When you're in New York, you have to watch a musical or a play. Unless you hate either. Otherwise, either go online to book your tickets or stalk the TKTS booths in Times Square for discount tickets. I chose to buy my tickets online because I wanted to be ensured of tickets to "The Book Of Mormon". Why this musical? Because it'll never come to Singapore due to our religious harmony act/rule.

Stalking the website Theater Mania for a week, I managed to get the tickets slightly cheaper than its usual price. The discounts aren't as deep as those in London's Westend but we still saved about US$20/ticket.

Tip: only buy your tickets online a week prior the performance date. You'll get the better seats for less.

"The Book Of Mormon" is the first musical by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It's a religious satire where the storyline revolves around the young (and most promising) Elder Price and his partner Elder Cunningham (the 'outcast' overweight nerd) who are sent to Uganda on a missionary trip. In Uganda, it is where both Elders had to face their personal flaws and convictions about their mission/religion amidst a village that has been plagued by poverty and attacks from a warlord.

Outside the theatre

The whole musical was done very South Park style - full of vulgarities, sarcasm, irony and seemingly one-dimensional characters based on loads of stereotypes. I'm quite sure that a lot of Mormons will find it extremely offensive. However, no matter how rude it was and how they made fun of Mormonism being a made-up religion, I liked that their main message at the end of it all is this: it may not really matter if the theology of a religion is made up, so long as they're helping people, bringing peace and making the world a happier/better place. Sounds really ideal but in a lot of ways, I think Parker and Stone were not trying to tackle a complex issue on religion but to tell people to step back and think about these issues within ourselves and to judge for ourselves.

After the show!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself and so did my friends although Ken thought that it was dragged out a little too long. I beg to differ. For a first musical, I think that "The Book Of Mormon" was really well done and it's no wonder that they won the Tony award for Best Musical of the Year a few years back and has been running full shows ever since it started. To me, it's up there with "Avenue Q" where I was laughing really hard. So, if you ever get the chance, do catch it!

The bro asked whether we wanted to watch the latest musical in town "Singin' In The Rain" and I said yes. So...off it became a family affair where we hoped to be splashed with fun!

Cast for the evening

Couldn't take any photos/videos of the performance so you'll have to make do with the stage. I think it was quite a good use of the stage where the centre portion is where it 'rained' and then the parameter is the pavement.

I have not watched the 1952 film which starred Gene Kelly but I do know the famous songs "Good Morning" and "Singin' In The Rain" which came out from the musical so I was really excited to watch some good dancing and singing. However, I think I've been spoilt. By Phantom and Les Miserablé.

Although I do know that the film was a musical, it was essentially still a movie and so when transported onto stage, certain elements that were mostly like done in the film (close-ups, "swirls' to indicate imaginations etc) were kinda lost and as a result, most of us appreciated mainly the great acting, dancing in the rain and when the dancers were fooling around by splashing water at the front row audience members. All of us really laughed out loud at the hilarious and outstanding performance by the actor (I've been told that it's rude to call proper female actors "actresses") portraying Lamont.

What stuck out to me throughout the whole performance was how times have changed. I can imagine how this was considered good fun and a clean romantic movie in the 1950s and it was the start of the world's obsession with celebrities and fame. Another thing that made me feel ancient was that I was sitting next to a little girl who was probably about 6 and she was there with her brother who was probably about 9. It was her questions that made me feel particularly old. When the light bulbs on the old cameras were flashing on stage with the distinctive sound, she asked her brother what they were doing and what were those sounds. Oh dear. Gone are the days were we heard flashes from the camera ending with a somewhat loud 'bang' and the flashes themselves aren't as harsh as before. The sounds from our phones while we snap photos are somewhat silent too.

