Arts Picks: Ding Yi's The River Remembers, Hotel by Wild Rice, gamelan music at Kampong Gelam
(From left) Director Goh Boon Teck, composer Law Wai Lun, choreographer Cai Shiji and conductor Dedric Wong De Li are collaborating on The River Remembers.
The River Remembers
This ambitious multidisciplinary production by Ding Yi Music Company brings together well-known names in Singapore's performing arts scene in an SG60 celebration.
This is a fuller restaging of 2019's River Of Life, a chamber symphony composed by Cultural Medallion recipient Law Wai Lun and inspired by journalist Han Shan Yuan's 2006 book, Endless Stories Of Singapore River.
The work will have a new arrangement and there will be choreography by Dance Ensemble Singapore's creative director Cai Shiji. Toy Factory's Goh Boon Teck directs the show and actress Sharon Au will narrate the stories in the role of Mother River.
Where: Drama Centre Theatre, 03-01 National Library, 100 Victoria Street
MRT: Bugis
When: Aug 16, 3.30 and 7.30pm
Admission: $38 to $68 from Sistic (go to
www.sistic.com.sg or call 6348-5555)
Info:
str.sg/mSXj
Hotel
Hotel by Wild Rice explores the notions of empire, nationhood, migration and identity.
PHOTO: WILD RICE
Public service announcement for those new to Wild Rice's classic production Hotel. This show is spread over two evenings if you are watching on weekdays and comprises both a matinee and an evening show when you watch on the weekend.
This five-hour marathon, however, is well worth your investment of time. The fact that this has been restaged twice since its premiere at the 2015 Singapore Arts Festival – this is the third rerun – is proof positive of its evergreen appeal.
The script by Alfian Sa'at and Marcia Vanderstraaten is built on a clever conceit: a hotel room that sees various stories unfolding over 100 years.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Some ageing condos in Singapore struggle with failing infrastructure, inadequate sinking funds
Singapore PUB investigating wastewater discharge in Eunos: Pritam
Singapore Water gel guns among newer tools NParks uses to manage monkeys in estates
World Trump eyes 100% chips tariff, but 0% for US investors like Apple
World Trump's 100% semiconductor tariffs may hit chipmakers in Singapore, other SEA nations
Singapore Afraid of small talk? Scared to make a phone call? How social skills workshops are helping young people
Singapore ST and Uniqlo launch design contest for Singapore stories T-shirt collection
Business DBS shares hit record-high after Q2 profit beats forecast on strong wealth fees, trading income
The audience revisits the room every 10 years, beginning with its opening during the colonial period.
An ensemble of 13 actors will bring to life a cavalcade of 66 characters speaking nine languages.
More than mere numbers and blockbuster staging, Hotel captures the Singapore story in all its multicultural, multilingual glory.
Each vignette functions as a standalone story, ranging in genre from serious drama to comic relief, yet they also fit into a larger whole that reflects Singapore's varied historical tapestry.
If you want to celebrate SG60, there is no better experience than this epic production.
Where: Ngee Ann Kongsi Theatre, Wild Rice @ Funan, Level 4, 107 North Bridge Road
MRT: City Hall
When: Aug 14 to Sept 21, 7.30pm (Tuesdays to Fridays), 2.30 and 7.30pm (Saturdays and Sundays)
Admission: $60 to $160
Info:
str.sg/DquJ
Beats On Baghdad Street: SG60 With Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts
Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts will perform National Day songs in Baghdad Street.
PHOTO: MALAY HERITAGE CENTRE
Join home-grown gamelan ensemble Djoko Mangkrengg Performing Arts for a celebratory sing-along session at Kampong Gelam on Aug 9. It will be playing all the familiar National Day favourites such as Count On Me Singapore and We Are Singapore.
Adding to the vibes will be the live telecast of the National Day Parade.
You can also try your hand at playing gamelan instruments.
