Let It Go at the Frozen Sing-A-Long!

Would you believe that it's been just about a year since Frozen first premiered in cinemas? When I caught the movie the first time I knew it was going to be popular, but it has truly taken the world by storm (and then some).

With a little girl who loves Frozen, loves dressing up as Elsa, whose eyes light up with she hears Let It Go playing anywhere, I knew I had to take her to Golden Village's special Frozen Sing-A-Long screenings. Yes, you read that right. These are screenings where you will be able to SING ALONG with Elsa and Anna and the rest of the crew as they build a snowman, let it go, and discover that love is an open door. You are in fact encouraged to sing along with the words appearing on screen karaoke style. I admit it, I was excited.

Prepping our vocal chords for the show was a must. (I thought I'd spare you from the video!)

Of course, we took the opportunity to dress the part. Especially since we were invited to a special Frozen Sing-A-Long Party before the show! Mei was tremendously excited that I finally said she could wear her beloved (and really lovely) Elsa dress, a gift from dear Aunty Audrey, out. But I thought I'd make her something special to go along with the dress too. I'd been thinking about it for a while and I guess this party was the impetus to get it done: I made her Elsa hair.

A headband, lots of yarn, some embellishments, and lots of love and hard work. But her delight on seeing it made it all worth while. She also won a consolation prize in the best-dressed competition, which was a nice extra.

At the Frozen Sing-A-Long Party, the kids were treated to all manner of Frozen-related crafts, from making their own snowman out modelling clay, to decorating a paper snowflake, colouring Frozen pictures, and making bookmarks. There were glitter tattoos and in the corner, a makeover for kids by C'est Moi. And there was ice-cream too! The children sure were kept busy.  

Building her snowman, and being terribly amused by her creation!

While Mei concentrates on lining up her many orange buttons, S shows how it should be done!

Decorating a snowflake.

Bookmarks at the bookmark marking station.

 Before we knew it, it was time for our movie. This was the first time since the movie premiere that I was watching Frozen on the big screen and I must say it's such a treat. And of course, this time you get to SING! But you know what? For all her singing at home, Mei decided that she'd rather "just watch the movie," she said. So guess who sang? Yup, me! I really had fun singing along to the tunes, and finally getting the lyrics right for some of the songs I wasn't so familiar with like Fixer Upper. I did expect to hear more people singing along though, but I didn't, though friends tell me their kids all sang along! So I think if you're thinking of going to a future Frozen-Sing-Along screening and thought you're going to have to listen to a chorus of people singing Let It Go together, I don't think you have to worry too much about that.

If you're keen to attend a Frozen-Sing-Along screening, the good news is that this will be held at selected Golden Village cinemas from 11 to 17 December 2014. You can find more information and book your tickets on the Golden Village website. Each ticket costs $8 and GV Movie Club members stand a chance to win 1 out of 5 Frozen hampers worth $190 each if they purchase 2 or more tickets. These screenings do NOT include the Frozen-Sing-Along Party and activities, but I'm sure the kids (and maybe you) will still enjoy being allowed to sing in the cinema to their favourite songs.

She might not have sung at the screening but since coming home with the Frozen soundtrack that she won for best-dressed, she's been marathon singing ever since! And I… have been singing along with her. When you can't beat them, join them, right? Good thing I still love these songs!

Junior Claus by The Little Company

As November draws to a close, you can feel the palpable sense that Christmas is coming!

This year we got a little bit of a headstart on feeling all merry and bright when we headed to the theatre to catch Junior Claus, the latest production by SRT's The Little Company. The anticipation was rife as we sat in our seats waiting for the show to start with the stage curtains drawn. And when the curtains finally opened, my kids broke into huge smiles at the wonderful winter wonderland that came into view. The happy red and green, the inviting stripes of candy canes, the snow, and of course the presence of Santa's workshop with it's spinning cogs really set the scene for the tale in the North Pole that unfolded before our eyes.  

