In case you’re wondering, The Phantom of the Opera is a musical that tells a heart-wrenching story of the mysterious, hideously disfigured Phantom who lives beneath the Paris Opera House, and his obsession with the young singer Christine. Disguised as the ‘Angel of Music’ he devotes himself to creating a new opera star, and winning her love from his rival, Raoul, while exercising a reign of terror over the Opera House.
The theatre was packed with people even before the performance commence.
The really beautiful and stunning stage decoration.
The team from The Phantom of the Opera has performed in Singapore at the Kallang Theatre in 1995 and at the Esplanade Theatre in 2007. This year, The Phantom of the Opera will be showing at the Marina Bay Sands, Mastercard Theatre and they will performing here in Singapore till 25 August 2013!
Now, if you haven’t watch The Phantom of the Opera before, you absolutely have to catch it! Even as we’re typing this blog post, recalling our experience certainly gives us the goosebumps because it was our first time watching The Phantom of the Opera and it has left quite a lasting impression on us. In fact, we felt our emotions running high when we were in the theatre watching the splendid performance.
A photo with the suave Anthony Downing whom acted as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera.
With 130 cast, crew and orchestra members, jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects, and more than 230 stunning costumes, The Phantom of the Opera contains some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous and stirring music.
Music of the Night is our all-time favourite music in The Phantom of the Opera.
To be honest, The Phantom of the Opera is a show that you must catch at least once in your lifetime. As for us, we will definitely be catching it the next time it returns to Singapore or if we’re travelling overseas to London/New York.
The Phantom of the Opera is the world’s most successful and popular musical, and the longest-running show on Broadway. It celebrated its 27th anniversary on the West End stage last year, and continues to play to full houses nightly in London, New York and around the world. The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by over 130 million people worldwide, has been performed in more than 27 countries, has won over 50 major theatre awards, and has grossed more than US$5.6 billion.
The Phantom of the Opera is truly God’s gift to musical theatre.
Don’t miss this rare chance to catch such an awesome production right here in Singapore because nobody knows when The Phantom of the Opera would return to haunt Singapore again. So hurry along and book your tickets fast because it will definitely be a sell-out event!
Here are some details that you might like to take note of.
VIP [includes drink + programme] – S$230 A Reserve – S$165 B Reserve – S$145 C Reserve – S$125 D Reserve – S$95 E Reserve – S$55 VIP Box (4 Seats) – S$920 [includes drink + programme] Box Seats (2 Seats) – $250
Restricted Views F Reserve – S$165 G Reserve – S$145
Tickets can be purchased from the ticketing counters at Marina Bay Sands or via the hotline phone number, 6688-8826. For greater convenience and accessibility, you can also purchase the tickets through Base Entertainment Asia’s Website.
It was my first time to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands and I am really thankful for the wonderful opportunity to be there to view the two current exhibitions that are on display, The Art of the Brick and Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb.
The Art of the Brick was on display since 17 November 2012 and from what I heard, the exhibition was supposed to wrap up last month but it has been extended till 26 May 2013 due to popular demand.
The Art of the Brick is deemed as CNN’s 12 ‘Must-see Exhibitions’ and it showcases 52 large-scale LEGO sculptures by New York-based artist, Nathan Sawaya.
When I was there, I must admit that the works by Nathan Sawaya were really thought-provoking and reading the short description that accompanied each of Nathan’s work really challenged my thinking.
In this piece entitled ‘Swimmer’, Nathan used 10,980 LEGO bricks and took 15 days to create it in 2009. As you can see from the picture, the piece can only be seen above the surface and Nathan challenges viewers’ imagination to fill in the rest of the sculpture below the surface.
Inspired by the changes that takes place on his journeys, Nathan created this piece entitled ‘Yellow’ in 2006 and it is probably one of his best known piece. Nathan used 11,014 LEGO bricks to create this piece.
Nathan made use of 3,720 recycled LEGO bricks to create this piece entitled ‘Peaces’ in 2010. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “What does it take to create Peaces? It takes many pieces. And all the colours in the world working together”.
