Wednesday, 14 December 2011

• Chinese Opera, Tea, Dinner Appreciation Night in Chinatown

  
  

  Bored of your usual routine of chilling out in a bar or dining away in yet another fancy restaurant on a Saturday night? Join me for some Chinese opera, tea and dinner appreciation night in Chinatown and I promise you an enchanting night which you'll remember for a long time to come.

  Make your way through the crowd to the heart of Chinatown, Smith Street, the home to one of the best Chinese street food one can find on our sunny island.

  That's it! We're here. Forget your Blackberries/iPhones, Facebook and Twitter.

  Join me in finding our way back to olden China where only exquisite Chinese opera singing, mesmerizing moves and gorgeous opera costumes exist. (**costume below dates from 1920s)

  
  

  Before we begin, let's tuck into some delicious Chinese food (mantou a.k.a chinese bun, sweet corn soup, sweet and sour pork, shrimps with vegetables, green bean soup) over sips of fragrant Chinese tea while listening to recorded telecasts of past Chinese opera performances.

  

  Now, let us pay fullest attention to Ms. See Too Hoi Siang (a household name in the Chinese Theatre circle) as she explains to us the standard gestures, moves, costumes and props in most Chinese operas. When you're ready to decode this mystic form of drama and theatre dating back to 3rd century CE, watch for every sound and move. For in the world of Chinese Opera,

  Every sound is a form of music and every move a dance.

  

  Alrighty, like all good things that must come to an end, let us say goodbye to this enthralling performance and head back to the streets of red lanterns and Chinese shophouses where we came from.

  

  I hope you had a magical night like I did. Please support the Chinese Theatre Circle when planning your next Friday or Saturday night out in Singapore!

  .:: Sights and Sounds of Chinese Opera by The Chinese Theatre Circle ::.

  Date: Every Fridays and Saturdays

  Venue: Chinese Opera Teahouse, 5 Smith Street, Singapore 058919 (Chinatown) (map) 

  Time: 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm (1 hour of Chinese dinner, 30 minutes of teaching, 20 minutes of performance, 10 minutes of Q&A) OR 7.50pm - 9.00pm without dinner

  Price: S$35/person (inclusive of Chinese dinner, tea & dessert) OR S$20/person without Chinese dinner

  Book here with Mr. Leslie Wong at http://www.ctcopera.com/ - "Immerse in the exciting world of Chinese Opera and learn all about this traditional art. Start off the evening with a specially prepared Chinese dinner in an oriental ambience. After dinner, showtime starts at 8 pm with a talk (conducted in English) cum demonstration on Chinese Opera followed by a colourful performance of an opera excerpt, accompanied by English subtitles. Artists will pose for photographs with guests at no extra charge."

  
  

  P/S: Please kindly understand that the Chinese Theatre Circle running this opera appreciation night is a non-profit organization supported by the Singapore government. The entire workshop, state of the teahouse, extensiveness of the dinner menu, explanation by the opera performer and performance may not be what you expect or usually get for a night of theatre at our regal Esplanade for instance but I can vouch that in all its simplicity, it will be authentic Chinese cultural experience in one of its purest forms.

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