{"id":4638,"date":"2017-12-08T02:34:03","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T18:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/wr\/written-in-the-stars\/"},"modified":"2019-12-09T15:41:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-09T07:41:00","slug":"written-in-the-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glutenfreepleasure.com\/__proxy_domain\/www.wildrice.com.sg\/written-in-the-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"Written In The Stars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cThe universe is very uncanny,\u201d observes Elena Wang. \u201cIt always steers my life in completely unexpected directions, and keeps throwing me things that I end up really, really appreciating but never even thought to ask for!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As anyone who\u2019s seen her perform can attest, Elena is being modest. A consummate actor with a golden singing voice, she\u2019s made waves in theatre circles all over the world because she\u2019s talented and hardworking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, it can\u2019t be denied that the universe had some pretty big ideas for her from the get-go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost a decade ago, Elena found herself caught between two countries: Singapore, where she was born; and Australia, where she grew up and spent most of her formative years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After graduating from high school, she returned to Singapore with her family. But, missing Australia badly, she had already resolved to go back to study at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts under Dennis Follington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As it turned out, Follington had moved to Singapore to serve as one of the programme leaders for the new Musical Theatre programme at LASALLE College of the Arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s how LASALLE happened!\u201d Elena laughs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Star Is Born<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elena was very quickly \u2018discovered\u2019 in a LASALLE showcase \u2013 a production of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty\u2019sOnce On This Island.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ivan Heng and Glen Goei, W!LD RICE\u2019s Co-Artistic Directors, were so impressed by Elena\u2019s performance that they invited her to audition for the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In January 2008, Elena made her professional debut in W!LD RICE\u2019s 20th-anniversary revival of Beauty World<\/em> as the idealistic Ivy Chan Poh Choo. It was the first all-Singaporean musical to be staged at the Esplanade and the company pulled out all the stops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"03B\"
Elena goes star (and moon) gazing with Daren Tan!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Almost ten years after the fact, Elena is still awed by the scale and spectacle of that production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIvan had such big ideas and it was so beautiful,\u201d she gushes. \u201cI even remember the dried ice that we used every night, as I climbed up to the rooftop and that big sign. W!LD RICE invested so much time and energy and money in that very special production \u2013 I\u2019m so happy I got to be a part of it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"03C\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Later that same year, Elena starred alongside Dwayne Tan and Sebastian Tan in W!LD RICE\u2019s Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, her first pantomime. While figuring out how to handle audience interaction from the stage, particularly with children, she also learned a lot from Hossan Leong, who was making his directorial debut.\u201cHossan was phenomenal!\u201d says Elena. \u201cI love him to pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Going Places<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"03D\"
Shall We Dance? Elena makes her West End debut in The King & I<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just as Elena’s career was taking off in Singapore, things took an unexpected turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In another stroke of luck, producers were casting for The King & ! – a lavish production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical that would be staged at London’s Royal Albert Hall in honour of the Queen’s birthday.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It was just a wonderfully rare opportunity,” she explains. “They don’t normally audition worldwide!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"03E\"
Whatever Floats Your Boat!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After snagging a role in the ensemble, Elena flew to London to be part of one of the most incredible theatrical experiences of her life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey built actual rivers, with floating boats, in the theatre \u2013 we had to cross bridges to get on stage!\u201d she marvels. \u201cAnd there were fireworks indoors too! It was stunning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best of all? \u201cIt was a wonderful start to my international career because I made life-long friends on this show, and I still keep in touch with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hollywood Calling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"03F\"
Shaq Attack: Elena on set with Shaquille O’Neal!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Performing in The King & I<\/em>gave Elena the courage to expand her horizons to Hollywood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always had an innate passion for film,\u201d she explains. \u201cIt can\u2019t get much better than this show and, yet, I remember standing on that stage, in front of 5,000 people\u2026 and I found myselfstill<\/em>wondering about film.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She took it as a sign that she should do something about her celluloid dreams. Barely a year after she arrived in London, she began looking up film schools in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In no time at all, Elena was in the heart of Hollywood, studying for a Master\u2019s Degree in Film Acting at the New York Film Academy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI picked that school because I wanted something that would give me practical experience in front of the camera,\u201d she says. \u201cAs an aspiring film actor, I needed to know how to work a camera and what happens on sets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For two years, she worked with professionals in the industry \u2013 her lecturers would often take time off to work on major films and television shows. She also had the opportunity to shoot on the Universal Studios backlot, with access to the studio\u2019s entire back catalogue of costumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"03G\"
Dream Role: Elena as Kim in Miss Saigon<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She was so focused on working in the film industry that she stopped singing \u2013 even for fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn’t even sing at home or in the shower!\u201d she laughs. \u201cI felt I had to commit 110%, so I cut off that part of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her fianc\u00e9, Federico Berte’ \u2013 whom she met at film school \u2013 had no idea she sang at all until she wrote and recorded a song for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she made an exception to her \u2018no musical theatre\u2019 rule to play Kim \u2013 one of her dream roles \u2013 in a regional production of Miss Saigon, he was so dumbfounded by her performance that he \u201ccouldn\u2019t speak afterwards\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadway Baby<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"03H\"
Making her Broadway debut as Kei in Allegiance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

 Just as Elena was starting to think about doing more theatre, the universe threw her the biggest curveball \u2013 and opportunity \u2013 yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her friend from Singapore, actress Elizabeth Lazan, told her during a coffee date about Allegiance<\/em>, a new Broadway-bound musical that was casting in LA. When Elena checked her calendar, she realised that the open call \u2013 at which anyone could show up to audition \u2013 was on her day off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest is history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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