The story: Junior Claus is Santa's son, an eager inventor who does not quite believe in Christmas magic. When Santa decides to appoint a new head of Santa's workshop and chooses Grumpo the scheming elf instead of Junior, the latter angrily decides to leave home. All these set off a chain reaction which causes the Belief-O-Meter (aka the meter that measures belief in Christmas spirit and magic), already at low levels, to dip to a new low. This results in Santa falling into a deep sleep and allows Grumpo the opportunity to put into action his evil plan to stop Christmas, corner the toy market, and force parents to pay ridiculously high prices for toys. Junior meanwhile meets loveable Pengy the Penguin who causes Junior to realise the importance of family and yes, the folly of his ways. Together with Pengy and Chipper the Elf, Junior returns to save Christmas -- with a little help from some unexpected places! 

The story might be mostly rather straightforward, but it is the delightful cast brings all the colourful characters to life. My favourite of the lot has to be Pengy! Cheryl Tan (who impressed me in Rapunzel earlier in the year) imbues the character of the irrepressible really really really talkative penguin with a dash of zany and a lot of heart. 

Special mention has to be made too of the details of the beautiful set and the special effects that really wowed the kids. A moving sleigh! Riding through the clouds! Snow falling from the ceiling! All these got my kids excited and added to the magic.

 

Add to lots of singing and dancing, Junior Claus is a lot of fun, and the perfect way to bring on the Christmas cheer! 

 

Junior Claus is now playing at the DBS Arts Centre -- Home of SRT till 14 Dec 2014. Click over to my previous post for more ticketing and show information. 

(One thing that did surprise me was the length of the production, with Act 1being 50mins and Act 2 being 30 mins, with a 15 min interval in between. My kids did stay engaged throughout but I would imagine that some littles might not. So do take note of that.)

*We were provided with tickets to Junior Claus for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own.

Riotous Fun at A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare's Globe

"The course of true love never did run smooth."

And how it did indeed run riot in this absolutely stellar production of A Midsummer Night's Dream by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre!

I felt a tingle of excitement from the moment the actors stepped out on stage in their renaissance costumes and I continued to be riveted throughout this madcap, highly inventive staging of one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy and indeed we were kept laughing as this comedy of errors unfolded. 

Commanding the stage were West End stars Janie Dee and Aden Gillet in their double roles as Titania/Hippolyta and Oberon/Thesus whose strong performances really drew the audience into the story. You could feel that perceptible discontentment they had with each other, which led Oberon to play a trick on Titania by bewitching her, causing her to fall in love with the ass-headed Bottom. In this regard, the portrayal of the fairy folk as they were as earthy woodland creatures with antlers and skins, was a surprise, but one that was appropriate to convey the raw, sensual nature of the woods and also Titania's attraction for Bottom. 

The four Athenian lovers were delightfully young and their love for the object of their desires appropriately and shallow. This was brought to life by richly comedic performances, causing it not to be too difficult to imagine Lysander's and Demetrius' overnight turn of heart from Hermia to Helena. 

But the biggest laughs were reserved for the rude mechanicals, whose earnestness shone through even as they fumbled through their preparations for the staging of their play. Their final play-within-a-play of Pyramus and Thisby had the whole audience hooting with laughter, with the actors all crammed on a stage which was far too small, sinking their feet into unreliable floor boards that required urgent repairs even as the show had to go on. 

It was a lot fun. What I loved best of all is that this production made us fall in love with Shakespeare again and admire the sheer genius of his writing. All the lines which I worked so hard to memorise, all that clever use imagery and word play that my teenage self slaved over picking out of the script, they jumped out at me as I watched this show. Shakespeare, like music, is best heard and experienced than read. Then only do you truly experience the magic.

I had high expectations for this production and I was blown away. This is A Midsummer Night's Dream as you would probably have experienced it during Shakespeare's time (with a couple of funny local touches thrown in)! The last show is tomorrow. Please don't miss this!

A Midsummer Night's Dream is now on and runs only till the last show on Sun 16 Nov, 3pm. Click here for more ticketing information.

*We were invited to watch this show for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain authentically our own.

Big Hero 6!

Move aside Olaf, there's a new guy in town (who happens to also be white and love hugs!).

He is none other than Baymax, the adorable inflatable robot who is the star of Disney's latest offering for the holidays -- Big Hero 6.

