It’s really a pity that I know NOTHING about music. I can neither play any musical instruments nor can I sing well as I am totally not inclined in to music. However, I am proud to say that many of my classmates play many different varities of musical instruments and they have already got their grade 7 or 8 or even a Diploma in Music. However so, I think that since I can’t be a performer, I would rather choose to be a good audience, and enjoy every opportunity I am given.
I love watching musical plays especially those from Broadway. I watched Lion King at New Amsterdam Theatre which is located at the Theatre District in the heart of Time Square, New York City and I watched it again with my ex-Catholic High classmates in Pentages Theatre at Los Angeles. I watched Mama Mia in Los Angeles as well as in The Esplanade, Singapore. I don’t really appreciate Phantom Of Opera yet I love listening to the songs sung by the ex-wife of Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Sarah Brightman. And so is the musical “Cats” which I watched it last year and I wrote a blog on it too. Les Miserables is the only one that I would want to watch it again and again if I have the chance.
Last week, my friends and I watched ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ at Drama Centre, National Library. This is the second time that I have watched a local play in this Drama Centre. It is a mid-sized performing art centre occupying the 3rd, 4th and 5th of the National Library. It is owned and managed by National Art Centre. It has a seating capacity of 615 people and also has an orchestra pit on the lift that can also form a front stage extension. Of course, it can’t compare with The Esplanade and other world class theatres but yet it is good enough to provide a stage to promote our local artistes and productions.
It lasts about 120 minutes of a musical play. However, the play and the book of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ share the same morals. They also portray the same basic storyline although the play lacks in terms of details contained in the book. I should say the director of this play did a satisfactory job involving what he thought was the main point of the book.
In the last Language Arts E-learning, we were asked ‘Who would you want to be friends with in the novel?’ My answer was “Atticus’. After the play, my answer is still ‘Atticus Finch’. Besides the reasons that I have stated in my last blog on the E-learning of To Kill A Mockingbird, I would have also enjoyed the relationship that he had with his 2 promising kids- Jem and Scout. He allowed Scout to call his first name ‘Atticus’ undoubtedly showing the closeness and the mutual understanding between them. This happened in the 1930’s – which was the era of the great depression and it was also during the era of social unrest. But in our modern society, we are not allowed to call our parents by their names. It is regarded as unrespectful to our parents. However, both in the book and in the play, he also allowed his kids at times, to make their own mistakes and he believed in giving them sufficient freedom to choose what they wanted for themselves. Atticus Finch was surely kind yet firm with his children. He had patience with them and listened openly to their opinions. In contrast, Boo Radleys’ father was unlike Atticus, was narrow-minded and stubborn, and treated Boo like a toy and slave with no respect towards his son’s feelings.
After the show, I deeply felt that what made a father successful, it was not only his financial and social status, but most importantly it was his good relationship with his kids and the attitudes and actions of his kids. Jem and Scout were curious, intelligent, polite and consistently showing tolerance and respect that Atticus had instilled in them since young. This made Atticus Finch a great friend and father who everyone hopes to have.
So here is a video for all to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I3zrkLnh4I&feature=related
Hope that you will leave a few comments here!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment