2/09/2014

Les Miserables – A Singapore musical



 
The latest talk in town is about the two musicals commissioned to write about the life of LKY in time for the 50 year celebration next year. This has created a buzz unseen and unheard of in the arts scene for a long time. Even the winning of several awards by Anthony Chen with his Ilo Ilo movie pales in comparison. I just feel like dabbling and smoking about this new fuzz, oops, I mean buzz, and Sunday morning is about the best moment for such an intellectual or artistic pursuit or whatever you call it.

No, I don’t think I am up to it to write a musical. It is Greek to me and you need to be very talented individuals to do such a piece of work. Maybe Anthony or Jack Neo can have a go at it. Wait a minute, Jack Neo is Channel 8, so will be out of contention for sure unless the musical is to cater for the Chinese educated audience. That would put Ivan Heng a top contender for such a luminous project for his Channel 5 viewers.

The plots for the two musicals may have already been scripted by now. There must be plenty of plots and sub plots in the life of LKY to interest the audience. His life is the history of modern Singapore. Let’s hope the producers are not going to write about the founding of Singapore like they have done in every National Day or about the multi racial society. Have something new and novel. They are after all a musical and some fictions and dramatisation would be acceptable.

I think a musical in the likes of Les Miserables, Singapore version, on how LKY fought to liberate the people from poverty would be a nice one. We can see him taking to the streets fighting alongside the Hock Lee bus drivers or the port workers and with a finale showing how the lives of the workers have improved and become millionaires. And we can have Fish humming his favourite tune, ‘Do you hear the people sing’, with gusto in the background.

Did I hear ‘No’, I can feel so many people shaking their heads and giving me a dirty look. Why is that so? Ok, ok, let me try another title, ‘Showdown at the Cul de sac’. How about this, LKY taking his opponents one by one and coming out triumphant every time. We can bring in Donnie Yen or Sammo Hung to choreograph the fight scenes. The pinoy pacman would be in awe to see how the opponents were taken down and KO for good, while some simply fled the scene.

What? No good?  Too much violence? I thought violence sells. You people are hard to please. Or you prefer more mushy stuff like how he courted his wife and the never ending romance?

Ok, let me attempt another title, Fist fights in Parliament? This one would have historical values and history students would have a chance to see all the parliamentarians battling out in Parliament House. We can add some pepper and salt by introducing some fictional scenes of brawls and chairs throwing ala Taiwan style. Our celebrity MPs and ministers could also chip in, like Zorro with his whip or sword. Won’t that be dramatic and with a little comical distractions and reliefs?

Oh, the objections for this one is not so violent. Looks like I am getting somewhere. I hope the musicals would not make LKY look too wussy or less macho. Talking about this, I am sure the crying scene would be a must have. How to weave this into the plots? Should be no problem if the time frame goes back to the days of Malaysia. Can even include the singing of Negara Ku since musicals must have a lot of songs.

The possibilities and the amount of material available are so immense that two musicals would not do justice to this great leader. This reminds me of another possible title, ‘Dear Leader’. Ouch! Don’t you people have any sense of humour? Musicals can have many themes, sad, joyous, comedy, satirical, romance, corruption, injustice, oppression, historical or simply a musical with a lot of good music and theme songs. As long as the moral of the musical is good and a good ending. Better still if it can draw out the emotions of the people, with some having their hankies wet from tears, laughing or crying.

I can still hear Fish singing, ‘Do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry men. It is the music of a people, who would not be slaves again…’ How nice if LKY and Fish could sing this song together in the musical before the curtain falls and sing again for the encore.

Kopi level - Yellow

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

This two LKY musicals.
Where is the money going to come from?
PAP or Singaporean tax payers money?

Anonymous said...

I miss Fish's blog and his "Do you hear the people sing" clip. The old man behaves queerly in his sunset age with those mandarin dressing and publishes personal photo.

Anonymous said...

Where do you think the money for the parties in the Istana is coming from? Where do you think the money for the IMF is coming from

Anonymous said...

He needs to step down quietly and graciously. No need hoo ha.

patriot said...

My salute to Redbean aka Chua Chin Leng for suggesting having Fish(LATE BloggerFeedmetothefish) in the Planned Musicals. Fish sung well in his self composed song, so it is befitting for musicals. Fish liked to mention Lee Kuan Yew very much in his Blogs, such that having Fish in the Musicals will keep them in each others company eternally.
Personally, me likes the Crying Scene, especially precious if tears are shed by freedom fighter. Very touchy and it will enhance the Drama Effects of the Musicals.

Wish the Producer (s) of the Planned Musicals dedicated to LKY will consider the Suggestions by Redbean.

Cheers!

patriot

Anonymous said...

Any sedan chairs featured in these musicals.

After this, a musical concerto by a full symphonic orchestra to honour my beloved idol???

knnccb.... long live kuan yew, u the bestest. Until the fall of papigs, which will be a miracle.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I think the only musical worth plagiarising in this context is Willy Wonka/ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from the book by Road Dahl.

The parallels drawn are: the Oompah Loompah's are Singaporeans, the chocolate factory is Singapore -- full of promises of tasty goodies, but be forewarned: there are dangers lurking for those who "cheat".

Everyone wants the "Golden Ticket". That is the promise of "free-goodies" for life: as much chocolate you can eat and all the security and "happiness" the Chocolate Factory promises. However those who may already have "Golden Tickets" had better adhere to "the rules" made by "The Ruler", under threat of dire, often BRUTAL consequences delivered by the factory's "justice" system.

