Esplanade Theatres on the Bay opens festival

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Singapore

The grand opening of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay/Singapore, kicks off on Oct. 12 with the premiere performance of the contemporary dance piece Reminiscing the Moon, presented by the renowned Singapore Dance Theater (SDT) in a specially commissioned choreography by acclaimed Indonesian choreographer Boi G. Sakti.

A world premiere, Reminiscing the Moon is for invitees only on Oct. 12, but is open to the public on Oct. 13. Dealing with the state of women in modern Asian society, it is the first such collaborative venture on this subject.

On the same date, the Esplanade opening will be celebrated outdoors with a fiesta of events on the waterfront featuring, among others, a 30-minute multi-media show of abseiling artists, fireworks and bumboats in Marina Bay.

Other world premieres in this grand one-month-long festival to mark the opening of the US$600 million Esplanade Theatres on the Bay include the Singapore Repertory Theatre's musical presentation titled The Forbidden City: Portrait of an Empress (Oct. 17-Oct. 19), and a symphonic fantasy epic co-produced by Esplanade and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra: Marco Polo and Princess Blue.

The Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, which cover six hectares of prime waterfront land in Marina Bay and is located amid Singapore's civic district, seem to be intent on becoming the center of the arts in Southeast Asian and beyond.

At least, this is the impression one gets from the program for the one-month-long opening festival, with the highlights including concerts featuring the London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Kurt Masur and guest solo violinist Sarah Chang (Oct. 14, 15, 16); the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (Nov. 2-Nov. 3); Cantonese Opera from Hong Kong featuring renowned Cantonese opera diva Mui Suet See and her troupe (Oct. 21-Oct. 23), Cesaria Evora from Cape Verde, who is also known as the Queen of Morna (Oct. 19), and Svar Sangam - Confluence of Sounds from India, which brings together Dr L Subramaniam on the violin and Amjad Ali Khan on the sarod (Oct. 20).

There is also a contemporary dance performance,Anaphaza, which will be performed by the Israeli Batsheva Dance company (Oct. 21- Oct. 23), while the National Ballet of China presents Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern (Oct. 31-Nov. 3), with music by the Paris-based Chen Qugan, and choreography by Germany-based Wan Xin Peng.

Singapore-Malaysia-Indonesia cooperation is reflected in Perahu-Breaking the Waves, which fuses traditional and contemporary music featuring Singaporean choreographer/conductor Osman Abdul Hamid, Indonesian choreographer/conductor Tom Ibnur, and Malaysian conductor Omar Taib, as well as Indonesian sopranos Siti Chairani Proehoeman and Ubiet, Orkestra Taratak Minangkabau, Orkestra Melayu Singapura and Orkestra Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia from Padang Panjang (Oct. 24).

Preceding the above events will be the national inauguration of the 1,600-seat Concert Hall on Oct. 11, when the Singapore National Symphony Orchestra (SSO) with the company's music director Lan Shui, world-renowned Korean-American violinist Sarah Chang, and prominent Singaporean violinist Kam Ning, playing, among other pieces, Fete, a specially commissioned composition by SSO composer in residence Er Yen Chwen.

For the full program of over 70 ticketed productions and 600 free outdoor events, see www.esplanade.com.

Meanwhile, the art displayed in Esplanade's 2159-square-meter Gallery Jendela recounts the development of Singapore with its changing shape and living conditions, while the contemporary art enlivening all the public spaces consists of sculptures, paintings and video installations involving more than 40 exhibitions by up to 60 artists. Over three months, the theme here will center around rituals and performances, featuring works by artists from Singapore, America and Asia Pacific who explore the relevance of rituals in modern society, changes in ritual space and private versus public rituals. Highlights include installations by famous US-based Chinese artist Gu Wenda and Singaporean Amanda Heng.

The Esplanade Theatres on the Bay are expected to boost Singapore's hopes of becoming the center of the arts in Southeast Asia and beyond, attracting audiences from all levels of society in Singapore and abroad. Designed by Michael Wilford and Partners of London and DP Architects of Singapore, the spectacular architecture brings to mind traditional Asian baskets, or the two halves of a durian, the tropical fruit with a distinctive taste. A fitting metaphor? Time will tell.

I-BOX:

Esplanade Theatres on the Bay Opening Festival from Oct. 12 - Nov. 3, 2002 Tickets at S$30- 45- 60- 80- 95 -120 can be obtained at: SISTIC Hotline (65-6348 555)