entertainment industry, including television, film, animation, advertising, and design. As an added bonus, musical theatre has the potential to a revenue generator in its own right, supporting the tourist industry, and becoming a major player when the integrated resorts become established. Finally, musical theatre plays an important role in encouraging social cohesion, and through its stories, music and dance, it will help us find our own unique creative and artistic heart.
What is the current state of musical theatre in Singapore? Let us look at the development of Singapore’s musical theatre from different perspectives. One can examine the state of musical theatre from a developmental standpoint, seeing where we have been in the past, and where we are going in the future. Are we going to follow the West, or are we going to develop our own unique voice? One can look at musicals from a bird’s eye view, seeing where it stands in relation to the overall state of Singapore entertainment, and how it will fit in with the integrated resorts and tourist industry. One can also examine musical theatre from an economic perspective, how it will enhance Singapore as a creative city, and how it can help attract and keep creative people in Singapore.
This last point is worth emphasizing. The increasing importance of the creative industries in our economy, the need to attract and retain creative people, and the necessity of anchoring people to its social fabric and cultural roots, make musical theatre an ideal vehicle for enhancing creativity and social cohesion.
Why? The reason is that a musical is a collaborative art form par excellence. The members of musical theatre’s creative team are of equal or near-equal importance, and this makes it one of the best training grounds for developing group creativity.
Musical theatre is at the crossroads of several art forms. It combines bookwriting, lyric writing, music composition, and choreography. It requires the performers to act, sing, and dance. Set designers, sound designers, and lighting designers, work together to create the appropriate atmosphere essential for theatre. All this is done in real-time, and therefore allows for immediate review, and changes can be made on the spot.
Musical theatre is also at the junction between live theatre, and the film industry. Royston Tan’s film, “881" and “Lotus 12” are two good examples where musical theatre (getai) can touch the nerve of the nation, generate some revenue at the same time. This film musical is also exportable, and by being shown overseas, it will enhance Singapore’s reputation.
Unfortunately, Singapore’s musical theatre industry is lagging behind, despite being around for 21 years. This is attributable, to a significant extent, to its neglect by the Singapore Government. There are grants given to playwriting and screenwriting, but none for the writing of, music composition and choreography of new musicals. The performance and technical complexities of staging a musical compared to a straight play means that more time is needed for mounting a production. However, no help is given to cover the increased staging costs.
The National Arts Council has advised musical theatre creators to write small-scale “chamber” musicals, and to volunteer for the neighborhood arts festivals. This has led to the writing of small-scale and cheap-to-stage musicals. While this is good for the short-term, I have some reservations about the implications of this advice. Currently, Singaporeans are directing their energies into writing and performing low-cost small musicals. These are unlikely to generate much revenue, are less likely to be exportable, and tend to be mired in the realm of amateur or community theatre. To date the National Arts Council has given relatively little financial support to content development for musical theatre.
I believe there should be no restrictions on creativity. Some musicals are small-scale, and others are large-scale. We should not exclude the development of mega-musicals.
To redress the problems faced by the entertainment industry in general, and musical theatre in particular, there needs to be greater Government and corporate involvement. I would like to make the following practical recommendations. I am aware that there are some grants already available (eg scholarships for individuals in the performing arts). As for musical theatre creative writing grants, the eligibility criteria may be too stringent so that organizations that need this support are not receiving it.
A. CREATIVE WRITERS, COMPOSERS, CHOREOGRAPHERS
1. Annual grants for writing new musicals.
2. Annual scholarships or bursaries for talented writers, composers and choreographers to go overseas to study the writing/ composing/ choreographing for musical theatre.
B. DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOPS AND STAGING
1. Annual grants for development and workshopping new musicals.
2. Grants to invite prominent overseas writers/composers/choreographers to come to Singapore to conduct workshops and give keynote addresses.
3. Annual grants for Singapore artists in residence (creative) to write and teach.
4. Annual grants for workshop no-frills staging of the newly developed musicals.
C. STAGING AND FILMING
1. Annual grants to stage the best musical at the Singapore Festival of the Arts or an equivalent festival.
2. Annual grant to bring a Singapore musical overseas.
3. Travel bursaries for directors, performers, technical personnel, and the creative team, to accompany and perform in the Singapore musical overseas.
4. Assistance in advertising and marketing Singapore musicals both in Singapore and overseas.
5. Grants for filming musicals for television and for feature films.
D. AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
1. Encourage schools to perform musicals, especially musicals written by Singaporeans for Singapore schools.
2. Allow the use of Edusave or other similar funds to encourage school children to attend musicals.
3. Encourage corporations, community groups, retirees, disabled people, to have musicals specially written for them, and wherever possible, to have community groups retirees, and disabled people perform these musicals.
E. FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS
1. To research and develop new forms of musicals, and to help bridge musicals with other media, e.g. internet, multimedia, animation, film, puppetry, “Cirque du Soleil” style of performance, etc.
2. To foster links of musical theatre with all the other art groups in Singapore.
3. To consider the development of an annual Asian Festival of Musicals, similar to the annual New York Musical Theatre Festival http://www.nymf.org/ . Already Korea, Japan and Malaysia are writing and staging new musicals, and shortly China will follow suit. We need to take the initiative and prepare for such an Asian festival of musicals.
The role of musical theatre and its role in the shaping of Singapore’s future will depend on the steps taken today. We are at a critical junction. Judicious and wise policies established now will have a profound impact for the future.
It is the creative individual that the future of Singapore will depend.
Content Development For Musicals
Content Development for Musical Theatre
by Kenneth Lyen
The Singapore Renaissance City Plan III report published in 2008 concluded: "Content is at the core of arts, culture and the creative industries. While technology has advanced rapidly, creating new platforms for creative content, at the heart of every work is a story to tell. Writer, composers, choreographers, artists and curators are story-tellers that draw on their past and their imagination to create artistic works that delight and educate. Some of these works will go on to drive the digital media, television and design sectors as intellectual capital."
