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This piece of news is going to probably thrill all you fans of Star Wars!

Created by ILMxLAB and The VOID, friends can step inside the Star Wars universe together in a fully immersive experience unlike any other.

From a galaxy far, far away comes the first multi-sensory immersive experience of its kind in Asia that blurs the line between the physical and virtual world that you can explore with friends and companions.

It will be The VOID’s first venture outside of America and the UK, making this experience at Resorts World Genting the first in Asia. This location-based VR experience will be brought to new heights, quite literally at 6000 feet above sea level.  It will be one of the key attractions at the resort which received almost 25 million visitors last year. This will exist alongside dining and retail outlets as well as entertainment attractions that will include the upcoming indoor and outdoor theme parks.

Check out the trailer of this Hyper-Reality Star Wars™ VR Experience before you continue reading!

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will take guests through a breathtaking journey into the Star Wars universe allowing them to walk freely and untethered on an interactive stage. Reality and imagination mix to deliver fully immersive experiences that evoke all the senses, where guests will feel the impact of blaster bolts, smell the smoke from the surrounding environment, push buttons to solve an interactive puzzle to escape enemies, all while coordinating directly with their unit in real time through the blended virtual and physical world.

Under the orders of the rebellion, teams of four travel to the molten planet of Mustafar and sneak onto an Imperial Base. During the mission, you’ll encounter familiar Star Wars characters as you navigate dangers at every turn.

Craig Watson, Chairman of The VOID said: “The VOID’s hyper-reality experiences are taking people to worlds that, until now, only existed in their imaginations. The VOID is leading location-based entertainment to the next level. By making the impossible real and allowing guests to step into completely new and alternate realities.  In Star WarsSecrets of the Empire you can hear, feel, touch and even smell bringing them closer to the story, characters and places.”

I hope to share this as early as I could but because I was bound for Bangkok right after the show, I wasn’t able to. Now that I’m back, I hope to get this piece done so that you all don’t miss this great opportunity to catch “The Secret”, Jay Chou’s Jukebox Musical.

About “The Secret”- Jay Chou’s Jukebox Musical

Jay Chou’s “The Secret”, is a ground-breaking new Chinese musical blending the power of Jay Chou’s pop music with his award-winning film, into a fantastic engaging new Broadway musical format. Created by a Tony award-winning Broadway team, “The Secret” is a romantic, funny, heart-warming story about love and family; bridging time and space.

My Personal Thoughts & Opinions

I really enjoyed the production throughout and there were many moments when I broke out in laughter and tears. The casts did a wonderful job of engaging the audience and I really wouldn’t mind watching the show a second time. If you have watched Jay Chou’s movie, “Secret”; you might find the plot of the musical to be rather similar. However, not everything in the musical is the same as the movie and furthermore, the experience of watching a musical is definitely different from watching a movie. There were even times when I unknowingly started humming and singing to Jay Chou’s songs during the musical just because I was so immersed in the performance.

This is a passion, friendship, love, family and youth filled musical not to be missed! You will laugh, you will cry and you will sing; so get ready for a really good show and standby some tissue papers.

If you have not caught The Secret, Jay Chou’s Jukebox Musical; don’t miss this opportunity and book your tickets as the show closes this Sunday!

Synopsis

THE SECRET is an adaptation of Chinese pop star Jay Chou’s multi award-winning directorial debut, Secret. THE SECRET’s storyline is a travel through time with a student and piano major, Xianglun, and the beautiful and mysterious Xiaoyu, his fellow student. A beautiful romantic love story unfolds as the secret that connects them is revealed.

Created by award-winning Broadway team, the musical features Jay Chou’s 25 most famous songs – Clear Stars <<星晴>>, Listen to Mother’s Words <<听妈妈的话>>, Simple Love <<简单爱>>, The Tea Grandpa Makes <<爷爷泡的茶>>, Rooftop <<屋顶>>, The Fragrance of Rice <<稻香>>, Nocturnes <<夜曲>>, and Fine Day <<晴天>>, Dandelion’s Promise <<蒲公英的约定>> in addition to hilarious large scale production numbers of Sailors Afraid of Water <<水手怕>> and Cowboy is Very Busy <<牛仔很忙>>.

The entertainment industry is not for the faint-hearted. The road to fame and fortune is littered with broken dreams and for every success story, there are a thousand people who never made it as a professional actor. This is not to say you won’t ever make a living in the industry, but it’s important to maintain a sense of realism. Most successful actors spend many years in the wilderness before they score their lucky break – and often, “luck” is what it takes to be a success.

