Bliss Part 20

YouTube clips from the 2010 Tony Awards!

Matthew Morrison is soooooo delicious. :)

And some kind soul has uploaded the entire ceremony.
Begin with Part 1 and move your way down the list, woohoo!

[ p.s. Check out Part 4, which has a totally hilarious bit at 5 min 20 secs. I shall not ruin the surprise. :) ]

As for Glee, part 2 of season 1 is just too marvelous for words, so here's a chunk of fabulous video clips!

My current favourite: an earth-shattering performance of Dream On by Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris. The last 20 seconds are unbelievable!

Next fave: a dreamy Morrison-Kristin Chenoweth duet on One Less Bell To Answer. I already love this song, but these 2 Broadway veterans whacked it right out of the stratosphere!

3rd fave: another Morrison-Chenoweth duet, this time on Fire. Fantastique!

The best part? The songs are all downloadable from the Internet. Yes!


Something I haven't blogged about yet - my birthday celebration, which by the way, is still ongoing. :)

The b-day weekend itself was spent at the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. Booked a hotel room for the night and brought my parents along for the ride.
Spent more than 12 hours at the casino itself, retiring to bed only at 3am.
Greatly enjoyed the slot machines - one of which paid me $250 within an hour heh! - but also had a good time watching others at the card and roulette tables. Didn't try my luck at any of them though. $25 per game of blackjack?! I'm too wimpy to blow that kind of money...

A couple of days ago, I spent a laughter-filled evening with friends and relatives, eating our hearts out at Pete's Place at the Grand Hyatt hotel. Haven't been there in quite a while, but the food remains excellent, and I am especially pleased with the fact that I may have matchmade 2 young people in the process. Let's hope for a good outcome! :D

I've got a few other meet-ups scheduled, and the gifts keep trickling in. Some were expected, some were not, but they are all warmly appreciated so thank you! :)

Of course, the real b-day celebration will take place only in late August, when I take my annual holiday overseas. This year's destination promises lots of excitement, particularly in the food and wine departments. I've already contacted someone via a penpal site, who's more than happy to take me around. Looking forward to that!


Current recreational reading: Darkly Dreaming Dexter - i.e. Part 1 of the Dexter series.
Of all the novels, this is the only one that's similar to the TV show, and although I've seen the small-screen version, the book is no less enjoyable.
One of my favourite quotes comes very early: I am a very neat monster.
More quotes to follow shortly. :)

Bliss Part 19

Has it really been 3 weeks since my last entry?

In truth, I feel as if I've been hit by a train, but there's an undercurrent of euphoria mixed with that, so I guess the Bliss theme continues as per normal. :)

There're lots of updates, so please be patient!

First, ICEM 2010 was a rousing success.

And when I say 'rousing', I mean the highest attendance ever for an ICEM event, among other things.

I was in charge of the large group of volunteers who helped run the show. Mostly medical students, with a couple of MO trainees. The M5 who co-ordinated the bunch is a major Type A personality, but extremely efficient and 100% reliable, which made my job that much easier.

Kudos to all of you for your enthusiasm, initiative and resourcefulness. A certain event planning company wasn't doing its job, and the volunteers stepped up beautifully to resolve many issues on the ground. Bravo!

The scientific programme was packed to the brim, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to attend many of the lectures, for free no less, due to my behind-the-scenes involvement.

Many of the speakers are terrific, the topics cutting-edge, with lively Q&A sessions which often left us in stitches.

My only grouse: too many talks crammed into tight timeslots. Many tracks had 8 presentations within 2 hours. Caused a lot of rushing, with no leeway for proper Q&A.

The exhibition area was so much fun, as the vendors hauled their latest gadgets to the venue, setting up elaborate displays to entice delegates over. Unfortunately, the freebies were a little lacking. Mere pens and notepads aren't very attractive, you know.

The SUNTEC location is, as always, THE place to be. I've attended my share of conferences overseas, and still consider SUNTEC the best conference venue yet.

Despite being maybe a couple of decades(?) old, everything still looks brand new and spotless. Even the toilets are exceptionally clean - though I suspect this is partly because many of our delegates aren't Singaporean, heh!

There was lots of buzz these past few days as well, thanks to the PC Show - total chaos - and a warehouse sale.

My sole complaint about the venue: crazy thermostat settings. Certain rooms are too warm, and one particular ballroom is always in bloody 'freezer' mode.

Anyway, enough about that.

TV updates abound. :D

Don't miss Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant. Starts airing on AXN this coming Thursday, at 11pm.

You can read the show summary on your own.

I've been anticipating this for a while, ever since People magazine gave it a rave review. It's a very new series, so thank you, AXN, for bringing it to Singapore!

Watched the pilot episode online a couple of weeks back - intense but also hilarious, absolutely superb!

Olyphant is cast perfectly as no-nonsense U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. I've been a fan of Olyphant's since his memorable performance opposite Jennifer Garner in Catch And Release, followed by Die Hard 4.0 ( he was the villain ) and guest appearances as a hitman with a conscience on Damages season 2. Am thrilled to see him in his element as Givens, complete with the sexiest swagger I've ever seen ( I'm not kidding ), and a tough-as-nails portrayal which I'm confident will earn him an Emmy nomination - and possibly a win.

AXN caused me to hyperventilate - literally - when it decided to air SYTYCD season 5 a few weeks ago.

Why? Because this is the one that features my all-time fave SYTYCD contestant, the glorious jazz dancer, Evan Kasprzak!

I've gushed about him before, but if you didn't read that previous post, I first spotted Evan in season 4, when he blew me away with a gorgeous audition. But he eventually got cut and never made it to the top 20.

Couldn't understand why the judges let him slip through their fingers - I think there were a few season 4 finalists who can't hold a candle to Evan - but justice has been restored. :)

If you'd like to have an idea of what the heck I'm so excited about, go to this link, and fast forward to the 1hr 12 min point.

