{"id":34068,"date":"2015-11-01T17:06:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-01T09:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/?p=34068"},"modified":"2021-04-30T17:11:35","modified_gmt":"2021-04-30T09:11:35","slug":"pam-pulls-it-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/pam-pulls-it-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Pam Pulls It Off!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What aspect of the original fairy tale appealed to you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Emperor\u2019s New Clothes<\/em>&nbsp;is a classic but very simple tale. What stood out for me were the two tailors who had the audacity to come up with a plan to dress the pompous Emperor in his birthday suit and little else. Now that takes creativity and courage! I felt that this resonated with Singapore \u2013 how many times have we felt that things were not going right, but how many of us actually had the courage to call it out, beyond hiding behind a keyboard and ranting on social media? When push comes to shove, when it is time to stand up for something right, how many of us would actually stick our necks out to defend what we believe in? I think Singaporeans go with the flow too much\u2026 to make progress, we sometimes need to work against the grain!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Unusually for a musical in Singapore, all the actors play instruments on stage. What inspired you to incorporate this element into this year\u2019s pantomime?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When we started thinking about&nbsp;<em>The Emperor\u2019s New Clothes<\/em>, I had just watched&nbsp;<em>Once The Musical<\/em>&nbsp;in London, which features the whole cast playing musical instruments. It totally bowled me over, and I wondered if we had enough talent in Singapore to do something similar. The difference with&nbsp;<em>Once<\/em>&nbsp;is that it\u2019s more of a play with music in it. Every number in it was a song presentation: the lead actor is busking, or playing a song for his love interest.&nbsp;<em>The Emperor\u2019s New Clothes<\/em>&nbsp;is a more traditional musical \u2013 people burst into song mid-action. The plot unfolds through song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, I recently joined a rock band, Ugly In The Morning, as its lead singer. It\u2019s quite nice that, in this show, the actors are the band. Music has always been my first love, so getting to weave musicians into the fabric of a show was a very exciting process for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How did this concept influence the casting process?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>My initial idea was to have a guitar-wielding duo at the heart of the show. I had already persuaded Benjamin Kheng of The Sam Willows to be one of the tailors. Along the way, I realised that I didn\u2019t need to limit myself to finding just one more guitarist. So I began auditioning actors who were also musicians (or musicians who could act) for the entire cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What surprised you during the audition process?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I knew and had worked with several of the actors before, but discovered hidden talents I had never known about. I had no idea that Andrew Lua, who plays a minister in the show, could play the trumpet and the saxophone. Seong Hui Xuan is a qualified piano teacher, and Candice de Rozario is an incredible drummer who used to be a drum major in her school band!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was really nice for me to discover new talent in the audition room too. Andrew Marko, who\u2019s in the ensemble, blew me away. He played the guitar for us very well, after which he played&nbsp;<em>Bohemian Rhapsody<\/em>&nbsp;on the piano. Then he informed us that he was an even better percussionist. And, without drums on hand, he drummed enthusiastically on the table for us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Watching the play, we can\u2019t help but notice the cast multi-tasking on so many levels.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>They really are doing multiple things at the same time! They have to act, sing, dance and play instruments. Any musician will tell you that it\u2019s hard enough to play and sing at the same time. Your hand is doing one thing and your voice is doing something else, often to a completely different rhythm. Add in their dance steps, while acting, emoting, getting into the scene, remembering their blocking and exits, singing harmonies, being part of the band\u2026 geez!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>That\u2019s a tall order! How did you coach your cast through this?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We held a music workshop about a month before rehearsals started, so that the cast could get used to one another and also learn two of the most difficult songs ahead of time. Then we spent the first few weeks of rehearsals making sure that everything was technically possible. In the last stretch, we worked on the emotions and telling the story meaningfully and truthfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/newsletter\/NL30\/02B.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Pam working through the script in rehearsals<br>with Siti Khalijah and Benjamin Wong<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Any happy surprises during this exhausting process?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>When Sezairi walked into the audition room, I was thrilled, because he\u2019s a brilliant guitarist and an amazing singer. I think he and Ben Kheng complement each other very well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I didn\u2019t know whether Sezairi could dance. I neglected to audition the actors for that, because I was so concerned with their ability to sing and play instruments! Just because you\u2019re a musician, it doesn\u2019t automatically mean that you can move. I know a lot of musicians who can\u2019t dance. Also, Sezairi has never performed in a theatre piece before, much less a musical with full-on choreography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, as it got closer to rehearsals, I started worrying about whether Sezairi could dance. But, as it turns out, the boy can move! When he was learning a big dance number (<em>Make It Rain<\/em>), I remember saying to him, \u2018<em>Heng<\/em>&nbsp;ah! Luckily you can dance, man!\u2019 And Sezairi turned to me and said, \u2018<em>Heng<\/em>&nbsp;ah! I also just found out today that I can dance!\u2019 [laughs]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What challenges did you face in having the actors play instruments live?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Technically, it was tough. Every guitar, every drum, every flute and violin has to be miked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shah Tahir, our sound designer, really had his work cut out for him. After the first full run a few weeks back, he said, \u2018I go home and think first.