. Have a lovely weekend filled with peace and light. 
Did Confucius think about multiple intelligences over 2 thousand years before Howard Gardner?
Confucius (551-479 BC) taught that the perfect gentleman had to excel in the following “arts”: mathematics, poetry, music, calligraphy, archery, charioteering, and rituals.
Howard Gardner (1943- present) suggested that each individual had multiple intelligences, and that these included mathematics, verbal-linguistic, music, visual-spatial, bodily kinesthetics, intrapersonal and interpersonal.
Is it possible that Confucius’ notion of a well-rounded person possessing many talents, might be the precursor of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences? If so, his ideas were conceived over 2 thousand years ago. Think about it.
| Howard Gardner (1943- ) | Confucius (551-479 BC) |
| Mathematics | Mathematics |
| Music | Music |
| Verbal-Linguistic | Poetry |
| Visual-Spatial | Calligraphy |
| Bodily Kinesthetics | Archery, Charioteering |
| Interpersonal | - |
| Intrapersonal | - |
| - | Rituals |
Shanghai Blues
Why do we buy tickets to watch a musical? What do we want, what do we look for?
Personally I want to be entertained, to watch a musical with a good story well acted, a variety of stimulating songs beautifully sung, and exciting movement and dance.
Shanghai Blues fails on all counts.
Adapted from a 1984 Hong Kong movie written by Raymond To and directed by Tsui Hark, Shanghai Blues is a Mandarin-language musical set during the Japanese invasion of Shanghai, and the years shortly after the war. Wen Chong, a young patriot and a violinist, meets a young woman, Tu Yun, under a bridge. Both are trying to hide from the invading Japanese. In the dark, and unable to see one another clearly, they fall in love. They promise to meet again under the same bridge after the end of the war, but they are separated before they can discover each other’s name. In due course, Wen Chong returns to Shanghai, unaware that the woman he loves is the nightclub singer living in an apartment just below his. In the meantime, another young lady, Dan Lei, has come to Shanghai looking for her fortune, and Tu Yun is persuaded to share lodgings with her. Dan Lei meets Wen Chong and they fall in love.
The start of the musical is quite well done, and the plot setup is not bad. However, the musical goes downhill from then on. The problem is for how long can you suspend disbelief that Wen Chong and Tu Yun fail to recognize one another? They live literally on top of each other, and they work at the same nightclub, Wen Chong as a waiter, and Tu Yun as a singer. But nothing happens between them for nearly the entire show. When you add in Dan Lei as a potential love triangle, that simply does not work because Wen Chong and Tu Yun remain as uninvolved colleagues.
For a musical that comprises a string of bland songs sometimes sung out of tune, punctuated by a few Maoist-style patriotic songs sans the political passion, and you are heading for two hours of boredom. The lyrics are simply appalling, because they do not rhyme, are far too general, do not advance the plot, and do not even sit comfortably with the melody. The distribution of songs is unbalanced: too many in the first half, and insufficient in the second half. It must be noted that neither the composer nor the lyricist are credited in the program notes or the official website.
The main characters are poorly drawn. We do not know what motivates them. We do not know why Wen Chong is still unattached and looking for Tu Yun after eight years of the Japanese war. Nor do we know why he is willing, at the drop of a hat, to jettison Dan Lei, when he has seemingly fallen in love with her. This poor characterization extends to all the other characters. It is not salvaged by dialogue that is trivial and uninteresting. Although there are a few humorous moments, they are few and far between.
The war is curiously out of the picture throughout the musical. Then, after the war, when the communists rise to prominence, this too is glossed over and given facile treatment. The white industrialist is the scapegoat for all the capitalist ills, and on the day he is to take Tu Yun to London with him, he disappears completely. Some of the main actors overact like a Chinese soap opera. The dancing style is distracting, and often the wrong dance style for the given music.
It must be said that William So, Emma Yong, and Celine Rosa Tan sing and act reasonably well. The supporting cast and ensemble are accomplished. The orchestra sits right in the middle of the stage, which is all right, but sometimes I wish it were out of sight because the musicians’ lighting diverts one’s attention away from the actors.
The major reasons why this musical fails, is the lack of conflict between the characters, the poor use of the drama of war and the communist ideology, and a plot that is much too simplistic and utterly predictable. It is burdened by bland music, poor pitching in some of the singers, suboptimal direction, inappropriate choreography, and a set design that is interesting but too distracting.
In short, this musical is a disaster. It needs a radical revision to make it work.
Playwright: Raymond To Kwok-Wai
Director: Goh Boon Teck
Music Director: Philip Tan
Choreographer: Jeffrey Tan
Cast: William So, Mindee Ong, Emma Yong, Celine Rosa Tan, Oliver Pang, Daniel Jenkins, Darius Tan, Judy Tan, Chua Choon Hui, Gordon Choy
10 January 2008
Five Foot Broadway Mini Musicals 2008
http://musicaltheatrelimited.org/
You are invited to submit short musicals for FIVE FOOT BROADWAY MINI MUSICALS. The deadline for submission is 17 March 2008. Registration fee for the first 3 musicals submitted by Singaporeans waived.
This is a new initiative inviting composers and writers to submit scripts for original musicals, lasting from 10 to 15 minutes. The invitation is for the general public, secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Says Stella Kon, Chairperson of Musical Theatre Limited, "This will create a setting where new writers for the musical theatre can come together. Moreover, writing mini musicals is a great way to get beginners started in this craft. The Mini Musicals provide a testing ground to try out the collaboration of the creative team, in the complex task of bringing together the elements of story, music and lyrics."
All submitted entries will be reviewed by a Selection Panel, and up to 6 of them will be presented in June 2008 at the Esplanade, in conjunction with the Singapore Festival of Arts 2008. (Please see http://musicaltheatrelimited.org for more details on the submission process).
School House Rockz
Singapore Kids Central's first made-for-TV musical to be televised 17 Feb 2008. Music and lyrics by Kenneth Lyen, Desmond Moey and Jack Ho. Book by Lynette Chiu, Alina Heng, and Raihan Halim. Directed by Yeo Lay Har and Sharon Tan. Music director Iris Koh, choreographed by Trevelyan Neo. Starring Inka Mader, Shawn Tok, Foo Fang Rong, Shraddha Ramsundar, Amni Mumpuni, and Rosalind d'Almeida.
The title song of School House Rockz written by Jack Ho:
http://kidscentral.mediacorptv.sg/microsites/SHR/index.html
Teenage Magazine
Filming School House Rockz
Rehearsing School House Rockz
Shooting School House Rockz
Inka Mader
Shawn Tok
Foo Fang Rong
Chesty Nutty Bang Bang
Comments by Kenneth Lyen
Singaporeans, as all of us know, have a deficient sense of humor. Especially our civil servants. They spend their lives sitting through one meeting after another, keeping as quiet as a switched off handphone, careful not to voice any personal opinions, and not to take any initiatives. Creativity is absent from their vocabulary, and unpublished studies have shown that this is probably due to a gene deletion.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) is a special subset of the civil service, and is responsible for nurturing the creative industries in Singapore. In other words they are trying to convert Singapore from a left brain to a right brain nation. Unfortunately, the term "creative civil servant" is regarded as an oxymoron. Thus, the senior civil servants in the MDA have decided to dispel their public image as unimaginative dullards, by performing a rap. A rap? You’re joking? No, they wrote an original rap song, danced to it, and filmed it. Serious. And some kind soul posted it on YouTube:
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ksw2UqTyhhc
They did not realize that they had exposed themselves to Jonathan Lim. Poor devils. Jonathan used back their own weapon, a rap, and unleashed a torrent of word bullets, scoring hit upon hit on these sitting ducks. Bang! Bang! Quack! Quack!
Flush with victory, Jonathan, an experienced serial killer, brandishes his satirical guns (real guns are banned in Singapore), and goes on his annual rampage, shooting the pompous and the arrogant with verbal chestnuts.
Indeed Jonathan is so successful, that some people liken him to a literary terrorist. It is rumored that Michael Moore may be preparing a documentary called "Dicko", named after Jonathan’s favorite target. No relation to the other Lee family, which he also takes pot shots at.
He takes potter shots at JK Rowling. And he confuses poor Sir Ian who drifts from Gandalf, to Magneto, Dumbledore, King Lear, and to Sarin.