Which brings me to my next train of thoughts...was this musical less than appealing to me because it was hovering between modernity and imagined past (Phantom and Les Miserablé are the latter to me)? Or was it because of the flow of it? There were parts where I couldn't get what that scene had to do with the whole storyline and it felt like just an excuse to put in a song and dance routine. Moreover, the movie had ended with the leads kissing in front of a movie poster entitled "Singin' In The Rain" which was a cheeky way of telling the audience that they're watching a movie within a movie but in this live performance, it merely ended with them kissing.

Nonetheless, this gnawing slight dis-satisfaction makes me want to watch the original movie and perhaps understand truly how this musical gained its legendary status.

(Sings) It's my birthday and I'm gonna parrrty....

Haha...ok, it's not quite my birthday. Yet.  But I already have plans all lined up!  Since I have a work event on my birthday itself, I can't take the day off BUT I am going to have drinks that evening!

Jazz and liquor...lol, reminds of the lyrics from the musical "Chicago".  Free flow of Choya!! How can you NOT ask me to go? Well, I'll be there with my best mates enjoying good plum wine and music.  Now, if only I will stop bloating!!!

Ah...I know, I know...I haven't been updating for the past week as I've been uber busy.

I received the 16th volume of Ouran High Host Club to translate and have been given a very tight deadline...so Ouran fans, keep your eye out! The translated edition should be out by *fingers crossed* June.

On a personal basis, I've also been doing lotsa stuff. Watched 'Shutter Island' with Cubey on Sun, became my bro's and dad's chauffeur on Sun night when I went to pick both of them up from the airport (separate flights in separate terminals!). Watched 'Crossing Henessey' with Mum on Wed (review of it is a 'so-so from me) and both of us were so disappointed that the 2 girls in front of us managed to get the LAST two goodie bags that are given out at GV's Ladies' Night. :(

Fri was the annual Dinner and Dance, after which I headed to Butter with Mel Li. Ok...we're sooo going to avoid Fri nights at Butter's Bump room now. It was crowded and the human traffic was terrible. More people were walking from one end to the other and they were just pushing and prodding. I did feel like a dancing sheep being herded from one end to the next in search of a nice spot to not get hit, sloshed with drink or squished. We headed to Fash instead where we could breathe. I think the air-con ventilation's much better in Fash.

Went to watch the musical 'Chicago' with my family yesterday! I loved the film and I love the stage version too!! I can see how and why certain elements were changed to suit the film and I love how there was a lot more interaction between the actors and the band in the stage version. It reminds me of the Brechtian theory of breaking down the 'fourth wall' so that the audience is reminded that you're watching a play/ musical. Love love 'Chicago'. Like the songs, it was jazzy, sharp and witty. It's really, ALL THAT JAZZ! :)

I'm waiting for my lunch as I type this. Hungry. Must eat in 15 minutes and then rush off for my Japanese class. Having a major test today and I haven't studied. :( I spent most of yesterday translating and I think I'm making horrid pace. No momentum. I need to get into the zone....okie dokes. I shall haunt the kitchen now. See ya!

Yes...full days to ourselves in the Big Apple. Now...I read somewhere that New York is referred to as the Big Apple NOT because it looks juicy and everyone wants a piece of it, but it is because 'apple' is a musician's slang for a gig and to play in New York is a 'big' deal.

Speaking of large performing places, our hotel is right smack opposite of Madison Square Garden and this is the view of it from our hotel room.

We couldn't go inside the theatre since we weren't going there for some performance...but this was just outside the box office.

Elton John holds the record for performing the most no. of times in Madison Square Garden. Besides concerts, the Garden is also a place for major basketball matches!

Soon, we were off to see the Statue of Liberty!! We took the subway to Battery Park and did you know that the subway in NYC runs 24/7? However, the stupid thing about the subway is that the stations do not tell you when the next train will be arriving, the destination of the train (so silly esp when there are 3-4 trains running on the same track that end up in different end points) and there isn't a map of the subway lines in every carriage. In that sense, the tube is one-up against the NYC subway...although the NYC subway is a lot wider and less crowded.

