RWS musical to open later

The multi-million-dollar musical LightSeeker at Resorts World Sentosa has hit a speedbump in bringing together computer-generated imagery, multimedia special effects and acrobatic stunts for the blockbuster production.

These "technical difficulties" have resulted in a four-day delay for the opening and the show will now open on Thursday instead of its planned debut on Sunday.

The difficulties the creative team encountered during their full-dress rehearsals led to "a delay in the show's development".

A Resorts World Sentosa spokesman said in an e-mail statement: "We are working to rectify the issue and to finetune the show."

Ticketing service Sistic has been contacting those who have tickets to the four shows that have been cancelled on Friday (a preview show), and tomorrow to Tuesday.

Audience members who are affected can choose to exchange their tickets for another show date.

The fantasy-themed LightSeeker tells the story of a general ordered to search for a mystical power by his emperor, leading him to a girl who appears to have this mysterious ability.

It features songs written by award-winning Singapore songwriter and composer Dick Lee. He says his part in the musical, including the music and story development, had wrapped up earlier in the year but adds that the musical has "a very heavy acrobatic aspect" that is "very complex".

Its 39 cast members include British actors Stuart Boother and Vivienne Carlyle, who have performed on London's West End, as well as local actor Lim Kay Siu.

The 90-minute show was created by television production veteran Andrea Teo, who was behind popular local TV shows such as Under One Roof and Phua Chu Kang.

The musical's producer, Wendi Teoh, tells Life! that delaying the opening was a "tough decision but a necessary one". Most of the difficulties involved making sure that the many multimedia and live elements of the show were integrated "seamlessly", she adds.

Asked about the possible losses the musical might make prior to its opening, she says: "To us, what's more important is to make sure that we're giving the best show possible. By making sure that we open a flawless show, hopefully that will translate into good box-office results."

LightSeeker aims to blend live performance with computer-generated imagery, multimedia and other special effects. It is directed by Michael La Fleur, a veteran director of shows on the Las Vegas casino strip, with sets by Emmy award-winning production designer Patrick Larsen.

Some of the complex set pieces include a LED wall that weights 10 tonnes and features 281 trillion colour variations, as well as four trees each measuring 11m in height and weighing a total of 8,350kg. It is set to run till March 23 next year.

As part of its operating licence, Resorts World Sentosa is required to produce original shows rather than re-stage Broadway or West End productions, which the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort offers.

Resorts World Sentosa's two previous productions were Voyage de la Vie, a show anchored by acrobatic acts, and Incanto, featuring magic acts. Both played to mixed reviews.

Communications manager Cassandra Lew, 24, watched Incanto last year and found it "interesting". But she did not watch the full performance.

"Halfway through, the lights came on and the show just stopped. It was quite sudden. They made an announcement saying that they couldn't continue the show and something about technical difficulties," she says.

Audience members were given the option to get tickets to another show but because the queue was very long, she decided to give it a miss.

corriet@sph.com.sg

Book it

LIGHTSEEKER

Where: Resorts World Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa

When: Nov 28 till March 23. Mon, Tue, Thur and Fri at 8pm. Sat and Sun at 3 and 8pm

Admission: $48 to $148 from Sistic (call 6348-5555 or go to www.sistic.com.sg)

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