Jonathan is at his best when he tackles Beauty World. At a fraction of the cost, he is able to densely populate the stage with six performers, and keep you in stitches throughout. So much so that you cannot even enjoy a nice nap.
I especially like his skits on the Pirates of the Caribbean, Greased Lightner, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, If There’re Reasons, and 881251. I like the comment on the President’s Star Charity, which precipitated a bout of raucous laughter.
It is a madcap evening. Jokes arrive wave after wave, like a perpetual tsunami. You barely survive one wave, when another one comes and knocks you down. You are sinking into this torrent of intelligent subversion, and your mind drowns in a sea of parody.
But... we have a problem, Houston.
The first problem is that in order to best appreciate the jokes, you need to have seen all the films, plays and musicals referred to. In other words, to derive full value for money when watching Chestnuts, you need to do your homework. I have a suggestion for Jonathan. Please give us advance notice as to which movies, plays and musicals to watch. Or perhaps you can run a pre-show educational course, plus a post-show course, where you can slowly explain all the jokes to dimwitted people like myself. Better still, please provide us with lecture notes followed by a test, so we can see if our score improves from year to year. A Diploma awarded by the Academy of Chestnuts would be a bonus.
The second problem is that the projected English translation of skits in Chinese, is almost unreadable. Hence most of the jokes are lost. I was sandwiched on all sides by non-Singaporeans, and they did not laugh at the Chinese-language skits. Jonathan, you may have to think of some way to translate the jokes into English auditorily, and not rely on the projections.
Chestnuts has grown from a 2-man show to a 6-person show. Jonathan shares the stage with Judy Ngo, Rodney Oliveiro, Celine Rosa Tan, Yeo Yann Yann, and Joakim Gomez. All are brilliant and have perfect comic timing. The music arrangement by Bang Wenfu is just out of this world. Production values are getting better and better. Thanks to Adrian Tan.
Chestnuts is an institution. I think that all Singaporeans should go and watch this year’s Chesty Nutty Bang Bang. Have a really good laugh. Laugh at authority. Laugh at others. Laugh at yourself.
"We are not amused." - Queen Victoria.
Georgette: the Musical
"There is always time for art"
Reviewed by 1. Sarah Ismail 2. Roderick Chia
Production Company: Musical Theatre Limited
Date: 10 June 2007
Place: Esplanade Recital Studio
Book and lyrics: Ng Yi-Sheng
Composer: Clement Yang
Music Arranger/Music Director: Chris Nolan
Director: Lee Yew Moon
Vocal Arranger/Vocal Director: Nicole Stinton
Cast: Seong Hui Xuan, Eu Jin Hwang, CC Leong, Joyce Liang, Lena Lim, Claire Matthews, Marvelina Pratiwi Setiawan, Windson Liong, Les Merquita, Leonard Augustine Choo, Zarelda Marie Goh
1. Reviewed by Sarah Ismail
This review first appeared in Citizen Historian, and reproduced with permission
Just who is that woman on the wall?
The play Georgette begins with this question – appropriate enough for a woman whose early life is relatively unknown. Georgette Chen is mainly known as a pioneering Singaporean artist and one of the few women of that time. As a result, it is Georgette Chen’s arrival at Singapore customs that has captured the attention of heritage boards and historians, examining her impact on the Singapore art scene and her role in Singapore history. If there is a mention of her pre-Singapore activities, it is contained in the following words – born, married, studied, left.
Part of these lacunae is due to resources, rather than the understandable desire to cast a nationalistic cloak on Georgette. Georgette’s Singapore life is well-documented – simply because she was here. By contrast, records of her earlier life lie scattered across three continents, and in all likelihood, gone.
All is left is the question that the play tries to answer - who is Georgette Chen? Throughout the play, her portrait hangs, enigmatic as the Mona Lisa herself.
A narrator begins the musical, introducing us to the mystery of Georgette Chen. From there, the story proper begins at a customs checkpoint in Paris. Georgette Chen is still the bright eyed Chang Liying, and as the customs officer asks for the purpose of her visit, she declares confidently, “To be an artist!”
That customs checkpoint is a leitmotiv of sorts, in Georgette’s life. For the rest of the musical, Georgette bounces from continent to continent, crossing customs and cultures, with a family reunion in China, an art exhibition in New York, a stopover in Malaya. Georgette was a cosmopolitan woman, an enthusiastic traveller, and always in movement.
The sheer energy of the musical brings across this multiplicity of experiences that infused Georgette’s early life. A Moulin Rouge-sque hokey number introduces as to the La Bohemia that is Toulouse-Latrec’s Paris. An awkward family dinner, where modernity clashes with traditional customs, emphasises Georgette’s status of standing between worlds. A completely unnecessary Caribbean-influenced jingle jarrs, but otherwise the music is perfectly serviceable, tapping into common musical genres.
In certain ways this is not so much a musical about Georgette, but about Georgette’s world. By examining the world she lives in, the playwright Ng Yi-Sheng deliberately, or otherwise, compels us to understand the forces that were potentially shaping her worldview. Georgette herself as portrayed in this musical is oddly uncomplicated - she is a fairly standard literary character, that of a rebellious young artist, with a great love that forms her anchor. By focusing on her world, Ng escapes certain problems of having to recreate Georgette with the little textual evidence available, but instead draws on what is commonly known about the greater world to let the audience fill in the blanks themselves.
This has the potential to turn into a messy pastiche, if not for Eugene, Georgette Chen’s first husband and the great love of her life. The strength of their marriage and their mutual affection has been documented in the form of Georgette’s numerous sketches of her diplomat husband. The essence of their relationship plays out across several continents and in a particularly charming song by the narrator. The strength of their marriage sings out bright and clear, despite career paths that sent them in different directions – Georgette in New York for an exhibition, Eugene in Australia for peace talks, and a hopeful rendezvous in Malaya. Here, too, the most unusual aspect of Georgette Chen is illustrated; a powerfully independent career woman, confident of her love and lover.
The story of their love forms the overarching narrative for the early portion of Georgette’s life, framing and punctuating the story being told. A chapter of Georgette’s story ends with Eugene’s death, and she arrives on at a Singapore customs point, much as she began, waiting to paint a new life.
That being said, something more complex than a usual “rich girl bucking against society” would have been interesting. Georgette was unconventional for her time, but unconventionality is getting, well, rather conventional when it comes to historical figures. If only the historical sources had allowed a deeper look into her thoughts on art and representation, which might have given a sense of Georgette’s importance in Singapore art history, other than being unconventional. As it is, the uninformed viewer is left slightly puzzled as to what all the fuss is about this “woman on the wall”.
But for all this faults, Georgette wins on sheer charm, thanks to Ng Yi-Sheng’s deft handling of multiple genres and the English language.
So who is the woman on the wall? The question is repeated at the end, with the chorus in front of easels, Georgette’s portrait watching overhead. Judging by the musical, Georgette could be anything you wanted her to be – devoted lover, independent traveller, patient daughter, and of course, an artist. Now, if only there was a sequel.
Ng Yi-Sheng is a playwright, performance artist, and free-lance writer. Other works include 251 (the Annabel Chong story) and the book SQ21, profiling Singaporean homosexuals. He also has a completed play called The Last Temptation of Raffles, which has been read, but not performed. The reviewer strongly approved of the play, and hints broadly that it’s looking for a sponsor.
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2. Reviewed by Roderick Chia
Georgette is a musical based on the life of Georgette Chen, a pioneer Singapore artist. It opens with a young Georgette, fresh-faced with the eagerness of all her 20 years, arriving in Paris in 1927 where her extraordinary story begins.
We are shown her interactions: with a Chinese waiter who accuses her of not being Chinese after she speaks French to help settle an argument between a Parisian couple in a café; with her parents who think that painting is a dalliance and she would eventually channel her energies towards maintaining the aristocratic status of her family; and between herself and Eugene Chen, who was then the Chinese foreign minister and her future husband.
This is Musical Theatre Limited’s Georgette: the musical, featuring the life of unconventional - for her time - artist Georgette Chen, who eventually moved to Singapore and made her mark as a painter and art teacher here. This reviewer was expecting more about Georgette’s life in Singapore where she arrived at the age of 46 in 1953, but the story focuses on her life during her younger, formative years instead.