Part of his appeal is the dance style he's chosen to specialize in. I'm a huge fan of Fred Astaire, and couldn't be more pleased to see it revived by a talented young man like Evan!

The Closer season 2 currently airs on WarnerTV Tuesday nights.

I loved S1, but am loving S2 even more.

Episode 5 was insanely terrific, but episode 11 almost matches it in terms of humour and acting.

I think you'll enjoy this more if you're a woman. :)

The Good Wife S1 just concluded its run on Hallmark Channel a few days ago. Interesting cliffhanger, aided by stellar performances from leads Julianna Margulies, Chris Noth and Josh Charles. ( Yes, if you haven't already guessed, it's a love triangle. )

Great to see JC's role being expanded as the series progressed. Initially, he was just an old friend / old flame turned legal colleague. But his on-screen chemistry with Margulies is undeniable, and the episode where they finally locked lips had me perched on the edge of my seat!

Wish he could've enjoyed a more successful career following his wonderful turn on Dead Poets Society. But hey, it's never too late to make a comeback on television. :)

Here's a little-known movie that I also watched recently on cable, but which you can catch online.

Charlie Bartlett starts Anton Yelchin, Kat Dennings and Robert Downey Jr. Kind of a coming-of-age story about a high school misfit who unwittingly becomes a quack psychiatrist / drug dealer.

Sounds trippy eh? Right up my alley. :D

RDJ plays the high school principal, who's also divorced and depressed and an alcoholic.

Yelchin is the title character, and I gotta tell you, he made a gigantic impression on me here, despite my having seen him in Star Trek and Terminator Salvation ( Terminator 4, by the way, is IMHO the best of the franchise. Why hasn't cable shown it yet!? ).

Didn't really notice him until this film came along. And I bothered to catch it only because of RDJ. How ironic is that!

To illustrate why I've now become a loyal Anton Yelchin fan, play the movie link above ( the highlighted "Charlie Bartlett" bit ), and go to the 11th minute and 45 seconds part. I guarantee it will put a huge smile on your face ( like Evan Kasprzak's audition :))!

His biography is mighty interesting. Even better are his upcoming projects - he's going to play Clumsy Smurf, lol!

Didn't realize there's a Fright Night remake in the works. Wooo, looking forward to that, especially with Yelchin on board as Charley Brewster.

Also, he's rumoured to be a possible replacement for Tobey Maguire in the next Spider-man installment. A little too young perhaps, but other than the age factor, I'm all for it.

I see great, great things in his future. :)

That's all for now. There's actually more but I'm too tired to blog about it.

Till next time...

Bliss Part 18

Choice quotes from The Strain.

To minimize plot revelations, I shall provide only minimal context.

One of the best passages so far ( I'm now 205 pages in ) describes a solar eclipse:

"As the crescent sun continued to narrow, the complexion of the sky became a strangled violet. The darkness in the west gathered strength like a silent, windless storm system, spreading throughout the sky and closing in around the weakened sun, like a great organism succumbing to a corrupting force spreading from within.

The sun grew perilously thin, the view - through safety glasses - like that of a manhole lid being slid shut high above, squeezing out the daylight. The crescent blazed white, then turned to silver in its agonal last moments.

...The end came quickly. The last throes were chilling, intense, the crescent shrinking to a curved line, a slicing scar in the sky, then fragmenting into individual pearls of fiery white, representing the last of the sun's rays seeping through the deepest valleys along the lunar surface. These beads winked and vanished in rapid succession, snuffed out like a dying candle flame drowned in its own black wax. The crimson-colored band that was the chromosphere, the thin upper atmosphere of the sun, flared for a precious, final few seconds - and then the sun was gone.

Totality."

I have to admit that the first 40 pages lumbered along at too leisurely a pace for me. But in hindsight, this was necessary in order to build up adequate momentum and introduce the reader to the key players.

It's quite rare - for me at least - to find a novel which contains everything I could possibly ask for: great characters, fantastic writing, cool story, nail-biting suspense - in equal measure. Usually, I enjoy a book for one or more of these features, with a single element somewhat lacking.

But no, The Strain has exceeded expectations on all counts. Could be due to the fact that I seldom read horror novels ( Dexter's gory, but infused with a lot of humour, which helps take the edge off ). Can't remember the last time I read a truly scary book; even Laurell K. Hamilton's Vampire Hunter series is more action-adventure than hair-raising.

I would highly recommend The Strain primarily for its exceptional writing. Hogan expertly draws you into a beautifully woven tale filled with vivid characters and exciting set pieces.

One of the scenes had me cowering in bed past midnight. Not good if you need to get up early the next morning for a meeting! Superbly written yet again, but if I quote it here, I will certainly ruin the surprise.

Have already expressed hope that a film adaptation will materialize in the near future, but del Toro has his hands full with The Hobbit, and I don't think any other director would be able to match his vision.

Maybe after the book trilogy is completed? Hint, hint. :)

Shall leave you to digest this over the weekend.

Bliss Part 17

Comes in the form of RDJ's 2004 album, The Futurist.

Naturally, this isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. It definitely helps if you're already a fan. Helps even more if you're familiar with his work on Ally McBeal, where he first showcased his singing talent to a mass audience.

The Futurist features 10 tracks, 8 of them penned by RDJ himself ( only Your Move and Charlie Chaplin's Smile are covers ).

I was pleasantly surprised by this little nugget of information, because the original compositions are actually very good.

An early favourite - my preferences change after repeated listens ( regular readers will know this :)) - is 5:30, a smooth jazz-pop-rock number that I can't get out of my head.