I particularly like this piece entitled ‘Mask’ which was created in 2007 using 18,509 LEGO bricks. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “Masks are used by just about every culture on the planet. They keep things hidden and show only the face we want others to see. I build Mask as a reflection of revealing our true selves. So often we put on a different face and then can no longer identify our own self. Mask identifies the facade we hide behind”.
There is this other piece entitled ‘Grasp’ that I also like. It was created in 2007 using 17,356 LEGO bricks and the description that accompanied this sculpture says, “No matter where your heart wants to lead you, there will be hands that try to hold you back. Life’s challenge is to find the strength to break free. I created this sculpture in response to so many people telling me ‘No’ in my life. I wanted to break free of those people”.
The highlight of the exhibition would probably be this piece entitled ‘Dinosaur Skeleton’ which was created in 2007 using 80,020 LEGO bricks. The description that accompanied this sculpture says, “This is one of the largest sculptures I have ever made. It took an entire summer to build and nearly drove me crazy trying to make it work. After seeing so many kids flock to my first solo exhibition, I wanted to give back something and create a sculpture that children would enjoy. What could be better than a dinosaur?”
After looking at all the pieces that were on display, I was truly inspired by Nathan Sawaya because his works are not only thought-provoking but it really sends a strong message that transcends our core inner being. What is shown in this blog entry is just a few of the many wonderful pieces that were on display at The Art of the Brick and really, you should check it out if you haven’t because it will only be here in Singapore till 26 May 2013.
The Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb is the latest exhibition at the ArtScience Musuem and it will be here till 4 November 2013.
At the exhibition, the secrets of the mysterious Egyptian burial practices and mummification process will be revealed in technologically-advanced detail and it pairs mummies and artifacts culled from the extensive and famed Egyptian collection of the British Museum with an innovative 3D film experience that captures the “virtual unwrapping” of the Egyptian mummy.
As I wasn’t allowed to take any photographs when I was there, I have obtained permission from a fellow writer, superadrianme.com,to use the pictures that he took when he attended the media showcase.
There’s a host of engaging and hands-on opportunities that are available to visitors of all ages and this includes an interactive Embalming Workshop that will shed light on the various steps and rituals that comprised the embalming, mummification, and cartonnage procedures of the time.
Visitors will also be able to take part in a specially-designed exhibition quest through age-appropriate activity bags containing a host of engaging activities and tools that are directly related to the artifacts on display. Among these are jigsaw puzzles, creative games, and magnifying glasses to help young Egyptologists complete various challenges.
With the use of the most advanced and cutting-edge scanning technology, details about Nesperennub’s life and death and images of him with regards to how he looked like 3,000 years ago were retrieved without opening the coffin or disturbing Nesperennub’s wrappings .
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb will showcase more than 100 stunning artifacts and six mummies in total.
Among the other mummies on display in the exhibition is the mummy of Tjayasetimu, a singer in the temple of Amun, whom died when she was still a child, around 800 BC. Her carefully embalmed body has been enclosed in a cartonnage case representing her with the golden face of a divine being, and with her hands, feet and arms partly freed from the traditional mummy wrappings.
Unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the mummy of Tjayasetimu.
For me personally, I had an enriching time at Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb and to be able to see for myself all the Egyptian mummies and artifacts that has a history dating back to more than 3000 years ago is truly an experience that is really amazing. This is perhaps one of the rarest opportunity that I have to get a slice of Egyptian history without having to travel all the way to Egypt.
My Thought After Visiting the ArtScience Musuem:
Honestly, I really enjoyed both the exhibitions and it was truly an enriching time for me. As a matter of fact, I would highly recommend you to purchase tickets for both the exhibitions because not only is it cheaper, it provides the greatest value as well. With that being said, the prices for the souvenirs were exorbitant and as much as I wanted to buy some souvenirs for keepsake, I decided that it was not worth the money. Nevertheless, do go catch these two exhibitions because they are truly awesome.