The first half sets the tone, by centring on the relationship between Georgette and Eugene. Like the protagonist and her life, it is an unconventional pairing. Eugene is an ethnic Chinese who comes from Trinidad in the Caribbean, now in political office in one of the world’s largest and tumultuous countries. He is twice Georgette’s age, and is reserved in his behavior. In contrast, Georgette comes from an affluent background but is a fiercely independent woman. Their love would prove crucial in the second half, where they draw greater strength from one another, especially when they are captured by the Japanese in Shanghai during the second world war.
Georgette is staged within the growing milieu of no-frills, relatively short (one and a half hours with a 15-minute interval) musicals in a venue that does not give many options in terms of special lighting or visual effects.
There is, however, a charming simplicity in the lyrics and acting, props and backdrop. The props are mostly boxes and a number of artists’ pallets. There is also a projector screen featuring Georgette’s paintings and other images in key scenes essential to her story, and helps flesh out the story without the need large-scale sets. An on-stage wardrobe of costume suitcases and a clothes rack further characterises this.
One suspects that anything else would detract from the writer Ng Yi Sheng’s script. His presentation of Georgette mirrors the inspiration he finds in her work, which he describes as "paintings in delicate, tender pastels done with love". The paintings she created is a blend of east and west, a style wholly her own. This is reflected in her own life, which is periodically emphasised throughout the show.
The use of a narrator (Lena Lim) from the beginning helps anchor the story, but it is Georgette (Seong Hui Xuan) herself who provides the true moorings with energy and pathos. Seong, incidentally, bears an intriguing resemblance to the one whose life she portrays. The audience sees this for themselves beginning from scene one, via a self-portrait projected onto the screen on the stage wall.
The dialogue is sharp enough to avoid the pitfalls of bombastic wordplay or convoluted structures and sentences; they serve to bring out the characters and the acting, not the other way around. Like Seong, Eu Jin Hwang uses this to good effect and played Eugene Chen with much gravitas.
Paradoxically the lyrics are largely playful and humorous but this belies the serious undertones. Notable is the family dinner scene where our protagonist, petulant, blurts out her intention to marry Eugene. Western European and Chinese customs also blend and clash, as the characters remind us when they chant-sing "don’t cross your chopsticks" in between a conversation where an unhappy Mr Zhang’s questions the non-traditional way in which his daughter and Eugene are engaged to marry.
Still, kudos should go to composer Clement Yang, music director Chris Nolan and vocal director Nicole Stinton for their superb collaboration in turning this into a gem of a musical.
Eugene dies in captivity, and after Georgette buries him, she recalls his last, unfulfilled wish for her self-portrait. When her father tells her that this isn’t the time to be thinking about art, she replies, "There is always time for art." Georgette Chen stays true to her life of art. And her art, very much like her life, is always her own.
Georgette is an intelligently written musical that succeeds in capturing the life and times of Georgette Chen. Highly recommended.
Roderick dabbled in theatre and acting in his early youth, but always wanted to be a journalist. After getting his degree in journalism, he dabbled in writing web articles and movie reviews and worked as an editor and researcher at a couple of non-profit, non-governmental organisations for a few years. Now in his (much) later youth, he has decided to wise up and go back to school and from there, dabble in other forms of writing and hopefully make more money from it later on. For now, he is content being a freelance writer and an all-round people person, in lieu of something else better to do.
Kopi Shop Rock
reviewed by Kenneth Lyen
Words: Leon Foo
Music: Melissa Liew and Jordan Tan
Directors: Megan Chia, Leon Foo
Producers: Ong Boon Lerk, Emmanuel Duncan Chua
Music Director: Melissa Liew
Cast: Eunice Ng, Francis Cheah, Teo Jin Kuang, Qin Zhiqian, Julia Kan, Susie Ann Smith, Shawn Chan, Evelyn Ong, Kelvin Kek, Chan Kin Yew.
There is a certain element of risk when watching a student production. In most instances one needs to be mentally prepared to try to overlook potential shortcomings. Fortunately, in the case of Kopi Shop Rock, one's trepidations were rapidly dissipated with the very first scene which established the furtive love between the protagonists.
Set in the 1970s, the musical revolves around two rival kopi shops, and three love triangles. Initially it seems that it is going to be a Romeo and Juliet story with the children of the opposing kopi shops falling in love. But the introduction of an external hostile force, namely the Jade Dragon Clan, immediately dismantles the Shakespearean structure.
Joshua (Francis Cheah), the son of kopi shop owner, Mr. Kwan (Qin Zhiqian), is in love with Eliza, (Eunice Ng), the daughter of opposing kopi shop owner, Rose Chan (Julia Kan). However, Eliza’s sister, Melody (Susie Ann Smith), is jealous of their relationship, and she tries to lure Joshua away.
Then there are Mr. Kwan and Rose Chan, owners of these antagonistic kopi shops, who compete with each other for customers. They have known each other several years earlier, and might have married, were it not for Rose's decision to pursue her dream of becoming a cabaret singer. They betray a residual attraction to one another, but to complicate matters, one of Rose's admirers, Towkay Teo (Chan Kin Yew) continues to woo her, and she seems to reciprocate.
The third love triangle is between Rose's niece, Sally (Evelyn Ong), and two young workers for Mr. Kwan, Seng (Shawn Chan), and Allen (Kelvin Kek).
Teo Jin Huang plays Ah Long, the leader the Jade Dragon Clan, and he goes round extorting "protection" money from the two kopi shops. He steals the show with his energetic performance. Melody, Rose Chan's daughter, seduces him, and buys time for the kopi shops to raise money to pay him. After performing a strident rap, he declares "I have no tune, but I have Melody", to hilarious applause.
The general standard of singing and acting was excellent for a student cast. The direction was superb, and the comic timing impeccable.
The script was consistently intelligent, subtle, and witty. The dialogue sparkled, and the lyrics were refreshing, like "not kopi shop inclined" rhyming with "mind". Often the unfinished sentences, the unanswered questions, the pregnant pauses, were so cleverly designed, that it tore right through the usual Asian audiences' reserve, and induced uncontrollable guffaws.
The songs were well-written, with beautiful melodic lines. The band was commendable, but investment in a higher quality keyboard might help enhance the quality of the accompaniment. My only gripe is that there were not enough songs, and I would have liked to alter the ratio of dialogue to song in favor of the latter.
One could quibble about small issues, like the excessive symmetry of the love triangles, whose resolutions were perhaps a little bit too facile. The choreography was good. The sets, though simple, were ingenious.
I thoroughly enjoyed this most memorable musical. With a little bit of reworking, I think it can make it to the commercial stage. The Law IV team must be congratulated for such a brilliant production. Not only have they have upheld the long tradition of fine original musicals, but they have raised the bar (pun intended).
Kopi Shop really rocks!
http://kopishoprock.blogspot.com/
21 September 2007
The Rise of Singapore’s New Creative Class: Beat-by-Beat
by Leong Phei Phei, The Straits Times, August 9, 2007
Medical practice and music composition may seem strange bedfellows but they found a perfect match in Dr Kenneth Lyen.
Along with his hectic full-time job as a paediatrician, the self-professed musical fanatic found time to start Beat-by-Beat, a musical incubation programme involving workshops, playreading and courses.
The group was conceptualised during a regular tennis session with three good friends - one a singer-songwriter, another an accomplished musical composer, and the third, a designer. All passionate about musicals, they decided to do something for the music scene in Singapore.
Dr Lyen recalls: "Although all of us have full-time jobs, we have never given up our love for musicals. As we felt strongly that there was a dearth of Made-in-Singapore musicals, we decided to do something about it."
And so Beat-by-Beat was born.
While response from the public was overwhelming, support was less than encouraging. Dr Lyen says: "During our first year, we knocked on all doors to ask for funding to no avail. We had the people, but we lacked the support to be given an opportunity to prove our talents to the world."
When he broke the news to members, half expecting them to withdraw, the exact opposite happened. "It was incredible. Nobody withdrew. Everybody was so passionate and all they wanted was to still put on a good performance," says Dr Lyen, with a tinge of pride.
As it was, for every night the no-frills musical was staged, it was sold out to an audience which gave it their two-thumbs up.
