Big-budget 'LightSeeker' set to open for a long run

SHOWBIZ runs through Michael La Fleur's veins, so it's no surprise that the Las Vegas resident, a director and creative force behind a long list of live shows and musical productions over a 30-year career, feels pretty much at home at Resorts World Sentosa - or Las Vegas East, where he is putting the finishing touches to a home-grown musical.

LightSeeker, a flashy big-budget show along the lines of a Broadway musical - but with strong Asian roots - will open for a four-month run at the resort's Festive Grand Theatre next month, with La Fleur at the helm of the multimillion-dollar production, a collaborative effort between local and international talents.

La Fleur was responsible for the updated version of the theatre's previous long-running show, Voyage de la Vie, and LightSeeker is the result of an idea that was hatched during discussions on what to do next. The sci-fi fantasy musical took shape at warp speed - making it to the stage in about six months, when similar shows usually take much longer. The director attributes the fast turnaround time to a smooth creative process, good chemistry among the cast members, and being in good favour with the theatre gods.