What are the problems associated with developing new musicals, and why is it so critical to assist writers and composers in this process?
Musical theatre is a highly complex collaborative art form requiring the combination of skills from different talents, including storytelling, music and movement. Getting a musical right is much more formidable than with a straight play. Writing a musical can be likened to assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece must be placed exactly. If you remove one song, you might land up with two ballads in a row, which could affect the scene’s momentum. Or if you add an extra song to a minor character, you might undermine a main character’s developmental arc.
Mastering the craft of writing a musical is a long journey that requires guidance. All roads lead to Rome, and this is equally true of musical theatre writing. You can start with a synopsis or plot outline, or you can start with fashioning the main characters. You can start with the book or the songs. No matter which route you take, it is usually difficult for rookie writers and composers to come up with a masterpiece on their first attempt.
Each participant is assigned a mentor. A series of readings in front of experienced writers, directors, and performers, who are primed to give diplomatic critiques, is invaluable in the developmental process. A set of assessment rubrics has been developed to allow for more accurate and detailed evaluation of the musical.
1. The first reading focuses on the book and story.
2. The second reading adds singing of the songs.
3. The third is a concert-like performance of the entire musical with no sets, no costumes, and scripts held in the hand.
4. The fourth and final step is a no-frills performance in a small stage.
It is through such a process that we can develop thrilling, vibrant and ground-breaking musical theatre.
Major cities with a thriving musical theatre scene have organizations dedicated to the creation of new works. These include:
a) New York BMI Musical Theatre Workshop http://www.bmi.com/genres/C2687
b) Chicago Theatre Building http://www.theatrebuildingchicago.org/
c) Mercury Musical Developments http://www.mercurymusicals.com/
These companies have played important roles in developing new musicals in New York, Chicago, and London respectively. The developed musicals are then showcased to production houses, who, if they like the musical, take the show to the commercial stage.
We have studied the above models when in 2004 we set up Musical Theatre Society (later called Musical Theatre Limited) to develop original Singapore musicals.
The founding members have already had 10 years’ experience in writing and staging Singapore musicals before setting up Musical Theatre Limited. In a few short years, we have already established an outstanding track record in identifying and nurturing writers, musicians, choreographers, directors, and performers. Since our formation, we have successfully staged over 30 new Singapore musicals. Among our alumni are Iskandar Ismail, Bang Wenfu, Kenny Ngo, Clement Yang, Jack Ho, who are now very successful professional musicians. Our writers include Stella Kon, Robert Yeo, Ng Yi-Sheng, who are also successful professionals. In addition, we have discovered and mentored more than a dozen younger writers and composers.
One of the songs written by Sean Wong for the musical “Heartstrings” was picked up by Universal Music for one of their Hong Kong pop singers. The musical "Georgette", featuring the life of pioneer Singapore artist Georgette Chen, has received critical acclaim, and we brought it overseas for a performance in Manila in 2008. Our puppet musical "The Legend of Red Hill" has won second prize in an international puppet festival in 2008. We were invited to write the television musical "School House Rockz" received the highest AC Nielsen rating of 11% by a local show, and was nominated for an Asian Television Award 2008.
Musical Theatre Limited has developed musical content not only for live stage, but also for television, movies, puppetry, and for the pop music industry. In future, we will be exploring the writing of musicals for animation and new media.
Musical Theatre Limited is ideally placed to help Singapore develop quality content for musical theatre and its allied industries, and to propel Singapore into the international arena.
24 April 2009
by Kenneth Lyen
The Singapore Renaissance City Plan III report published in 2008 concluded: "Content is at the core of arts, culture and the creative industries. While technology has advanced rapidly, creating new platforms for creative content, at the heart of every work is a story to tell. Writer, composers, choreographers, artists and curators are story-tellers that draw on their past and their imagination to create artistic works that delight and educate. Some of these works will go on to drive the digital media, television and design sectors as intellectual capital."
What are the problems associated with developing new musicals, and why is it so critical to assist writers and composers in this process?
Musical theatre is a highly complex collaborative art form requiring the combination of skills from different talents, including storytelling, music and movement. Getting a musical right is much more formidable than with a straight play. Writing a musical can be likened to assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece must be placed exactly. If you remove one song, you might land up with two ballads in a row, which could affect the scene’s momentum. Or if you add an extra song to a minor character, you might undermine a main character’s developmental arc.
Mastering the craft of writing a musical is a long journey that requires guidance. All roads lead to Rome, and this is equally true of musical theatre writing. You can start with a synopsis or plot outline, or you can start with fashioning the main characters. You can start with the book or the songs. No matter which route you take, it is usually difficult for rookie writers and composers to come up with a masterpiece on their first attempt.
Each participant is assigned a mentor. A series of readings in front of experienced writers, directors, and performers, who are primed to give diplomatic critiques, is invaluable in the developmental process. A set of assessment rubrics has been developed to allow for more accurate and detailed evaluation of the musical.
1. The first reading focuses on the book and story.
2. The second reading adds singing of the songs.
3. The third is a concert-like performance of the entire musical with no sets, no costumes, and scripts held in the hand.
4. The fourth and final step is a no-frills performance in a small stage.
It is through such a process that we can develop thrilling, vibrant and ground-breaking musical theatre.
Major cities with a thriving musical theatre scene have organizations dedicated to the creation of new works. These include:
a) New York BMI Musical Theatre Workshop http://www.bmi.com/genres/C2687
b) Chicago Theatre Building http://www.theatrebuildingchicago.org/
c) Mercury Musical Developments http://www.mercurymusicals.com/
These companies have played important roles in developing new musicals in New York, Chicago, and London respectively. The developed musicals are then showcased to production houses, who, if they like the musical, take the show to the commercial stage.
We have studied the above models when in 2004 we set up Musical Theatre Society (later called Musical Theatre Limited) to develop original Singapore musicals.