This outdoor performance is the latest of the Beats On Baghdad Street programme organised by the Malay Heritage Centre. The series celebrates Malay arts and culture by showcasing various performing groups.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Hong Huifang and Chen Tianwen star in Kopitiam Days SG60 film anthology
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Actress Hong Huifang in the short film Meet Me At The Pavilion, part of Kopitiam Days, an SG60 anthology film. SINGAPORE – Veteran local actress Hong Huifang is busier than ever in a period of her life when she thought she would be resting. 'I thought I would be retired by now,' says the 64-year-old, who enjoyed a 40-year career starring in series such as The Unbeatables (1993) and The Price Of Peace (1997). 'I felt I had reached a plateau and could not go any further. I thought only young people had opportunities, and there were none left for me.' Hong was speaking to The Straits Times at a media event in York Hotel Singapore to promote the SG60 anthology film Kopitiam Days. Then the drama Ajoomma (2022) happened, in which she starred as a widow who becomes stranded in South Korea and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The film, helmed by Singaporean director He Shuming, earned Hong a Best Leading Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards. Following that achievement, the idea of retirement was shelved. Her latest projects include local film A Good Child, opening on Oct 9; Taiwanese supernatural series Haunted House Secrets, which aired in June; and the Singapore-Thai mystery thriller series Decalcomania, to be released in 2026. She is starting production on another local drama series co-starring other veteran actors, with details to be announced later. 'I was lucky to be in Ajoomma . It brought me up to another level. People watched my performance, they saw my potential and they gave me another chance. I'm so grateful, and as long as my physical and mental health is good, I will carry on working and find new challenges,' she says. Actress Hong Huifang earned a Best Leading Actress nomination at the Golden Horse Awards for her role in Ajoomma (2022). ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN In Meet Me At The Pavilion – one of six short films that make up Kopitiam Days – Hong plays Ai Hua, a volunteer performer at a Hainanese opera troupe in danger of going broke unless it can persuade a former sponsor (played by Zhu Houren) to step up again. Directed by Shoki Lin and based on his own family's background in the art form, the role required Hong, who was raised in a mainly Teochew-speaking environment, to brush up on what remained of the Hainanese she had picked up from her maternal grandfather, a native speaker. She practised Hainanese with native speaker and co-star Zhu and also with her opera coach, who is a member of Singapore Hainan Society's opera troupe. 'Just as spoken Mandarin is not the same as the Mandarin that is sung in Peking opera, spoken and sung Hainanese are not the same, so I had to train in singing as well as d ancing, especially the hand movements. The gentle, flowing hand gestures are hard to do,' she says. In a separate interview, veteran local actor Chen Tianwen spoke about his part in another short film, the martial arts-inspired action-comedy Dragon Gate Assembly – one that was a decade in the making, he says. Chen Tianwen in the short film Dragon Gate Assembly, part of the Kopitiam Days anthology for SG60. PHOTO: CLOVER FILMS Chen, 62, gained fame in local martial arts series in the 1990s, and became known for playing a fighting monk in The Royal Monk (1997) and The Royal Monk II (1998). At the gala premiere of his 2015 comedy movie Mr Unbelievable, he and Singapore film-maker Eric Khoo chatted, during which the director promised the actor they would work together one day. Khoo, executive producer and creative director of Kopitiam Days, then suggested to Dragon Gate Assembly director Yeo Siew Hua that Chen be included in the project. (From left) Director Yeo Siew Hua with actors Chen Tianwen, Xenia Tan and Tay Ping Hui, who are in action-comedy Dragon Gate Assembly. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN He and co-stars Tay Ping Hui, Xenia Tan, Richie Koh and Kung Cheung Tak play characters who assemble at a coffee shop, representing the famous inns of wuxia. Chen says: 'So when I talked to Eric again for this short film, I told him, 'I've been waiting 10 years for your call.''
