JACK NEO REALISES HIS DREAM….
When we were invited to the Ah Boys to Men : The Musical press conference, we listened as Movie Director, Jack Neo talked about a dream he had long ago to produce a musical.
This really struck a chord with us, as mamas, we tell our bubbas to dream big and, who knows maybe one day their dreams will be a reality.
YOU MUSTN’T BE AFRAID TO DREAM A LITTLE BIGGER DARLING!
When Movie Director Jack Neo started to work his creativity in the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company about 20 years ago, he dreamed of producing a musical. Of course, we all know Jack Neo went on to have much success in the movie industry, but his big dream to produce a musical production never faded.
Following the box office success of Ah Boys to Men (ABTM) parts 1 and 2, and with the help and encouragement of those closest to him, his dream began to turn into a reality. Adding some of Singapore’s best known creative minds to his own expertise, Ah Boys to Men the Musical has formed exciting collaborations and now, Mr Jack Neo can proudly stand up and say that he has realised his dream.
Opening at Resorts World Sentosa Theatre on April 2014, Ah Boys to Men : The Musical will see the original members of the ABTM movie cast but, in a way that we have never seen them before.
Directed by Beatrice Chia-Richmond, the musical has put together a stellar creative team comprising scriptwriter Goh Boon Teck, Song writer-producer Don Richmond, Choreographer Jeffrey Tan, Set Designer Chris Chua and Costume Designer Anthony Tan, along with Jack Neo (J Team Productions), Mang (MM2 Entertainment) and Irene Ang (Fly Entertainment).
This exciting new musical will be adapted from both part 1 and part of the movie, and follows the adventures of Recruit Ken Chow as he enlists in the army, albeit reluctantly. He goes on to develop a strong camaraderie with fellow recruits as they undergo their Basic Military Training. Like everyone, we found the movies hilarious and this truly is one musical we simply cannot wait to see.
Tosh Zhang, Wang Wei Liang, Maxi Lim and Noah Yap will ‘fall in’ on stage and, yes, they will be singing in their roles as Sergeant Alex Ong, Recruits Lobang, Aloysius Jin and I.P. Man in this musical show. However, we will not see Joshua Tan taking up his role as Recruit Ken Chow. Joshua had to decline the offer of starring in the musical due to his university commitments in Melbourne, Australia. Of course, Recruit Ken Chow will be featured in this musical adaptation of Ah Boys to Men and, it is with much excitement that we learn that the very talented Benjamin Kheng of local band The Sam Willows will be wearing the Recruit Ken Chow uniform.
The much loved Mr and Mrs Chow, played by Irene Ang and Richard Low, will also add to the excitement of seeing the original movie cast members taking their places on stage and trying out their singing voices.
During the press conference, Mr Richard Low admitted he was a little afraid to be singing in his first musical but, when asked to present us with a song, he proved he is not only a great actor but also one with a wonderful voice too.
Irene Ang tells us that her time on Ah Boys to Men the movie is her most memorable movie yet. Taking up the Executive Producer role for this musical adaptation she is positive that these exciting collaborations will bring an unimaginable ‘fire’ and live entertainment to fans and theatre-goers alike.
Ah Boys to Men : The Musical runs from 18th April 2014 – 27th April 2014 at the Resorts World Theatre.
Tickets are now on sale priced from S$98 to S$128 and there is an Early Bird discount of 20% available from now until 9th February 2014
A Family Package (applicable to Cat 1 tickets only) permitting entry of 2 adults along with 2 children (14 years and below) is priced at S$278.
For more ticket prices, enquiries and bookings www.sistic.com.sg/events/abtm0414
Ah Boys to Men : The Musical is presented by Courts and produced by Running Into The Sun. In Association with J Team Productions, MM2 Entertainment, FLY Entertainment, Warner Music, Woohoo! Experience, Amuse Inc. Singapore and StarHumb Limited.