Despite the trials and tribulations that you will almost certainly face in your quest to be an actor, with talent and determination, you can have a career treading the boards on stage or on a TV or movie set. Here’s what you need to know to get your career off to a flying start.

Start Early

If acting is in your blood, you will be a performer from a very young age. You are unlikely to go into the industry if performing in front of an audience makes your blood run cold; so take every opportunity to score parts in school plays, amateur theatre groups, and any other venues where you can hone your talent.

Learn the Right Skills

Acting is a job like any other, so you will need the right skills. Going to drama school is a tried and tested route into the entertainment industry, so if you are still at school but have a burning desire to act, now would be a good time to look at suitable schools where your talent can be nurtured. This acting school can help mould you into a performer – they offer day and night classes and you can pay weekly.

You don’t need to be a young and gifted entertainer to benefit from acting classes. Anyone can sign up. It’s a great way to learn new skills and learn about up-and-coming casting calls. You may even be spotted by a casting director, agent, or producer!

Build a Resume

The more experience you have, the better, so apply for as many acting jobs as possible. Even if you aspire to work in the theatre, don’t dismiss other types of work, as all experience counts. A full resume is much better than a sparsely populated resume unless you are just starting out, of course.

Hire an Agent

In the early days, you won’t need an agent, but if you take your career seriously, an agent will prove invaluable. Their job is to maximise their network of contacts in the industry to get you auditions for suitable roles. Many auditions won’t be advertised, so without an agent, you wouldn’t know about them.

Network

Work hard to build a network of contacts within the industry. Thanks to social media, this is now easier than ever. Build your brand by creating a website and keeping it updated with news, links to your work product, and anything else that might catch the eye of a producer or casting director.

If acting is your dream, don’t give up. You will have your chance to shine!

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a 2017 American action adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Kasdan, Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, from a story by McKenna. A standalone sequel to Jumanji (1995), the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Bobby Cannavale. The film is also a tribute to Robin Williams, star of the original film, who died in 2014.

In July 2012, rumours emerged that a remake of the film Jumanji was already in development. While many fans theorised whether the film was a sequel or a reboot, the second trailer, which was released on September 20, 2017, revealed that the film takes place over twenty years after the events of the first film.

Principal photography began in September 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii and filming wrapped in Atlanta, Georgia in December 2016.

While many people would refer Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle as Jumanji 2, I prefer the former.

Not wanting to spoil the movie for those who haven’t watched it yet, the following is a plot summary of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

In the brand new adventure Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the tables are turned as four teenagers in detention are sucked into the world of Jumanji. When they discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of, they are immediately thrust into the game’s jungle setting, into the bodies of their avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji –Jumanji plays you. They’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, or they’ll be stuck in the game forever….

My personal opinion of the film?

Jacqueline and I totally enjoyed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and we had such a hilarious time throughout the movie that we found ourselves laughing quite a lot. It wasn’t difficult for the film to captivate our attention and we were so well-absorbed that our time at the cinema seemed like a roller-coaster ride that ended way too soon.

The familiar star-studded cast also portrayed their characters really well and when you combine Kevin Hart and Jack Black in the line-up, you can expect lots of humour and laughter. While a large part of the film was coherent; I didn’t quite like how the film turned out towards the end because a lot of details were missing.

Nonetheless, if you want a fun time at the cinema, I will definitely recommend this adventure-comedy film that guarantees lots of laughter.

Get your movie tickets here!


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The ADDAMS FAMILY is bringing their entire clan, whether living, dead or undecided, to the MES Theatre at Mediacorp. Direct from the UK, this production showcases a brand new orchestration and presentation you will not want to miss!

Written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, the creators of multi award-winning Jersey Boys, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa; THE ADDAMS FAMILY musical comedy features an original story and every father’s nightmare. Wednesday Addams, the princess of darkness, has grown up and kept a shocking secret that only

Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love with a sweet smart young man from a normal respectable family! And if that weren’t upsetting enough, Wednesday confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keeping this secret from his beloved wife, Morticia.

Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s ‘normal’ boyfriend and his parents. Two different worlds are about to collide. Will love triumph, or will everyone go home vaguely depressed?

Our Take On THE ADDAMS FAMILY

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Musical Comedy is witty, funny, and there is never a dull moment. The stage props and settings are intricately designed and all the casts put up such a splendid performance that it did not feel like we sat for 2.5 hours.