Another great track: Kimberly Glide, a beautiful, introspective piece that's heavy on the piano arrangement and jazz inflections. Very cool. :)

The song which seems to address RDJ's personal struggles most directly is Man Like Me.
Just read the lyrics and you should be able to see references to drug purchases and not showing up at work ( derailed his acting career twice ).

Vocals-wise, RDJ reminds me a lot of Tom Petty. Not an exact fit, but the styles are pretty similar, no?

Of the covers, Smile is a winner indeed. Can't find a high-quality recording of the original RDJ version on YouTube, but this Enigma-esque remix is nice too.

Any chance of an encore album? :)


Another activity I'm enjoying immensely these days: reading a damn good novel.
Namely, Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain.

And I just realized that Amazon posted major spoilers, argh!!!
Don't scroll down if you don't want to ruin the experience!

It's a terrific book - fast-paced, intelligent, with vividly drawn characters, lots of intrigue, and minimal foul language.

Since I assume del Toro isn't that well-versed in the English language, I shall give Hogan credit for the exquisite prose. Haven't gotten this many goosebumps since Jeff Lindsay's Dexter In The Dark. I'm only 100 pages in, and can already count quite a few great passages scattered within the compact-sized chapters. Will try to quote them in the next entry.

I borrowed this months ago but had to return it when I got side-tracked by other tomes. Finally managed to get my hands on it last week, and will try my darndest to finish it just in case someone decides to place a reservation.

It's amazing how much reading can be done just before bedtime and during breakfast. :)

Till next time...

Bliss Part 16

Video time. :D

I remember the dance routine, but forgot that it was on American Idol. Absolutely hilarious!

Bad resolution, but you can see what you need to see.

I've watched this before. Great stuff.

Assorted clips assembled into a montage.

Chances Are

Man Like Me

River

Kimberly Glide

Going to download his 2004 album, The Futurist, very soon.
As you can tell, I'm craving all things RDJ at the moment. Bear with me, it will pass at some point. :)

Bliss Part 15

The Robert Downey Jr (RDJ) saga continues.

I'm no longer a diehard cinephile, preferring to vegetate at home with my DVD player / laptop these days. But I made the effort to catch Iron Man 2 at the theatre last Wednesday.

And it was sooooo worth it. :)

Was it as good as Iron Man? I would say yes. Despite having established the superhero's background story - which made for quite a few cool scenes as Stark experimented with his invention in the first film - the sequel had its fair share of thrills and spills.

And since I assume everyone's seen the movie - if you haven't, then the spoilers probably won't matter anyhow - I'll just state for the record that the crash-cum-Whiplash-vs-Iron-Man-blowout scene at the Monaco Grand Prix was quite an eye-popper!

Especially Stark's super-awesome briefcase that transformed into a self-assembling Iron Man suit. Woooo. :D

RDJ is in his element, as always. Arrogant and politically incorrect, Tony Stark is clearly having the time of his life flaunting his wealth and new-found fame, and now battles not one, but two, villains, comprising a Russian rogue physicist ( a severely under-utilized Mickey Rourke, but nice accent ) and an unscrupulous arms dealer ( a most superb Sam Rockwell ).

Along the way, he is aided by his US Army pal Lieutenant-Colonel Rhodes ( I still prefer Terrence Howard to Don Cheadle ), his trusty assistant Pepper Potts ( good chemisty ), and now, Agent Romanoff, played by the sultry Scarlett Johansson ( she doesn't do much acting, but boy does she look good in a skin-tight ?leather? suit! ).

And if you weren't hanging onto the edge of your seat in the climactic showdown with a terrifying army of drones, I ask: are you dead?

So gushing over Iron Man 2 aside, I've been catching up with RDJ's filmography, and count approximately 15 films of his that I've seen over the past 20 years.

The earliest one being Chances Are from 1989, when he was 24, and I was 14.

It's one of those dead-husband-reincarnated-as-a-young-man type of comedies. Fluffy stuff, but memorable because RDJ did a great job with the limited material he had. And those huge eyes framed by long lashes went a long way in making him a credible romantic figure. There's a piano scene which is quite breath-taking. Am sure it's on the Internet somewhere. :)

Other RDJ movies I've caught: Only You, Chaplin ( his best by far ), Air America, U.S. Marshals, Bowfinger ( small role ), Gothika ( dumb show but worth watching just for RDJ alone ), Zodiac ( terrific performance, very tormented ), Tropic Thunder ( hilarious, though all the explosions gave me a headache at the end ), the Iron Man series, The Soloist, and of course, his stint on Ally McBeal, which almost heralded his comeback before his drug addiction relapsed.

Which reminds me - I'd like to rewatch his Ally McBeal episodes, just to see how I'll react now that I've become a much bigger fan.

My favourite RDJ film thus far, however, is Sherlock Holmes. And I couldn't be more pleased to read that a sequel is already in pre-production, also to be directed by Guy Ritchie.

The reviews were not kind, even though Holmes made a nice profit at the box office. I remember critics disapproving of the manner in which the great detective was portrayed, but I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience.

RDJ plays his character with debonair charm and great panache, yet infuses it with an undercurrent of personal torment. I thought the latter was rather prominent in a tense scene where Holmes meets Watson's fiancee, Mary, for the first time. His attention to detail impresses her initially, but this is quickly derailed when he later makes a wrong assumption and ends up with wine dripping down his face.

The script doesn't explain why Holmes behaved in such a cruel manner, especially when assessing his best friend's future wife. But I found it utterly fascinating - surely there must be something in his murky past to account for his cynicism? Let's hope the sequel will help us solve the mystery. :)

While RDJ's impersonation of Charlie Chaplin was flawless, here he breaks away from the Holmes we've all become familiar with ( i.e. stuffed old shirt in a gawky getup ) and turns a British sleuth flick into an international blockbuster.

I could listen to his accent forever - it's absolutely perfect!