The founding members have already had 10 years’ experience in writing and staging Singapore musicals before setting up Musical Theatre Limited. In a few short years, we have already established an outstanding track record in identifying and nurturing writers, musicians, choreographers, directors, and performers. Since our formation, we have successfully staged over 30 new Singapore musicals. Among our alumni are Iskandar Ismail, Bang Wenfu, Kenny Ngo, Clement Yang, Jack Ho, who are now very successful professional musicians. Our writers include Stella Kon, Robert Yeo, Ng Yi-Sheng, who are also successful professionals. In addition, we have discovered and mentored more than a dozen younger writers and composers.
One of the songs written by Sean Wong for the musical “Heartstrings” was picked up by Universal Music for one of their Hong Kong pop singers. The musical "Georgette", featuring the life of pioneer Singapore artist Georgette Chen, has received critical acclaim, and we brought it overseas for a performance in Manila in 2008. Our puppet musical "The Legend of Red Hill" has won second prize in an international puppet festival in 2008. We were invited to write the television musical "School House Rockz" received the highest AC Nielsen rating of 11% by a local show, and was nominated for an Asian Television Award 2008.
Musical Theatre Limited has developed musical content not only for live stage, but also for television, movies, puppetry, and for the pop music industry. In future, we will be exploring the writing of musicals for animation and new media.
Musical Theatre Limited is ideally placed to help Singapore develop quality content for musical theatre and its allied industries, and to propel Singapore into the international arena.
24 April 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Future of Musical Theatre
THE FUTURE OF MUSICAL THEATRE
Where Is Musical Theatre Heading?
Showboat in 1927 ushered the American book musical, where story became unified with the songs. Over the next few decades, musical theatre has changed.
The 30s and 40s were dominated by the jazz influences of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and Sigmund Romberg.
The 50s and 60s were led by the melodic strains of Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Loewe, Frank Loesser.
The 70s and 80s were eclipsed by the European mega-musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Schönberg and Boublil. Some American shows had a renaissance with Marvin Hamlisch and Ed Kleban’s A Chorus Line, and the musicals of Stephen Sondheim.
The 90s and 2000s were characterized by the music of Stephen Schwartz, Frank Wildhorn, Jonathan Larsson, and the Disney musicals.
The musical styles of each decade lag behind but eventually reflect the contemporary styles of that era.
Is Musical Theatre Dead?
It is true that the cost of mounting musicals has escalated, and the mean age of the audience has been rising. Most new musicals never survive. At several points in time, journalists and soothsayers have predicted the end of musical theatre. They have been consistently wrong. Musical theatre seemed to lie at death’s door, but at the last minute, always managed to be resuscitated.
In evolutionary biology, an organism adapts to different environments by changing its characteristics. In an analogous way, that’s what’s happening to musical theatre. It constantly adapts in order to survive.
How Has Musical Theatre Adapted?
Here are a few ways that musical theatre has adapted to the ever-changing environment:
"Jukebox musicals"
These are musicals using the songs written by one songwriting team or band as the framework to construct a story linking these songs. In the classical jukebox musical, the lyrics of the original songs cannot be changed. Examples of jukebox musicals are Mamma Mia!, Across the Universe, and All Shook Up. A subset of the jukebox musical is the "bio musical", which also uses the songs of a songwriter or band to retell the life story of that composer or band. An example of this is The Buddy Holly Story.
"Hotchpotch Musical"
This is in contrast to the "hotchpotch musical" (my terminology), where the story has already been written, and songs from a variety of composers and genres are selected to fit into that story. An example of this is Moulin Rouge, which uses non-original songs to fit into it. These are songs from The Sound of Music, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Elton John’s Your Song, and many others. A subset of the hotchpotch musical I will refer to as the "hotchpotch musical revue". An example of this is Menopause, which has no story line, but uses well-known songs but tweaks the lyrics to fit the scenes. Other examples are the Forbidden Broadway series satirizing musical theatre.
"Musical Revue"
The "musical revue" is not new, but like insects, it has considerable survival instincts. It is a show based on a theme, where original songs are written to a unifying subject, usually devoid of story, or if present, the plot is usually very weak. An example of this is I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Other examples are Side by Side by Sondheim, Closer Than Ever, etc. Some people have argued that Andrew Lloyd Webber-TS Eliot’s Cats fits more comfortably as a musical revue.
"Dance Musical"
A "dance musical" is one where the dance component predominates, and there are examples where the musical may not even contain any songs. An example of this is "Movin’ Out", and Contact. The latter drew considerable controversy when it won the 2000 Tony Award for Best Musical, as it was mainly dance, used only prerecorded music, and there was no singing. A "dance musical revue" is a theme-based dance show, without a story line. An example of this is Fosse. A variation of the "dance musical" is the "kung fu musical" where pugilistic fighting sequences are choreographed to music. An example of this is Soul of Shaolin.
"Musicalizing Films"
The borrowing of ideas from films is neither new nor original. But it does draw on the popularity and heavy marketing already done for the films. The resulting stage musical succeeds commercially and artistically more often than we might care to admit.
All these forms, and many others (e.g. TV or film musicals, animation musicals, puppet musicals, plays with music, computer games with interactive musical theatre songs, etc.) are, in my opinion, good for musical theatre as a whole, because they widen the audience base, and bring in a new generation of musical theatre aficionados..
Purists and traditionalists will always decry these new variations. However, musical theatre is an evolving art form, and will continue to change. It needs to, in order to survive into the distant future.
Finding the New Audience
Critical to the future success of musical theatre is finding a new and younger audience. There are several places to look for them.
The first is to see what attracts present day teenagers. What you hear on MTV and top of the charts may be the place. There is a slew of hip-hop television and film musicals, which are very popular. So updating the musical style is one important way to attract a new audience.
The second area to explore is that of the live performance band. Perhaps musicals might need to adopt some of the techniques used by successful rock bands. Is it the star power, or is it the loud sounds, or is it herd behavior that makes them so wildly successful?
The third is to find the medium that best massages the audience. The current success of interactive online games and touch-screen devices may give a clue as to where musical theatre might need to venture forth. Who knows, maybe Ninetendo Wii has already invented something akin to their Guitar Hero for musical theatre?
It is conceivable that perhaps cross-cultural studies might give some clues as to how musical theatre can survive. For example, Bollywood films are predominantly musicals. How did they endure so many decades?
Finally, maybe we should cater to the short attention span of the MTV or post-Y-generation (the grandchildren of the Baby Boomers). Short musicals, lasting 10-15 minutes, seem to be garnering an increasing audience.
In Conclusion
I am therefore always optimistic about its future. It may change radically. It may be swallowed up by new technology, like the internet or interactive touch screen technology, or three-dimension cinema. It might well change its spots and become quite unrecognizable. But that is the potential power of musical theatre. If it were to go under, then, like the legendary phoenix, it will always arise again from the ashes.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Sleepless Town: the musical
SLEEPLESS TOWN: the musical
Reviewed 14 March 2009
Reviewed 14 March 2009
Sleepless Town the musical is about Nora, a troubled girl who is brought to an eerie fantasy place called Sleepless Town. It is a world of lawlessness and darkness, ruled by a Queen of all Evil, Black Azira. She wants to immortalize herself by depriving inhabitants of their dreams which in effect will kill them. To thwart Azira, Nora tries to enlist the help of the superheroes Flying Fox, the Batman lookalike, Sparrowman, the Robin lookalike, and The Incredible Bulk (whose hulky frame bulges to excess). But these superheroes are quite pathetic and totally useless. Eventually Nora has to battle Black Azira on her own.
We now live in an era where superheroes tend to be depicted as flawed people. The authors could have tackled the material as a satire, like Hancock or The Incredibles. Alternatively it could have taken the over-the-top politically incorrect route like The Rocky Horror Show or Spamalot. A musical set in a gothic fantasy world, with weird, menacing characters, could have adopted the style of a horror genre. As an aside, the experience of horror musicals is that they have almost always failed. Only comedies masquerading as horror musicals, like The Evil Dead, have succeeded.
The path chosen by Sleepless Town turns out to be the worst. Yes, there are moments of outrageous behavior reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Show and Spamalot. This would have worked if the musical was a comedy and did not take itself too seriously. Sleepless Town started comically, but soon became very ponderous.
If this is a show about a child’s dream and how she combats her own personal demons, then the emphasis on sex, especially in the dance numbers, is excessive.
The unexpected raping of Nora by her stepfather, her mother’s attempt to murder him, acts of uncalled-for cruelty, coupled with Nora’s encounter with the father who had died some time ago, turns the musical into a tragic melodrama. This is out of keeping with the rest of the show and inconsistent with its cast of wacky characters. It catches the audience off balance because up to that point, it still perceives the musical as a comedy. This failure to choose an appropriate general tenor consistent with the storyline and characters ultimately proves fatal.
The opening and closing has Aristotle, played by Mark Richmond, narrating the story in poetic meter. The spoken dialogue, however, does not continue this poetic form, and therefore becomes quite jarring. The plot is badly developed, and is generally quite confusing. The needs of each of the characters are also not well expressed. There is no dramatic tension and in the first half, we do not root for any of the characters.
Jason Tan’s music is quite good, but the songs tend to be a bit flat and could do with more build up into a climax. The lyrics are uninspiring.
Many of the songs do not have a developmental arc. For example, Nora’s song “I’ll Find My Way” has a nice melody line and lyrics...
One day I’ll fly far away
When there is nothing here for me to stay
I know there ‘s somewhere I have to be
Every night I’ll pray
That I’ll find my way
To find me
... but I wish it went further to explore how she might find herself.
A couple of the songs could have been taken out or shortened without significant loss. The song featuring historical villains, like Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, has great promise, but the comic potential is not brought out by the lyrics. There are jokes scattered throughout, but they are too few and far between.
The musical picks up in the second half. The two duets between Nora and her father, and between Nora and her mother, are very touching, and they are the highlights of this musical.
Overall the cast is very strong. Special mention must be made of Julia Abueva who plays Nora, and Karen Tan, playing her mother. Elena Wang, as Black Azira, has a very fine voice, and is convincingly wicked. Andrew Lua makes a rather comic Incredible Bulk, and Chua En-Lai fits his role as an oddball.
The sets are remarkably effective and one must congratulate Eucien Chia. The choreography by Zaini Mohd Tahir is imaginative and the dancing well-synchronized.
Sleepless Town starts off with great promise, but fails to deliver. It is marred by a poor script and lackluster lyrics. The good music, the excellent singing, are not able to lift the musical out of its messy plot. However, this musical is salvageable with a more critical rewrite.
Director: Beatrice Chia-Richmond
Writer: Mark Richmond
Composers: Don Richmond and Jason Tan
Music Director: Elaine Chan
Choreographer: Zaini Mohd Tahir
Set Designer: Eucien Chia
Lighting Designer: Dorothy Png
Sound Designer: Shah Tahir
Costume Designer: Frederick Lee
Vocal Coach: Amanda Colliver
Cast: Julia Abueva, Karen Tan, Elena Wang, Mark Richmond, Andrew Lua, Bobby Tonelli, Chua Enlai, Daniel Boey, Edwin Sumun, Farhan Hassan, Gordon Choy, Josephine Tan, Matt Jasper, Theodor Paulsen, Zachary Goh
Thursday, December 4, 2008
It's My Life
It's My Life: the musical
Book: Chong Tze Chien
Lyrics and Direction: Lim Yu-Beng
Music and Music Direction: Bang Wenfu
Choreography: Ricky Sim
Additional Music: David Tan, Corinne May
Performances 27 Nov - 5 Dec 2008 at the University Cultural Centre, Singapore
It's My Life is about ten teenage auditioneers, who are informed right at the start of the musical, that they have been chosen. The show that they are to perform in, it is explained, will be based on their own personal life stories. They have to talk about their families, their school, their friends, their dreams, and that forms the premise of the musical.
