Esplanade Theatres on the Bay opens festival

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)