Glitz, Glamour, and Nostalgia at Great World Cabaret: Review
PUBLISHED February 23rd, 2015 04:00 pm | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 03:16 pm
For someone born in the 80s, Great World Cabaret was quite an eye-opening glimpse into the Singapore of the 1950s and 60s – a throwback to a time when a night out is remembered as that defined by live performances accompanied by sequined dancers and flashy sets.
A theatre production by Resorts World Sentosa and local theatre company Dream Academy, this family-friendly variety show follows the love story of the Great World Cabaret’s host and his then-girlfriend and taxi-girl at the Great World Cabaret. The show takes us through the sweet beginnings of their courtship to the hard realities of love as he struggles to get his family to accept her despite her profession.
Each act, paralleling the relationship between the two lovebirds, brings with it a surprise – magic, acrobatics, and song flow easily into each other to create a sense of nostalgia for a dose of yesteryear charm. Of particular note was the death-defying acrobatics atop human pyramids by the Qing Dao acrobatic troop, the comedic timing of the Drunken Sailors who repeatedly broke the fourth wall, and the bravado of the magician as he repeatedly displaced his beautiful assistant from the locked box to another part of the theatre.
While entertaining, these acts seemed to be a cherry-picking of past glories, failing to move me to truly question and understand the Singapore of the past.
The highlight of the show, for me at least, was definitely Mark Lee playing Valentiko, an ex-gangster turned laundromat-owner at the Great World Cabaret. Valentiko’s stories from his past, as well as the words of advice – in English, Singlish, Mandarin, and Hokkien – concerning love, sex, women and everything in between, felt more representative of Singapore both past and present.
The musical numbers, featuring songs sung by the ‘Flaming Flowers’ (a-go-go queen Selena Teng, Malay folk singer Kartina Dahari, and sex symbol Rose Chan) must ring familiar in Singaporeans’ ears, no matter their age. Even if one is not acquainted with the tunes, it’s easier to latch on to their catchy rhythms and easy musical phrases. I found the audience humming or tapping along to Rose, Rose, I Love You, Bunga Melur, Shake Shake Shake and other numbers. What I found particularly enjoyable was that the music was accompanied from stage by a live band – a good reminder that music ought not to be manufactured only from machines or a piece of plastic.
Helped in no small way by the glitter, flashing lights, and catchy music, the palpable energy from the cast – both singers and dancers – was infectious. By the end of the show, there was no doubt that the audience was enjoying themselves. Nostalgia intertwined with glitz, glamor and music – no matter how frivolous – is a helluva way to spend an evening, so be sure to find yourself at the Great World Cabaret soon.
Great World Cabaret is on till 17 March 2015 at Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa. Tickets start from $48, see SISTIC for more information.