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Lord Of The Rings musical's composer A.R. Rahman is building a global virtual band using AI
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Rahman used this same storytelling approach when he composed the musical adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings in 2006. SINGAPORE – A.R. Rahman loves to tell stories. Narrative is of great importance to the celebrated Indian musician, and it is a key part of his creative approach. Music is an immersive experience, the 58-year-old music maestro tells The Straits Times via Zoom from Oakland, San Francisco, where his The Wonderment concert tour stopped by. The prolific film composer and singer, known for his Oscar-winning score and song Jai Ho for the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), is expanding his love for storytelling into the virtual-reality (VR) world with Secret Mountain, a virtual band he created using artificial intelligence (AI). Rahman's first teaser came in February 2024, when he shared a trailer about the six-member group on Instagram. While the project is still in its early stages, storytelling is central to Secret Mountain. Describing the group – comprising three males (Ekam, David and Zentamizh) and three females (Cara, Blessing and Aafia) – as 'very cinematic', Rahman has created a backstory for them and is preparing a movie. It is this same storytelling approach that Rahman focused on when he composed the musical adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings in 2006, which makes its Asia premiere at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, on Aug 12. Presented by Base Entertainment Asia, The Lord Of The Rings – A Musical Tale is based on English author J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved epic fantasy book series (1954 to 1955), instead of director Peter Jackson's action-packed Oscar-winning film trilogy (2001 to 2003). Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDP 2025: No ticket, no problem – here are some spots to soak up National Day vibes Business Who loses the most from Trump's tariffs? Who wins? World Israeli army will 'take control' of Gaza City: PM's office Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Life Singapore's nightlife isn't dead yet World Intel CEO Tan Lip-Bu says has board support as Trump calls for resignation Singapore Ex-lawyer convicted over charges for cheating company director of more than $8 million Singapore Chief Justice names law graduate who wanted anonymity after being denied Bar admission The three-hour show is told from the perspective of hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, and follows the four friends' adventures as they seek to destroy a powerful magical ring. Rahman, who worked alongside Finnish folk band Varttina and Tony-winning musical composer Christopher Nightingale, admitted he did not know much about Tolkien's novels when Mr Kevin Wallace, chief executive of the theatrical production, first approached him. Rahman had just finished working with famed British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber on the Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams. It opened in 2002 in the West End in London and closed in 2004, and was Rahman's first stage production. Rahman turned to Jackson's films for reference and started reading Tolkien's source material and the musical's book to prepare. The Lord Of The Rings – A Musical Tale, starring (from left) Rarmian Newton as Frodo and Terence Crawford as Gandalf. PHOTO: DANIEL BOUD Composing for The Lord Of The Rings – A Musical Tale was a difficult and exhausting process. His inspiration stemmed from extensive research into the type of music that would best suit the story and setting. He avoided using Indian ragas or music styles, focusing instead on Western classical and theatrical traditions. His favourite song is Lothlorien, sung by elven queen Galadriel, because it is 'very spiritual, surreal and mystical' – qualities that he deeply enjoys and connects with. 'Scoring for a musical is very different from composing for a movie,' says Rahman. 'For instance, songs often serve as an interval or music video that do not necessarily advance the story. 'In a musical, every song must move the narrative forward. There are no visual gimmicks or exotic shots to rely on – the music and lyrics must carry the story.' He adds: 'If the songs don't propel the narrative forward, the musical will fail. The songs are not just standalone numbers.' Celebrated Indian musician A.R. Rahman spent about 1½ to two years to compose the score to The Lord Of The Rings musical. ST PHOTO: JOANNE SOH Rahman spent about 1½ to two years on this job. He explains that his goal was to capture the right feel and vibe for the musical, ensuring that the music created an immersive experience for the audience. The Lord Of The Rings – A Musical Tale made its debut at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada, in 2006. It then travelled to Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London in 2007, where it played until 2008, earning five Laurence Olivier Awards nominations that year. It was revived in 2023 at Watermill Theatre in Britain, followed by a staging at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in the US in 2024 before making its way to New Zealand, Australia and Singapore, with an Australian cast. The current production sees the actors doubling as musicians, instead of relying on an orchestra. While Rahman – who feels proud that the musical has stood the test of time – values the involvement of an orchestra, he appreciates the innovative approach and calls the production 'immersive'. 