Jude Law is also aptly cast as the more serious half of the duo. He shares terrific chemistry with RDJ - even more than Rachel McAdams, who's Holmes' romantic interest.

They've got quite a number of bickering scenes, one of which had me laughing out loud. It's around the 36th minute. Holmes points his violin bow at Watson, irritating the latter and causing him to remark, "Get that out of my face."

Holmes then nonchalantly replies, "It's not in your face, it's in my hand."

To which Watson counters, "Get what's in your hand out of my face."

I love it! :D

So before I sign off, here're a couple of excellent YouTube clips of RDJ:

Part of a Jimmy Kimmel interview - he mentions Singapore, heh!

He's also an accomplished pianist and singer, so you can listen to him covering The Police's Every Breath You Take, together with choice video snippets from the Ally McBeal series.

Last but not least, part of the awesome Grand Prix scene from Iron Man 2!

Till next time...

Bliss Part 14

No time to pen a full entry, but in short, a major reshuffle of my Top 10 Favourite Actors list has occurred, after remaining stationary for more than a decade.

Kevin Spacey remains at numero uno, so fellow KS fans, don't fret!

The #2 spot, however, now belongs to Robert Downey, Jr., with John Cusack toppled to #3.

Why? Simply because Sherlock Holmes ( Guy Ritchie's 2009 version ) is so totally awesome!

To hell with the reviews - I love this movie to bits, and intend to download it so I can watch it as many times as possible, at my own leisure.

Just wish I had a day off this weekend to catch Iron Man 2, but I'll most probably have to wait till next week instead. Sigh.

More to follow soon. :)

Bliss Part 13

Part 12, of course, was Jamie Cullum's concert. :)

Ahh, where should I start?

How about Jakob Karr, runner-up from So You Think You Can Dance season 6?

( I haven't figured out how to embed videos yet, so please bear with the links. )

Been watching the show faithfully for months now, and can't get over JK's brilliance as a dancer.

Examples:

A jazz routine with Ellenore - one of many great collaborations, showcasing JK's crazy skills. He specializes in mid-air splits, which I've heard judge Nigel Lythgoe call "jetés".

The choreographers have also taken notice, since they love to throw these in whenever Jakob's under their tutelage. There're even jetés in the foxtrot, for pete's sake! :D

Another favourite - the sexy cha-cha with Ashleigh Di Lello. JK mannerisms always come across as a little effeminate, especially when he talks. But when he's on-stage doing what he does best, he's just damn HOT!

This contemporary piece gave me goosebumps the first time I saw it. And what a surprise that it was a huge hit with the audience and judges as well. Choreographer Sonya Tayeh brings her signature quirkiness, aided by JK and eccentric partner, Ellenore.

The result? Pure magic. :)

And get a load of this wonderful contemporary routine with Kathyrn ( the best female dancer of S6 ).

This latest installment of SYTYCD is the best one yet. Other memorable performances include:

A luscious cha-cha ( Kathryn and hunky dude Ryan Di Lello ) - YOW!

A dreamy Broadway routine ( Kathryn and Nathan Trasoras ).

A breath-taking Viennese waltz that moved me to tears ( JK and Mollee Gray ).

Last but not least, an exquisite contemporary piece choreographed by season 2 alumnus Travis Wall. Danced by real-life ballroom couple Ashleigh and Ryan, this is best appreciated by fans who know their poignant background story.

I, for one, was rendered speechless by its sheer artistry.

A couple of days back, AXN screened a special episode of SYTYCD, featuring 15 of the best performances over the past 5 seasons. It is indeed remarkable how far the show has come. I started watching from S2 onwards ( S1 somehow never made it to our shores, and S5 has yet to hit our screens ), and suddenly remembered another major hottie from the past - i.e. Neil Haskell from S3.

Just look at this fabulous jazz piece!

And I still vividly remember this awesome disco routine!

Okay that's enough for now. :)

Have been enjoying my Megavideo subscription, watching and downloading a chunk of movies both recent and all the way back to the early 1990s.

An Education is extremely good, though I need to watch it again since I was a little distracted the first time round.

The main draw for me is none other than Peter Sarsgaard, whom I loved in Shattered Glass ( ignore Hayden Christensen ), and whose subsequent films ( Orphan, Jarhead ) I also enjoy.

This is his second best role to date ( the best being editor Charles Lane in Glass ).

As David, the smooth-talking charmer who sweeps 16-year-old Jenny off her feet, Sarsgaard is perfectly suave and convincing, but delivers a kicker of a twist in the last 15 minutes, guaranteed to shock you out of your skin, though some of you may have already seen it coming.

I didn't though, which made it pretty traumatic, argh!

Will definitely download for future enjoyment. Carey Mulligan is excellent in the lead role, and shares great chemistry with Sarsgaard, helping to buffer any creepiness the viewer may experience considering the age gap between the main characters.

And I just love his flawless British accent. :)

Another good movie I just watched - The Informant!, starring a long-time fave of mine, Matt Damon.

Not suitable for everybody - my mom dozed off but I was riveted. Very quirky but hilarious. The soundtrack had me in stitches for some strange reason, and Damon's comic timing is spot-on.

He's actually a terrific comedic actor - loved his turn as a Siamese twin in Stuck On You. Try to watch it if you can. I'm sure it's online somewhere.

And pay attention to the funny voice-overs in The Informant! Some of them come shooting out of nowhere and sound completely insane. Gives you insight into the inner workings of the lead character's strange mind heh!

Surprisingly, New Moon turned out to be quite enjoyable. Slow and lengthy, but far superior to Twilight in terms of production and acting. Taylor Lautner shows potential and IMHO outshines Robert Pattinson in their scenes together.

Bella Swan, wake up and smell the coffee already!

The fun part about watching the film is realizing that all that time spent reading the novels wasn't wasted. There're quite a few subtle plot points that get skimmed over in the movie adaptation, so I found myself explaining these to my mom as the show progressed.

I actually watched it online first but got the DVD from another source for my mom's benefit.

The soundtrack's reaaally good.

Next DVDs in line: The Hurt Locker - really looking forward to this one! - and The Boys Are Back starring Clive Owen.

Which reminds me, I'd like to watch Closer again sometime. Fully uncensored version. Online. :)

Current bedtime reading: Charlaine Harris' Living Dead In Dallas, aka book 2 in the Southern Vampire series, on which the TV show True Blood is based.

Impressions so far: Harris is a good writer. Sookie's much less irritating on paper than she is on-screen, there's a lot more sex in the books ( waiting to see when Harris will run out of descriptions ), Eric the Viking vamp is more prominent in the novels ( I like him so this is a good thing ), and once again, like Dexter, the printed and televised versions are very different ( especially from season 2 onwards ).

Thank goodness Lafayette survives on the small screen. One of my fave characters, that one.

Till next time...

Review of Jamie Cullum's Concert

Esplanade Concert Hall

13 April 2010

To repeat my tweet from last night - it was AWESOME!

Everything that could've and should've gone right did exactly that.

The gig was sold out. The audience was enthusiastic but not rowdy. The people seated around me weren't annoying ( a rare occurrence ). I had 2nd row seats and happened to pick a spot that was right in front of the grand piano, so I had an excellent view of Jamie the whole time.

The sound system didn't act up ( except for one instance of microphone feedback which lasted a few seconds ). The acoustics were fantastic!

And Jamie wowed us all with his undeniable talent and effervescent stage presence. Yowzah!

To tell you the truth, I didn't expect to enjoy myself this much. Sure, I have 4 of his 5 albums ( the very first one being out of circulation for eons and thus, unavailable even to diehard fans ), and consider 2005's Catching Tales his best so far.

And to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed by his latest release, The Pursuit. ( Perhaps my perspective was clouded by the deluge of new albums on the market at the time; I was rather distracted by John Mayer and Adam Lambert's offerings as well. )

But now that I've heard Jamie perform 6-7 tracks from The Pursuit in a 'live' setting, I am blown away yet again.

The show started very promptly at 7:35pm, and the first thing that struck me was the absence of Geoff Gascoyne and Sebastiaan de Krom - Jamie's stalwart sidekicks from his previous tours.

Instead, 4 young fellows walked on-stage to play the drums, guitars / bass, trumpet and keyboard.

And although I was initially quite disappointed by the absence of the 2 older men, I have to agree that revamping the band was a move in the right direction. The entire vibe was different - more kick-ass, and of course, testosterone-laden ( they're good-looking chaps, which I greatly appreciate :)).

Jamie appeared in a light blue jacket, blue long-sleeved shirt, black tie and greyish jeans, launching into a cover of Rihanna's Don't Stop The Music, which appears on The Pursuit.

Not my favourite track, but the acoustics did their magic, and I was instantly spellbound.

Jamie's vocals were, as always, pitch perfect. The band sounded amazing - every instrument clear as a bell and meshing very nicely. It would only get better as the night progressed!

Having made a list of his repertoire the minute I got home last night, I count 21-22 songs in an almost 2.5-hour period.

From The Pursuit: the Rihanna piece, plus I'm All Over It, Just One Of Those Things, Wheels, Mixtape and If I Ruled The World.

I keep thinking he also performed You And Me Are Gone, but can't be certain. L, if you read this, maybe you can enlighten me?

From Catching Tales: Photograph, Get Your Way, and Mind Trick.

From Twentysomething: These Are The Days, Twentysomething, I Get A Kick Out Of You, Wind Cries Mary, All At Sea, High And Dry, and Frontin'.

Covers: Hoagy Carmichael's I Get Along Without You Very Well, Ray Charles' I Got A Woman, Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River ( plus the original Ella Fitzgerald version ), and a short sampling of Rihanna's Umbrella just before High And Dry.

Short ditty: a hilarious impromptu jam about Jamie feeling good but not looking it, during which he made fun of his ridiculous hair and terrible attire way back when.

Aww, it wasn't THAT bad really. You were young, you got away with it. :D

Magical moments? Too many to count. Compared to his last show in Singapore in June 2006 ( review dated June 16, photos posted on June 18 ), this was soooo much better.

The venue definitely contributed to the overall enjoyment. Jamie has never sounded this good ( this is the 3rd time I'm seeing him - first show was in 2004 at a nightclub at Wisma Atria; sound system was terrible! ), and the entire evening was a wonderful revelation.

He's matured beautifully - his recent marriage has done him a lot of good! - but his trademark fun spirit hasn't dampened one bit. Those high leaps from his Yamaha grand still feature prominently, and his energy level rarely waned, though towards the last half hour, he slowed things down significantly and looked a bit piqued after a few songs.

The most memorable segments:

1) A poignant rendition of If I Ruled The World, a track that I never really liked until I heard him sing it 'live'. He remarked that it's his grandmother's favourite song, and for some reason, that statement really hit me, and I paid close attention to the lyrics ( he describes his version of utopia ) as he belted his heart out.

The result was nothing short of astounding.

2) A loong drawn out rendition of Frontin' - one of my favourite covers from Jamie!

I've heard this 'live' a couple of times before, but he took it to the next level!

Started off with a solo beatbox routine. He walked over to the Rhodes keyboard located centrestage and fiddled with some buttons before we realized he was actually doing an audio recording. Then he began to add layer after layer, returned to the piano, launched into the song proper, and continued jamming for maybe 10 full minutes? At the end, he did the same layering effect, this time with vocals. So it sounded like 3 Jamie Cullums singing with the real person. I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven. No kidding. :)

3) Wheels - again, a song I'd never taken notice of until last night.

It's a great pop-rock anthem, but so terribly diluted on the studio recording. So when the concert hall's acoustics gave it a huge boost, this piece soared like a rocket speeding into outer space. I swear I could hear bits of U2 and Coldplay in there. Major goosebumps!

4) Cry Me A River - this is when Jamie, in true form, hopped off-stage and took his band-mates to the back of the hall, to squeals of delight from the audience.

He spent about 10-15 minutes strolling around and climbing onto a wooden partition, singing both the Ella Fitzgerald and Justin Timberlake versions, in an ingenious mash-up medley.

I couldn't see him for most of the segment, but it's a small price to pay for the other 90% of the show, when he was sitting / standing right smack in front of me. :)

5) The one-two punch of Hoagy Carmichael's I Get Along Without You Very Well, followed by Jamie's own composition from The Pursuit, You And Me Are Gone.

Jamie sets this up by saying the next 2 pieces should strike a chord with "anyone who's ever dumped someone, or been dumped by someone, who hates the person they dumped, or hates the person they were dumped by". Hilarious!

Here's a Diana Krall version to give you an idea of what the first song sounds like.

Jamie's performance was exquisite! A stripped-down solo with just his trusty piano, but filled with so much heartfelt longing. I would've blinked back tears but the ecstatic bliss got in the way. :)

The second piece is what Jamie describes as the "nasty" follow-up to its nicer counterpart. He smoothly transitioned from slow ballad to hard jamming, making the floors shake and the walls reverberate. Priceless!

6) His cover of Ray Charles' I Got A Woman - it's become a favourite of mine since Jamie Foxx and John Mayer did their own updates in recent years. This is such a catchy tune but you need lots of attitude to pull it off, and Jamie's got loads of it!

He even added his own impersonation of Ray during the performance, which got the entire concert hall cheering. :D

7) I Get A Kick Out Of You - another one of my top favourites. The last time he was in Singapore, it was a full trio rendition. Yesterday, however, he opted for an acoustic vocals-and-bass version. Bassist Chris Hills stepped forward as the lights dimmed and the rest of the band went backstage, doing a fabulous solo that had us all whooping our approval. Then Jamie reappeared and stood next to Chris, and when he started singing the first verse, I screamed till I went hoarse. Yes indeed, I LOVE this song!

The overall mood from the get-go was just pure exuberance.

Jamie was clearly on a major high, and got only crazier ( in the best possible way ) as the minutes passed.

He swigged from a can of Guinness Stout. He said he could care less about our mobile phones and digital / handphone / video cameras. We were welcome to take as many photos and record whatever we wanted, with his full permission.

Pity I left my camera at home 'cos I had such a terrific view, but then, still pictures wouldn't have done him justice, so it's a good thing his fans have already uploaded videos on YouTube!

Here's the one of his Cry Me A River mash-up. Very fun!

And part of the Frontin' performance, with the beatbox included. Sexy. :)

A few songs into the show, Jamie started feeling hot, so he peeled off his jacket and folded up his sleeves. Not long after, he removed his tie, and apologized to an excited female audience member in the first row who stretched out her arm in an attempt to grab it, telling her, "But it's my favourite one!"

Although I don't think the tie was what she was actually trying to get her hands on, heh!

He shared his thoughts about Singapore - both from 2006 and his current trip. He loves our weather and our food. He thinks the Esplanade concert hall is just "beautiful".

He was so unbelievably upbeat throughout the 2.5 hours, I really lucked out in terms of my seating choice because I basically had "courtside" tickets, to use a basketball game analogy.

While hitting a high note on I'm All Over It, he belted into the mike a little too forcefully, then stopped short before the last word in the line, to everyone's immense amusement. Not sure if it was deliberate, but there were a few other instances later in the show where he made self-deprecating remarks about his vocals, like after one drawn-out falsetto: "Well, that turned out better than I expected ( laughs )"!

After his Cry Me A River mash-up got the audience on their feet and hungry for more, Jamie ended the set with a rousing performance of Mind Trick ( yet another masterpiece from Catching Tales, woohoo! ), inviting those from the back to come to the front and boogie.

As for the encores, he obliged with Wind Cries Mary and All At Sea, before bidding us goodnight in a soft whisper tinged with exhaustion.

When the lights came on and I sat waiting for the crowd to filter out, I almost couldn't believe how sensational Jamie has become. Compared to the 2006 concert, he has improved tremendously - not that he wasn't great to begin with, just that he's gotten THAT much greater.

And even though his stage antics sometimes distract people from the fact that he has a GORGEOUS voice, the fact that he's mellowed somewhat ( plus the wonderful acoustics ) showcased his vocal prowess in all its glory last night.

This guy can REALLY sing. And leaving the covers out of the equation, Jamie is also one helluva talented songwriter.

Last but not least, I so appreciate his decision to perform tracks from his earlier albums and not just The Pursuit alone, which is what many artistes usually do in order to promote sales of their latest releases.

In particular, the best of Twentysomething was thrown into the mix, and it became very obvious that the audience has followed his career for at least a few years, as they applauded and whistled during these classic hits, even singing along word for word when prompted.

It was a wonderful journey down memory lane. Ahhhhh. :)

Little wonder that Jamie's very good friends with my favourite musician, Jason Mraz. My cousin tells me they met at a jazz festival some time back and hit it off immediately. Jamie's listed as Jason's 2nd best friend on MySpace, if I'm not wrong.

Just a small tidbit for you to chew on as I end this lengthy blog entry.

It was a magnificent night that I will never forget, and thank you, Jamie, for blessing us with such a mind-blowing performance! Please come back soon - don't make us wait another 4 years!

:)

Bliss Part 11

Yes, the saga continues. :)

I have hit the mother lode, people.

Started subscribing to Megavideo with the main purpose of watching American TV shows online, but turns out there're tonnes of movies available as well!

