A lot of people have voiced their disapproval at the making of The LKY Musical and the period film 1965 just months after the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister. Many felt that doing so was an insult to the late Mr Lee, with entertainment companies accused of cashing in on his death. For me however, I felt that having such art productions is an honour and tribute to a great man that helped shaped modern Singapore. When the media first announced the production of the musical, I had set my mind to go catch it when it is released. However, some of the casting choices left me doubtful that the production would be a worthy one. While the cast includes theatre veterans such as Adrian Pang and Sebastian Tan, the casting of Sharon Au raised eyebrows due to her lack of experience in theatre as well as aptitude in singing. Many (including myself) felt that she did not have the necessary poise and finesse to pull off playing the late Mrs Lee née Kwa Geok Choo. So although I had bought tickets to the opening, I didn’t really have very high hopes for the production, especially when it is produced by a relative unknown theatre company – Metropolitan Productions.
1965 & The LKY Musical were released just months after the death of Mr Lee
My first thought after I caught the opening was that it was a good, not great production. Having already lowered my expectations, I must say that the final product was better than I had anticipated. That said, it must be noted that much of the play was carried by the brilliance of Pang, who played Mr Lee with much flair and grace, capturing the man’s fears, infuriation and unwavering desire for a better Singapore during the tumultuous times of pre-independence.
Adrian Pang was brillant in his portrayal of Mr Lee
Au, on the other hand, while valiant in her efforts, was the cast’s weakest link, with her singing capabilities falling well short of the rest from the team. Even secondary characters such as Toh Chin Chye (played by Tan Shou Chen) and Goh Keng Swee (played by Edward Choy) sang with more gusto and better musical harmony. As the play wore on, it kind of felt that the writers had rewritten parts of the musical to accommodate Au, as her musical numbers were comparatively lesser to Pang’s, despite both actors given equal star billing.
Sharon Au as Madam Kwa and Adrian Pang as Mr Lee in
The LKY Musical
Other than Pang’s stirring performance, new-to-the-scene Benjamin Chow, who recently graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts, also put in a worthy and laudable performance for his portrayal as the musical’s anti-hero, Barisan Sosialis’ Lim Chin Siong. Alongside Pang, the two shared a chemistry that riveted throughout the play – not easy, when you consider that they were playing characters that were often at loggerheads with one another. In the space of just over two hours, the two have transitioned from quintessential BFFs to BFFNs. That said, the role of Lim was notably not consigned to being the prototypical baddie of a story. Lim was portrayed as a charismatic leader of the left-wing party, whom like Lee, had great hopes for Singapore. However, difference in ideology had forced them apart, bringing an end to what might be a harmonious political matrimony.
From quintessential BFFs to BFFNs
As the score goes, I do have an issue with it. Written and composed by Dick Lee, the musical score although charming, it does not entrance one enough to stick in your minds. I’m talking scores from productions where the musical numbers strikes the hearts (and ears) of the audience, with something so outstanding that it becomes synonymous with the production (cue Memory from Cats, I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera from The Phantom of the Opera, and many more). The LKY Musical however, while pleasant, it was filled with non-memorable tunes and was largely forgotten once I stepped out of the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands.
Dick Lee was part of the creative team behind the production
On a whole, while the musical is a decent production, I wouldn’t give it a perfect score, though I would think it does enough justice to honour the legacy of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister. Personally, my favourite moment from the musical was Pang’s re-enactment of Mr Lee’s Proclamation of Singapore media conference in 1965. While the scene elicited some laughs from the audience (I honestly didn’t think that that was the intention of the production team – to create laughter in that scene), for me, it was an emotional and poignant reminder of a historic moment which Pang had managed to recreate. Playing such a multi-faceted character like Mr Lee is no mean feat, and Pang certainly did a commendable job. As for his co-star Au, while she bore the brunt of the criticisms, I do laud her effort and dedication to the role, having taking on method acting and staying on the set despite spraining her ankle on opening night.
Curtain Call
(Photo Credits: METROPOLITAN PRODUCTIONS)
★★★☆☆
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