《上海之夜》 -- Shanghai Blues

just as its english name "shanghai blues" suggests, this show really gives you the blues, literally.

never really wanted to watch this show initially, due to the sheer disappointment of the 2 previous toy factory productions (剃头刀 and 李大傻) which i had watched in 2007. but the name of playwright, raymond to, makes me decide to give toy's production another shot. and what a big mistake it was. not to say about the money wasted on the tickets, but also the time which could have been spent doing something else on the 3rd day of chinese new year!

when one first step into the theatre, the set on stage give much sense of anticipation, with the orchestra right in the middle of the stage! however once the ensemble enters to start off the show with the remix of several retro songs, including 《夜上海》, the tone for a bad evening of show had been set. singing was weak, so was the choreography of the movement, the whole settings simply doesn't bland into one. luckily, the powerful voices of celine tan and emma yong, managed to keep me in this, else it would have been a even longer night. (first time i started counting the time in a performance, since the disastrous lao jiu by SMU in 2007!)

perhaps the only thing which i really had a good impression about this show, was the part where the sets is raised above ground, hovering over the heads of william so and mindee, to create the settings of them meeting under the bridge. very interesting idea, together with the lights that had seeped through from the top, the ambiance beneath was rightly set, at least my opinion.

what makes me most disappointed most was the script, with the story jumping from here to there, let alone the cheesy lines, with the ending of the story being so fast-paced that one would suspect that you are watching a fast-forwarded show. though i really suspect if this is really a script by raymond to, after some of my favorites like 《南海十三郎》、《我和春天有个约会》、《天冷就回来》. with no disrespect to raymond to, this was one which seems that he has lost the grasp of the whole plot.

perhaps, guozheng comment of this being a 3in1 of "beauty world", "lust, caution" and 《天冷》，rightly show the failure of the whole production, having bits parts and shadows of several good shows, but never really put them into one, to create something out of it.

i think i'll be thinking twice about watching toy factory's production in future, not to mention the high pricing which they usually set.