A SLICE OF SINGAPORE IN THE BIG APPLE

Artistic manager of the Singapore Armed Forces Music and Drama Company (SAF MDC) Zaini Mohammad Tahir never thought he would see the day when strains of getai songs would fill the air in New York's Central Park.

But on 21 Apr, that was exactly what happened.

At the inaugural Singapore Day - a cultural cum cuisine-based event targeting the overseas Singaporean community in the US - about 6,000 people were entertained by Singaporean artistes, while munching on popular hawker fare like laksa, chwee kueh and chilli crab.

Held at Woolman Rink in Central Park, one of the highlights of the day's programme was the getai segment where three performers - one of whom was award-winning Singaporean director Royston Tan - sang getai songs and spoke unabashedly in Hokkien.

"When I first heard about the idea, I was like, 'Are you sure? Getai songs? In New York? Broadway? Central Park?'" recalled Zaini in mock horror.

"But it went down really well and the Singaporeans in New York really enjoyed it. Unlike the Singapore Season in London and New York, where you put up highbrow performances, this is a lot more meaningful because you are reaching out to the average Singaporean overseas," he told cyberpioneer.

Zaini helped to choreograph the 45-minute musical segment of the programme. The SAF MDC was approached by the Prime Minister's Office and local production house, Zhaowei Films, to participate in the project.

Together with artiste Corporal (CPL) Marcus Foo, they were also two of the six dancers who performed at the Singapore Day event.

The musical segment, entitled 'Singapore got musicals meh?', was a tribute to Singapore musicals with excerpts from musicals such as Forbidden City, Beauty World, Fried Rice Paradise, Lao Jiu, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.

"We did it chronologically from 1984, so you could see the growth and development of Singapore musicals," said Zaini.

"It was based on different characterisations, so each segment was quite fast, like one to two minutes, with everybody playing multiple roles - a bit schizo!"

To cap off the day's festivities before the performers headed to the New York Public Library for a more formal, but scaled-down event, the finale at the park was like a mini-National Day Parade (NDP), where the audience clapped and sang along to familiar homegrown tunes.

"To be so far away from home, in Central Park and people singing along to Home with you, it was quite a patriotic moment, and you think 'Wow, people still know this song,'" said CPL Foo.

Zaini added: "I have performed for Singapore Tourism Board (STB) before, in the US and Canada, but the feeling is different, this is more heartwarming. The STB show was more cultural, to attract foreigners and travel agents."

"Here, you are performing for Singaporeans, some of whom have not been back for a really long time and you can really feel they want to be engaged."

About 30 Singaporean artistes were involved in Singapore Day, with familiar household names such as Kit Chan and Hossan Leong among the ranks.

Zaini pointed out that interestingly, for the musical segment, it was somewhat like a SAF MDC reunion since quite a number of male performers were from SAF MDC, such as Robin Goh and George Chan.

The performers had less than a month to put up the best show they could at the mecca of performing arts. This meant they had to rehearse three to five times a week, after working hours, for more than three hours at each time.

"The Singaporean audience in New York is discerning because they have been around. That gives us a bit more pressure to perform well," said Zaini.

For CPL Foo, participating in Singapore Day was a dream come true. To perform in the Big Apple alongside accomplished performers such as Jeffrey Tan, the resident choreographer of Singapore Dance Theatre, was a real privilege for him.

"For me especially, since I am a young artiste and still very new to the industry, it was really a great opportunity," he said.