Don't miss A SINGAPOREAN IN PARIS, the brand new musical revue created by Sing'theatre, which produced the very successful No Regrets: A Tribute to Edith Piaf in 2007 and whose 2008 production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris also met with rave reviews.

 

This one-of-a-kind musical revue features top Singapore artists singing songs from some of the greatest French songwriters and performers - Michel Legrand, Charles Aznavour, and Gilbert Becaud, to name just a few. Many of these songs are well known in both French and English, and have been sung by equally beloved international legends such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, Sting, and Elton John,.

The show revolves around the experience of a Singaporean performer (Hossan LEONG) who travels to Paris to chase his dream of performing in a cabaret. He navigates his way around a new city, language and culture and finds himself in the company of other Singaporeans pursuing their own dreams and overcoming their own hurdles in the City of Light. Paris and Parisians are not always what he expects; romance is not always with wine and accordions; a simple encounter can spark a life-long love affair and when there is a grève (strike), it means you probably have to walk!

The audience will be transported on the melodies of songs like "My Way", "What Now My Love", and "I Will Wait for You" into the heart of a Parisian cabaret where, guided by Hossan Leong, they will be joined by the crème de la crème of Singapore artists - Emma YONG, Robin GOH, George CHAN and Leigh McDONALD. Accompanied by a four-piece musical ensemble, A SINGAPOREAN IN PARIS will be a passionate evening of musical celebration.

To develop the show, Sing'theatre conducted extensive interviews with Singaporeans who have lived or are still living in France. What attracts, what frustrates, what confuses, what delights, all comes out in A Singaporean in Paris in monologues and scenes that are alternately comical and meaningful. The Singaporeans in the audience will get a bit of an education about day-to-day Parisian life, and the French in the audience will see their country through another set of eyes. Everyone in the audience will be entertained by the story and the characters, and above all by the wide range of musical styles and inspired lyrics of the best of French Chanson.

Sing'theatre's artistic director, Nathalie Ribette, has handpicked a creative team that reflects Sing'theatre's philosophy of multiculturalism. Director Christina Sergeant left the United States to study theatre in Paris before moving to Singapore and directing and performing in innumerable productions ranging from mime to improvisation to commedia dell'arte. Writer and improvisational comedian Alison Lester, an American, teaches improvisation to musical theatre students at LaSalle College of the Arts – and has a small apartment on the edge of Paris herself. Choreographer George Chan, who also choreographed and starred in Jacques Brel, will set his dance moves to the musical arrangements of Elaine Chan, probably the most sought after musical director in Singapore.

Sing'Theatre would like to deeply thank BNP Paribas Personal Investors for being its presenting sponsor for the fourth consecutive year and renewing their confidence in the wonderful job delivered by French producer Nathalie Ribette. It was even more meaningful for the bank to sponsor this year's musical as it evokes two cities it has long and strong relations with: Singapore where BNP Paribas opened its first office in 1968, and Paris, where its roots are and which even gave the bank part of its name.