Comparison with A Chorus Line is inevitable. To try to obviate, at least in part, any potential bias, I therefore asked some of the younger audience members who had not seen A Chorus Line to comment about the show. The consensus is that they are rather underwhelmed by It’s My Life, and they said that the show did not work for them. Despite the individual elements of performance, music, direction, choreography, sets and lighting being excellent, the pieces do not seem to fit together, and the show is indeed flawed. I will try to dissect the cause of this.
It's My Life is an unconventional musical, and like A Chorus Line, it departs from the classical Aristotelian dramatic structure. Therefore, it depends on other factors to propel it forwards and to maintain audience attention. A Chorus Line is about the callous elimination process of an audition, and considerable tension is generated as you are left on tenterhooks wondering whether a candidate will succeed or fail. This apprehension is conspicuously absent in It's My Life, because the results are announced at the outset. The ensuing loss of tension robs the show of interest, and it is not adequately replaced by anything compelling.
A Chorus Line establishes very clearly each main character's motivations and reasons why they want so desperately to succeed. The teenagers in It's My Life talk in vague terms about their dreams ("I want to study the arts"), and to make matters worse, some of them are easily thwarted by external pressures, and discard their dreams. They do not appear to have the inner strength or drive to want to pursue their passions. They have abandoned their dreams without much of a fight, which weakens their internal conflict, and audiences' emotional involvement gradually wanes.
In A Chorus Line, each individual lead performer sings about his or her life story. In It's My Life, the teenagers act out their lives, largely devoid of song. The result is that the harsher elements of their lives are not cushioned by music, and they become overwrought actors appearing in a kitchen soap drama, and this further reduces our sympathies for them. This applies to Farouk and Sharon’s stories. Song could have amplified the humor in Arif, Xie Ting, and Awang’s stories, and the pathos in Corey’s life. But sadly a great opportunity was wasted.
In A Chorus Line, there is quite a wide range of musical styles and there are some memorable tunes. The music in It's My Life is a bit like Sondheim at his unmelodic worst, backed by a rock band. This is not to say that the music is bad. Far from it. The music is actually very good, but it is in the wrong show. For a musical about present-day teenagers, there is no hip hop, no alternative indie rock. As one critic said, the music sounds rather dated.
The abrupt introduction of a religious (?Christian) scene toward the end of the second half sticks out like a sore thumb. Divine intervention, apparently converting sinners into goodie twoshoes, acts as a deus ex machina that resolves some of the conflicts, and this makes one cringe.
Character development is, to me, an important part of any successful musical. Unfortunately, because there are ten leads, all competing for equal attention, each with ten different stories to tell, many of the characters do not have enough time to be developed adequately. Perhaps reducing some of the leads into supporting roles might enlarge the time given to selected leads, and allow them to become more rounded personalities. As it is, they are all rather cardboard.
Several scenes are unique and initially quite interesting. For example the scene with the characters listening to their MP3 players, each with their own brand of music, is quite refreshing. The same goes for the internet scene, when they try to describe themselves online. The stomp-like scene where they slap themselves rhythmically and play with a water container is also quite interesting. Unfortunately all these scenes are repetitive and a little bit too long. Without fresh ideas thrown in every couple of minutes, the novelty soon wears off, and the scene rapidly becomes tedious.
The life stories are revealed too quickly and without much prompting. This is a little unbelievable in the Asian context, where innermost thoughts and family secrets are usually held in abeyance. There is one romantic story, but other than that, there is relatively little substantial meaningful interaction between the characters.
Ultimately the unconventional structure lacking a cohesive story line militates against the musical. As mentioned above, A Chorus Line overcomes this by constructing a story where the characters fervently want to succeed, and the audience becomes intensely apprehensive of the audition results and the fate of the cast members. Without such a compelling backdrop, It's My Life is bereft of purpose. A Chorus Line constantly reminds you that the performers are auditioning for a forthcoming stage show. This aspect is almost entirely forgotten in It's My Life, and the director completely disappears in the second half.
What are the redeeming features? There are several. Firstly the performers are young, enthusiastic, and very talented. Their passionate performances and their obvious enjoyment rescue the show. Special mention should be made of Tok Xue Yi, Nabil Aliffi, and Movin Nyanasengaran’s polished performances. The accompanying band is outstanding, and the music itself, despite being in the wrong show and perhaps more suited for a movie, is actually quite stirring. The many innovative scenes, albeit a bit too drawn out, are refreshing to watch, at least initially. The set design by Tan Ju Meng is simple, clever, and effective.
In the final analysis, It's My Life succeeds despite its many shortcomings. It is worth watching.
Official Website.
4 Dec 2008
Book: Chong Tze Chien
Lyrics and Direction: Lim Yu-Beng
Music and Music Direction: Bang Wenfu
Choreography: Ricky Sim
Additional Music: David Tan, Corinne May
Performances 27 Nov - 5 Dec 2008 at the University Cultural Centre, Singapore
It's My Life is about ten teenage auditioneers, who are informed right at the start of the musical, that they have been chosen. The show that they are to perform in, it is explained, will be based on their own personal life stories. They have to talk about their families, their school, their friends, their dreams, and that forms the premise of the musical.
Comparison with A Chorus Line is inevitable. To try to obviate, at least in part, any potential bias, I therefore asked some of the younger audience members who had not seen A Chorus Line to comment about the show. The consensus is that they are rather underwhelmed by It’s My Life, and they said that the show did not work for them. Despite the individual elements of performance, music, direction, choreography, sets and lighting being excellent, the pieces do not seem to fit together, and the show is indeed flawed. I will try to dissect the cause of this.
It's My Life is an unconventional musical, and like A Chorus Line, it departs from the classical Aristotelian dramatic structure. Therefore, it depends on other factors to propel it forwards and to maintain audience attention. A Chorus Line is about the callous elimination process of an audition, and considerable tension is generated as you are left on tenterhooks wondering whether a candidate will succeed or fail. This apprehension is conspicuously absent in It's My Life, because the results are announced at the outset. The ensuing loss of tension robs the show of interest, and it is not adequately replaced by anything compelling.