However, on the flip side; we don’t know if it’s just us but we feel that the sound quality did not do the musical much justice. We’re not sure if it is due to the poor acoustics of the venue or the audio equipment set-up but we are quite certain that there is definitely some sound issues that need to be ironed out.

Having delighted hundreds of thousands of theatregoers in the UK, THE ADDAMS FAMILY musical comedy is a great theatre visit for both the young and old. If you need a happy pill, THE ADDAMS FAMILY is it!

Come and enjoy the great performance of the supremely talented cast, a fantastic musical score, big dance numbers and fun packed script today!

TICKETING AND SHOW INFORMATION

SEASON:

15 November to 3 December 2017

PERFORMANCE TIMES:                

Tuesday to Friday:        8:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday:      2:30 pm & 8:00 pm

TICKET PRICE:                        

From $65

BOOKINGS:

INTERNET:  www.sistic.com.sg

One of the world’s best-loved musicals, “THE SOUND OF MUSIC” is now showing at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands to a star-studded affair, with tickets to the critically acclaimed show being the hottest in town. Due to popular demand, the season has also been extended and will run until 3 December 2017.

This highly-acclaimed production comes from the home of West End musical theatre – the famous London Palladium – where the lavish and dazzling show celebrated a record-breaking 954 performances and was seen by over two million people.  In Singapore, the show played to almost 70,000 people during its five-week season in July/August 2014.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changes the lives of the widowed Captain von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, culminating in the family’s escape across the Austrian mountains as tensions rise prior to the outbreak of World War II.

With its unforgettable score, THE SOUND OF MUSIC touches the hearts of all ages and contains some of the most memorable songs ever performed on the musical theatre stage including My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Edelweiss, The Lonely Goatherd, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, and of course the glorious title song The Sound of Music.

Additionally, eighteen of Singapore’s most able young actors and actresses will play the coveted roles of six of the seven von Trapp children, with three children chosen to alternate each character. The children come from all corners of Singapore and will perform in rotation throughout the season as the small and cute Gretl, the brothers Friedrich and Kurt, as well as their sisters Marta, Brigitta, and Louisa.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC’S original score is a result of the genius output of composer Richard Rodgers collaborating with the lyricist and librettist Oscar Hammerstein. The original 1959 Broadway production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was Rogers and Hammerstein’s biggest success.  The 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews as Maria won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and remains one of the most popular movies of all time.

Our Take On THE SOUND OF MUSIC

The SOUND OF MUSIC is truly a classic and although it was our first time watching the SOUND OF MUSIC musical, we enjoyed the splendid performance so much that we could not stop humming to the songs.  In fact, watching the musical reminded us of the awesome time we had in Europe and we wouldn’t mind watching the Sound of Music a second time.

If you are keen to know the real story of the Von Trapp Family after watching the Sound of Music musical, you can check it out here. If you’re travelling to the United States and you have been inspired by the Sound of Music musical, you can visit the Trapp Family Lodge owned by the Von Trapp Family.


TICKETING AND SHOW INFORMATION

SEASON:

7 November to 2 December 2017

PERFORMANCE TIMES:        

Tuesday to Friday:        7:30pm

Saturday:                       2:00pm and 7:30pm

Sunday:                          1:00pm and 6:00pm

TICKET PRICE:                

From $65*

* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket

BOOKINGS:

INTERNET:  www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing or www.sistic.com.sg

PHONE:   +65 6688 8826

IN PERSON AT:

Marina Bay Sands Box Offices (Museum, Theatres, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 Lobby).

I’m not sure if anyone has heard or is familiar with the West Side Story musical but when I first heard about it; I was pretty much clueless and have I not done some reading up before the musical, I probably would not have appreciated it.

Described as ‘The No.1 Greatest Musical of all Time’ by The Times, UK; West Side Story is inspired by William Shakespeare’s tumultuous love story (Romeo and Juliet), and set amidst the vicious rivalry of teenage gangs in 1950s New York.

The Plot:

The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. The members of the Sharks, from Puerto Rico, are taunted by the Jets, a white gang. The young protagonist, Tony, a former member of the Jets and best friend of the gang’s leader, Riff, falls in love with Maria, the sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks.

In Short:

A boy. A girl. Two rival gangs. One fatal love affair. 

The dark theme, sophisticated music, extended dance scenes, and its focus on social problems changed the face of American musical theatre forever when it burst onto the Broadway stage in 1957.

