Singapore, being a well-known cosmopolitan city, has many of its cultural roots coming from all over the world. Ever since the first record of Singapore’s’ population structure, the Chinese have dominated in racial concentration, now with a staggering 74.2% in 2013 . Through the course of history, these Chinese migrants have brought different cultural and religious norms, food preferences and conversing language to the little red dot from their various provinces. This essay will focus mainly on the entertainment pastime, Cantonese Opera; on how the Singapore government unintentionally had a hand in the decline of amateur Cantonese opera troupes, with specific examples cited from Sing Wah Musical and Dramatic Association, and how it will not make a come back like how it was in the 1950s despite recent efforts.
Generally accepted as being brought to Singapore by the people from Southern China, it gained a lot of popularity throughout the 1800s. Despite waning interest during the Japanese occupation where social, economical and political unrest was rampant, there was a sudden surge in amateur Cantonese opera associations in Singapore such as the famous Sing Wah Muscial and Dramatic Association (SWMDA) that opened its doors in 1946. Just like the SWMDA which headquarters was located on Sago Street, many of these associations opened in the vicinity of Smith, Mosque and Temple Street, where it was a common place for the Cantonese the gather.
Cantonese Opera performed by amateur troupes from the various associations used to be a luxury for the Cantonese in Singapore because of the limited amount of entertainment available at that time. People had to b...
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...y, it is unlikely that it will ever return to its’ former glory.
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Chinese Street Opera in Singapore
By Tong Soon Lee
http://www.mom.gov.sg/Publications/mrsd_singapore_workforce_2011.pdf
Kenrick, John. Musical Theatre A History. New York: The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2008. Print.
Ever heard of a story that sings of the “Angel of Music” and the “Phantom of the Opera”? A tale that once you have listened to the sweet melody that you will realized that you've pasted the “Point of No Return”? This love triangle has captivated multitudes ever since the 1910 original Phantom of the Opera was published in France by Monsieur Leroux, although most story lovers recall the musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber or the motion picture adaption. Although this story has been entertaining people for over a century, in this new era have prerecorded voices and movements begun to overshadow the talented performers of live theater? Although “The lavish screen adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera (2005) only deepened the damage” of the dislike of musicals made into film “with non-stars in the leads and an unimaginative production,”(Musical),which version, the live performance or the film, makes the story more attractive? To answer these questions, permit this essay to analyze two methods of storytelling: 2011 live performance Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and the 2005 film, and decide if music and story lovers everywhere have too “turned from true beauty”.
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At the onset of the twentieth century singing was still the fundamental activity in schools, and sc...
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Noble, Yvonne, ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Beggar=s Opera. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975.
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Theatre has heavily evolved over the past 100 years, particularly Musical Theatre- a subgenre of theatre in which the storyline is conveyed relying on songs and lyrics rather than dialogue. From its origination in Athens, musical theatre has spread across the world and is a popular form of entertainment today. This essay will discuss the evolution and change of musical theatre from 1980-2016, primarily focusing on Broadway (New York) and the West End (London). It will consider in depth, the time periods of: The 1980s: “Brit Hits”- the influence of European mega musicals, the 1990s: “The downfall of musicals”- what failed and what redeemed, and the 2000s/2010s: “The Resurgence of musicals”- including the rise of pop and movie musicals. Concluding
Chinese music is described as a unique form of art. Even today, the Modern Chinese music has a Western Modern Music style. The music has it's own characteristics and is very much distinct.
The only ballet or opera shown in China were Yang Ban Xi or “The Eight model Plays.” Five of which replaced the traditional Beij...
The performances included opera-styled singing with intricate hand gestures. I used to think that the Chinese theater performances my grandparents watched on TV were too over-the-top and unnatural, but after reading about the history and meanings behind Chinese theater, I’ve developed a new perspective on the style and have come to admire the beauty of cultural differences in theatrical arts. Chinese theater’s “traditional performance” features a synthesis of poetry, singing, and dancing. In present day, “traditional performance” has undergone an improvement toward what can be termed “characterization performance,” which emphasizes the performer’s internal experience of the character played and the artistically truthful portrayal of feelings and thoughts (cite). Different cultures contribute to the varying theater styles. For example, “chinese playgoers are familiar with the stories, characters, and conventions...the objective of the Chinese performer is to meet the high expectations of the playgoers” (cite). Thus, Chinese performers are more conscious of ensuring that their gestures and body movements appear aesthetically beautiful to satisfy their audiences’ expectations. The knowledge of the diverse approaches of theater in different regions is significant for respecting a theater piece, because theater from different cultures than one’s own should be evaluated and appreciated with the viewpoint of that
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