“If There’re Seasons…”
The winter of death numbs a lover’s pain,
The autumn of dreams lies awake in vain,
The summer of life sings its passing song,
And spring comes again… with courage to hope, and go on.
If there are seasons I would see snow, but not around here…
If There are no seasons here, but there is always love…
After the painful demise of his girlfriend, Ah Le leaves Singapore to pursue his musical ambitions in New York. There he meets and befriends fellow Singaporeans and dreamers Ah Qiang and Rose. Soon a bittersweet friendship of battered dreams and bruised hearts is born amongst them. Unknown to them however, the future is about to change their lives and their friendship forever…
“If There’re Seasons…” boasts an evocative score of beloved Xinyao hits written by Liang Wern Fook, a pioneer figure in this uniquely Singaporean vocal genre. Written by award-winning Hong Kong playwright Raymond To (Perhaps Love), this critically acclaimed contemporary musical tells a timeless story of love beyond death, friendships that go the distance and dreams that find their way home.
Date: 16 August – 2 September 2007
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre
Directors: Kuo Jian Hong and Alvin Chiam Hwee Chin
Playwright: Raymond To
Composer/Lyricist: Liang Wern Fook
Producers: Felina Khong, Ian Fong
Arranger: Bang Wenfu
Music Director and Vocal Coach: Lim Shieh Yih
Choreographers: Jalyn Han, Kuo Jing Hong
Set Designer: Kuo Jing Hong, Li Haomin Nicholas, Li Ka Yi, Lin Shxian, Tiw Pek Hong, Thomas Wong Peng Zhou and Yang Han
Costume Designer: Frederick Lee
Lighting Designer: Lee Bee Bee
Sound Designer: Shah Tahir
Hair Designer: Ashley Lim
Make-up Designer: Candy Tang for M.A.C. Cosmetics
Cast: George Chan, Joanna Dong, Sebastian Tan, Magdalene See, Tay Tien Loon, Lim Shieh Yih, Ric Liu, Liong Tze Hui, Goh Guat Kian, Johnny Ng, Tamsin Helen Cornes, Mariel katrina Ledesma Reyes, Andrew Lua, Peer Metze, Ted Utoft, JacquelineChow, Hang Qian Chou, Liu Xiaoyi, Audrey Luo Baoling, Mindee Ong, Celine Rosa Tan, Katherine Tang, Catherine Wong, Tammy Chan Li Yi, Zoea Tania Chen Jinyan, Lee Jun Er, Lee Qian Yu, Bryant Ng Kee Chun and Teo En Siang
To a large extent, the process of creating IF THERE’RE SEASONS epitomizes the vision of the Theatre Practice. The decision to create a musical based on Liang Wern Fook’s music grew from the smallest spark of inspiration into a consolidation of process and expression of what The Theatre Practice holds most dearly.
Wern Fook’s music is deeply rooted in the Singaporean sentiments, speaking to the common people with honesty and artistic substance. Based on Wern Fook’s songs, Raymond To has created a story that resonates with Chinese in different corners of the world. Negotiating between the integrity of the music and the needs of the story, Bang Wen Fu’s music arrangement touched the memory of those who heard Wern Fook’s songs when they were young and yet address the relevance to the contemporary sentiments. The casting sees the converging of the so-called “commercial” actors, theatre actors and singers, and that has created a collaborative dialogue that allowed them to explore a different artistic plane. The gathered resources available to this production not only created a platform to support the work of these artists but also allowed it to reach out to a bigger mass of audience. ALL these would not have gelled if not for one crucial component – the heart.
Beyond, the pursuit of artistic excellence or even the practical needs of surviving as a company, our productions are driven by the simple notion of “working from the heart.”
It allows the company and all those who work with us to approach each other’s work with openness, honesty, reflection and support. Working from the heart allows each person (artistic, production or administrative/marketing) to pursue one’s imagination and to be challenged while being supported by all. IF THERE’RE SEASONS… sees the maturity of The Theatre Practice’s ability to create this ground where everyone involved is nurtured through the collisions of ideas and the confrontation of their limits. Through this production, our family has grown, not only in size but also in wisdom.
Tonight, we are proud to share our work with you… heart to heart.
– Kuo Jian Hong
“[If There’re Seasons] stands out with a charm, freshness and dedication to high production values that distinctly shows off the conviction of its creators.”
— Ng Yi-sheng,The Flying Inkpot,24 August 2007