To better appreciate West Side Story, I highly recommend that you do some prior reading so that you have some context about the musical; otherwise, you might pull a “sian” face like the many new “influencers” I saw during the intermission.

Personally, I enjoyed the performance very much and having travelled to both North and South America; I really like the authentic setting of the musical.

The West Side Story musical is now showing at the Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands till 30 September 2017.

Ticket prices start from SGD$55 and if you’re a student or NSF, you can get a ticket for just SGD$35 nett!

Get your tickets here now!

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I have always been fascinated by circus shows and you can imagine my excitement when we were invited to the opening premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA. Located under the noticeable-from-afar blue and yellow Big Top Tent just beside Marina Bay Sands, KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world. 

A return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil, KOOZA combines two circus traditions; an acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. The show highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendour and fragility, presented in a colourful mélange that emphasises bold slapstick humour.

There are ten acrobatic acts, supplemented by other minor acts that develop the storyline and the name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza,” which means “box,” “chest” or “treasure,” and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box.”

“KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad,” says the show’s writer and director David Shiner. “The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it’s very much about ideas, too. As it evolves, we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power.” The show starts with the Trickster bursting onto the scene like a jack-in-the-box in front of The Innocent, and that’s just the first of many surprises to come. The Innocent’s journey brings him into contact with a panoply of comic characters such as the King, the Trickster, the Heimloss, the Obnoxious Tourist and his Bad Dog.

Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA explores themes of identity, recognition and power. The show is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement. No amount of words can truly define and clearly articulate the immersive experience that I had when watching KOOZA because it is by far the most enjoyable circus performance that I have watched. I was so absorbed with the clever storytelling by the six primary characters who are central to the narrative and I felt like I was on an emotional roller-coaster ride; one where I experienced fear, insecurity, thrill, warmth, joy, hope, and sadness (especially when the show ended all too soon). 

Fun Facts

  • KOOZA has more than 175 costumes and 160 hats. Counting all of the shoes, props, wigs and such, the total number of wardrobe pieces is 1,080.
  • The stage has one major component, a traveling tower dubbed the “bataclan.” The decoration for the bataclan is inspired by Hindu culture, Pakistani buses and Indian jewelry. The large fabric structure behind the bataclan is organic in nature, as it’s printed with a motif resembling the internal structure of leaves.

Cast

Although there are many performers in KOOZA, there are six primary characters who are central to the narrative:

    • The Trickster: Created the world that is KOOZA for the Innocent.
    • The Innocent: Is eager to learn about the world he is in, yet discovers many unexpected things.
    • The King: Plays the king of fools, and is seen with his sidekicks, the clowns.
    • Clowns: The two court clowns are the King’s footmen.
    • Heimloss: Is in charge of all the mechanical machinery in KOOZA.
    • The Bad Dog: The dog is not trained at all, but does become drawn to the Innocent and becomes his companion.

    Acrobatic Acts

    1. Charivari: The first act in the show sees the house troupe creating human towers, and using other circus apparatus such as a Chinese pole.

    2. Contortion: A trio use balance, strength and flexibility in this jaw dropping feat of contortion.

    3. Aerial Hoop: A lone performer performs with an aerial hoop.

    4. Unicycle Duo: A couple waltz on a unicycle, the woman balances on top of the man while he simultaneously rides the unicycle.

    5. Double Highwire: A quartet walk a high wire using props such as bicycles, a chair and even fencing swords.

    6. Wheel of Death: Arguably the most dangerous act in the show, it involves a pendulum with two hamster wheel like walkways at each end. On these walkways two performers jump, leap and skip rope inside and even outside the wheel.

    7. Hoop Manipulation: A high caliber hoops act, Irina Akimova weaves spinning hoops around her body.

    8. Balancing On Chairs: A large stack of chairs that tower on the stage are put to the test by an artist who performs a balancing act at the top of the pile.

    9. Teeterboard: The final act in the show, it is performed by the house troupe. In this act a performer stands on one end of the teeter board until they are sent flying up by two performers who land on the opposite end. The performer somersaults and lands onto a mat or a tower of people, sometimes the performer even wears stilts.

    10. Cyr Wheel: Used as a back-up; One person spins and rotates while in a large metal ring.

    Ticketing

    Do book your tickets early through SISTIC as they are expected to sell out pretty fast and KOOZA will only be here in Singapore till 20 August 2017. Ticket prices start from SGD$88 and there are discounts available if you are a DBS/POSB Card Holder or if you go for the Family Package. For more information about ticket prices and ticket availability, click here!