'It captures the essence of the original music while giving it more soul,' he says. Book It/ The Lord Of The Rings – A Musical Tale Where: Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue When: Aug 12 to 31, Tuesdays to Fridays, 8pm; Saturdays, 2 and 8pm; Sundays, 1 and 6.30pm Admission: $68 to $238 via Marina Bay Sands ( ), Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to ) and Klook ( j) More epic shows heading to Singapore Judging from Base Entertainment Asia's 2025 line-up, musical theatre lovers have much to look forward to in the coming months. From the famous Swan Lake ballet and acrobatic adventure Cirque Alice to the fantastical The Witcher In Concert and rock concert experience Queen: It's A Kinda Magic International Concert, there is something for everyone at the Sands Theatre. Here are the three biggest shows coming up. Dear Evan Hansen Dear Evan Hansen musical will make its Singapore premiere at Sands Theatre on Oct 30. PHOTO: BASE ENTERTAINMENT ASIA While many musicals are adapted from books or films, Dear Evan Hansen is an original stage production by American songwriting duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – best known for their Oscar-winning tunes from movies La La Land (2016) and The Greatest Showman (2017) – and based on a story by American playwright Steven Levenson. It may have debuted on Broadway in 2016, but the difficult mental health issues portrayed in the show such as depression, anxiety, bullying and suicide are still relevant almost a decade on. The story follows titular protagonist Evan Hansen, an anxious high school student who longs to be accepted by his peers. When a misunderstanding spirals into something beyond his control, he needs to find the courage to tell the truth and face the consequences of his lies. The Tony- and Grammy-winning musical featuring a UK cast from the West End production makes its Singapore debut on Oct 30. Tickets are available at Disney's Beauty And The Beast Shubshri Kandiah plays Belle and Brendan Xavier plays the Beast in Disney's Beauty And The Beast musical. PHOTO: DANIEL BOUD Based on the 1991 animated film of the same name, the evergreen fairy tale follows Belle and her encounter with the Beast, a prince transformed into a monster due to a curse. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love and be loved before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. This Australian production boasts new sets, costume designs and state-of-the-art technology, while keeping familiar hits songs such as Be Our Guest, Gaston and the beloved title song composed by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. This is the first production from the Disney Theatrical Group, the live show, stage play and musical production arm of The Walt Disney Company, which went on to stage The Lion King and Frozen. Beauty And The Beast has toured over 37 countries since 1994, and was first staged here in 2015 at Sands Theatre. It is back for its Singapore run on Dec 11. Tickets are available at Les Miserables – The Arena Spectacular World Tour Les Miserables – The Arena Spectacular will make its debut in Singapore on March 24, 2026. PHOTO: DANNY KAAN Les Miserables, another perennial fan favourite, returns to Singapore with a concert-style twist. Les Miserables – The Arena Spectacular World Tour celebrates the original phenomenon's 40th record-breaking year. It opened in Belfast, Ireland, in 2024 with a new stage design specifically created for larger venues. Fans can belt out to One Day More, I Dreamed A Dream and Bring Him Home along with a 65-strong cast – which will include several celebrated Les Miserables veterans as guest stars – and orchestra. This will be the third time a Les Miserables production plays here, following its runs at the former Kallang Theatre in 1996 and Esplanade Theatre in 2016.
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
'Small gestures speak the loudest': Director M. Raihan Halim focuses on familial love in SG60 film Kopitiam Days, Entertainment News
Local director M. Raihan Halim's family was at the premiere of SG60 anthology film Kopitiam Days on Aug 5 and when his short IZ-1 came on screen, his family immediately felt a sense of familiarity. "My family had no idea what the film is about. My grandma and mum couldn't make it to the premiere, but my sisters, brothers-in-law and niece were there, and they were like, 'Oh, that's nenek (Malay for grandmother).' They get it," the 43-year-old told AsiaOne in an interview yesterday (Aug 7). Kopitiam Days, which is supported by Infocomm Media Development Authority and Singapore Film Commission, is an anthology of six shorts which features Singapore in the past, present and future. Each of the stories is independent, but the kopitiam Heap Seng Leong is a familiar place in all the characters' lives. The film is produced by local director Eric Khoo, who serves as the film's creative director and executive producer, and Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films. Raihan's short IZ-1 — affectionately called Izwan by the crew — tells the story of an elderly woman (Zaliha Hamid) navigating life and relationship with her daughter Hannah (Siti Khalijah) in 2035. The latter buys an android caregiver with the titular name to care for makcik, who gradually cares for and accepts the robot as they live together in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last village in Singapore. A 'love letter' to his grandma and mum Dedicating the short as a "love letter" to