A year later, thanks to much-needed funding and support from the Creative Community Singapore, Dr Lyen and his team were able to se many more projects come to fruition. More importantly, they were able to provide a platform for many more individuals to see their dreams come true.
Dr Lyen says: "I am so glad that we pressed on despite the initial hurdle. There is a lot of talent in Singapore - what they need is training and opportunity."
Today, Beat-by-Beat has grown from strength-to-strength, and has also seen the birth of several spin-offs that have self-sustaining business modles. For instance, its "Adapt a Baby Musical" programme encourages corporate sponsors to support the development of these musicals. Its "Sing Avenue", on the other hand, aims to produce and market musicals internationally.
Dr Lyen says: "Given the opportunity and training, and very importantly, with the support of Creative Community Singapore, our productions can be as good as others anywhere in the world!"
Beauty World, which I saw successfully performed by TheatreWorks on June 5, may be the first Singaporean musical.
There have been musicals in the past that may or may not relate to the debut of Beauty World. Mostly, these are of two kinds.
The first are of largely American Broadway musicals, of which Annie Get Your Gun by ST*RS earlier in the year was an example.
The second belongs to the history of attempts to put up musicals in the Festival of Arts, of which there were two, The Samseng and the Chettiar’s Daughter, and Bumboat, in the 1982 and 1984 Festivals respectively.
Although staged by locals, both had strong foreign elements, especially in terms of directors - Australian John Tasker in Samseng, and American Tzi Ma, with Lim Siauw Chong, in Bumboat.
Neither play convinced me that we were in the presence of a truly Singaporean musical.
A Singaporean musical must be a 100 per cent local effort: in its music and songs, script, director and cast.
Beauty World has all these four - and more. I like to think that the not entirely successful attempts to stage the Singaporean musical probably produced the divine disaffection that has lead to the triumph of Beauty World.
Take the cast in all three and see the continuity. Alex and Jacintha Abisheganaden, Margaret Chan, Lok Meng Chue, Tann Yean were in Samseng; the Abishgenadens were in Bumboat; they were in Beauty World together with Chan and Lok.
There are other aspects of continuity too: Dick Lee’s music, Kalyani Kausikan’s lighting and Justin Hill’s sets for both Bumboat and Beauty World, and Michael Chiang’s script of Beauty Box (one of the plays in Bumboat).
It could be that the people who were engaged on the two previous musicals learned from their experiences and determined to work from scratch with their very own resources to give us our first musical.
But this reason, if accepted, only partically accounts for the joyous romp that Beauty World is. There are other factors.
From the opening choral number, Dick Lee transports us to the 1960s with its cha-cha rhythm reminiscent of the time when the cha-cha was the popular dance.
Choral numbers are followed by solos and duets with strong reminders of American film musicals. These not only provide occasion for singing bit heighten the melodrama.
Objection has been raised that Lee wrote ‘80s music about the ‘60s, but he has been clear about what he wants to do.
It would be unrealistic to expect him to write nostalgic ‘60s melodies in the ‘80s but what he has done is, from today’s vantage, to evolve the period two decades ago.
He gives away his intention in songs like Single in Singapore in which the singular difficulty of remaining single in Singapore, heightened by the Social Development Unit’s anxieties, finds expression in lines like "I may seem self-adjusted, strong/self-assured? Ivy, you are wrong".
Michael Chiang’s script - in his creation of scenes from black-and-white Hongkong melodrama movies, and loveable, stock characters - has the right mix of involvement and distance. Here, fun is the criterion.
Finally, Beauty World is a triumph of acting and for this much of the credit must go to director Ong Keng Sen and his cast.
There was some wavering between those who played their roles for real and those who gently mocked the characters they played, but the general effect was of uniformly excellent performances.
Mohd Najip Ali’s choreography was effective, and Tan Woon Chor’s costume details were accurate, and Justin Hill’s set appropriate.
My hope is that our first musical will lead to others and give us a succession of such efforts. Much depends on timing, on the theatre being ripe for the event. It appears we are ready for such a watchable and entertaining event as Beauty World.
[Robert Yeo has been Chairman of the Drama Advisory Committee, Ministry of Community Development, for the past 10 years. His play, One Year Back Home, was given a stage at La Mama, New York, in 1985. Another play, Second Chance, was produced in Hongkong and Singapore late last year and early this year.]
Lion City
Something has been bothering me for a while. It's a statement made by a friend who said that lions did not exist in the wild in Southeast Asia and China.
It is postulated that the ancient Chinese may never have seen a live lion, and they may only have heard reports of lions from travelers in India and further west. This explains why their portrayal of a lion (sculpture and lion dance) is so unrealistic.
However, lions did exist in west Asia and India, but not in Southeast Asia.
What is the possibility that some lions may have accidentally strayed from India into Southeast Asia? Possible because there is a continuous land mass connecting India to Southeast Asia. All very well until you reach the Straits of Johore which separates Malaysia from Singapore.
Could a lion have swum the three quarters of a mile from Johore to Singapore Island? Probably not. While lions have been observed to swim, they are not regular swimmers. However, under certain circumstances they can swim for short distances.
All in all, it is highly unlikely that there ever were lions in Singapore. Tigers, on the other hand, are indigenous to Southeast Asia, and the last wild tiger was observed in Singapore as late as the 13th August 1902.
Sang Nila Utama, the discover of Singapore in the 13th century, is reputed to have spotted a lion, and named the island "Singa pura" or "Lion City".
But if no lions ever came to Singapore, what might be the explanation? Could he have seen a tiger, and not a lion?
According to Ng Kiat Han "Sang Nila Utama likely saw no lion. He may have been misrepresented by history, misinformed by his courtiers or just plainly mistaken. At that time, there were other lion cities in the Majapahit empire and Indian states. There may have been political forces behind this baptism by the crownless Prince of Palembang."
He goes on to say, "But with respect to the Malay Annals and legends of this region, all this indicates that the older ages of the world had perpicacious storytellers with fertile imaginations, never mind the biogeographic disagreements. Some of this ability spills over to modern life. Witness the made-in-Singapore fairy tale of the Merlion. The older Sentosa version has laser beams shooting out of its eyes to kill its enemies, and the newer taller version comes complete with its own "myth" relayed through video on the TV screens."
Thus, it seems almost certain that the name given to our country, Singapura, the lion city, is based on an error of observation. And we have accepted this mistake for centuries.
"Interestingly, this shows that Singaporeans would rather believe in the veracity of a myth and forget the facts, the evidence, and the incongruences," says Ng Kiat Han.
But how can any obsessional, self-respecting, self-righteous Singaporean allow such a major error to persist? We go to great lengths to sue anybody who makes even the slightest error about us. It's in our national genetic make-up.
What should we do? Should we create a mass movement to petition for rectification of this error? Perhaps we could have a nationwide competition to rename Singapore?
Tiger City? Tigerpolis?
Oops, sorry, Malaysia has already laid claims to the tiger. How about naming it after our national cat, the kucinta? Or a wild boar... my theory is that Sang Nila Utama saw a wild boar, which, partially hidden by undergrowth, can resemble a lion.
We will have to re-label all our maps, rewrite all our history books, and (I would like to be the first to volunteer) compose a new national anthem!
Ken
HOW TO WRITE THE BOOK OF A MUSICAL
by Kenneth Lyen
There are many ways to write the book of a musical. This article shows one possible way. The book is often, although not necessarily, the first thing written. It is generally recognized that the book of a musical is one of the most important component that often determines whether a musical is a success or failure.
DEFINITIONS
The Book
Also known as the play, the book is the script containing the story, and stage directions. Dialogue need not be present, if the musical is sung-through, or if it is a dance musical. Most musicals, however, contain lines of spoken dialogue.
Lyrics
The words of a song.
Libretto
The combination of the book and lyrics. All the words of a musical.
Song
The combination of lyrics and music.
Plot
The plot is the main thread or pattern of events in a narrative or drama. Plot is what happens scene by scene.
Story
This is the deeper meaning behind the plot, what is inferred to be the moral truth, the inner moral struggle of the main characters. The observation of how the main characters to a progression of plot events and the cumulative insight obtained, is called the story.