We were privileged to be able to be among the first to catch the movie here in Singapore at Filmgarde Bugis+ over the weekend and this movie was a hit with both the kids and adults alike. I shouldn't have been surprised though, considering that this film was created by the same folks who were behind Wreck-It Ralph and Frozen. Talk about pedigree huh! 

I must admit that I hadn't the faintest idea what Big Hero 6 was about before stepping into the theatre but if you would like to know a bit about the movie, here's a quick introduction:

The protagonist of the story is Hiro Hamada, a 14-year old robotics prodigy who, after graduating early from high school, idles his time away participating in illegal bot fights. Unwilling to see him waste his life away in this manner, Hiro's older brother Tadashi Hamada tries to get Hiro to enrol for University in the same robotics programme that Tadashi is in. He brings Hiro to his robotics lab and introduces Hiro to his friends as well as Tadashi's latest project -- Baymax, a robotic personal healthcare assistant. Hiro is inspired and starts his own project to gain admission to the robotics programme. His project is a huge hit but alas, tragedy strikes. As a dangerous plot unfolds, Hiro and Baymax strike up an unlikely friendship, and together with the other self-proclaimed nerds adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred, this motley crew of six find themselves having to assume the roles of superheroes to save the town of San Fransokyo from the forces of evil. 

Here's a quick sneak peek:

The storyline is straight-forward enough, but the film shines through on several counts. First there are the stunning visuals. We watched the film in 3D and swooping around with Baymax during the flying scenes was quite a treat! San Fransokyo borrows many elements from the famous cities of San Francisco and Tokyo that are used to good effect for the story. From the trams to the undulating terrain to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, these helped to make backdrop recognisable despite the fact that the story was set in a fictious city.

But what makes this film a gem is the delicate balance it strikes between pain and empowerment, with the deft use of humour that does not detract from the underlying grief. There were plenty of moments where I laughed-out-loud and and similarly those that moved me to tears.

And of course, there's Baymax, surely the breakout star of the season! Cute and cuddly, I'm sure everyone will want to bring him home! Credit again to the scriptwriters and Scott Adsit who voiced the loveable robot for making him comforting without being patronising, compassionate without being cloying.

Big Hero 6 is one of Disney's best shows in recent times. Don't miss it when it opens in cinemas this Thursday, 13 Nov! For more information, do check out the Walt Disney Studios Facebook Page. As part of the promotions for this movie, there are interesting Baymax creation by celebrities and NAFA students on display at Bugis Junction till 24th November.

(Get your own Baymax Photobomb here!)

*We thank Disney Studios SG for the invitation to catch this preview. All opinions remain, as always, our own.

Hop & Honk: Funny and Full of Heart

What would a Frog Prince and an Ugly Duckling have in common?

Plenty, it seems, judging from ITheatre's year-end theatre extravaganza, Hop & Honk, a play that imaginatively tries to weave the two well-known fairy tales into one.

Mei and I made a girly date of it on the Saturday afternoon after the kids' year-end concert as the boys took off to do their own thing (ie. play with LEGO!) Being familiar with both tales, she was excited to see the duckling turn into a beautiful swan and… the Princess! Heh, guess the Frog Prince himself didn't hold much attraction for her!

Stripey frogs - NOT the family of the Frog Prince, much to his dismay.

While the two characters and the original tales provide the inspiration for this production, the story here is an original tale, starting off with its own backstory of how the swan's egg ended up in a duck's nest and how the prince got turned into a frog. From there, the story flows on to tell the tale of Cygna the ugly "duckling" and Anura the frog prince, their unlikely friendship, and their quest to find "the Land of No Difference", where they would not be judged and where their differences would be appreciated.

Ducklings with their teacher, the goose Edina and their sweet mother Anna Merganser.

With some catchy songs, witty dialogue and pretty spectacular sets, even though this is a show targeted at kids, I (the adult) actually enjoyed this show a lot more than I had expected. Mei was entertained enough to sit through the whole 85 minutes, though she got a little frightened when Herodias the Heron, the villain of the story made his appearance. How she laughed when his pants got pulled down to reveal his orange legs! Her favourite character was the pink Princess Trixibelle for obvious reasons, while I really liked Herodias' sidekicks, the weasels Chester and Lester, whose quick talking provided many laughs. 

Herodias caught with his pants down!