A Chorus Line establishes very clearly each main character's motivations and reasons why they want so desperately to succeed. The teenagers in It's My Life talk in vague terms about their dreams ("I want to study the arts"), and to make matters worse, some of them are easily thwarted by external pressures, and discard their dreams. They do not appear to have the inner strength or drive to want to pursue their passions. They have abandoned their dreams without much of a fight, which weakens their internal conflict, and audiences' emotional involvement gradually wanes.
In A Chorus Line, each individual lead performer sings about his or her life story. In It's My Life, the teenagers act out their lives, largely devoid of song. The result is that the harsher elements of their lives are not cushioned by music, and they become overwrought actors appearing in a kitchen soap drama, and this further reduces our sympathies for them. This applies to Farouk and Sharon’s stories. Song could have amplified the humor in Arif, Xie Ting, and Awang’s stories, and the pathos in Corey’s life. But sadly a great opportunity was wasted.
In A Chorus Line, there is quite a wide range of musical styles and there are some memorable tunes. The music in It's My Life is a bit like Sondheim at his unmelodic worst, backed by a rock band. This is not to say that the music is bad. Far from it. The music is actually very good, but it is in the wrong show. For a musical about present-day teenagers, there is no hip hop, no alternative indie rock. As one critic said, the music sounds rather dated.
The abrupt introduction of a religious (?Christian) scene toward the end of the second half sticks out like a sore thumb. Divine intervention, apparently converting sinners into goodie twoshoes, acts as a deus ex machina that resolves some of the conflicts, and this makes one cringe.
Character development is, to me, an important part of any successful musical. Unfortunately, because there are ten leads, all competing for equal attention, each with ten different stories to tell, many of the characters do not have enough time to be developed adequately. Perhaps reducing some of the leads into supporting roles might enlarge the time given to selected leads, and allow them to become more rounded personalities. As it is, they are all rather cardboard.
Several scenes are unique and initially quite interesting. For example the scene with the characters listening to their MP3 players, each with their own brand of music, is quite refreshing. The same goes for the internet scene, when they try to describe themselves online. The stomp-like scene where they slap themselves rhythmically and play with a water container is also quite interesting. Unfortunately all these scenes are repetitive and a little bit too long. Without fresh ideas thrown in every couple of minutes, the novelty soon wears off, and the scene rapidly becomes tedious.
The life stories are revealed too quickly and without much prompting. This is a little unbelievable in the Asian context, where innermost thoughts and family secrets are usually held in abeyance. There is one romantic story, but other than that, there is relatively little substantial meaningful interaction between the characters.
Ultimately the unconventional structure lacking a cohesive story line militates against the musical. As mentioned above, A Chorus Line overcomes this by constructing a story where the characters fervently want to succeed, and the audience becomes intensely apprehensive of the audition results and the fate of the cast members. Without such a compelling backdrop, It's My Life is bereft of purpose. A Chorus Line constantly reminds you that the performers are auditioning for a forthcoming stage show. This aspect is almost entirely forgotten in It's My Life, and the director completely disappears in the second half.
What are the redeeming features? There are several. Firstly the performers are young, enthusiastic, and very talented. Their passionate performances and their obvious enjoyment rescue the show. Special mention should be made of Tok Xue Yi, Nabil Aliffi, and Movin Nyanasengaran’s polished performances. The accompanying band is outstanding, and the music itself, despite being in the wrong show and perhaps more suited for a movie, is actually quite stirring. The many innovative scenes, albeit a bit too drawn out, are refreshing to watch, at least initially. The set design by Tan Ju Meng is simple, clever, and effective.
In the final analysis, It's My Life succeeds despite its many shortcomings. It is worth watching.
Official Website.
4 Dec 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Musical Theatre and the Creative Industries
Musical Theatre and the Creative Industries
by Kenneth Lyen
A major impact of globalization on Singapore is that we can no longer survive economically on manufacturing and services alone, industries which used to serve us so well in the past. Countries like India and China are siphoning business away from us, because they are competing aggressively through lower prices. Thus, we have to find alternative strategies to withstand this onslaught of global competition.
One promising gold mine for us to explore is the innovation-driven economy. Already the global economic landscape is shifting toward one where imagination, creativity and knowledge are gaining dominance. Creativity in all its manifestations, whether it is in the arts, entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and business, is becoming the new currency of success.
Therefore, the architects of creativity are the new celebrities of this new epoch. The creative individual is a wunderkind, a highly regarded asset, perhaps even more valuable than owning a gold mine. They are the Steve Jobs, the Steven Spielbergs, and the Stephen Sondheims of today, to mention just three contemporary Steves.
But in this day and age, innovators rarely work in isolation. More often than not, they work together in small groups. The success of their projects depends on the ability of creative people to work together as a team, each member stimulating their colleague into even greater heights of originality.
What is blocking us? The main problems threatening to kill our enterprise is that for the past few decades, our culture, our educational system, our institutions, have not been conducive to creativity. In the recent past, parents deterred their children from choosing a career in the arts. Our schoolteachers, reinforced by the old exam system, far preferred to teach convergent thinking with one correct answer, rather than entertain divergent thinking with a slew of answers that are neither right nor wrong. Our employers would much rather have an obedient unquestioning workforce, rather than have their authority challenged by smart aleck employees making dangerous insufferable suggestions.
That is why the arts, entrepreneurship, and research have not flourished in the past. Few people seemed willing to take risks. Most theatre groups could barely survive. The soil where the sporadic seeds of originality were planted, was infertile, and many potentially good ideas never germinated. Shows were met with half-empty theatres, and once-bitten-twice-shy investors refused to invest again in the performing arts.
But fortunately this is changing. Jolted by the flight of jobs and industries to other countries, our authorities have suddenly realized that our very economic survival is imperiled. Without natural resources, we have to turn to our human resources for a solution. The answer has been staring us in the face all the time. We need to innovate, to invent, to create. And this has to be done urgently. It also requires a paradigm shift in our thinking and our education.
