[LJ2ME] 生米煮成熟饭
Four days after the Saturday matinee performance, I am still hard pressed to pen my review of Fried Rice Paradise The Musical. My ambivalence towards the show perhaps stems from and mirrors my attitude towards the dish. Something comforting and reliable to fall back upon, but not necessarily something that will blow you away and makes or breaks a cook's reputation.
Apart from the titular song and its myriad refrains peppering the show, there was not much else that teased the ears. Looking at the programme post-performance, I couldn't even remember the stage action much less the lyrics from the song titles. That said, the strength of the main song alone garnered enough goodwill to sustain the duration of the whole thing.
The catchy ditty of a tune worms itself into consciousness and subconsciousness, you cannot not want to sing and dance along. Dick Lee tweaked the whole story by bringing the timeline back when the lead character Bee Lean was just starting the business, as opposed to reminiscing in her golden years. As a filler, an entertaining though irrelevant segment of Rasa Sayang was presented to much mirth and merriment.
The afternoon I was there, many schools were exploiting the Tote Board arts grant and the house was filled with students at every turn. They were certainly tickled by Darius Tan's loud and obnoxious character and especially when he milked their reaction by repeating his "Fish you" retort to much smug tittering from the children.
Sebastian Tan didn't even bother to rehearse for his role, just rehashing his Broadway Beng character lock, stock and barrel, hook, line and sinker. But it worked so I guess we can't finger him.
Taufik Batisah played up the irony of his character who wants to make music for a living and yet resists joining Talentime as "sure won't win one", the not too subtle dig at his own success discerned by most.
I don't really know how to continue, much less want to, for the "you say it best when you say nothing at all" mantra. It wasn't bad. But it wasn't good too. Not die die must watch. No loss if missed. But for want of nothing better to do, the two hours of nostalgic charm won't kill you. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. On this note, you know what could work? All of Dick's songs in a retrospective musical like Mamma Mia. Yes, I believe it could.
Apart from the titular song and its myriad refrains peppering the show, there was not much else that teased the ears. Looking at the programme post-performance, I couldn't even remember the stage action much less the lyrics from the song titles. That said, the strength of the main song alone garnered enough goodwill to sustain the duration of the whole thing.
The catchy ditty of a tune worms itself into consciousness and subconsciousness, you cannot not want to sing and dance along. Dick Lee tweaked the whole story by bringing the timeline back when the lead character Bee Lean was just starting the business, as opposed to reminiscing in her golden years. As a filler, an entertaining though irrelevant segment of Rasa Sayang was presented to much mirth and merriment.
The afternoon I was there, many schools were exploiting the Tote Board arts grant and the house was filled with students at every turn. They were certainly tickled by Darius Tan's loud and obnoxious character and especially when he milked their reaction by repeating his "Fish you" retort to much smug tittering from the children.
Sebastian Tan didn't even bother to rehearse for his role, just rehashing his Broadway Beng character lock, stock and barrel, hook, line and sinker. But it worked so I guess we can't finger him.
Taufik Batisah played up the irony of his character who wants to make music for a living and yet resists joining Talentime as "sure won't win one", the not too subtle dig at his own success discerned by most.
I don't really know how to continue, much less want to, for the "you say it best when you say nothing at all" mantra. It wasn't bad. But it wasn't good too. Not die die must watch. No loss if missed. But for want of nothing better to do, the two hours of nostalgic charm won't kill you. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. On this note, you know what could work? All of Dick's songs in a retrospective musical like Mamma Mia. Yes, I believe it could.