What makes a good story is very subjective. Many writers consider one of the elements of a good story is a protagonist who faces a strong moral choice. Emotions in a musical must be strong enough so that it feels appropriate for characters to sing. In addition, the story must also sing, meaning that the environment and mood must be conducive to music. Another element of a good story is that the audience must care about the characters sufficiently to follow their every thought and action, all the way to the end. A few writers believe that some form of love should be present in a musical, although it need not be the dominant feature.
The book of a musical is usually extremely concise. The dialogue is economical and utilitarian. There is usually an equal balance of dialogue and song (unless it is a sung-through musical).
A screenplay has some features similar to that of the book of a musical. If there is dialogue, it is used very economically. Songs are integral to a musical, but not to a play or screenplay, unless the latter is a movie musical. There are physical limitations to the cast size in a stage play or musical, whereas a film does not have such constraints.
Theme
What the story is about. The theme of a musical or play is its intellectual notion or the abstract idea that forms the basis of the story. Examples include "trust and betrayal", "love and need".
Spine
The fundamental idea upon which the story is built. The moral of the story, the "take-home" message.
Examples
Fiddler on the Roof
Theme: Long-held traditional values need to change with the times.
Spine: Tevye finds it increasingly difficult to approve of his three daughter’s chosen marriage partners, as they challenge his beliefs and social values.
My Fair Lady
Theme: How you speak affects how others regard and behave towards you.
Spine: Professor Henry Higgins takes on a bet to transform the Cockney accent of a flower girl into refined English, so that she can pass off as a high-class lady.
1. Look Around You
Become more sensitive to the sights and sounds that surround you. Watch the world go by, and ask questions about what is really going on, and why things are the way they are.
2. Draw From Your Own Experiences
Delve into your own life and past experiences for ideas. You may have some special knowledge or have encountered interesting personalities in your own family, your education, your workplace, your hobbies, etc.
3. Keep an Eye on the Media
Scan newspapers, magazines, television, radio, internet, advertisements, etc, as these are often excellent sources for story ideas.
4. Read Read Read!
It is a cliché, but it is true nonetheless. Read as much as you can. Fiction, nonfiction, novels, articles, trash, etc. Read with a "writer’s eye", which means you should always keep a lookout for story potential.
5. Movies
Movies can be a fantastic source of inspiration and ideas. Watch with a "writer’s eye".
6. Talk
Talk to family, friends, acquaintances, and listen to their experiences, always looking out for story ideas.
7. Use Your Imagination: Ask "What if?" Questions
What if a hacker successfully immobilized the world’s computers by inserting viruses into them? With medical breakthroughs, what if the average life expectancy rose to 300 years old? What if somebody had stolen your identity and you are now a wanted criminal? What if bird flu killed half the world’s population in one year? Predict a trend, and ask what if all society embraced a rigid social caste system, or rejected an idea, such as nuclear family or social welfare? Imagine what would happen to yourself, your friends, your country in the future, say, fifty years’ time?
8. Titles
Interesting titles can sometimes suggest a story. For example, "Ghost opera", "The Lady Whisperer", "I Married a Zombie".
9. Lists
Draw up lists of new occupations, religious wars, movies adapted from books, obsolete appliances, exotic holidays, science fiction musicals, etc.
10. Issues
Examples: Abortion, environment, cloning, poverty, gun control, reality TV, censorship, Iraq, spam.
11. Character
Think of interesting characters and their quirks: James Bond, The First Emperor, Justice Bao, Julia Roberts, US Presidents, etc.
12. Obsessions
Examples include collecting dolls, staying young, washing hands, writing musicals, etc.
13. Opening lines
Examples include "You ever killed anything?" "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." "It was love at first sight." "All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." "Last night I dreamt I went to Mandalay again."
14. Mind Map
Use mind mapping to connect and generate ideas.
15. Brilliant Ending Quotes
"This is the start of a beautiful friendship." - Casablanca
"Nobody’s perfect." - Some Like it Hot
"Mr Meyer, I’m ready for my closeup now." - Sunset Boulevard
1. Love
Unrequited love (Phantom of the Opera), love at first sight (High School Musical), love triangle (Oklahoma, Camelot), feuding families (Romeo and Juliet), tragic love (Titanic, Love Story), forbidden love , unusual love (Edward Scissorhands).
2. Revenge
Example: Count of Monte Cristo.
3. The Quest
Examples: Candide, Pippin, Wizard of Oz.
4. Adventure
Examples: Huckleberry Finn, Man of La Mancha.
5. The Chase
Examples: Les Miserables, The Fugitive.
6. One Against Many, the Underdog
Example: Les Miserables, The Scarlet Pimpernel.
7. One Apart: The Anti-Hero
The anti-hero adheres to his own code of honor rather than society’s. His moral code remains steadfast. Example: Casablanca
8. Power, Rivalry
Example: The Godfather, Lord of the Rings
9. Allegory
Example: Animal Farm, Moby Dick, Narnia
10. Faust: Deal With the Devil
Example: Damn Yankees, Dr Faustus
11. Redemption: Deeply flawed character
Example: A Christmas Carol, Evita, Schindler’s List
12. Buddy Story
Example: Man of La Mancha, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
13. Coming of Age
Examples: Grease, Lion King, The Student Prince, Dirty Dancing.
14. Female Drive
Examples: Evita, Annie Get Your Gun, Mame, Sunset Boulevard.
15. Ensemble
Example: Oceans Eleven, Company
16. Odd Couples
Examples: Human & alien, black & racist white
17. The ___________ From Hell
Example: Plant = Little Shop of Horrors; Patient = What About Bob; Doll = Child’s Play
18. Fish Out of Water
Example: Side Show, Rocky Horror Show, Wicked, Oliver.
19. The Amateur ________________
Example: Psychiatrist = Couch Trip; Lawyer = Trial and Error
20. Fairy Tales, Myths, Fables, Legends
Examples: Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, Ali Baba.
21. Borrow and Change
Borrow ideas from:
a) Shakespeare (Hamlet, Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, Falstaff, Macbeth)
b) Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility)
c) Charles Dickens (Great Expectations, Nicholas Nickleby, Our Mutual Friend),
d) Old films (It Happened One Night, Philadelphia Story, Some Like it Hot)
e) Operas (Flying Dutchman, Barber of Seville, Turandot, The Magic Flute, Madam White Snake, Dream of Red Mansions, Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
f) Nursery rhymes (Jack and Jill, Sing a Song of Sixpence)
g) The Bible (Noah’s Ark, Parables)
Then change it... change the sex of the protagonists, flip the genre (Western ÷? science fiction, horror ÷? comedy) change the country, or the time.
22. Information that nobody knows
Example: Men in Black
23. First Time (Rookie)
Example: Lawyer = My Cousin Vinnie
24. Stumble Into Situation
Example: Rear Window, Blow Up, Cellular
25. The Ultimate _____________
Example: Car = Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Shark = Jaws; Cop = Robocop
26. Unintended Consequences, Metamorphosis
Example: The Evil Dead, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Jurassic Park
27. Going to Extreme Measures
Example: Victor/Victoria
28. Mistaken Identity
Example: Working Girl, Prince and the Pauper
29. Major Character Flaws
Example: A Christmas Carol, Sweeney Todd, Macbeth, Liar Liar
30. Debt That Must be Repaid Example: Jekyll and Hyde, Sweeney Todd
31. Unusual Gift
Example: It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman!
1. Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, Authority Figure
2. Deliverance: Unfortunate, Threatener, Rescuer
3. Crime Pursued by Vengeance: Criminal, Avenger
4. Vengeance taken for Kindred upon Kindred: Avenger, Guilty Remembrance, a Relative of Both
5. Pursuit: Punishment and Fugitive
6. Disaster: Vanquished Power, Victorious Enemy, Messenger.
7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune: Unfortunate, Master
8. Revolt: Tyrant, Conspirator
9. Daring Enterprise: Bold Leader, Object, Adversary
10. Abduction: Abductor, the Abducted, Guardian
11. Enigma: Interrogator, Seeker, Problem
12. Obtaining: Solicitor, Adversary or Arbitrator & Opposing
13. Enmity of Kinsmen: Malevolent Kinsmen, Reciprocally Hated Kin
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen: Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kin, Object
15. Murderous Adultery: Two Adulterers, Murdered Spouse
16. Madness: Madman, Victim
17. Fatal Imprudence: Imprudent, Victim, Object Lost
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Reveler
19. Slaying of Kinsman Unrecognized: Slayer, Unrecognized Victim
20. Self-sacrificing for an Ideal: Hero, Ideal, Creditor, Sacrifice
21. Self-sacrificing for Kindred: Hero, Kinsman, Creditor, Sacrifice
22. All Sacrificed for Passion: Lover, Object of Passion, Sacrifice
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones: Hero, Beloved, Necessity
24. Rivalry of Superior & Inferior: Superior, Inferior, Object
25. Adultery: Two Adulterers, Betrayed Spouse
26. Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Social Norm
27. Discovery of Dishonor of Beloved: Discovered, Guilty
28. Obstacles to Love: Two Lovers, Obstacles
29. An Enemy Loved: Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater
30. Ambition: Ambitious Person, Thing Coveted, Adversary
31. Conflict with (a) God: A Mortal, an Immortal or Holy Principle
32. Mistaken Jealousy: Jealous, Object, Accomplice, Perpetrator
33. Erroneous Judgement: Mistaken One, Victim, Cause, Guilty
34. Remorse: Culprit, Victim or Sin, Interrogator
35. Recovery of Lost One: Seeker, One Found
36. Murder of Loved One: Slain Kinsman, Spectator, Executioner.
(from Patricia Ryan's "Pat's Premises: Popular Plots, Conflicts and Elements in Romance Novels," Romance Writers' Report, 17(4), April 1997)
Enforced Intimacy
a) Marriage of convenience
b) Hero as guardian or protector
c) Arranged or coerced marriage
d) Pretence marriage or relationship
e) Stranded together in a house, a boat, or on an island, etc.
f) In a disaster together, such as in a flood, earthquake, or snowbound
g) Matchmaker schemes to throw lovers together
h) Made to share office, home, cabin, lift, etc.
Love Conquers All
a) The healing power of love
b) Redemption through love
One Lover Rehabilitates or Cures the Other Who Suffers from:
a) Amnesia
b) Physical disabilities
c) Psychological problems such as depression, paranoia, neuroses, phobias, obsessions, gambling
d) Disfigurement, loss of limbs
f) Alcoholism
g) Drug dependency
Emotional Baggage or Internal Conflicts that Keep Lovers Apart
a) Inability to trust, especially the opposite sex
b) Fear of commitment
c) "I am a rock;" emotional detachment or isolation
d) Some past incident, e.g., abuse, has left emotional scars
e) Lover blames other for some hurt to self or loved one
f) Lover harbors a secret that threatens love
g) Lover must find self or solve problem before committing
h) One lover has lied to other about something important
i) Lover cannot forgive the other for some past hurt
j) Fear of abandonment
k) Sense of unworthiness
l) Feeling that one doesn't belong or fit
The Lovers' Differences Keep Them Apart
a) Lovers from different socio-economic, religious, ethnic worlds, or whose respective families, institutions, or countries are warring with each other
b) A difference of opinion on a critical matter or belief
c) Bad boy, good girl; or vice versa
d) Lovers have opposing loyalties, or who have close friends who engineer their separation
e) Lovers who are business rivals
f) Lovers whose personalities are incompatible
g) A wide difference in age
h) Unrequited love
The Lovers' Similarities Keep Them Apart
a) Lovers engage in a battle of wills
b) Lovers share goal, but only once can achieve it
Babies and Children
a) Secret baby
b) Arranged pregnancy
c) Accidental pregnancy
d) Reunited with child given up for adoption
e) Child play matchmaker or otherwise brings lovers together
f) Child lost or threatened
g) Heroine plays nanny
Comedy of Errors
a) Heroine disguised as a male, hero disguised as a female
b) Mistaken identity
c) Misunderstandings
d) Masquerade
e) Twins
Evolving Relationships
a) Platonic friends fall in love
b) Ex-sweethearts are reunited
c) Divorced spouses rediscover their love
Mythic or Fairy Tale Elements
a) Kidnapping (Persephone)
b) Taming of the savage male (Beauty and the Beast)
c) Transformation (My Fair Lady)
d) Rags to Riches (Nerds, Dreamgirls)
e) Awakening, emotional rebirth (Sleeping Beauty)
1. Originality
2. Mass Appeal
3. Obvious Potential
1. Scenes Flat
Make sure scenes have tension. Each scene must have a focal point, an essential part of the scene, sometimes referred to as the "hot spot". Cut out nonessential fluff.
2. Mishandling Flashbacks
Is the flashback really necessary? If necessary make sure it does not detract from the main story.
3. Off Tangent
This is a side road, not on your original plot map. An outline may help you avoid this. Delete the tangent.
4. Control Your Character
Sometimes the character seems to "take over" the story and changes the plot. Unless the result is an improvement, this must be resisted.
5. Slogging
When one reaches a dull point, and slogging away does not improve matters, try a reversal of the plot. Alternatively do a jump cut... move ahead in time.
6. Shut Down
Have a break, recharge your batteries, relive your scenes, recapture your original vision.
The short answer is no. However, certain genres and topics are more difficult to write successfully. For example, few horror musicals work, unless they are spoofs or comedies and not really horror. There are many martial arts musicals coming from the far east, and most do not work, because they focus more on the techniques of fighting rather than on the story.
Act 1 Beginning: Setup
Act 2 Middle: Complications
Act 3 End: Climax and Resolution
Acts 1 and 3 each take up about a quarter of the total time. Hence Act 2 usually take up half the remaining time.
1. Introduce the main characters as early and quickly as possible.
2. Establish the needs of the main characters.
3. What is blocking the protagonist from achieving his needs? The more powerful and antagonist, the more powerful the drama.
4. Raise the stakes.
Conflict is the most important element in drama, and this applies equally to musical theatre. Every scene should have some element of conflict, and in this regard romantic love can be loosely classified as conflict, although some may say that this is stretching things a bit too far.
1. Man against Nature (or God or Fate)
2. Man against Man
3. Man against Society
4. Man against Himself
1. Songs presume a basic sincerity, unless there has been prior indication of the opposite, or that the musical is a satire or spoof.
2. Important events take place on stage and not merely reported.
3. Principle of Opposition: for example if a character feels unhappy, he should sing a slightly more upbeat or optimistic song. On the other hand, if a character feels unhappy and he sings an unhappy song and wallows in self-pity, the net result is comedy.
1. Identification, Empathy
Create a real human being, with imperfections and flaws. Example: A reluctant hero.
2. Sympathy
a) Jeopardy: forcibly separate a loved one, or have the loved one die, or have a close relative hate the main character, or make the protagonist gives reasons why he or she should give up the quest or the fight.
b) Hardship: inflict the protagonist with misfortunes, physical or mental handicap, or the loss of all one’s money.
c) Underdog: show the young naive protagonist battling against a ruthless corrupt corporation, an unreasonable dogma, or an unsympathetic government or institution.
d) Vulnerable: examples include the battered wife or child running away from an abusive psychopathic husband or parent.
3. Likeable
Ideally the protagonist should have attractive attributes such as selflessness, generosity, helpful to others, has a keen sense of humor, and forgiving of others.
4. Inner Conflict
The protagonist should display internal struggles, such as being plagued with doubts and uncertainties, divided loyalties, torn between a sense of duty and upholding his or her own principles and integrity.
NAME: ______________________________________________________
AGE: ________________________________________________________
APPEARANCE: _______________________________________________ (hair, eye color, height, weight, build, etc.)
MARITAL STATUS: ___________________________________________
CURRENT HOME: _____________________________________________
OCCUPATION: ________________________________________________
PARENTS: ____________________________________________________ (alive or dead?)
SIBLINGS: ____________________________________________________ (names, ages, marital status, etc.)
CHILDHOOD: _________________________________________________ (happy, sad, traumatic, etc.)
EDUCATION: _________________________________________________
QUALIFICATIONS: ____________________________________________
RELATIONSHIPS: _____________________________________________ (past and present)
PERSONALITY: _______________________________________________
SPECIAL SKILLS: _____________________________________________
STRENGTHS: _________________________________________________
WEAKNESSES: _______________________________________________
ANY OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION: ________________________
______________________________________________________________
(From "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden, & Sue Viders.)
MALE
1. The Chief: The honcho, tough, decisive, and goal-oriented.
2. The Bad Boy: Dangerous, but absolutely fascinating, charismatically attractive, street smart, hates rules and regulations.
