Vox Camerata's 'Decadenze' (31 Aug) in Review

Vox Camerata presented a lengthy and demanding programme to celebrate their 10th Anniversary. It was a testament to their choral technique, endurance and love for music that they performed the entire 2 and a half hour set a capella with stamina leftover for two more encores.

This being their 10th Anniversary and debut at the Esplanade Concert Hall, I can understand their desire to include everything in one evening. Much props to the tireless members and their indefatigable leader, Shahril Salleh, for keeping standards consistently high throughout a wide ranging programme. About a dozen members took turns singing the evening's numerous solos including Brent Allcock, much missed from SLO productions. Emcee Wong Kai-Ho made the event all the more fun with his light-hearted if long-winded introductions to the pieces.

Bellepoque - 'Letters to Juliet'

Bellepoque presents their latest production Letter to Juliet, an Into the Woods style mashup of Shakespeare's female characters, featuring music from operatic adaptations including Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Otello. Here's more information:

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Bellepoque Presents Letter to Juliet

1 to 4 October 2014
The Chamber @ The Arts House
June 2014 – Bellepoque wishes to celebrate 450 years from Shakespeare birth by presenting
operas which have been based on Shakespeare's works.

At the same time we wish to share our passion and our energies for a cause and in particular for the fight against Breast Cancer (therefore our opening night is dedicated to Breast Cancer Foundation).

"Letter to Juliet" is a fully staged play, a mix of famous classical opera extracts, and offers a story which portrays heroic women, from classical literature to real life, from the past to modern times. The play is a delightful journey through beautiful music, which arouses emotions and strong feelings and highlights the timeless values of love and courage.The show is a tribute to all women who have fought difficult situations at least once in their lifetime.

'The Merry Widow' - 24 to 26 October

After hearing Kishani Jayasinghe's performance at the recent SLO Gala, I am so so looking forward to hearing her in a full opera production: a beautiful, sparkling bright soprano with a solid high C and high pianissimi that goes on for days. Add a winning yet understated stage presence and we are in the presence of a successful lyric leading lady. Her stunning Vilja Lead that night stopped the show. Here's more information about the Merry Widow production:

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English Version by: Christopher Hassall
Date : 24- 26 October 2014
Time : 24-25 October, 8pm
26 October, 3pm
Venue : Esplanade Theatre
Director : David Edwards
Conductor : Timothy Carey

Hanna Glawari - Kishani Jayasinghe (Soprano)

Count Danilo Danilovitch - Nicholas Ransley (Tenor)

Baron Mirko Zeta - John Bolton Wood (Baritone)

Valencienne - Tiffany Speight (Soprano)

Camille de Rosillon - Ashley Catling (Tenor)

Vicomte Cascada - Melvin Tan (Tenor)

Raoul de St Brioche - Jeremy Koh (Tenor)

Bogdanowitsch - Raymond Lee (Tenor)

Sylviane -Su Yi-Wen (Soprano)

Potted Potter - 9 to 14 September 2014

Excerpts from press release:

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Potted Potter - A return season of the 2012 sell-out smash hit

All Seven Harry Potter Books in Seventy Hilarious Minutes!

After a sell out season in Singapore in 2012 and now back by popular demand this hugely entertaining show, POTTED POTTER, makes a welcome return to the perfect intimate venue – the Jubilee Hall at Raffles Hotel. POTTED POTTER opens on 9th September and will play only 10 shows. Tickets are on sale now.

POTTED POTTER takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes. This fantastically funny show features all your favourite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of “Cleverly appeals to both ardent fans and parents.” (The Times, UK)

Steinway Historical Piano Exhibition, Wagner-Litzt Transcriptions on 11 Sep 2014

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View historical Steinway pianos at the Singapore National Museum from today till 14 September 2014. Richard Wagner's very own piano, a Steinway Model D that he played on while opening Baureuth, is one of the pianos on display. Singaporean pianist Clarence Lee will perform Wagner-Liszt transcriptions on this piano on 11 September with a pre-performance talk by Dr. Katherine Wallace. 

'Mamma Mia' in Singapore - 13 to 30 November 2014

Base Entertainment from MBS presents the first ever jukebox musical inspired so many others to stuff new shows with old tunes. Here are excerpts from their press release:

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Mamma Mia! The Worldwide Smash Hit Returns to Singapore

A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!

Joyce Didonato's Stella di Napoli Album going for $7.98 on iTunes

Such a low cost for a new release, no harm giving it a try right?
https://itunes.apple.com/sg/album/stella-di-napoli/id905639500