Sweet Cygna, now a beautiful swan, with Anura the frog prince.

It was altogether a great production, with plenty of good messages about respecting differences and being a good friend. I would recommend it more for children aged 6 and above though. It was a bit long for my fidgety little 3-year old and much of the humour, which I appreciated, simply flew over her head. Which is not to say that she didn't enjoy it though. She was still talking about the story and characters for days later. We also really appreciated the fact that the programme booklet had a colouring page and a spot-the-difference quiz that the kids enjoyed completing. Click here for some free Hop & Honk printables from littledayout.com! 

Hop and Honk is on till Saturday 15 Nov 2014. For more ticketing information, do refer to my previous post here. 

One of the best parts of attending an ITheatre performance: Getting to meet-and-greet the characters thereafter! Of course Mei was really excited, only the freeze up when it got to be our turn. 

Thanks for an entertaining afternoon, ITheatre!

*We were provided with tickets to the show for the purpose of this review. All opinions remain our own.

Get in the Christmas Mood with Junior Claus {Giveaway}

As we wind down the year, the one thing we look forward to is Christmas. Get in the mood this year with The Little Company's latest production: Junior Claus!

In the North Pole, things are in disarray. With less children believing in Santa, the Belief-o-Meter falls to a dangerously low level, causing Santa to fall into a deep sleep. This allows Grumpo, the greedy elf to seize power as the Chief Inventor in Santa's workshop and put into action his sinister plan to ruin Christmas forever! Junior Claus, the rebellious heir to the immense empire in the North Pole is the only one who can stop Grumpo and save Santa, but will he do it? And will he be able to rekindle the Christmas spirit? Find out in Junior Claus, a musical production which promises to be heartwarming and a lot of fun!

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 31 October to 14 December 2014
Venue: DBS Arts Centre -- Home of SRT
Performance Times: 
Ticket Prices: Weekdays $35 (Cat 1), $32 (Cat 2), Weekends $45 (Cat 1), $42 (Cat 2); There are also family packages available. 
Recommended for: 5 years and above
Duration: 1 hour 30 mins
Booking: At Sistic counters, at sistic.com.sg or by calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Yes, we have a giveaway! Win A PAIR OF TICKETS to Junior Claus on 8 November 2014, 11am! 

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the Singapore Repertory Theatre Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me why you want to watch this show, AND Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Tues 4 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• Tickets can be collected at the box office at the DBS ARts Centre an hour before the show.

Good Luck!

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre Brings A Midsummer Night's Dream To Singapore! {Giveaway}

Shakespeare fans, you're in luck. 

It isn't everyday that a world famous theatre company comes into town to stage one of the bard's best known plays in its full glory -- and I have TICKETS TO GIVEAWAY!

As I mentioned in my previous post, come 13-16 November, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre will be performing A Midsummer's Night Dream at the Esplanade Theatre. Promising to be visual treat with stunning Renaissance costumes and staging, this production, directed by the acclaimed Dominic Dromgoole, will be a re-working of the Globe's award winning 2013 version.

If you are not familiar with the story, A Midsummer Night's Dream is the comic tale involving four young lovers and a group of amateur actors, and their interactions with a band of fairies in the forest through which they wander. Hermia loves Lysander and Helena loves Demetrius -- but Demetrius is supposed to be marrying Hermia… When the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage, the lovers take refuge in the woods and wander into the midst of a dispute between the king and queen of the fairies. Throw in a group of amateur actors rehearsing the play for the Duke's upcoming wedding and some mischief and magic, and what you get is a glittering, hilarious and inventive play about the world's favourite past time -- falling in love. After all don't we all know that "the course of true love never did run smooth"?

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 13 to 16 November 2014
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Performance Times: Thurs and Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm and 8pm; Sun 3pm
Ticket Prices: $148, $128, $118, $98, $78 (Matinee tickets are $10 less)
Duration: 2 hours 40 mins + 15 minute interval
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

I am tremendously excited to be catching this show in the coming weeks, and even more excited to be able to share that with you as, thanks to our generous sponsors, I have TWO PAIRS OF TICKETS to be given away! These tickets are for the following performances:

1) 1 pair of tickets for Saturday, 15 November, 3pm (Matinee Show)
2) 1 pair of tickets for Saturday, 15 November, 8pm (Evening Show)

To enter this draw to win a pair of tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the ABA Productions Singapore Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Comment on this Facebook photo telling me which show (Matinee or Evening or either show) you'd like to win, AND Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Fri 7 Nov 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• The winners of this giveaway will be informed of the ticket collection details closer to the date and will have to collect the tickets at the times and locations stipulated, failing which the tickets will be forfeited. 

