I’ve always thought of musicals as being uppity & plain annoying. It’s like watching a Bollywood movie & if you’re not a fan – you just want to forward to the part where the story continues without all that singing and dancing. Which was why I’ve never gone to a musical. Ever.
All that changed when I became a fan of Glee (who isn’t right?). Somehow after GLEE, music + drama just tied in together.
So when we got invites to watch Broadway4Suakus, I was stoked. Here was our chance to watch a musical up close. Super suaku us were excited!
And this was a love-centered edition of Broadway4Suakus too!
You see, Broadway4Suakus have previously staged another production back in 2009. It was a success (duh, that’s why they’re back this year!)!
This time around, this very wacky power-voiced group will be talking, singing & telling about all things to do with love – Singapore style of course!
Titled ‘A Valentine’s Special: You, Me, HDB (Hearts Don’t break)’, they celebrate various love songs from many other popular musicals and share with your their undying passion of Broadway & Musicals along the way.
We didn’t know what to expect when we took our seats. Except for the singing & the musical elements, we didn’t really know what the story was about. When they came on stage, they were dressed peculiarly, which tickled us.
And then when they started singing, the 4 of them made us laugh. A lot! They’re pretty easy to relate to – from what they were talking & singing about, to the language they speak. There’s a little bit of the Singaporean us in each of the 4 characters, hurhur!
We also enjoyed the songs (even though we’ve never heard some of them). The medleys were amazing too!
But! I shall not bore you with my peppering compliments.
Instead, let me tell you 5 reasons why you should must join the suakus on their realistically-yet-comical-locally flavoured – musical- loveboat journey !
5. It’s a very short term school for suakus as they give you juicy details of broadway & musicals. In fact, Julian Wong, the musical director & pianist for the show, is a professional in the world of musical theatre!
4. If you think you’re going to be lost too (or if you’re like me and the only musical thing you ever watch is GLEE), don’t worry! You get a whole stack of information on the characters & the songs featured in Broadway4Suakus which is very very useful for un-musically-inclined people (like me!).
Some of the unconventional songs they’ll sing are from these musicals:
I really like the handouts because they explained in detail which musical the songs were from & when it was sung.Very informative!
3. The 4 characters that form up the Broadway4Suakus ‘Committee’ – Candice, Dwayne, Ah Lim & Judee – are a real hoot! And by that, I don’t mean that they really hooted or are just funny in some parts. It’s joke after joke after joke. I personally love the clever dialogue of the whole show.
And the best part – they can sing really really well too. In fact, I fell in love with Judee because she’s just so affable & can switch moods like we switch TV channels.
2. You can get drinks & snacks as you watch the show. Awesome or what!
1. What I really love is the intimate ambience the whole set & show brings. It’s not everyday that a theatre/play/musical is set this wholesomely. Usually we’ll be watching the show from the back or the stage would be big & pretty far & you can only see the characters but not upclose.
It’s really cosy – almost like an old-school cabaret. You have none of the excessive elaborate set either. The stage is up close and the whole room is quite decadent. The best part? You get to see all the characters (including Julian Wong + his piano) in your face without jostling for a view. It made the whole experience personable. I like!
… So there. Go watch them – they’re playing ’till Sunday!
If they can manage to make me (the person who didn’t even like musicals much) like them, then I’m pretty sure you will fall in love with them too! Now I cannot wait for the next installation of Broadway4Suakus!
Oh have I mentioned? If you want to watch them, we’re giving away two tickets for Broadway4Suakus! Check out our FB page on how you can win!
For more information on the show check out their official page!
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Broadway4Suakus Details:
Rating: M18
Show Dates: 9 February to 20 February 2011
Show times: 7.30pm, 9.30pm (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
Official Venue: The Hall, The Arts House
Tickets: $35 (without drink), $50 (with two beers/housepours) – Get your tickets from The Arts House counter or HERE!
