Soulless “Songs of the Sea” at Sentosa
September 10, 2011 1 Comment
My parents and my wife were huge fans of the old Musical Fountain and “Monkey Kiki” at Sentosa. It was grand, magical and powerful. Best of all, it was free for all to watch. Even after watching the old show so many times and many years later, we were still deeply mesmerized by its magic.
Last evening, my sister treated the whole family to the new “Musical Fountain”. We were all very excited. My parents, aunt & uncle were expecting another magical night. Unfortunately, the new show was a letdown and we left in disappointment.
Contrary to what the website said, Songs of the Sea fails to deliver “a mesmerizing show” with a live cast of boring and distracting performers who can’t lip-synced and synchronize with the dance steps and beats , out-dated visual effects, lasers and pyrotechnics! Poor storyline, too much talking in-between acts, awful eerie kelong huts settings, choppy music scene and unbelievable cheesy scripts, the 45-min Songs of the Sea fails to bring back the magic of the old Musical Fountain. It was flat (and disjointed) from the beginning to the end. The performers tried hard to get the audience to clap and participate – it was an appalling effort. The finale song “I did it” is pathetic – an anti-climax. (No wonder it drew such weak applause from the audience!). There is simply no connection between the performers and the screen behind. Unlike in the previous Musical Fountain, there was one star character and his animated sidekick “Kiki”. There was a surprise moment when the human character disappeared into the letter “O” and found himself in the magical world of special effects. Songs were upbeat and catchy.
Sorry Sentosa, this is certainly not worth SGD15 or even SGD10 to watch. In my opinion, it loses its claim as a “World Class Show”. This show is perfect for young kids but it fails to impress the adults. Especially for those who fell in love with the old grand Musical Fountain, there is nothing in this show that brings back the emotional-connection. I expected more with this new entry fee but what I got was worse than before. The creative and music director needs to know that he cannot conceal poor music and drama with water jets, flame bursts, lasers and pyrotechnics. It is bad in my view – it seems to me that the show producer wants a bit of everything. And no…the multiracial songs at the beginning don’t connect at all! I wonder if the tourists understand them. Skin-deep beauty doesn’t last long. It is the simple pure substance that connects the minds and touches the hearts.
Time to change the scripts and the scores. Rejuvenate the old charm and magic of our favorite Sentosa Musical Fountain. Bring back the soul and a good story. Don’t kid the audience with these “blings” and “bangs”! Leave the fireworks for the National Day Parade.
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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Completely agree with you.