Good Luck!

(If you missed it previously, do check out our post with recommendations for Shakespeare stories for kids!) 

Read :: Shakespeare Stories

Shakespeare is, to my mind, one of the greatest storytellers there ever was. I think few would disagree with that! There's a certain magic in his use of verse and turn of language that makes him one of the most quoted writers in history. 

My first encounter with Shakespeare was through my mother, who was a literature teacher for a season, amongst the various subjects that she taught in the course of her teaching career. I don't remember why or how it came up in conversation, but through repetition, I have her favourite quotes burned in my memory. She was fond of Macbeth, the result of which is that stirring pots, whether filled with soup or bubbles would automatically make "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble" ring in my head. (Also because I'm geeky like that!) Till today, Macbeth remains one of my favourite literature texts because my mother made it come alive for me.

I intended to introduce Shakespeare to my kids at some point of time, and came across an unexpected opportunity when I chanced on these Shakespeare stories by Andrew Matthews while browsing in, err, a toy shop in Tanglin Mall.

Twelfth Night and Hamlet.

Sitting innocuously on the shelf, I was drawn to the Quentin Blake-esque illustrations. (The illustrator is actually Tony Ross.) I took a flip through and liked what I read -- concise re-tellings of Shakespeare's stories, well-written and paced, which succeeded in bringing across the dramatic and figurative themes of the plays. Since I am incapable of only buying one book at a time, I picked up six titles.

Noey plunged into them straightaway, and after coming home and reading them, I immediately regretted not picking up everything. Especially when I realised that at $4.90 each at this shop, they were a real steal! When I went back to the shop to get more, they were sold out.

I read through a few books with Noey and I thought it did a good job of explaining the sometimes complicated story lines in a way that was understandable to children while conveying the true (and sometimes dark and gruesome) essence of the story. What matters most is that he found them interesting enough to read all the books I bought. Each book starts with an introduction to the characters, the story, followed by a couple of pages with a summary of the themes and some additional background to the tale. Right at the end there is two pages on Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre, where most of Shakespeare's most famous plays were performed.

Altogether a good read, recommended as a first introduction to Shakespeare for 7 to 9 year olds. While surfing on Book Depository, I noticed that they sell these Shakespeare Stories as collections of 4 stories, which look to be more value for money. I might have bought these if I didn't buy the individual stories already.

Shakespeare Stories: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Twelfth Night, Anthony and Cleopatra
More Shakespeare Stories: A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest, Hamlet, Henry V

I also chanced upon Mr Shakespeare's Plays and Bravo, Mr William Shakespeare!by Marcia Williams, which I immediately snapped up because these are Shakespeare's plays presented in the form of comics, something which I think Noey is going to love. I'll update about this after it arrives.

Mr Shakespeare's Plays and Bravo, Mr William Shakespeare! by Marcia Williams.

Of course, the best way to enjoy Shakespeare is on stage. In this regard, I am particularly excited about the fact that this November, Shakespeare's Globe -- yes, the theatre company from the modern incarnation from THE Globe Theatre of Shakespeare's time -- will be staging A Midsummer Night's Dream, right here at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore!

This play is one that I did study and know (or at least used to know) fairly well. I've watched the movie version and seen it performed in the park. But this version promises to be a treat for the senses, as the set will be a miniature version of the stage at the Bankside Globe, complete with the iconic pillars, balcony and hand-painted detailing!! I'm super excited about that, plus the Renaissance-style costumes and staging, which would, I think, give one a glimpse of what it might have been like back in Shakespeare's day. Unfortunately Noey's a little young for this (kids 6 and under would not be admitted), plus I doubt he would have the stamina to sit through a 3-hour long Shakespeare play. So I won't be bringing him but if you have older children, it's definitely worth considering. 

