A Xin Yao love story revisited

IF there is one musical with the legs to travel beyond the Singapore stage, it would be December Rains, says Toy Factory Productions' artistic director Goh Boon Teck. He is not only re-staging it the second time; he is working to stir interest from China to tour the production there.

He said: "We've already sent information to several producers in China, so it's quite possible."

If it happens, it will be a big step for Xin Yao, that genre of Singapore music with its unique flavour of Chinese tunes and lyrics. Xin Yao, which rose in the 80s, continues to be a much-loved today.

At the height of its popularity, songwriter Liang Wern Fook wrote December Rains, which remains the only Xin Yao musical in Chinese to date.

Curtains will go up in August, in the third staging of the production since its debut in 1996. The latest version promises to be the best one yet, said Goh, who did not direct the debut version, but helmed the 2010 version, its second staging.

"It's always a luxury and privilege to redirect a play, and this time, I have age on my side, with a better understanding of the protagonist in the play, as I'm now closer to the age he was supposed to be," he said.

The musical, telling the love story of two students from different backgrounds, will be given a different treatment this time around.

First off, the cast is entirely new, so there will be a fresh take there as well. The romantic leads will be played Chriz Tong and Andie Chen; the total cast will number more than 25, recruited from around the region.

The songs, jointly written by Liang and Jimmy Ye, have been given fresh arrangements by veteran Bang Wen Fu; Elaine Chan is musical director, vocal coach and conductor.

Goh has researched into the Singapore of the 1950s - the political and material history, as well as the entertainment scene, for a better sense of the era. "I want the older generation to be able to identify with it," he said, adding that musically, the production has been tweaked to make it resonate with the current generation.

"What's ideal is if this work could be a permanent musical showing at Capitol Theatre," said Goh, who added that it was significant for the company to be producing the musical to mark its 25th anniversary.

The theatre company has already cut a CD, about 3,000 copies of which are set to hit the market in mid-June, so Singaporeans can relearn the tunes and hum along in August.

December Rains the CD will be launched in a mini-concert at Bras Basah Complex Level 1 at 3pm on June 13. The play will run from Aug 28 until Dec 6 (no shows on Mondays) at the Esplanade Theatre. Ticket prices range from S$49 to S$129 and are available from Sistic