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    You know the story; it’s the middle of the week and you are already wishing the weekend was here. But think about how you have been spending those weekends. I bet you are like most of us in that you say you are going to get all kinds of things done once the weekend arrives, and then you spend 90% of the time in your sweats binge watching Netflix or reruns on television. Hey! That is no way to live. It’s time to take back your weekend and do some exciting things with it! Try some of these activities to keep yourself occupied this weekend.

    Find a Music Festival

    Few things in life are better than listening to live music. It just soothes the soul. People love to gather and have a drink together, and listen to their favourite bands, and discover some new favourites. There are lots of fun music activities to check out in your area, so get moving and find out which one you and your buds are going to spend your time at.

    Adventure Hiking

    You don’t have to be a professional hiker to enjoy the great outdoors. Start out on a flat trail and bring a friend for company. Get some exercise under your belt, some fresh air in your lungs, and you’ll start enjoying the weekend more right away. Don’t forget to pack some water and a few snacks. Make a day of it and you’ll be hooked on a new hobby in no time.

    Take on a Do-it-Yourself Project

    Nothing says the weekend like a DIY project! What have you been meaning to tackle around the house? What are you tired of putting off? Make a plan to get something crossed off your list this weekend. It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking; you just have to get it started. Make a point to schedule some more time throughout the week, or over the next few weekends to continue to work on any projects that might spill over beyond this weekend. But at least, get it started. You won’t regret spending your weekend making your house more of a home.

    Play Tourist in Your Own Locality

    Even if you have lived in Singapore your entire life, there are still places to see and things to do that you haven’t done yet! There are probably even streets you haven’t walked down. Get out and start seeing the place you call home. Or if you haven’t been to a favourite spot in a while, make time to revisit that place this weekend. There are parks everywhere, and some parks have interesting events going on almost every week, so even if you’ve been there a hundred times, it’ll be different this weekend. Start with that if you don’t know what else to do!

    If you need some inspiration, do check out National Parks Singapore!

    Whatever you decide to spend this weekend doing, make sure it is making you happy. Sitting in front of the television never made anyone happy. It kills us slowly. Don’t do it. Get out and see the world. Make your time off from your job count. Happy weekending!

    Staving off the boredom that strikes you can quickly become your number one priority when you’re stuck for things to do. But there are plenty of entertainment hacks that will keep you busy. You just need to get creative and make sure that you have the right ideas and know the right tricks. The ideas below will help you get started.

    Try Free Online Games and Get Engrossed

    The internet is packed full of so many great free games, you just need to make the most of them. You can easily get lost in these games once you get started. Of course, these are not the very best games in the world. If they were, you wouldn’t be able to play them for free on your internet browser. But that doesn’t mean that they should be dismissed either. If they hold your attention and keep you occupied, then they are certainly worth investing some time in. So, try to make sure that you give these games a chance the next time you’re bored. You might be surprised by what you find.

    Image Source

    Get Lost in a Netflix Series That You’ve Never Seen Before

    There are so many fantastic shows on Netflix, and you should give them a try when you’re bored. Yes, starting a show that has dozens of episodes can be pretty daunting to begin with. But once you get started, you won’t be able to peel your eyes off the TV screen. That’s the joy of getting lost in these modern series. They grip you, and they never let go. You can go to www.securethoughts.comif you want to view these things for free. If you’ve never paid attention to the long form TV series that people rave about, now is the time to change all that.

    Invest in a Home Cinema Setup

    This is not something that will help you improve your entertainment options right this second. But by investing in a great home cinema setup, you will be able to make sure that you have all the right things in place to ensure boredom doesn’t become a problem again in the future. It can be costly to make this kind of investment in your home entertainment setup, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go for it. It could turn out to be one of the best things that you ever do. Go to  gizmodo.com/set-up-your-home-theater if you want to learn more about doing this.

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    Go Back to Basics and Play a Game with the Family

    Going back to basics can also yield fantastic results when you want to stave off the boredom and get everyone enjoying each other’s company in your home. There is often nothing better than getting together as a family to have fun and play a game. It can be something as simple as an old board game. Often, the old ones are the best when it comes to games. So, give it a shot and have fun collectively in your household if you can.

    We hope that these entertainment hacks will help you to stave off the boredom and if you have any other fantastic ideas and suggestions, do share it with us in the comments section below!