(click to enlarge)

You need to purchase ferry tickets from Castle Clinton at Battery Park to get to Liberty Island (where the statue of Liberty is) and Ellis Island. Castle Clinton isn't a castle. It was a fort that was built to keep the Brits out. Weren't very useful and it fell into ruin and is now a monument cum ferry ticket sale point. Hur hur....

View of Manhatten...

The lady from the front...

The lady from the back ON the island itself...

I'm sure you can read ALL about her from wikipedia so, I shan't repeat myself about her symbolism etc.

She's really not that big as you imagine from all the Hollywood films. In fact, she looks a bit stubby and disproportionate...as if she's got really large hips and thighs...LOL. See....women in the past weren't skinny :P

After Liberty Island, we went to Ellis Island, which is just a few minutes away and this was where all the non-rich immigrants in the past had to go before they were allowed into the USA as citizens.


I can't believe that they had to test these immigrants' mental capacity before allowing them to enter the country. Ok...if you're sick or stupid, you may not enter the country. Hmm...maybe we should implement that as well...then maybe our population will get smarter...haha...

Amazingly, we managed to spend a good half of the day in Liberty and Ellis Island but soon it was back to Manhatten and its famous charging bull...
Kuai...let my ROI be at least 15%...may all future investments that I make be bullish too....

And of course, the bull is a short walk away from....

which is the home of the....
New York Stock Exchange. There were flags just outside reading "The Center of the Financial World" or something to that effect. More like the cause of the world's financial woes. First, it was the Depression in the 1930s and the cause of recession in the world since 2007/8. Thanks to that, I was retrenched. Harumphs. That being said, you can't help but feel the kerching vibe. ;) Hah...is that my inner banker speaking? Hmms....

After this, we took another short walk over to the 9/11 Memorial Site. The New Yorkers do not like to call it Ground Zero anymore.

In fact, it is now a construction site where they will be building a memorial building.

It was starting to get dark so we made our way back to Times Square where we bought tickets to the musical "In the Heights". We went to the famous "Roxy" restaurant, which serves the king of all sandwiches. Check out my Pastrami sandwich!


Mind you, that's only half of it. Gor and I couldn't finish our individual sandwiches. We forgot about the monstrous serving sizes in America plus, we found it ridiculous that we had to pay $7 extra if we shared a dish. Would make sense if they gave more...but NOO...it was just a ploy to make you order individual ones. Anyhows, I wouldn't recommend you going there because its really a lot of meat slapped between 2 pieces of bread. Not very exciting. What WAS exciting was my first Broadway musical!!!

Tadah...the set. We paid about $60 for our seats and apparently, they were already half price. Not too bad, I guess. The seating was a bit odd. Our half were odd numbers while the other half had even numbers. Sorry for the digression...back to the musical itself. As I mentioned earlier, we went to watch "In the Heights" and this musical won 'Best Musical' and 'Best Musical Arrangement' in 2008 Tony Awards. Below is a short video clip on it (pls note that its the promo vid).



If you can't view the video, just click on: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PjplS0UwwA.

The songs are catchy and the whole story is pretty touching in the sense that it draws on the themes of home and about how the USA is a land of immigrants. Children of these immigrants feel American but yet not quite...but yet, home is where the heart is. There also are struggles with one's identity, ambitions and culture. Sounds like Singapore, huh? IF you ever get the chance to go to New York, I highly recommend this musical. It's funny, cute and it entertains. It's no high brow musical with a soppy plot but its fun enough!

Went to watch La Cage aux Folles last night with my brother and it was FABULOUS! We were meant to watch it on Tues evening with 2 other friends but by the time they had both confirmed, the cheap GBP 10 tickets were all sold out, so we cancelled the whole thing. However, Gor and I really wanted to go watch it...so we went to lastminute.com at the last minute (haha...very corny I know) and managed to get GBP 15 tickets!! And guess what? Our tickets were FRONT ROW STALL seats!!! This is the first time I have been up close to the stage and able to see the actors' expressions etc.