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 13 to 16 November 2014
Venue: Esplanade Theatre
Performance Times: Thurs and Fri 8pm; Sat 3pm and 8pm; Sun 3pm
Ticket Prices: $148, $128, $118, $98, $78 (Matinee tickets are $10 less)
Duration: 2 hours 40 mins + 15 minute interval
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

Which was your favourite Shakespeare text? Do you have any Shakespeare story book for kids to recommend?

Hop & Honk {Giveaway}

You know the story of The Ugly Ducking and you know the story of The Frog Prince, but do you know what happens when one meets the other?

Find out in Hop & Honk, an all-new original production by iTheatre that will be coming your way at the end of this month! 

An ugly duckling who really does not fit in at home…
A frog who thinks he is a prince…
Both need a family.
Both need a best friend.
Both want to be loved but both are very very alone.

Join these two cute but confused creatures in their adventures and misadventures as they seek to find acceptance and security in this production that cleverly intertwines the classic fairy tales of The Ugly Duckling and The Frog Prince into an brand new family musical. 

"We are always on the lookout look for something new and exciting. Telling just one story can be fun, but we wanted to test the boundaries by combining and intertwining two seemingly quite different stories from two of history's most prolific children's authors, Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm. It's unusual, but it is a very fun challenge – and the result we think will be double the entertainment value, throwing new light on some interesting aspects of both stories," explains ITheatre's artistic director Brian Seward, the creative force behind Hop & Honk. 

Promising top-class performers, toe-tapping music, spectacular sets, glittering costumes, magical lighting and jaw-dropping puppetry, while bringing across key values like racial harmony, tolerance and understanding as well as the importance of self-worth, teamwork and creative thinking, Hop & Honk sounds like a show that's not to be missed!

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 29 October to 15 November 2014
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building
Ticket Prices: $32 (Cat 1), $30 (Cat 2)
Recommended for: 4 to 18 year olds and families
Duration: 85 minutes + 15 minute interval (100 minutes in total) 
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Yes, we have a giveaway for you! Win a FAMILY PACK OF 4 TICKETS to Hop & Honk on Saturday 8 November 2014 at 7.30pm! Please note that the winner will have to pick up the tickets at ITheatre's office at 27 Kerbau Road by 24 October 2014. To stand a chance of winning those tickets, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like Life is in the Small Things on Facebook

2. Like the ITheatreSG on Facebook

3. Comment on this Facebook Photo telling me why you should win, AND Tag a friend! 

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

• This giveaway ends on Sun 19 Oct 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. 
• Winners will be contacted using the contact particulars provided when entering this giveaway and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. 
• All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. 
• To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.
• The winner of this giveaway will have to pick up the tickets at ITheatre's office at 27 Kerbau Road by 24 October 2014, failing which they will be forfeited. 

Good Luck!

Hairy Maclary and Friends: Full of Rambuctious Fun!

"Out of the gate and off for a walk went
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy"

And walk he did, right on to the stage right here in Singapore!

It was with great anticipation that we went to catch the opening show of Hairy Maclary & Friends earlier this evening. My kids have been acquainted with Hairy Maclary and gang for some time now, thanks to their Godma who introduced them to Lynley Dodd's books. So they were understandably looking forward to seeing the whole crew in the flesh. I, on the other hand was most curious to see how Hairy Maclary was to be translated to the stage. Most of the charm of the stories comes from the selctively-repetitive-but-always-delightful rhythmic rhyming verse that the littlest ones love and which and encourages them to join in. Would that charm be lost in translation?

I was glad to discover that it wasn't. The production found its answer in the use of music. I knew it was going to be good when we walked in to find a keyboardist on stage playing live. Each story was told with a wonderful catchy tune, ably performed by the actors to live music. I'm still humming Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy as I type!

And of course, there were the dogs. The kids squealed in delight as Hairy Maclary and each of his canine friends bounded their way onto the stage. Even if you were not familiar with the characters at the start of the show, I'm sure you will be at the end of it as the audience was encouraged to shout out their names, point out their pictures and join to perform the individual actions for each dog. Just in case you need an introduction, here's the crew:

The show was highly interactive from the start, which was something that my children absolutely enjoyed. Miss Plum and Samuel Stone did a great job getting the audience to shout, point clap and stamp along. I also enjoyed not having to shush them, though I did have to make Noey sit down at one point when he got too excited and stood on his seat. Definitely good fun for kids 2+ and up!

