Alice (in wonderland)
It has been a while since the Esplanade Theatre hosted a truly blockbuster ballet production.
Hong Kong Ballet’s return to Singapore after 20 years ticks all the boxes: A full-length show with the company’s full complement of dancers, eye-popping visuals from the lavish costumes by Cirque du Soleil designer Liz Vandal, original music by Matthew Pierce and inventive stagecraft.
This production was originally choreographed by the company’s artistic director Septime Webre for the Washington Ballet.
Inspired by Alice In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic text about a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole and goes on an adventure filled with strange talking animals and objects, Webre has staged key scenarios with dramatic flair. Watch out for the scene where Alice drinks a potion and “grows” into a giant onstage.
This spectacular staging, part of the Esplanade’s da:ns focus programme, promises to be both exhilarating for the balletomanes and fun for children.
Where: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive
MRT: Esplanade
When: Feb 21, 7.30pm; Feb 22, 3 and 7.30pm; Feb 23, 3pm
Admission: $40 to $150
Info: str.sg/CNHb
Lim Tze Peng-inspired high tea set
So far, art-themed high teas in Singapore have been inspired by foreign artists such as Japan’s Yayoi Kusama and Czechia’s Alphonse Mucha.
The late centenarian artist Lim Tze Peng is the first home-grown artist to get one themed after his works, a fitting tribute to the man who died on Feb 3.
As with cocktail bar Anti:Dote’s fun Alice In Wonderland high tea offering in 2024, there is quite a bit of attention to detail in the menu.
Fairmont Singapore’s chef de cuisine Jacky Lai and executive pastry chef Yong Ming Choong have put a fair amount of thought and effort into their creations, going beyond just slapping art prints on macarons, although there is a macaron emblazoned with bumboats.
Both the savoury and sweet treats draw on Singapore flavours, such as bandung, calamansi and chilli. There are also rice-based dishes that reference Lim’s habit of painting on rice paper. The attractive presentations hark back to motifs in Lim’s works, with cute renditions of boats and houses.
Some standout treats are the Sampan, inspired by min jiang kueh, topped with a creamily luxe toasted peanut cream, and the adorable Attap House, with kopi cream and mandarin confit tucked under shavings of bitter dark chocolate.
The Har Cheong Chicken slider needs more crunch and fermented shrimp flavour. More successful is the remake of Hainanese Chicken Rice as a small bite with poached chicken and rice puffs topped with chilli caviar that gives it a spicy pop. The Boston Lobster in a popiah-inspired roll is another tasty bite.
All in all, this is a delicious introduction to the work of a Singapore pioneer artist. The high tea, a collaboration with Ode To Art gallery which has curated a range of works hanging around the space, kicks off Fairmont Singapore’s SG60 celebrations.
Where: Anti:Dote, Level 1 Fairmont Singapore, 80 Bras Basah Road
MRT: City Hall
When: Till March 31, 3 to 5pm (weekdays), noon to 5pm (weekends)
Admission: $68++ an adult, $35 a child six to 12 years old
Info: www.antidotebar.sg
Our Foreign Home
South Korea-born Singaporean artist Yom Bo Sung’s show at Cuturi Gallery explores the meaning of home from the perspective of a bi-cultural migrant. His small-scale sculptures draw from architectural inspirations such as Singapore’s HDB corridors and the low walls which are ubiquitous in South Korea’s urban landscape.
Carefully detailed and surprisingly expressive faces in the small human figures add nuance to the miniature tableau. There is an appealingly minimalist aesthetic in his monochrome creations and a sense of whimsy that lends charm to the assemblages.
Where: Cuturi Gallery, 61 Aliwal Street
MRT: Nicoll Highway
When: Feb 15 to March 8, noon to 7pm (Tuesdays to Saturdays)
Admission: Free