Ok...anyway, about the musical...the story revolves around a nightclub owner, George, and his drag queen partner, where their lives are rocked when George's son is engaged to a right-wing politician's daughter. Hilarity ensues when the whole family tries to put on a face of normality when the in-laws visit for a day.

Just some side info, La Cage aux folle was originally a play and the French movie was released in 1978. It has since been remade into an American film called "The Birdcage" starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman and Nathan Lane. The musical was first staged in 2002.

I really really enjoyed myself last night. The music was good, the performers were fanatastic (except the actor who played the son...he was terrible) and the story was heartwarming. I enjoyed it A LOT more than Wicked. So, if you're dropping by in London before Jan 2010...you MUST MUST MUST go see La Cage aux Folles!!! It gets my 2 thumbs up and toes included! LOL :)

Hopefully, this will not be too long a post...kudos for those who ploughed through my previous posts!! Even if you just looked at the pictures, thank you!

Anyway, my Sunday started with us rushing to church (not unusual since church starts at 10am and its a 20min walk away from home. Being so tired from the previous day also meant that we were bordering on wanting to sleep in. To add, the church doesn't have any other timing on Sunday!! This makes me think back on Singapore where there are SOOOO many church go-ers that it is impossible to only have ONE mass on Sundays.

We took the scenic (but long) route home and we saw these ducks. So...that's how ducks sleep. They tuck their head under their wing and snooze. Wonder why...seems like some gymnastic feat.

After lunch at home, we went to Hyde Park since it was bright and relatively sunny (weather forecast was rain from 4am-4pm - it did rain in the wee hours of the morning but had stopped when we woke up).

This is the famous Speakers' Corner. Very crowded, with loads of people talking at the same time and people interacting with the speakers. Quite a few number of people were talking about religion (boooorrrrriiiiinnnng) and there was this nice young geek talking about the many mathematical theories on infinity (uh huh...no wonder he's a math major). A mini fight occurred because some guy insulted a lady by asking her to shut up and her boyfriend got all angry and shouted at that person. Mmm....such drama. Compare this to Hong Lim Park *snigger*.

Apparently, Britney Spears was at Speakers' Corner on the same day as us! We only read this in the newspaper the next day and no, unfortunately, we didn't see her. Britney Spears is here in London as she has a concert on today. There were reports on how her managers banned her from going clubbing and pubbing. Her dad was also locked out of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel one evening (he forgot his keys??). The Obamas were also here in London and they ate Fish & Chips in a pub in Mayfair (how posh..seriously, Mayfair??) and even went to watch The Lion King musical.

Back to Hyde Park. It is huge. Speakers' Corner is really, just one corner. We decided to walk to the other end to see Princess Diana's memorial fountain (I insisted on it) as well as to Gor wanted to bring me to this tea place near the Round Pond (creative with names, aren't they?). In the meanwhile, enjoy the pictures....


This is a memorial of Prince Albert, erected by Queen Victoria who lost her beloved to typhoid. Across the road is the Royal Albert Hall and just behind it is the Imperial College.

We finally walked towards the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain.

At first, I was expecting some grand, huge fountain with several mini fountains and a statue of Princess Diana or something like that.

Wanna know how it looks?

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Yup...that's it. Looks like a drain, doesn't it? This is the left arch and the right is just a mirror image. There are stone ledges on the sides where you can sit and take off your shoes and just soak your feet in it. Children were running in the fountain with much delight.

Bet you the water must've been cold. Yup, that's my foot! Was tempted to take off my shoes and just soak my poor tired feet in the water BUT the idea of putting wet feet back into dry shoes just turned me off.

Maybe I should've because it started raining afterwards and my shoes and feet ended up wet, cold and dirty. -__-