his grandma and mum, who are in their 80s and 60s respectively, Raihan told us the idea for the story was sparked from his concern for them as they age and prefer to live alone. He shared: "Growing up and now getting older, I realised that they really need someone to take care of them, and the moment they say no and don't want anybody else to [assist them], we start to take precautions, such as buying a certain kind of walker for my grandma, making sure that their home is more senior-proof and the toilet bowl is a bit more cushioned." Likewise in IZ-1, where unspoken love between mother and daughter is portrayed through actions rather than words, Raihan said it's a reflection of his own family. He said: "In my family, we don't know how to say 'I am sorry' and 'I love you' and it's always through actions... I grew up in that kind of environment, we are not huggers, it's literally through acts [that we show care for each other]. "If I had an argument with my grandma and she's upset with me, she would prepare breakfast the next morning, and I know things are going to get better. So it's really the little things; the gestures are never big and small gestures speak the loudest." He added that besides cooking and buying food that he likes, they also support him in their own ways, such as his grandma buying multiple copies of the newspaper when he was featured in it. While IZ-1 centres on love between family and found family that transcends feelings, Raihan also wanted to tell a story about looking onwards. He shared: "The reason I set IZ-1 in the kampong is because I am a nostalgic person... and I just cannot help but look back at the kampong days and my childhood days... it's always easy to look back and think about the good old days. "But in this case, what I wanted to show, at least in the first minute of the film, people would think that it's another kampong story, and when the drone crash into the house from the rooftop, they would realise that they are not in the past or today but the future. That's the message that I hope will get across — we can always have one foot in the past, but we must always be ready to have one foot in the future. During SG50, it's about where we came from and in SG60, it's about where we are going next." Bringing IZ-1 to life Bringing the android IZ-1 to life fulfilled Raihan's love for kaiju (Japanese for strange creature) movies. "We questioned whether it should be fully electronic and rolling around, all that stuff. But I felt that I wanted the bulkiness of a robot suit. I am a sucker for kaiju movies, all the old Japanese stuff, where they are robots but actually men in robots. I love that and wanted to show my version of it," he shared. When designing IZ-1's costume, Raihan and the production designer wanted to keep it simple and pleasing to the audience and at the same time, not blurring the lines between human and automation. "It's not meant to look like a Tesla robot... it's closer to a Wall-E than a Tesla robot, I just didn't want the slickness of it... If you have seen some videos of the Tesla robot, it's creepy because it talks like a human being. The boundaries between man and machine is already destroyed and I am just so bothered by that, so we decided that IZ-1 could be big, but it needs to be rounded," he shared. IZ-1 was played by a theatre actor who paid attention to details in performing emotions through his gestures. In addition, the team ensured that the background was never white so that IZ-1 is the focus of the scene. And while the story is set in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the team actually filmed it in Kuala Lumpur because there's only one kampung house in Buangkok that filmmakers are allowed to film in. "We were limited and I had a specific idea about how I wanted things to look like, but it's impossible to do that (in Singapore). So we filmed it in Malaysia, but the tough part was making it look like Singapore," he added. Little details such as the Singapore flag, Merlion, Sharity Elephant and Singa The Kindness Lion can be seen around the home to bring a sense of familiarity to local audiences. Cameoing for director Ong Kuo Sin's The Morning Call Raihan's involvement in Kopitiam Days is not just in IZ-1, but also a cameo appearance in director Ong Kuo Sin's short The Morning Call. The latter centres on the blossoming relationship between May (Jennifer Wilkinson) and her grandfather Lim (Yang Shi Bin) when she returns to Singapore with her mother Chui Hoon (Yvonne Lim) and accidentally loses the orange payphone from his kopitiam. When asked how he got an acting part in the short, Raihan laughed: "I didn't have a choice. Eric and Lim Teck convinced me and I just thought it was fun." He also shared that he appreciates Kuo Sin's works (Reunion Dinner, Number 1) and spent time on set watching him direct. "I realised why his films are so good, because he's such a giving director. He doesn't give much to me because I have very little lines [in the short], but seeing how he directed the other actors, it's really fulfilling and I have so much to learn. I am so glad that I did it in the end because I got to learn from him," Raihan said. Kopitiam Days will be shown through community screenings at the following locations and dates: Tampines Changkat Community Club: Aug 16 Our Tampines Hub: Aug 26, 27 and 31 and Sept 27 One Punggol: Sept 6 More information will be made available on the respective Facebook pages of the venues. The film will also be subsequently released on streaming platforms. [[nid:721036]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
