Meet Disney Stars And Win Tickets to Mickey's Music Festival

Are you bored of going to the Zoo, the Bird Park or the Science Centre? There are plenty of interesting events to take your kids to this weekend.  Read on...

1. The Disney Meet & Greet
Every child is a Disney fan! Catch two of Disney's mega stars, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, at City Square Mall, Level 1 Atrium, (180 Kitchener Road, Singapore 208539) on 3 & 4 Sep (Sat and Sun), 3pm & 8pm.  


The island's only Eco-Mall is hosting Meet and Greet sessions for their shoppers to commemorate the stars' performance at the "Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival" from 7 to 11 September 2011.

And they are giving away 20 sets of four tickets to the "Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival" show during these two days. Simply spend a minimum of S$100 (maximum of 3 same-day receipts) at the mall to qualify for the entry form.  Answer a simple question on the entry form and submit your entry before 8pm on 3 and 4 September to win.

2. How much Time do you have?
Catch the new movie, Spy Kids 4: All The Time In The World scheduled for release on 1st Sep. Watch the first ever 4D movie on the island! Yeah, you heard me right; this movie has a special fourth 'D' - aroma card your kids would love.  Read my review here and check these theatres for screen schedules: Golden Village, Cathay Cineplexes and FilmGarde Cineplex

3. Flying in the Sky 

There's something awesome and uplifting to see beautiful kites soaring and dancing in the sky.  Join us at the NTUC Income Kite Festival 2011 on 3 and 4 Sep (Sat and Sun), 4pm to 8pm. The festival is curated by ACT 3 International, so you can expect lots of dance and music performances at this festival.  


There is no charge to this event.  Pray for good weather, pack a picnic basket and head down to The Promontory @ Marina Bay (click highlighted words for map). Click here for the programme details.

4. Starry Night of Lights
If staying up late at night is not an issue for your child, mark the Night Lights 2011 in your weekend calendar and head down to the Singapore Art Museum - 2 and 3 Sep ( Fri and Sat).
The Night Lights 2011 is a nine-evening outdoor showcase of spectacular light installations from France around the Bras Basah precinct.  It starts at 7:30pm and ends at 2am. If you've missed the last three festivals, make sure you catch this 4th edition, which ends on 3 Sep.

Admissions to the museums are free and you can expect lots of interesting exhibitions, performances and activities. My children (age 5 and 7) love the Paramodel Joint Factory (1st floor to your left) which is an amazing track exhibition from ceiling to floor; kids can even partake in the Paramodel workshop (every hour from 8:30pm).

They were simultaneously awed (son) and freaked out (daughter) by the French installation, Curiosities in the courtyard of SAM. It features “a nest of luminous jellyfish that rose up from the fountains and float over the SAM courtyard in a curious ballet of tentacles” and is particularly appealing to the kids.

On the second level, the kids get to try their hand at creating arts and crafts.  And make sure to point out the intriguing light presentations at School of the Arts (SOTA), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Art Museum (SAM) and National Museum of Singapore (NMS) as you pass them.

And if they are not too tired, catch the performances by various international artists in the open air space across SAM. Click here for a sample of the light installations. 

Parking may be challenging, so park 1km radius from the museum area and walk to the festival. Also, trying to catch a cab may be tough at 10pm or 11pm, so do have transport plans in case your kids get too tired.

We wish you the start of a brilliant term break. Happy Holidays!!

Musical Performance: Elmo's Green Thumb

Hey mom and dads, bring your camera and catch Sesame Street's favourite teachers this September with "Elmo's Green Thumb"!

Television's celebrity teachers Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie star in Sesame Street Live's latest production, Elmo's Green Thumb, to teach your little ones about nature and how to love and live with nature.

Elmo has raised his sunflower, Sunny, from a seed, but his floral friend has outgrown the flower pot. Elmo and friends find Big Bird’s garden the ideal place for Sunny to flourish and grow but they are too excited to wait. Rather than let Sunny follow nature’s course, Abby Cadabby,  Sesame Street’s fairy-in-training, casts a spell to make Sunny grow. The spell does just the opposite and, instead of growing, Elmo and all of his friends shrink! 