Just type the title of the film you're looking for and add "megavideo" at the end. The only catch is, you need to be a paid subscriber in order to obtain uninterrupted and unlimited access, otherwise the feed will automatically stop after 72 minutes of viewing.

Have already sampled a few blockbusters, and am very happy with the excellent image and sound quality.

Also found A Walk On The Moon, which stars Viggo Mortensen, Diane Lane and Liev Schreiber.
Almost bought this from Amazon, but guess I can just download it instead heh!
Didn't realize this was directed by Tony Goldwyn, who also helmed my favourite romantic comedy of all time, Someone Like You ( Hugh Jackman, Ashley Judd and Greg Kinnear ). Goldwyn played the evil friend in Ghost, voiced Tarzan in the Disney cartoon, and was one half of a duo of serial killers in Kiss The Girls.
Yes, my head's filled with useless trivia I can't get rid of. It's a sickness, I can't help it. :)

Another fave rom-com: Keeping The Faith, directed by Edward Norton.
I'm not a fan of mushy stuff, so when shows like these make such huge impressions, they've got to be pretty special.

You know me, I'm more of a blood-and-guts type of person.


Something else I'm VERY happy about: finding So You Think You Can Dance Season 5 online! You don't need Megavideo for this link, and I urge anyone who hasn't seen the series before to please do so.

Best of all, everything's on-demand, with no annoying TV ad interruptions.

Thinking of buying that portable hard drive now that I'm contemplating extra storage, hmm.


Recently attempted to read Tom Holland's The Vampyre, a blend of fact and fiction that fills in the blanks about Lord Byron's secret past.
Can't imagine why it garnered all those rave reviews. I was bored out of my mind before the first 100 pages.
The problem? Byron narrating the ENTIRE story in the form of a dialogue. So he's actually having a conversation with someone, and the whole novel is filled with inverted commas.
But who the hell talks like this? Must've taken Byron at least a few days to get through the whole thing. Who's got the patience for that?!
Totally ridiculous.

Anyway, I need to take a break from the public library for a while. Too many assignments to complete, and really need to clear my People and Time magazines at home.

Farewell to The Bridge Project - I hope you enjoyed your time in Singapore!

Review of The Bridge Project's The Tempest

8 April 2010, Esplanade Theatre

First and foremost, I enjoyed it.

The Theatre looked quite full when I stole a quick glance at the end of the show, but sadly, the audience itself was rather sedate.

As the Life! review pointed out, there was a standing ovation on opening night.

Unfortunately, my bunch was not as generous yesterday. At least not the first few rows.

I was seated in the centre of row 4, an excellent vantage point that afforded detailed views of everything from the actors' perspiring foreheads to fountains of spittle during the more emotional scenes.

While The Tempest doesn't boast as many big stars as 2009's The Winter's Tale - no Ethan Hawke or Rebecca Hall - I was nevertheless very excited about seeing Christian Camargo, aka the Ice Truck Killer aka Dexter's long-lost older brother on the Showtime TV series' ground-breaking first season.

And he did not disappoint at all.

As Ariel, the airy spirit who serves Prospero ( Stephen Dillane ), Camargo clearly has the most stage time. Even when he has no dialogue, he is almost always lurking nearby, observing each scene as it unfolds. Some of this is faithful to the play itself, as Ariel is known to manipulate characters as well as physical surroundings ( including the weather ) as he sees fit. However, there is one segment where Ariel should've been absent, but instead, Camargo climbs up to a seat atop a rather unstable-looking metal frame, where he perches serenely until the scene ends.

I just couldn't help thinking to myself: okay, IF he looses his footing, I will most definitely offer my medical services. :)

It's unfortunate that I haven't had many opportunities to see Shakespearean plays done by true experts. For this reason, I'm unable to compare The Bridge Project's version of The Tempest with any other production ( the RSC's, for example ).

But I'm starting to see a definite pattern here - director Sam Mendes has a penchant for dressing his actors in modern garb rather than costumes that are more befitting the actual era the plays are set in. No strong objection there, but I do find it a little odd seeing Prospero, Gonzalo and even Ariel in tailored suits. Perhaps more experienced theatre-goers would consider this quite normal?

Performances-wise, Camargo, in my humble opinion, is clearly the star of the show.

Yes, he does have an advantage in terms of material - Ariel is the most intriguing member of the cast of characters - but I also found his stage presence utterly mesmerizing.

Tall and lean with one of the most intense stares I have ever seen, his concentration never wavered as he paced the stage like a graceful but ravenous panther.

I was rather surprised by the pitch of his voice - higher than what I remember from Dexter - but this takes nothing away from Ariel's two outbursts: one where he lashes out at Prospero for not releasing him from servitude, another where he appears to the shipwrecked noblemen in the form of a frightening harpy. Rest assured that his tone alters accordingly ( and very significantly ), and that he is effectively temperamental and terrifying on both counts.

Another surprise: Camargo's singing ability. He has a few verses scattered throughout the play, with one prominent solo in the final act. A rich, pitch perfect vibrato. I got goosebumps! :)

Dillane's turn as Prospero is - and again, this is just my own opinion - a tad limp. Obviously, he chose to play his role in this manner ( and likely with Mendes' full support ), but the play itself seems to portray Prospero as a more fiery character, or at least that's my interpretation.

But then, I like my protagonists emotionally overwrought. Like Sir Ian McKellan's King Lear, and Simon Russell Beale's King Leontes. So why not Dillane's Prospero?

Another standout performance comes from Ron Cephas Jones, as the creepily sullen Caliban. Love the makeup and stick-on fingernails!

