I have never been in a play before, though I have been a choir singer for 16 years.
When fellow choir member KM Lai asked if I was interested in being in a musical, I jumped at the opportunity to try something new.
We both thought it was time to be in the spotlight instead of being merely one of many voices and faces in a choir. Acting was fresh and exciting, and being seniors, an opportunity to perform in a musical rarely comes along.
The musical was Guys & Dolls SR, produced by Cheryl Teh, director of KLSings and an advocate of active ageing through the arts.
Set in New York in the 1940s, the musical is about a gambler and a missionary who fall in love. This Broadway senior edition is a condensed version meant for actors, dancers and singers over 55 years of age. In fact, 49% of the cast were in their 60s, 33% in their 70s, and one was 82.This was a labour of love for Cheryl. She did most of the production work, secured sponsors, trained the choir, publicised the play and even raised funds for charity.
I auditioned for the role of Lieutenant Brannigan, a tough New York police officer. I thought it would be easy to portray a detective after watching so many detective movies.
Many thought likewise, and this role was much sought after.Audition day came. I read not only Brannigan's part but also those of other characters for Marina Tan, the staging director, and was then asked to wait.Marina is a galvanising and motivational staging director and a pocket dynamo. She provided clear instructions, feedback, exercises and anecdotes about her experiences, and used our own life experiences to bring out realistic emotions to suit each situation.
Most importantly, she drilled into us the importance of staying in character, meaning not looking for your relatives among the audience or wondering what's for dinner while acting.
Bubbling with energy, she engaged the actors in whole-body and vocal exercises, criss-crossed the stage endlessly and jumped up and down from chairs to direct and inspire us during rehearsals.
Callista Chuah choreographed the slick, synchronised moves and ensured plenty of curvy gyrations in the dances. There were plenty of tired bodies, aching hips and knees, but no dropouts.
Two weeks after the audition, I learned that I had been cast as Arvide Abernathy, grandfather to the protagonist, Sarah Brown. KM Lai was cast as Harry the Horse, a gambler. We were both elated but also apprehensive, wondering what we had got ourselves into.
Rehearsals began immediately, and for the next four months, I gave up three days a week to rehearsals. As though that wasn't enough, there were frequent Zoom sessions with Marina, daily dialogue practice with my wife and singing practice.Those with major roles, as well as the choir and dancers, breathed, lived and dreamed of the musical, or had nightmares about it, as they had additional rehearsals and practices. But being good troopers, everyone soldiered through, and then it was showtime.
We were scheduled to run three shows, and surprisingly, all tickets sold out within a short time. Demand remained high, so an extra show was added, and that sold out too.
For many, it was their first time singing, dancing or acting in a theatre. Cheerful banter and jokes abounded to calm nerves and butterflies, along with plenty of encouragement and support. Facing an audience of 200 in the spotlight was going to be a challenge for first-time actors like me.My mind went blank when I had to do a voice check in front of my fellow actors and singers at a rehearsal in the theatre. I mumbled a few incoherent and incorrect lines after some agonising moments.
Fortunately, choir singer Karen Sze Tho rescued me. She suggested sparring with someone to help jolt my memory. We went through my lines together, my nerves calmed and the lines returned.
It was not all tension and anxiety during those four days. Dressing up and putting on make-up was fun, especially for the ladies, and for the guys too, who were dressed as gamblers and hustlers. I was dressed conservatively as a missionary, but I had a drum to beat loudly.
With the costumes and make-up, the actors and dancers looked glamorous and suave, and everyone posed and took photos of one another.
There were some notable fumbles and glitches during the shows. One standout moment was when Victor Chua slapped Suzan Manen on her thigh instead of his own to simulate the sound of a slap to his face. There were loads of giggles and suppressed laughter backstage when this became known.
Exits and entrances are a vital part of a play. I had to make 19 exits and entrances and managed them all correctly, bar one, thanks to my Mission Band members, Elsie Soh, Ginnie How, Leanne Khoo and Lynette Toh.
During the last show, the music for two songs went silent, but stalwart actresses Suzan and Swee Chin just sang without the music, and the audience did not think any less of it.
We mingled with the audience after every show, and many said they enjoyed the performance and complimented us.
Social media reviews were good too. One person even commented that they thought we were professionals rather than amateurs.
It was a wonderful and memorable experience, and we hope for a repeat performance.