Of course we can try shortcuts. One quick solution is to import innovators, inventors and researchers from overseas. For example, in the field of biotechnology, specifically stem cell research, we were given a boost by the American government's reluctance to fund their own research. Many researchers came to Singapore, lured by brand-new facilities, and by a red carpet welcome.
The other solution is to look for creative industries that have a striking chance of success. Musical theatre is one such industry. However, it is an arena where team creativity is absolutely vital. For a musical to succeed, every element must work optimally. This includes having an inspiring book, intelligent lyrics, memorable songs, captivating choreography, great direction, singing, acting, dancing, all enhanced by beautiful sets and costumes. The team is very large. Fostering musical theatre can nurture the spirit of team creativity.
Can musical theatre in Singapore be a viable business venture? The answer is a qualified "yes." We have a population of over four million, and annually nearly 10 million tourists visit us. Plus in a few years' time, we will have two Integrated Resorts. Hence the demand for entertainment in general, and musical theatre in particular, is very great. Add to that the increasing interest shown by schools and corporations in staging musicals, means that there is a growing call for musical theatre.
Our attempts to generate more original musicals, to refine and improve the quality of the musicals through an incubation process, might hopefully add to Singapore's creative industries. All that remains is for us to discover and develop our creative talents. Well, that plus shaping a business model that keeps one in the black.
I used to dream that our musicals will reach Broadway, some day. That is still my dream. But perhaps we need to take it one step at a time. First, will Singapore become the Broadway of the East? I hope so... please allow me this interim dream!
by Kenneth Lyen
A major impact of globalization on Singapore is that we can no longer survive economically on manufacturing and services alone, industries which used to serve us so well in the past. Countries like India and China are siphoning business away from us, because they are competing aggressively through lower prices. Thus, we have to find alternative strategies to withstand this onslaught of global competition.
One promising gold mine for us to explore is the innovation-driven economy. Already the global economic landscape is shifting toward one where imagination, creativity and knowledge are gaining dominance. Creativity in all its manifestations, whether it is in the arts, entrepreneurship, technological innovation, and business, is becoming the new currency of success.
Therefore, the architects of creativity are the new celebrities of this new epoch. The creative individual is a wunderkind, a highly regarded asset, perhaps even more valuable than owning a gold mine. They are the Steve Jobs, the Steven Spielbergs, and the Stephen Sondheims of today, to mention just three contemporary Steves.
But in this day and age, innovators rarely work in isolation. More often than not, they work together in small groups. The success of their projects depends on the ability of creative people to work together as a team, each member stimulating their colleague into even greater heights of originality.
What is blocking us? The main problems threatening to kill our enterprise is that for the past few decades, our culture, our educational system, our institutions, have not been conducive to creativity. In the recent past, parents deterred their children from choosing a career in the arts. Our schoolteachers, reinforced by the old exam system, far preferred to teach convergent thinking with one correct answer, rather than entertain divergent thinking with a slew of answers that are neither right nor wrong. Our employers would much rather have an obedient unquestioning workforce, rather than have their authority challenged by smart aleck employees making dangerous insufferable suggestions.
That is why the arts, entrepreneurship, and research have not flourished in the past. Few people seemed willing to take risks. Most theatre groups could barely survive. The soil where the sporadic seeds of originality were planted, was infertile, and many potentially good ideas never germinated. Shows were met with half-empty theatres, and once-bitten-twice-shy investors refused to invest again in the performing arts.
But fortunately this is changing. Jolted by the flight of jobs and industries to other countries, our authorities have suddenly realized that our very economic survival is imperiled. Without natural resources, we have to turn to our human resources for a solution. The answer has been staring us in the face all the time. We need to innovate, to invent, to create. And this has to be done urgently. It also requires a paradigm shift in our thinking and our education.
Of course we can try shortcuts. One quick solution is to import innovators, inventors and researchers from overseas. For example, in the field of biotechnology, specifically stem cell research, we were given a boost by the American government's reluctance to fund their own research. Many researchers came to Singapore, lured by brand-new facilities, and by a red carpet welcome.
The other solution is to look for creative industries that have a striking chance of success. Musical theatre is one such industry. However, it is an arena where team creativity is absolutely vital. For a musical to succeed, every element must work optimally. This includes having an inspiring book, intelligent lyrics, memorable songs, captivating choreography, great direction, singing, acting, dancing, all enhanced by beautiful sets and costumes. The team is very large. Fostering musical theatre can nurture the spirit of team creativity.
Can musical theatre in Singapore be a viable business venture? The answer is a qualified "yes." We have a population of over four million, and annually nearly 10 million tourists visit us. Plus in a few years' time, we will have two Integrated Resorts. Hence the demand for entertainment in general, and musical theatre in particular, is very great. Add to that the increasing interest shown by schools and corporations in staging musicals, means that there is a growing call for musical theatre.
Our attempts to generate more original musicals, to refine and improve the quality of the musicals through an incubation process, might hopefully add to Singapore's creative industries. All that remains is for us to discover and develop our creative talents. Well, that plus shaping a business model that keeps one in the black.
I used to dream that our musicals will reach Broadway, some day. That is still my dream. But perhaps we need to take it one step at a time. First, will Singapore become the Broadway of the East? I hope so... please allow me this interim dream!
Singapore Musical Theatre
Singapore Musical Theatre
by Kenneth Lyen
Musical theatre is a relatively young art form in Singapore. Compared to the West, we do not have a long tradition of musical theatre, and thus every musical produced here, both homegrown and imported, can be considered novel.
Singapore is at the crossroads between the Far East and the West. Our musical theatre influences are from England and the USA on the one hand, China and Japan on the other, and perhaps to a lesser extent, South-East Asia and India.
The first Singapore musical written and staged was Makan Place in 1988, and in that same year, Beauty World by Dick Lee made its appearance. Both were in English, and were heavily influenced by Broadway and the West End. English language musicals continue to dominate our landscape, and it is only relatively recently that Chinese language musicals like Snow Wolf Lake (1996), Lao Jiu (2005) and A Kung Fu Tale (2006), have emerged.