Another one of Prospero's servile creatures, but described as the physical opposite of Ariel, with a violent streak to boot ( he once tried to rape Prospero's young daughter, Miranda ). Jones first appears in the front left corner of the theatre, crouched near one of the box seats in the stalls section, with only his face illuminated by a spotlight. Although I'd already seen his press photos for the play, he looks very different in real life. Throw in the gravelly voice ( I do wonder if he normally sounds like that ), the nails/claws, the evil grin and the manner of speech ( a definite nod to the slavery era ), and the result is something quite remarkable indeed.

I found myself despising Caliban, but also pitying him at the same time. My feelings weren't quite as ambiguous when reading the play, so kudos to Jones for altering my perspective so effectively.

Juliet Rylance is appropriately sweet as Miranda, and I distinctly saw tears on her face when she pleaded with Dillane's Prospero to halt the storm and have mercy on the ship's passengers.

Miranda's age is estimated by Shakespearean experts to be around 15, and it is never easy for an adult to convey the fluctuating emotions and lovestruck fancy of a teenage girl. But Rylance delivers a sincere performance with just enough sprinkle of girlish rapture, without teetering into an annoying whiner.

And since I've seen Jennifer Garner's disastrous turn as Roxane on Broadway's Cyrano de Bergerac, I can safely say that Rylance is a hundred times better.

The comical Trinculo and Stephano ( Anthony O'Donnell and Thomas Sadoski ) have their moments in a couple of raucously funny scenes. I hope the audience picked up on the melody from Beyond The Sea, which Stephano drunkenly sang as he staggered on-stage. Thought that was hilarious. :D

The celebratory masque in Act 4, which features the goddesses Iris, Ceres and Juno, is a lovely vision indeed. There is beautiful music, followed by a joyous folk dance. Definitely more restrained than a party scene in last year's The Winter's Tale, which had a hillbilly flavour and degenerated into vulgar imagery involving strategically positioned balloons.

The more peripheral characters failed to make much of an impression on me. Most glaringly, Ferdinand ( Edward Bennett ) has zero chemistry with Miranda. In addition, Gonzalo ( Alvin Epstein ) is a little too frail for my taste, while Prospero's dastardly brother, Antonio ( Michael Thomas ) came across as really bland.

Some good stuff that's unrelated to acting:

- 2 wonderful musicians who provided an almost constant soundtrack and sounded like an entire orchestra at times;

- that, coupled with the lack of an intermission, gave the production a flowing, film-like quality ( though my mother panicked somewhere in Act 4 when it became quite obvious she wasn't getting a toilet break :));

- Christian Camargo dressed in an evening gown ( want to know what I'm talking about? go see the play, heh! )

So is it better than The Winter's Tale? I would say yes. Despite the lack of Hollywood A-listers, I'm glad that Mendes chose a more well-known Shakespearean work for his second Bridge Project tour, and cast Camargo and Jones in the play's most compelling roles.

2011 will certainly be the year to watch, when Kevin Spacey joins the cast - as one of the leads, I hope!

I am most eager to see a comedy next time round, but considering Spacey's dramatic skills, something tense and powerful would showcase his thespian talents perfectly.

But most importantly, 2011 will also be the year I will see at least two Bridge Project performances at the Esplanade, because I've waited so long to see the great Mr. Spacey on-stage, and one evening with him is just not enough!

For those who're interested, you can also read my reviews of the RSC's King Lear ( 21 July 2007 ) and The Bridge Project's The Winter's Tale ( 26 March 2009 ), listed in the archives on the right.

Reconnecting

The recent discovery of a treasure trove of online TV shows has finally propelled me to start subscribing to Megavideo. Unlimited access - no pesky 72-minute time limits - for what I consider a very reasonable fee.

First on the list: Nip/Tuck.

Am starting with season 2, though in all likelihood, I'll go through season 1 again at some point after I'm done with the rest.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this excellent series, its creator, the delightfully twisted Ryan Murphy, is also responsible for the big hit, Glee, which has been sweeping awards these past few months.

But in my opinion, Nip/Tuck is - and always will be - his crowning glory.

I began following the exploits of Drs. Sean McNamara and Christian Troy years ago, but stopped after season 2 or 3 when the time slots kept getting switched and I got distracted by other programmes.

Now, thanks to video-on-demand ( and more importantly, uncensored versions! ), I can tune in whenever I want, woohoo! :)

If you're a newbie, but share my love for dark humour, politically incorrect situations, gore and hot men ( medical jargon optional ), this is a must.

While Christian ( Julian McMahon, seated on the right ) is understandably portrayed as the obvious Lothario ( being single and shamelessly promiscuous, doctor-patient relationship be damned ), I'm much more drawn to Sean ( Dylan Walsh, left ), whose personal life is tonnes more tumultuous, and whose decisions are frequently unpredictable. Despite being viewed by many as a pillar of unwavering morality, he grapples with many hidden demons and occasionally makes Christian look like a saint.

The script is sharp and intelligent, poking fun at our aesthetic insecurities and serving up all sorts of uncomfortable scenarios ( Vanessa Redgrave makes her mark as a ravenous cougar ). The operating scenes are realistic enough to make even me squirm ( plastic surgery is barbaric! ). And yet, you'll also find yourself laughing hard at some of the more outrageous lines, before the realization that they're not really that outrageous after all smacks you sober.

There's also the enduring bro-mance between the 2 guys, transcending everything from professional rivalry to adultery and who knows what else ( I haven't seen every single episode, you know ). The complexity of their relationship is sinfully enjoyable.

Which actor do I prefer? McMahon may look like the clear winner, but nope, I much prefer Walsh. Sure, he may be the boyish one, often with a pained expression on his face and exuding an overwhelming sense of propriety, but I still recall one episode where a close-up suddenly made me sit up and notice his gorgeous blue eyes, and the emotions that lay behind them. It wasn't acting anymore. It was pretty freaking real.

Can't believe they're already at season 7. I can't wait to catch up! :D