Guided Tours
Guided tours are conducted in English and Mandarin on Saturdays and Sundays. Each guided tour takes up to 20 people and is on a first come first served basis. Stickers will be given out 5 minutes before the tour time.
The Art of the Brick
Meeting Point:
Exhibition entrance at the Upper Galleries (Level 3)
English Tours:
Saturdays, 11.30am
Sundays, 5.30pm
Additional sessions: 1 & 24 May, 2pm
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb
Meeting Point:
Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb Galleries (Level B2) It is recommended that visitors view the 3D film before joining the tour.
English Tours:
Saturdays, 5:30pm
Sundays, 11:30am
Additional sessions: 1 & 24 May, 4pm
Mandarin Tours:
Saturdays, 3pm & 6pm
Sundays, 3pm & 6pm
Additional sessions: 24 May, 3pm & 6pm
How to Get to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands:
You can get there via the following modes of transportation: MRT, Bus, Taxi and Car. The nearest MRT Station would be Bayfront Station [Circle Line] and the buses which stop at Bayfront Avenue are 97, 97E, 133, 133M, 502, 518, and 106.
If you’re travelling by car, the nearest car park is the North Car Park at Marina Bay Sands and the parking rates are $6 for the 1st hour and $1 for the next subsequent 30 minutes, up to a maximum charge of $26 from 7am to 7pm.
If you are planning to drive there, I strongly suggest that you park your car at Gardens By The Bay and then take a 15-20 minutes walk over to the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands. The parking rates for Gardens By The Bay is $0.025 per minute for the first 5 hours and $0.05 per minute thereafter from 5am to 6pm. This is way cheaper than parking your car at Marina Bay Sands.
The world’s most successful and longest-running show on Broadway, “The Phantom of the Opera” is returning to Singapore and the award-winning musical is set to take Singapore by storm when the show opens on 16 July for a STRICTLY LIMITED season at The MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. [Image Courtesy of Base Entertainment Asia]
Previously, The Phantom of the Opera experienced a sold-out season not just in Singapore but also in Shanghai and Seoul in 2007; so if you are planning to catch it, be sure to book your tickets fast as it will definitely be selling like hotcakes.
If you have never heard of The Phantom of the Opera and you don’t know what is it all about, The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius known only as ‘The Phantom’ who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerised by the talent and beauty of a young soprano, Christine, the Phantom lures her as his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her. Unaware of Christine’s love for Raoul, The Phantom’s obsession sets the scene for a dramatic turn of events where jealousy, madness and passions collide.
The Phantom of the Opera is a timeless, romantic and much-loved musical that has been honoured with seven prestigious New York Tony Awards including Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Olivier Awards. The Phantom of the Opera has also been seen by over 130 million people worldwide, in more than 27 countries, has grossed more than US$5.6 billion, and has won over 50 major theatre awards.
With 130 cast, crew and orchestra members, jaw-dropping scenery, breathtaking special effects and more than 230 costumes by international designer, the late Maria Björnson, The Phantom of the Opera contains some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most famous and stirring music, including “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Music of the Night”, “Angel of Music” and “All I Ask of You”.
The Music of the Night in The Phantom of the Opera [my personal favourite]
Tickets will be on sale to Mastercard Priceless members from 25 March 2013 and general public ticket sales will start from 4 April 2013. Ticket prices start from SGD$55 for the lowest category up to SGD$230 for the highest category. Prices EXCLUDES the booking fee of SGD$3 per ticket.
Showtimes for Tuesday to Friday is at 8pm. For showtimes on both Saturday and Sunday, there will be two sessions that will take place at 2pm and 8pm.
Alternatively, you can book by phone via the number 6688-8826 or book in person at Marina Bay Sands Box Offices [Museum, Theaters, SkyPark, Retail Mall and Hotel Tower 1 and 3 Lobby]
Corporate and Group Bookings are available via Showbiz so for corporate and group bookings, you can email to the following address at corporate@showbizasia.com or call 6688-1029
Don’t miss out on The Phantom of the Opera when it returns to Singapore on 16 July 2013 for a limited season!
