I.t’s T.he E.nd. Well, definitely not the end of the arts scene...

It was my first ever interview for CrashOut!. I was quite unprepared, having thought up only 3 questions. I decided to text message everyone I knew from the theatre-going community of CrashOut!, to pool more questions. So at the very last minute, I had managed to compile a list of questions from bits of paper and SMSs. Very unprofessional indeed, but do forgive me, I am an amateur. Thanks to those who had replied to my messages.

So with butterflies in my stomach, I took a deep breath and stepped into Aloha Loyang, Bungalow 10, where the cast and crew of ITE’s Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat were having a 3-day team building camp. I was pleasantly greeted by the soothing sound of music and a sweet, serenading voice. No, I am not exaggerating. I got chills down my spine. After the vocal training, I was asked to introduce myself, which I did in a weird, stuttering way. Being an alumni of ITE’s Centre of Music, Theatre & Art, (CEMTA), I was warmly received by the director of the production, Mr Tony Quek and advisors-in-charge, Mr Lim, Mr Cho & Mr Baron.

Now, back to my main motive for being there. I sat down with Mr Tony Quek to have a chat with him. Albeit the fact that I looked like a fool on camera, chewing gum profusely while fumbling with questions, I did get great answers from him. Having worked with him before on another musical called A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, there was inevitable comparison between the cast in that production and in the present production. When asked whether he believed in true talent in our generation, Mr Quek said that there were gifted people out there. But if you had the passion and not the talent, there was nothing much you could do. He did, however, encourage those who thought they had talent, to keep trying.

Next, I mingled with the cast and crew and was surprised at their cohesiveness. I guess the objective of the camp had been met! And what a bunch of characters they all were! I had been told that they had been rehearsing for the past six months. The original number involved had shrunk from 70 to around 40 due to a lack of commitment and, as a result, some of the remaining cast members had to take up dual roles for the musical. That didn’t seem to dampen their spirits though. They all seemed very enthusiastic.

Finally, I sat down with their vocal instructor, Ms Irene Jansen, a sweet, soft-spoken lady who has only been a vocal coach for 2 years. She said that her passion for music and the challenge of training voices led her to this line of work. When I asked her what she thought of the present set of emerging artistes, she gave a very good answer that everyone should ponder upon. She said that artists should be valued for what they can deliver, whether or not they are famous or popular. After all, artists are ordinary people too.

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be staged from the 15th to 17th November 2006, 7.30pm, at the auditorium of ITE East College. Although tickets have all been sold out, I feel very privileged to have been given a chance to conduct this interview.

Jaw displaced in awe,

Liyanna