\u2019 I don\u2019t think Shah has to think very hard about this stuff anymore, because he breathes and lives it \u2013 it\u2019s in his blood. But, for this show, he had to! It\u2019s very complex. He told me after we opened that this is the most \u2018rock &amp; roll\u2019 show he has ever done \u2013 i.e., the toughest! That\u2019s a lot coming from the legendary Shah Tahir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>As someone who enjoys performing, are you jealous of what your cast gets to do?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>No, I\u2019m a bit relieved that I\u2019m not doing it, actually! It\u2019s them and not me! [laughs] I don\u2019t play an instrument well enough to be at this standard. But there have been moments in rehearsals when the cast has been having so much fun that I\u2019m, like, \u2018AHHHH! I also want to do!!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/newsletter\/NL30\/02C.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>Kidding around with Nephtalie Chloe Choo,<br>one of our 19 FIRST STAGE! Kids<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s it like working with the kids?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I fought very hard, for the first time in a pantomime, to have only one cast of children. Having two casts of kids really took a lot out of me in&nbsp;<em>Hansel &amp; Gretel<\/em>. With children, you have to repeat things many, many times, which is normal and natural. But having to repeat everything again for a second kids\u2019 cast is really taxing for the main cast. There are two tech rehearsals, two dress rehearsals, two everything. So, this time, we have one kids\u2019 cast, but with more kids \u2013 19 of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I used to be really anxious all the time about the kids doing the right thing, being at the right position and at the right blocking.&nbsp;<em>Hansel &amp; Gretel<\/em>&nbsp;taught me that it doesn\u2019t matter that much. If the kids make a mistake, everyone goes, \u201cAwww, so cute!\u201d I mean, when the kids are onstage, it doesn\u2019t even matter what the adults are doing! The kids can do no wrong! Of course, we will still want to rehearse until the kids get everything right, but I\u2019ve learnt from my previous experience. If they make a mistake, I don\u2019t freak out as much anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You gave composer and music director Julian Wong one of his first opportunities to perform publicly! Tell us about that.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I first met Julian in 1998, when he was ten years old \u2013 he was one of the kids performing with Selena Tan in&nbsp;<em>Chang &amp; Eng<\/em>. At the time, I was in a folk band called Peculiar Remedies, and I asked him whether he wanted to open our album launch concert for us. He said, \u2018Ya, okay, Auntie Pam!\u2019 He played&nbsp;<em>Over The Rainbow<\/em>&nbsp;beautifully on violin. He also has perfect pitch, so we played a game live on stage; I would shout out a random note like \u201cB flat\u201d and he would sing it, and then I would play it on the piano to prove he was right. It was a real crowd-pleaser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, at the ripe young age of 27, he\u2019s written this amazing music for&nbsp;<em>The Emperor\u2019s New Clothes<\/em>. The music is so rich and so beautiful. It\u2019s complex, and the melodies are really haunting! I actually think this is the best music I\u2019ve ever heard written for a musical in Singapore. The testament to the brilliance of his music is how moved the cast is by it. We have rehearsed his music to death. But, when it comes to certain songs, the cast still cry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t sing enough praises about Julian. He is a very good collaborator. He\u2019s also very firm, because he\u2019s very clear about what he wants. And he\u2019s a real joy to be with, because he\u2019s very humble and very gentle. This young man is just at the start of his career. I get excited just thinking about his future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>As a director, what rattles you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Many times, when people ask me critical questions like, \u2018When do you want to fly this down?\u2019, I\u2019ll say, \u2018I don\u2019t know, I\u2019m just an actor!\u2019 That\u2019s my first reaction. The next reaction will be, \u2018Okay, I can\u2019t say that\u201d, so I\u2019ll say, \u201cTell you later? Let me think about it.\u2019 \u2018Let me think about it\u2019 features quite a lot!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What do you love about directing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>What I really love is the collaboration between the different departments working on a production. It really takes a village to put up a show, and I\u2019m so glad for the creative team I have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Joel Tan, our playwright, has been a real delight to work with during this entire process. He has written these lyrics that are so witty and so considered. There are also my long-time collaborators, Ashley Lim for hair design and Bobbie Ng from the Make Up Room, who never fail to deliver and made hair and make-up such a stress-free zone for me. I\u2019ve also really enjoyed working with Saksit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarasin from Tube Gallery. The costumes they\u2019ve created are so vibrant and beautiful, and they evoke this different fantasy world that\u2019s modern, but with a classic fairy-tale feel. Everyone on this production has worked so hard to tell this story: from our patient and collaborative choreographers, Gino Flordeliza Babagay and Hafeez Hassan; to our brilliant lighting and set designers, Adrian Tan and Eucien Chia. Not to mention our stage management team, who never rest and often go without sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an actor, I know all these things are going on at the back of my mind. But, as the director, I oversee the big picture, pulling the whole team together to stage this show. So I\u2019m really behind the scenes and in the trenches with them, seeing for myself the long hours everyone puts in. It\u2019s been a real joy for me to surround myself with the incredible team I\u2019ve got, and for everyone to pull together to create the magic you see on stage every night!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Putting up a show on the scale of The Emperor\u2019s New Clothes really takes a village \u2013 especially when every single actor is also playing an instrument on stage! We chat with super-director Pam Oei about her extraordinary vision for this year\u2019s pantomime, the creative and technical challenges she had to overcome, and her inspiration and passion for directing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":34069,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[190,59,359],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34068"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34068"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34068\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34068"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34068"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34068"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}