3. The Best Friend: Everybody’s ideal hero, kind, decent, and responsible.
4. The Charmer: The smooth operator, the fun guy, irresistible, and unreliable.
5. The Lost Soul: Tortured and secretive, he's got a vulnerable heart and discerning eyes
6. The Professor: Intelligent nerd, logical, introverted and inflexible, but also genuine in feelings, extremely faithful and honest.
7. The Swashbuckler: The person who is on the go, loves adventure, physical, daring, mercurial.
8. The Warrior: The reluctant rescuer, dark and dangerous, driven and remote
FEMALE
1. The Boss: eloquent, self-confident, competitive, and persuasive.
2. The Seductress: mysterious, cunning, devious, distrusting, and cynical.
3. The Tomboy: Spirited, loyal, reliable and supportive.
4. The Free Spirit: Hedonistic, impetuous, "flaky".
5. The Waif: The damsel in distress, child-like innocence, naive, gentle, and compliant.
6. The Librarian: Conscientious, meticulous, conventional, methodical, leads with her brain, not her looks
7. The Crusader: A woman on a mission, determined, obstinate, and courageous.
8. The Nurturer: Altruistic to a fault, kind, pleasant, generous, optimistic, a listener, and looks after everybody.
1. Bad Book
There is a saying "You live by the book, you die by the book." Most musicals fail because the plot is absent or weak, and there is little to make one care for the story. It has often been pointed out that Cats and Hair have no substantial plot. However, these are the isolated exceptions to the rule.
2. Unsympathetic Leads
Lead actors that you not care for, with no redeeming qualities, is disastrous. Eg George M, Jamaica.
3. Lack of Romance
Although not all musicals have romance, the lack of it can be a significant reason for its failure.
4. Unremarkable Music
This may not be as serious as it first seems, provided that the book (story and characters) are strong and can compensate. However, if the music is mediocre, it is an additional nail to the coffin of a moribund musical.
5. Difficult Genre
Certain genres do not translate well into live theater, such as horror, and action.
6. Wrong Media
The story may be better told as a novel, on film, or on television.
7. Incompetent Execution
Bad direction, wrong theater, poor production values, can conspire to cause a musical to fail.
8. Too Much Dialogue
If the musical has a mixture of dialogue and song, too much dialogue makes it a play with music, rather than a musical. There are no hard and fast rules, but in general one expects a musical to have at least half the time devoted to song and/or dance, and the remainder to action and dialogue.
I Thou shalt not bore thine audience.
II Thou shalt not use cliches, tired plots and feeble jokes.
III Thou shalt not preach to thine audience.
IV Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s ideas.
V Thou shalt not procrastinate but shalt strive to meet all writing deadlines.
VI Thou shalt not kill the melody, for the melody maker may enter the kingdom of song.
VII Thou shalt not have a dying actor sing an interminable dying song.
VIII Thou shalt not become a total idiot and abandon thine commercial sensibilities.
XI Thou shalt be generous and smile and listen to thine critics before thou sockest him or her one.
X Above all, thou shalt be true to thyself.
There are three possible endings:
a) Positive Ending
b) Negative Ending
c) Ambiguous Ending
Complicate an ending by:
a) "Positive" Ending: Protagonist gets what he wants, but the end result is bad.
b) "Negative" Ending: Protagonist does not get what he wants, but the end result turns out good.
The book is considered the most important element of a musical. It contains the story, and it integrates all the elements (action, dance, song, dialogue). If the book writer is a member of the collaborative team, there needs to be good understanding of the characters, the plot, and the style of the musical by all the members. A good working relation between the collaborators, with good lines of communication, are essential. Conflict should be confined to the story, and hopefully not too excessively between team members. Indeed, conflict is central to a good book. In the classical 3-act play, quite early on, the needs of the protagonist must be clearly presented. There needs to be blocks to achieving these goals, causing escalating complications, and this should occupy most of the musical. Crisis and its resolution then concludes the drama. However, it is common for the 3-act structure to be modified, for the sequence of events to be nonlinear, and for the outcome to remain unresolved and ambiguous. There are even musicals without songs or dialogue. While all these changes are quite acceptable nowadays, one should not forget that musical theatre is first and foremost entertainment. Above all, the audience should not be bored!
MUSICALS DIRECTORY A-L
by Kenneth Lyen
===[#]===
1776 (1969). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/1776.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/1776.html] Music and lyrics: Sherman Edwards, Book: Peter Stone.
:A musical comedy about the meeting of the founding fathers in 1776 leading up to the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvAoW7VVUCk YouTube]
[http://www.videodetective.com/default.asp?frame=http://www.videodetective.com/trailer-preview.asp?publishedid=526374 Movie Trailer]
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2005). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/bee.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/putnamspellingbee.html] Music and lyrics: William Finn, Book: Rachel Sheinkin.
:Comedy based on a fictitious annual spelling competition held in Putnam County. Real
audience members invited on stage to participate.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMB1x6KQGIA YouTube]
[http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoinfo.cfm?showid=443 Broadwayworld.com]
42nd Street (1980). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/42nd.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/42ndstreet.html] Music: Harry Warren. Lyrics: Al Dubin.
:Musical set during the 1933 Depression. Peggy Sawyer arrives late for an audition but is helped by a fellow actor to get into the chorus. When the leading has an accident, Peggy takes over her role, and becomes a star.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw6QE1L_T80&mode=related&search= YouTube]
===[A]===
Aida (2000). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/aida.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/aida.html] Music: Elton John, Lyrics: Tim Rice, Book: Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls, David Henry Hwang.
:Modern version of Verdi’s opera. Aida is an Egyptian slave who is captured by an Egyptian captain, Radames. He falls in love with her, and saves her from captivity by giving her as a handmaiden to Amneris his future bride.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElzFYrAwgvo&mode=related&search= YouTube]
All Shook Up (2005). [http://www.allshookup.com/home_content.html]
[http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=383114] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/18.html] Songs of Elvis Presley, Book: Joe Di Pietro.
:Jukebox musical about pump attendant Natalie, who falls in love with a mysterious motorcyclist, Chad, but he does not reciprocate her feelings. Natalie disguises herself as an unskilled laborer, Ed, and Chad falls in love with Ed, unaware that she is Natalie.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VMzOztEeWA&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Annie (1977). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/annie.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/annie.html] Music: Charles Strouse, Lyrics: Martin Charnin, Book: Thomas Meehan.
:Set during the depression, Orphan Annie spends Christmas with millionaire Oliver Warbucks, bringing happiness. Mean-spirited orphanage matron, Miss Hannigan, has dastardly designs to trick Annie and Mr Warbucks.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18vjU8_lpK8 YouTube]
Annie Get Your Gun (1946). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/anniegetyourgun.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/anniegetgun.html] Music and lyrics: Irving Berlin, Book: Herbert and Dorothy Fields.
:Illiterate hillbilly Annie Oakley outshoots sharpshooter Frank butler at Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. They fall in love, but her brilliant shooting is a threat to Frank's masculine ego.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqclpqbHbpQ YouTube]
Anyone Can Whistle (1964). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/anyonecanwhistle.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/anyonecanwhistle.html]
Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Book: Arthur Laurents.
:An American small town facing bankruptcy, creates a fradulent miracle, claiming that water flowing from a rock has healing properties. Tourists attracted to this bogus site are accidentally joined by patients who have escaped from a nearby mental hospital. [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2922251202401352125&q=anyone+can+whistle Barbara Cook]
Anything Goes (1934). [http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/anythinggoes.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/anythinggoes.html] Music and lyrics: Cole Porter, Book: Guy Bolton and PG Wodehouse, revised by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. :Nightclub singer, Reno Sweeney, and her friend, Billy Crocker, sail to London on a steamship full of gangsters. Billy is in love with Hope Harcourt, but he is mistaken for a notorious killer. In the meantime Hope's fiancee, Sir Evelyn, falls in love with Reno.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uAEL9ZV1nE&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Applause (1970). [http://broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/applause.htm] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/487.html] Music: Charles Strouse, Lyrics: Lee Adams, Book: Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Adapted from the film All About Eve.
:When successful mature actress Margo Channing gives Best Actress Award to young Eve Harrington, she flashes back to recall Eve's ruthless rise to stardom.