I think the only thing that we were disappointed about was that there wasn't a chance to get up close with Hairy and his friends at the end of the show. I had to stop Mei a couple of times in her attempts to climb over the seats in front of us because she wanted to "pat the doggies, Mummy!" Folks in the front row did manage to pat Hairy just before he disappeared off stage so that's something you might want to think about when choosing seats! 

There are only 6 more shows left for Hairy Maclary and Friends this weekend, so do get your tickets soon if you haven't!

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 10 to 12 October 2014
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building
Perfomance Times: Friday 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm
Ticket Prices: $62 (Cat 1), $52 (Cat 2), $42 (Cat 3), $35 (Cat 4) (Quote ABA2014 and get 10% off all tickets!)
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

Do check out www.hairymaclary.com to learn more about Hairy Maclary and friends. You might also like to check out the Hairy Maclary books by Lynley Dodd, in particular these ones, which the tales in this performance were based: 

• Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy
• Schnitzel von Krum's Basketwork
• Hairy Maclary's Bone
• Hairy Maclary's Hat Tricks
• Scarface Claw 
• Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack 

There are also plenty of readings of Hariy Maclary which can be found on Youtube if you need some help getting acquainted! (Or if you would like someone else to read a book to your kids for a change!) 

Enjoy! 

*We were invited to watch this show for review purposes, which we did so gladly as we love Hairy Maclary! All opinions remain authentically our own.

A Date with a Very Hungry Caterpillar and Friends

Eric Carle's books are staples in our home library and The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Mixed-Up Chameleon and Little Cloud are among our favourites. So you can imagine how delighted the children were to get up close and personal with some of their favourite characters as they leapt off the pages of the books onto the stage in the stunning production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites by the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.

I'd watched this production with Noey on a school excursion two (or maybe three) years ago and was fascinated by the magic of black light theatre. This year, thanks to Act 3 International, the kids and I were in for a treat as we were invited to step backstage, turn up the lights and learn a bit about how the puppets come to life. I was definitely as excited as the kids were.
If you are not familiar with black light theatre, it involves the use of UV lighting, a dark stage, black curtains, and fluorescent costumes to create a magical effect where the puppeteers disappear into the background, with the puppets and props appearing as if they are animated on their own.

Lights on...

… and lights off!

It is in theory a very simple concept, but we were soon to learn that it wasn't that simple at all to pull off! For one, the puppeteers work in complete darkness, dressed in black with black gloves and black hoods over their heads and faces. I was also surprised to realise that there were only three of them (two puppeteers and one stage manager) working all the puppets and shifting all the sets around. In perfect synchronisation too!

We were given the opportunity to try to manipulate the puppets ourselves and found that it was not that easy to make the puppets move in the same life-like fashion as they do in the hands of the professionals. The caterpillars (there are actually three used in the show) are actually made out of a thick cushion-like material, with the individual donut rings threaded together. Like all the props, they were all handmade in-house. I was personally wowed by how much the puppets resembled the original artwork.

Getting the caterpillars to "crawl" forward. The longer caterpillar has two poles which you can manipulate while for the smaller caterpillar, you simply pinch a segment in each hand to move it.

On Monday he ate through one apple, but he was still hungry.
You can see the flaps on the apple which the puppeteers would fold over as the caterpillar "eats".

We moved on to give the chameleon a go and the kids had fun re-enacting the scene where the chameleon shoots out its tongue to catch the fly. In the process we learnt that the flickering fly is created simply from twisting a two-sided painted fly-on-a-stick between your hands, and flying it around of course. The long tongue on the other hand actually affixed on a conveyor belt adjusted at an appropriate angle, which the puppeteer can pull in and retract easily. The kids tried their hands at this and hmm, maybe it didn't quite come out right, but they sure had fun!

The chameleon trying to catch the fly!

I thought Little Cloud might be easier to manipulate but was quickly disabused of the notion when we were taught how to move like clouds. You don't see clouds bouncing around do you? We were shown how to move smoothly and the kids eagerly volunteered to try out for the part. You can see that they took it very seriously, especially Mei, who I think did a great job with her footwork!

