Broadway Beng 10th Anniversary Review: A Brilliant Musical Fusion of East Meets West

PUBLISHED July 25th, 2016 04:39 pm | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 03:02 pm

When Sebastian Tan staged his first ever Broadway Beng show at the DBS Arts Centre in 2006, I was still well-buried under heavy textbooks in secondary school. Back then, my lack of interest in the arts (and perhaps modest amount of monetary allowance) meant that heading to theatres for a concert was out of the question.

So when I stepped into the refurbished Capitol Theatre for his 10th Anniversary Concert last Friday, I didn’t quite know what to expect – but boy, did I regret not watching this handsome Hokkien-speaking ah beng any earlier.

A fusion of Eastern and Western tunes with comedy, the idea behind Broadway Beng stemmed from an intimate late night heart-to-heart conversation in Langkawi between Sebastian Tan and Selena Tan, who heads Dream Academy (the organisation behind Dim Sum Dollies and Crazy Christmas).

Inspired by Sebastian’s life experiences, the first run was a great success thanks to his splendid vocals, hilarious wit and general cock-ness. Then again, it also helps that Broadway Beng is performed partly in Hokkien, a dialect familiar to a large majority of Singaporeans.

While classically trained in the halls of English musical theatre, Sebastian’s proficiency of Hokkien (he later admits to previously being embarrassed about his roots) enabled him to bring out the raw emotion in the songs – including renditions of Jia Hou Gei Au and Speechless Ending, to name a few.

The two-hour show cycles across 22 songs, and run the gamut from kitschy Ge Tai (traditional stage show) hits and Pop to Rock and expectedly, Broadway favourite like My Fair Lady and Putting It Together. And imagine my delight when Sebastian started belting out tunes from the Four Heavenly Kings of Mandopop – Aaron’s Kwok’s Dui Ni Ai Bu Wan was a particular crowd-pleaser, moving the audience into hysterics with its retro boy-band style choreography.

My personal favourite moment of the concert is the eight-minute abridged rendition of Les Miserables, as Sebastian and gang take up arms mics to recreate iconic scenes from the legendary musical – including the controversial same-sex kiss that made a big hoo-ha in the papers (we totally knew that was coming) – albeit in the ah beng‘s signature style.

Throughout the years, no version of Broadway Beng has been complete without the Chio Bus, pretty girls who act as Sebastian’s backup singers, dancers, and actresses. And this time, they’ve been switched up by Chriz Tong (Embrace Me In The Night), Frances Lee (Fat Pig, Beauty World), and Youtube personality Munah Bagharib (half of Munah & Hirzi), rightfully casted for their humour, incredible energy, and skill.

Combine that with the stellar five-piece band, comprising of some of Singapore’s best session musicians (including the band leader and composer Elaine Chan), and we’ve got an all-star team right there.

That said, I enjoy how Broadway Beng is performed concert-style, which allows for interaction between the performers and the audience, making it a much more persona and intimate experience than say, a musical. The revue is nostalgic, humorous, and lots of fun, even for those who do not understand Hokkien (subtitles are flashed on screens). Sebastian is absolutely brilliant at his role with his heart-melting vocals, and I could never imagine someone else filling his shoes – I mean, who else can do a costume change in 10 seconds?

If you’re ready to chio ka peng (laugh until you fall), you’ll be pleased to hear that Sebastian will be performing at the red carpet theatre until 31 July. Trust me, you’ll be hard pressed to find something as beautifully Singaporean as Broadway Beng.

Broadway Beng is running at Capitol Theatre until 31 July 2016. Tickets are priced from $48, available via SISTIC. For more details, please click here.