Apple Tree, The (1966). [http://www.answers.com/topic/the-apple-tree-musical]
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_Tree]
Music: Jerry Bock, Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick, Book: Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.
:Concept musical with three stories whose three main characters are the equivalent of Adam, Eve, and the serpent, and the unifying theme is that of leaving paradise.
[http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Video.aspx?ci=541960 Broadway.com]
[http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoinfo.cfm?showid=4199 Broadwayworld.com]
Aspects of Love (1990). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/aspects.htm]
[http://www.nodanw.com/shows_a/aspects_of_love.htm] Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics: Don Black and Charles Hart.
:Youthful and impetuous Alex becomes infatuated withJenny, the teenage daughter of an actress, Rose, with whom he had an affair many years ago. Jenny's father objects, but he does not carry much moral authority, as he himself is senior to his wife Rose by 40 years.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVsAeOJT5Zg&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Assassins (1991). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/assassins.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/assassins.html] Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim, Book: John Weidman.
:Theme musical about US presidents and their assassins, both the successful and the unsuccessful ones.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7XRg8scL7o Tony’s]
Avenue Q (2003). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/avenueq.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/avenueQ.html] Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx.
:Muppet-like puppet show for mature audiences, with songs about aids, homosexuality, pornography, and racial discrimination.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azsg4hwpWt4 YouTube]
[http://www.theatre.com/video/id/3002972 Theatre.com]
[http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoinfo.cfm?showid=37 Broadwayworld.com]
===[B]===
Babes in Arms (1937). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/babes.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/babes.html] Music: Richard Rodgers, Lyrics: Lorenz Hart, Book: Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart.
:Kids left at home when their parents go off on a touring holiday put on a musical to make money. Financial backer, Lee Calhoun, does not want two black children to perform, but he is thwarted by the youngsters.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4VngeGWSRo YouTube]
Baby (1983). [http://wiki.stageagent.com/more_show_info.php?id=1591] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/691.html] Music: David Shire, Lyrics: Richard Maltby Jr, Book: Sybille Pearson.
:Three couples... a pair of unmarried college students, a 40+ year-old hospital administrator and his wife, and two gym coaches in their 30s, all conceive a baby on the same day. The musical follows the pregnancy to the birth of the babies.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed2dijnOJ3A YouTube]
Baker's Wife (1976). [http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/bakerswife.html] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/929.html] Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz, Book: Joseph Stein.
:Adaptation of the 1938 movie, La Femme Boulanger. Genevieve is the young wife of a French town's baker, who is older than her. She has an affair with Dominique, a young amorous villager.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JROrWTAkfXU YouTube]
Barnum (1980). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/barnum.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/barnum.html] Music: Cy Coleman, Lyrics: Michael Stewart, Book: Mark Bramble.
:The musical follows the real-life self-styled showman, Phineas T Barnum, from his days as a circus entertainer, to his entry into US politics.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJNMxviUMVw YouTube]
Bat Boy (1997). [http://www.batboy.co.uk/]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/batboy.html] Music and lyrics: Laurence O'Keefe, Book: Keythe Farley and Brian Fleming.
:A boy with pointed ears struggles to fit into a world that favors conformity. The townspeople fear him, and his foster father is jealous of him.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isqKsCupwzk YouTube]
Beautiful Game (2000). [http://www.reallyuseful.com/rug/shows/beautifulgame/] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/682.html] Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Book and lyrics: Ben Elton.
:Set in Belfast in the late 1960s, a period rife with sectarian violence, the young men and women playing in a local youth soccer team get caught up in the political and religious conflicts of the time.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNb-XQ7bO10 YouTube]
Beauty and the Beast (1994). [http://disney.go.com/theatre/beautyandthebeast/index.html]
[http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/beautyandthebeast.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/beautyandbeast.html] Music: Alan Mencken, Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Book: Linda Woolverton.
:Disney musical based on the fairy tale of a beautiful daughter who agrees to be exchanged for her father who has been captured by a beast.
[http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoinfo.cfm?showid=4 Broadwayworld.com]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7mO6cE1Vpk&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Bells Are Ringing (1956). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/bells.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/bellsareringing.html] Music: Jule Styne, Book and lyrics: Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
:A shy telephone switchboard operator for an answering service, falls in love with a subscriber, an author who has writer's block.
[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3032720282171603077&q=the+party%27s+over Judy Holliday]
Best Foot Forward (1941). [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=1113] Music and lyrics: Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Book: John Cecil Holm.
:High school student Bud Hooper invites attractive movie star to his school prom. Complications arise when Bud's girlfriend becomes jealous.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_KY-7yQdGc YouTube]
Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, The (1978). [http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/bestwhorehouse.html] Music: Carol Hall, Book:
Peer Masterson and Larry L King.
:Raunchy story about the closure of a Texan brothel after exposure by a slimy television reporter, Melvin P Thorpe.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shBpfyjd2vQ&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Big River (1985). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/bigriver.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/bigriver.html] Music and lyrics: Roger Miller. :Adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6bcfPTZqto&mode=related&search= YouTube]
Billy (1974). [http://www.nodanw.com/shows_b/billy.htm] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/655.html] Music: John Barry, Lyrics: Don Black, Book: Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. :Adaptation of Keith Waterhouse's novel, Billy Liar. Billy Fisher, an undertaker's clerk, fantasizes about a life of luxury, which is in stark contrast to his actual dingy environment.
Billy Elliott (2005). [http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/billyelliot.html] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/475.html] Music: Elton John, Book and lyrics: Lee Hall.
:Adaptation of the film about Billy Elliott, a boy living in a decaying mining village. He meets objections from his father when he refuses to follow his footsteps to become miner, and instead, he wants to become a ballet dancer.
[http://www.billyelliotthemusical.com/index1.html Video]
[http://www.theatre.com/video/id/3004848 Theatre.com]
Blood Brothers (1983). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/bloodbrothers.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/bloodbrothers.html] Music, book, and lyrics: Willy Russell.
:Twin brothers separated at birth, grow up in completely opposite ends of the social spectrum. Years later, by chance they meet up again, and their lives are drawn inexorably towards tragedy.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRuZHdduQng YouTube1]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf8WmBH69yk&mode=related&search= YouTube2]
Bloomer Girl (1944). [http://www.ibdb.com/production.asp?ID=1583] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/636.html] Music: Harold Arlen, Book: Sig Herzig and Fred Saidy.
:Set during the American Civil War, the daughter of a hoop skirt manufacturer refuses to marry one of her father's salesman. Instead, she supports her aunt's crusade for women's rights, and she champions women's freedom to choose what to wear, including bloomers.
Bombay Dreams (2004). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/bombay.htm] [http://www.musicalheaven.com/Detailed/949.html] Music: AR Rahman, Lyrics: Don Black, Book: Meera Syal.
:Akaash, a young man living in the slums of Bombay, aspires to be a Bollywood star. A rich lawyer and his fiancee, Priya, arrive at Akaash's slum, trying to prevent its clearance. Akaash falls in love with Priya, who turns out to be an aspiring filmmaker.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcEir6bIaD4 YouTube1]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_TD6MGyorw&mode=related&search= YouTube2]
Boy From Oz, The (2003). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/boyoz.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/boyfromoz.html] Music and lyrics by Peter Allen, Book: Martin Sherman.
:While giving a concert, Peter Allen, an entertainer, flashes back and relives his life from his youth as a performer in an Australian bush town in the 1950s.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POmD7Ovje2Y YouTube1]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNqUiwPeE-g&mode=related&search= YouTube2]
Boys From Syracuse, The (1938). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/boys.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/boysfromsyracuse.html] Music: Richard Rodgers, Lyrics: Lorenz Hart, Book: George Abbott.
:Based on Shakespeare's A Comedy of Errors. Antipholus and Dramio of Syracuse are each looking for their respective twin brothers.
Brigadoon (1947). [http://www.broadwaymusicalhome.com/shows/brigadoon.htm]
[http://www.musicaltheatreaudition.com/shows/brigadoon.html] Music: Frederick Loewe, Book and lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner.
:Two American tourists hiking in the Scottish highlands get mysteriously transported into fabled Scottish town, Brigadoon. One of them falls in love with a pretty girl living there.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik06JLka-ZA YouTube]
Bugsy Malone (1984). [http://www.toacorn.com/news/2006/092
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