Our audience size for musical theatre is relatively small compared to western countries, and this may be related to the lack of a strong tradition of theatre attendance. It translates into short runs and unfilled seats, which in turn means greater difficulties in finding investors. Getting funding for musical theatre is a worldwide problem, and here in Singapore we are not spared this agony. Although our Government and some philanthropists are supporting the arts, it is not sufficient.
Mega-shows like Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon have relatively large advertising budgets, and so they have been well-attended here. Small home-grown musicals generally do not have the budget for pizzazz, let alone aggressive marketing, and so they tend to be ignored by our local audience. We also suffer from the "prophet-not-recognized-in-his-own-land" syndrome. Imported goods are superior to indigenous stuff!
Our writers and composers, not bounded by West End or Broadway traditions, are more willing to experiment. With the added benefit of being a highly computer- and multimedia-savvy country, we are able to combine both Eastern influences and computer technology. We hope to evolve a new musical form that takes advantages of all these influences.Another potential advantage we have is that the cost of a production is still relatively low. A good production can be mounted at around Sing$250,000. This contrasts with the several millions of dollars that must be spent in the USA and UK. Also, we have fairly decent new theatres with good acoustics and other facilities.Finding outstanding directors, choreographers, performers, musicians, lighting and sound designers, etc., remains a perennial problem. We have had to start from a relatively lower level, but gradually we are building up our expertise. It is a continuing struggle, but we're getting there.
A few of our musicals, like Chang and Eng (1997) and Beauty World (1988), have traveled overseas. It is the ambition of our theatre companies to bring more productions overseas, and hopefully one day reach the two Meccas of musical theatre, namely, Broadway and the West End.
Musical theatre in Singapore is fresh, energetic, and constantly evolving. We hope to find our own unique voice, influenced by the West, and yet different from it.
In 2003, The Musical Theatre Society was formed to help develop the appreciation and creation of new musicals. The Creative Community Singapore, a joint project of The Ministry of Information and the Arts and the National Arts Council, has given this society a grant to incubate new musicals. In 2006 we developed a further twelve new musicals, six showcased as no-frills readings in March, and the remaining six in June 2006 as part of the Singapore Festival of Arts fringe. In 2007, we are developing 20 more made-in-Singapore musicals. Therefore out of the 37 musicals that we will have incubated, we hope that a few will make it to the main program of the Singapore Festival of Arts.
Musical theatre is an important art form with important spin-offs in community bonding, tourist attraction, the promotion of a creative industry for a creative city, and there is considerable cross-fertilization with other related industries including multimedia, film, and animation. Therefore, it should be actively supported by the Singapore Government.
by Kenneth Lyen
Musical theatre is a relatively young art form in Singapore. Compared to the West, we do not have a long tradition of musical theatre, and thus every musical produced here, both homegrown and imported, can be considered novel.
Singapore is at the crossroads between the Far East and the West. Our musical theatre influences are from England and the USA on the one hand, China and Japan on the other, and perhaps to a lesser extent, South-East Asia and India.
The first Singapore musical written and staged was Makan Place in 1988, and in that same year, Beauty World by Dick Lee made its appearance. Both were in English, and were heavily influenced by Broadway and the West End. English language musicals continue to dominate our landscape, and it is only relatively recently that Chinese language musicals like Snow Wolf Lake (1996), Lao Jiu (2005) and A Kung Fu Tale (2006), have emerged.
Our audience size for musical theatre is relatively small compared to western countries, and this may be related to the lack of a strong tradition of theatre attendance. It translates into short runs and unfilled seats, which in turn means greater difficulties in finding investors. Getting funding for musical theatre is a worldwide problem, and here in Singapore we are not spared this agony. Although our Government and some philanthropists are supporting the arts, it is not sufficient.
Mega-shows like Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon have relatively large advertising budgets, and so they have been well-attended here. Small home-grown musicals generally do not have the budget for pizzazz, let alone aggressive marketing, and so they tend to be ignored by our local audience. We also suffer from the "prophet-not-recognized-in-his-own-land" syndrome. Imported goods are superior to indigenous stuff!
Our writers and composers, not bounded by West End or Broadway traditions, are more willing to experiment. With the added benefit of being a highly computer- and multimedia-savvy country, we are able to combine both Eastern influences and computer technology. We hope to evolve a new musical form that takes advantages of all these influences.Another potential advantage we have is that the cost of a production is still relatively low. A good production can be mounted at around Sing$250,000. This contrasts with the several millions of dollars that must be spent in the USA and UK. Also, we have fairly decent new theatres with good acoustics and other facilities.Finding outstanding directors, choreographers, performers, musicians, lighting and sound designers, etc., remains a perennial problem. We have had to start from a relatively lower level, but gradually we are building up our expertise. It is a continuing struggle, but we're getting there.
A few of our musicals, like Chang and Eng (1997) and Beauty World (1988), have traveled overseas. It is the ambition of our theatre companies to bring more productions overseas, and hopefully one day reach the two Meccas of musical theatre, namely, Broadway and the West End.
Musical theatre in Singapore is fresh, energetic, and constantly evolving. We hope to find our own unique voice, influenced by the West, and yet different from it.
In 2003, The Musical Theatre Society was formed to help develop the appreciation and creation of new musicals. The Creative Community Singapore, a joint project of The Ministry of Information and the Arts and the National Arts Council, has given this society a grant to incubate new musicals. In 2006 we developed a further twelve new musicals, six showcased as no-frills readings in March, and the remaining six in June 2006 as part of the Singapore Festival of Arts fringe. In 2007, we are developing 20 more made-in-Singapore musicals. Therefore out of the 37 musicals that we will have incubated, we hope that a few will make it to the main program of the Singapore Festival of Arts.
Musical theatre is an important art form with important spin-offs in community bonding, tourist attraction, the promotion of a creative industry for a creative city, and there is considerable cross-fertilization with other related industries including multimedia, film, and animation. Therefore, it should be actively supported by the Singapore Government.
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