Air Supply to stage 50th anniversary concert in Singapore in 2026
The return of Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell will be just over a year after their previous show here in December 2024.
Air Supply was formed in 1975 after Hitchcock and Russell met during a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The duo has released a trove of evergreen hits, including All Out of Love, Lost In Love and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, in a career spanning half a century.
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Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Actor Jerry Yan visits tomb of Meteor Garden co-star Barbie Hsu
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Taiwanese actor Jerry Yan has visited for the first time the tomb of late Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu, who died in February at the age of 48 from pneumonia . Yan, 48, and Hsu, who was better known as Big S, starred in the popular Taiwanese idol drama Meteor Garden (2001 to 2002), in which they played the iconic couple Daoming Si and Shancai. Meteor Garden also starred Vic Chou, 44; Ken Chu, 46; and Van Ness Wu, 47. They went on to form boy band F4 with Yan after the success of the show. F4 split in 2009, but they recently reunited again at Taiwanese pop-rock band Mayday's concerts in Taipei and Beijing in July. According to an exclusive report by Taiwan's Next Apple News, Yan went to Chin Pao San Cemetery in New Taipei, where the late actress' tomb is located, on Aug 13. He was accompanied by former Taiwanese actress-host Janet Chia, who is currently the chairwoman of Taiwan's iconic skyscraper Taipei 101, and her husband, businessman Wang Chao-chieh. They were seen reading the inscriptions on Hsu's tomb, as Yan wiped away his tears while Chia patted him on his shoulder. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault halts trains Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line Chia, 51, was also heard saying: 'Shancai, Daoming Si has come to see you'. Yan, Chia and Wang then pressed their hands together in prayers and spent more than 10 minutes at Hsu's tomb before leaving. Chia and Wang left in the same car, while Yan drove alone to Jinshan District and ate at a vegetarian cafe in memory of Hsu, who was a long-time vegetarian. Next Apple News also noticed an umbrella stand fixed near the tomb. It was believed to be used by Hsu's husband, South Korean musician DJ Koo, whom she married in 2022 . DJ Koo has been spotted by netizens regularly visiting or sitting near Barbie Hsu's grave in mourning. PHOTO: PEICHIU65/THREADS Koo, 55, whose full name is Koo Jun-yup, has been spotted by netizens regularly visiting or sitting near Hsu's grave in mourning. The couple previously dated in secret for a year before breaking up in 1999 due to the no-dating rule imposed by Koo's then agency. They did not see each other again until they reconnected after Hsu's divorce from Chinese businessman Wang Xiaofei in November 2021.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Inside the $109 million renovation of Central Park's home for Shakespeare
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The Delacorte Theater has been the home of Free Shakespeare In The Park for 63 years. NEW YORK – At the heart of Central Park, nestled among the trees , sits the Delacorte Theater. For 63 years, it has been the home of Free Shakespeare In The Park, one of the great treasures of New York's cultural life. The theatre has charm and tradition, but the facilities have been sub-standard, particularly for performers and stagehands, as well as patrons with disabilities. About a decade ago, the staff and board of the Public Theater, which runs the Delacorte, began discussing a renovation. Some crazy ideas were bandied about, such as geothermal cooling and a dome for year-round performances. But with the Covid-19 pandemic came pragmatism . Making any kind of radical change inside Central Park was going to be challenging, if not impossible, given the romantic and nostalgic attachment many of the park's lovers and protectors have to keeping things the way they are. So, the Public pivoted to a combination of preservation and polish – a renovation that would look much the same, but function much better. 'There was absolutely no way to improve the experience once you're sitting in the grandstand. You're outside, in Central Park, the moon is rising over the stage, Belvedere Castle is in the background, a breeze is hopefully blowing, and that's the magic of the theatre, and that will not have changed at all,' said Mr Patrick Willingham, the Public's executive director. 'But externally, the experience has been elevated.' After two years during which the open-air amphitheatre has been closed for a US$85 million (S$109 million) upgrade, the venue is reopening , with modifications and modernisations to improve the experience for audiences, performers and stage crews . Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault brings trains to a halt Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line Asia Beijing-Manila row over collision of Chinese ships chasing Filipino boat a reminder of geopolitical risk There is better signage. More capacious seats. Decent dressing rooms. And, yes, better bathrooms. The project was funded half by local government, and half by private fund-raising. And the Public is raising another US$90 million to preserve and endow the free performances of Shakespeare In The Park, as well as the Public's other free programming, like its Mobile Unit, which brings theatre to neighbourhood locations , and its Public Works programme, in which amateur performers from the city's five boroughs create shows with professional actors and creative teams . The Public Theater, a non-profit, previously called the New York Shakespeare Festival, has presented more than 160 shows on the 22m-wide stage since 1962. One hidden change: There are now modular traps built into that stage floor for easier movement of actors and set pieces. The reopened theatre, where performances of Twelfth Night began in August, has 1,864 seats – about a dozen fewer than before. Some seats were lost to make the venue more accessible. Others were added in the new back row. And many are bigger to acknowledge the growing girth of Americans. The theatre's rustic facade got a glow-up. Pre-renovation, it was cedar shiplap. Now, it is tongue-and-groove redwood. That redwood comes with its own backstory: It is from 25 reclaimed city water towers. The Delacorte Theater's new facade is made of redwood from reclaimed water towers. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES The Delacorte also has a slightly different shape. Previously, it resembled a cylinder, with the exterior wall perpendicular to the ground. Now, it is more like a cone, with the exterior wall tilting outwards. There are symbolic reasons – it is intended to feel more welcoming – and practical advantages – it can accommodate more seats. A canopy goes around the whole facade, from 1.8m to 4.8m deep. Aesthetically, it creates more of a grand entrance for the theatre. Practically, it offers more cover for patrons to duck under if it starts to rain during a performance . The theatre should be accessible to people with disabilities. There are more ramps, better seating positions for wheelchair users and a lift to the sound booth. The dressing rooms – below the grandstand – have been significantly upgraded. 'It was very primitive before, with cinder block and Formica, and bathrooms I could describe only as gross,' Mr Willingham said. A dressing room at the newly renovated Delacorte Theater. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES The crew area – a so-called Klondike village of temporary sheds next to the theatre for use by costume, tech and other backstage workers – is also nicer. The six lighting towers were all replaced, as were the web of speakers and the sound-and-light control booth. Challenges remain. The weather, of course: Climate change has made outdoor performance more difficult. The raccoons too – there is a long history of raccoons traversing the Delacorte grounds, sometimes during performances. Though there is a new barrier to keep them from burrowing under the seats, there is not much to be done in the open-air portion. And then there are the helicopters, a noise nuisance that policymakers are promising to study. The open-air stage being prepared for a rehearsal at the renovated Delacorte Theater. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES One of the major construction challenges was preserving the many trees surrounding the theatre – some more than a century old. The Public worked with the Central Park Conservancy and hired arborists to help with protection, trimming and planning. A particular concern was avoiding putting too much weight on root systems. An improvement that will be of intense interest to many theatregoers: The Central Park Conservancy, which operates the public bathrooms by the theatre, is in the final stages of a US$8 million renovation of the facilities. (There are temporary restrooms.) The granite structure, built in 1912 in the English Gothic style, was once called the Belvedere comfort station. The bathroom has been given a new slate roof, restored masonry and new doors and windows , and some architectural features that had gone missing have been replaced . There are also new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and the The new women's restroom has nearly double the number of fixtures. The structure housing the bathrooms has been given a new slate roof, restored masonry, and new doors and windows. PHOTO: SARA KRULWICH/NYTIMES Most of the women in New York have not seen the first 10 minutes of the second act of any Shakespeare play for the last 50 years, joked Mr Oskar Eustis, the Public's artistic director. 'It's just absolutely necessary for gender equality that we double the number of female stalls in that bathroom.' NYTIMES
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
The highly anticipated Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie is out now and this cinema has tickets for as low as S$4
After months of anticipation, the first movie in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy is finally out in theatres in Singapore. If you're planning to catch Tanjiro and the gang on the big screen within the next few days, you'd better hurry as seats are getting snatched up fast. After all, the movie has been breaking box office records left, right and centre. Easties who want to catch Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle without breaking the bank can now turn to Our Tampines Hub. The lifestyle hub announced on Wednesday (Aug 13) that it is screening the movie at its venue, Festive Arts Theatre, on selected dates between Aug 14 and 27. Those who have watched a movie at Festive Arts Theatre will know that tickets here are relatively cheap, going as low as S$4 for senior citizens (aged 55 and above) on weekdays before 6pm. That being said, do note that Festive Arts Theatre does not accept online reservations, nor does it sell tickets for a different day. Customers can only buy tickets for the showtimes on the day itself and tickets will be ready for sale 30 minutes before each show starts. The Infinity Castle trilogy is an adaptation of one of the last arcs in the Demon Slayer manga. It will pick up directly from the previous season of the anime, which saw series villain Muzan Kibutsuji transporting the Demon Slayers into his lair: The Infinity Castle.