After the wonderful opportunity learning about what goes on behind the scenes, the three of us settled down to watch the show. And I was glad to note that it was as good as I remembered. Better, in fact, given the additional knowledge that we now had. Mei who has never seen the production before was utterly captivated, and got really excited when her favourite very hungry caterpillar came on stage. As for Noey, he was busy explaining to be the whole time how things were done. A little knowledge can be dangerous in his hands. It was a good thing that the whole show was very child-friendly no one batted an eyelid at the excited comments made by the young audience.

I was reminded that I was watching the show with an honest-to-goodness 6-year old though when Noey started protesting about the caterpillar making a cocoon. "It's not a cocoon, it's a chrysalis!" he said indignantly. "Only a moth makes cocoon, a butterfly makes a chrysalis! And it is not a hairy caterpillar! Moth caterpillars are hairy! Tell Eric Carle!" he ended rather huffily.

Cocoon or chrysalis notwithstanding, it was a very enjoyable show. The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favourites has just ended its run here but I wouldn't be surprised if it or its other companion production A Brown Bear, a Moon and a Caterpillar: Treasured Stories by Eric Carle (which we have also watched) return again in a couple of years! Do also check out Act 3 International and join their mailing list to be first to know about other upcoming workshops and productions.

*We thank Act 3 International for the media invite to the workshop and show. All opinions are, as always, our own.

Hairy Maclary and Friends are Coming! {Giveaway}

We are always thrilled to see a familiar face make the jump from the pages of a book to living 3D on the stage, and this time, it's Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy who will be taking centre stage soon in Hairy Maclary and Friends.

We were first introduced to Hairy Maclary and his motley crew of friends when the kids' Godmother gifted us with a set of Hairy Maclary books some years ago. "These are classics!" she said, and hugely popular with kids in Australia and the author's native New Zealand. Upon reading the books, I could see why. Written in rhyming verse, the books proved to be enjoyable read-alouds. The clever use of repetition made it easy for the kids to follow along, even Mei, and soon they both able to recite along as we got to know Hercules Morse as big as a horse, Bottomley Potts covered in spots, Muffin Maclay like a bundle of hay, Bitzer Maloney all skinny and bony, and Schintzel von Krum with the very low tum.

Since we heard Hairy will be coming, we've pulled out all our books and reacquainted ourselves with Hairy and gang. The show promises to be packed with live music, singing, singing and colourful costumes, suitable for ages 2+ and up so we really looking forward to it!

Hairy Maclary and Friends will be playing only 7 shows from 10 to 12 October 2014, so don't miss this chance to get to know these loveable dogs! Visit ABA Productions or hairymaclaryshow.co.uk

Ticketing and Show Information

Season: 10 to 12 October 2014
Venue: Drama Centre Theatre, National Library Building
Performance Times: Friday 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am, 2pm, 4.30pm
Ticket Prices: $62 (Cat 1), $52 (Cat 2), $42 (Cat 3), $35 (Cat 4) (Quote ABA2014 and get 10% off all tickets!)
Booking: Sistic at sistic.com.sg or calling 63485555

GIVEAWAY!

Thanks to our lovely sponsors we have a FAMILY PACK OF 4 CATEGORY 1 TICKETS (worth $248)  to giveaway! The tickets are for the opening performance on 10 October at 5pm. To enter this draw, you have to complete the following steps:

1. Like the ABA Productions Singapore Facebook Page

2. Like the Life is in the Small Things Facebook Page

3. Share this Facebook photo and Tag a friend!

You have to complete all 3 steps to qualify so don't miss any out! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to indicate that you've done the above. You can also get additional chances by completing the rest of the steps.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway ends on Mon 6 Sept 2014, 11.59pm and is open to Singapore residents only. Winners will be contacted by e-mail and will have 24 hours to respond, failing which a new winner will be drawn. All incomplete entries will be disqualified. All entries will be verified before the winners are announced. To be fair to our sponsors, please note that all fake Facebook accounts (eg. accounts set up purely to take part in contests with no or very few real friends) will also be ineligible to win.

Good luck!