But like all good stories, the ending must be one of HOPE, and/ or the triumph of the morally upright over the morally corrupt.

Got sweet-tooth?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

I think the only musical worth plagiarising in this context is Willy Wonka/ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from the book by Road Dahl.

The parallels drawn are: the Oompah Loompah's are Singaporeans, the chocolate factory is Singapore -- full of promises of tasty goodies, but be forewarned: there are dangers lurking for those who "cheat".

Everyone wants the "Golden Ticket". That is the promise of "free-goodies" for life: as much chocolate you can eat and all the security and "happiness" the Chocolate Factory promises. However those who may already have "Golden Tickets" had better adhere to "the rules" made by "The Ruler", under threat of dire, often BRUTAL consequences delivered by the factory's "justice" system.

But like all good stories, the ending must be one of HOPE, and/ or the triumph of the morally upright over the morally corrupt.

Got sweet-tooth?

Anonymous said...

Now, wait a minute RB. After staying away from two CNY dinners, with medically unfit excuses, he is obviously not going to appear in any musical, even for the purpose of scolding or threatening someone. That I can be sure.

Give the man a break. He is already suffering. Unless you think he should be given a chance to say his last hurrah on MSM.

Anonymous said...

How ironic, if not sad. A musical about a "man" who single handedly stymied creativity.

Anonymous said...

A dozen dirty great big statues planted around the island next. Glory to the Dear Leader.

Anonymous said...

I think he deserved a film, not a musical, to be made about him.

In fact this idea was mooted in 2011. See http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Showbiz/Story/A1Story20110714-289217.html

But nothing heard of since then, tio bo? How come?

Maybe cannot find the right actor? Too difficult to make? So a musical is the next best thing lah?

Anonymous said...

Film, musical, books, dvd, youtube, commemorative stamps, coins, .... whatever
please do it with pap's money.
don't use singaporeans' money hor.

Anonymous said...

If it is a film about LKY, definitely a box office hit, at least in Sinkieland.

Even his latest book "One man's view of the world" launched in Aug 2013 even now is so fully reserved at all the libraries so what more a film, tio bo?

Anonymous said...

Hope it include scenes of his japenis master torturing Chinese n Angmoh during the japenis invasion

Also scene of comfort ladies forced to provide sexual acts


Knnccb.... without which, it will be fairy tales.

Anonymous said...

"Also scene of comfort ladies forced to provide sexual acts"

Cannot lah! Will be rated XXX. But, for the sake of glorifying the great leader, maybe the censors will allow it. Definitely a blockbuster of epic proportions.

JayF said...

Hong Kong Singer Fish Leong sang in Les Miserable?

How come I can't find the clip. Can anyone be so kind to give me a link.

b said...

Another attempt to waste taxpayers monies on some worthless events to glamorize a dictator?

b said...

Will not be surprised that most TH owned companies will sponsor those events to glamorize a traitor using the people money.

'But governments will use whatever technology is available to them to combat their primary enemy – which is their own population,' Noam Chowsky

Anonymous said...

They should also do a Chinese musical; if not a staged version, at least a movie version. Not enough creative talent to glorify the great man. No worry. Borrow the tunes from the hugely popular old Chinese musical - Third Sister Liu - but change the lyrics. The musical style can remain the same. No worries about funding if done by Jack Neo and produced by Raintree as even if it flopped at the box office, Mediacorp can show it ad nauseum on TV. And no prize for guessing the title of the musical - Big Brother Lee.

Saycheese

Anonymous said...

That why madame invested in ah neh Bollywood film companee.

Knnccb... I am glad that godifing my idol, kuan yew. Long live kuan yew.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha,

I guess when he pased away, some terracotta warriors who worshipped and idolised him will have to be buried with him.

Anonymous said...

You want LKY and Fish to sing together? Fish is already in the other world.

Anonymous said...

Actually the great sage is already featured in the four part SBS TV mini-series A Better Man about Van Nguyen aka The Baby of Death Row. There is a fat chance it will be shown in Sinkie TV.

Anonymous said...

A musical is nuts. LKY can sing meh? A remake of the movie "The Great Dictator"(one of Fish's favourites) would be more convincing and in character. Only need a Hitler misai under the nose for makeup.

Anonymous said...

Better to return people CPF at 55 as promised, rather handouts here a bit handout there a bit?

People will know how to calculate not so stupid, just to get a bit of handout here and there, they lost a whole lump sum of money, get some excuses don't how to handling their own money?

Maybe one percent don't how to handle their own money?

The reality is today massive influx of cheaper workers, put heavy pressure on the new citizens and the locals, and their children jobs?

More and different ways to let the older population to monetise their CPF and HDB like refinance it?

Many people know how to make much better returns then the CPF, except a few?

CPF is people blood, sweat and tear money, what for keep it for life can't be used?

Even they used finished people still got to work?

Ways like let people borrow out their CPF for their emergency use should be explored?

Let people refinance the houses?

With the advent of and saturation of hand held device come 2016 the main party votes could drop 20 percents from around 57(TP walkover) to 37 percents?

Today is not like last time many died hard fans can only get news from the state owned medias, most of the youngsters are internet savvy, they know how to share with those older persons with their hand held devices?

Together generations are educated not like the previous generation little educations, not just listen what you said don't go to find out the truth?

With the flawed policies not addressed like CPF locked up scheme, high inflations, 30K of new citizens everywhere, which seriously affected the population, Singapore is just a little red dot in the world?