While Abby searches for just the right words to reverse the spell, Elmo, Zoe, Telly and friends explore Big Bird’s garden from a smaller perspective and learn some big lessons about patience,  overcoming their fears and appreciating the role that each creature plays in our ecosystem – from dancing ladybugs and beautiful butterflies to grouchy beetles that scavenge the garden floor.

When: 30 September - 2 October 2011
Show Time: 9 shows only

30 Sept 2011 (Fri)

1st Show  - 3.00pm
2nd Show - 7.00pm

01 Oct 2011 (Sat)
1st Show  - 11.00am
2nd Show - 3.00pm
3rd Show  - 7.00pm

02 Oct 2011 (Sun)
1st Show  - 11.00am
2nd Show - 3.00pm
3rd Show  - 7.00pm

Venue: Kallang Theatre (closest MRT: Stadium MRT)

Ticketing: S$48, S$68, S$78, S$98, VIP and Private Box tickets available at S$988 and S$1,288 respectively (includes entry pass to a Meet-and-Greet session with the Sesame Street Live characters) 


Discounts: 

• OCBC Platinum MasterCard and Arts Platinum Card - 15%
• OCBC Credit and Debit cards (applicable on selected card number only)- 10%
• Popular Card - 10%
• Toy "R" US - 10%
• HomeTeam  NS - 10%
• Passion Card - 10%
• NTUC Members - 10%

*Price inclusive of GST; ticketing fees.

Get your tickets from www.ticketbooth.com.sg or a AXS station TODAY!

Musical Performance: The Lion King

As parents, we are very familiar with The Lion King - the songs, the storyline, the characters.  After all, the kids had only watched the animated feature like several hundred times.  When the international musical made its Southeast Asia debut in Singapore earlier this year (in March), we thought: “yeah, we’ll go see it when we have time.” After all, how different can it be?

When we got our tickets, we had no idea what a treat we were in for.  Right from the start, the vibrant sounds of the African beat, the elaborate setting and the remarkable costumes pulled us into an electric zone; our senses of sight and sound were fully engaged, and our heartstrings captured and manipulated by the skilful performance of the talented cast.

Our tickets seated us on the ground floor of the Marina Bay Sands Theatre (there are 3 floors) towards the aisle.  We had never felt so lucky! Julie Taymor, the acclaimed director of this production did not restrict the performance to the front of the theatre.  Our kids, 5 and 7, were delighted by the elephants, monkeys, and other wild animals of the jungle that traipse regally down the aisle throughout the performance.  Not to mention the flock of birds that flew in at the opening segment during the second half of the show!

For those unfamiliar with The Lion King, the storyline echoes that of famous playwright, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, where a young prince is tricked of his heritage, his journey to learn from his mistakes and finally, his quest to reclaim his kingdom. Walt Disney released The Lion King as a feature animation in 1994 and it has since been adapted into a musical and magically transformed by Taymor into a spectacular theatrical experience, winning over 70 major international theatre awards and viewed by over 50 million people around the world.


A Jaw Dropping Theatrical Performance!

Apart from the love of the storyline, what impressed us about the musical were the clever usage of puppetry and stilts to depict the mood of a scene (check out the giraffes that strolled across the 'plains' and the jaguar that stalks them below), and the stunning theatrical effects to tell the story (we were so blown away by the use of lights to materialize Mufasa’s spirit (face) in the stars in the scene where he admonishes his son for not remembering his heritage).

And the beautiful costumes! The animal characters were vividly portrayed by the astounding masks and brought to life through the brilliant performance of the actors clad in intriguing costumes. The expressive and elaborate masks atop each performer looked like they weigh a ton, but were actually made of carbon fibre so they are actually much lighter. The performers were decked out in elaborate colourful costumes made of silk and natural fabrics that allow them to move easily. Who could forget the fluid dances of Nala with her tribe or the hilarious tirades between Timon and Pumba?

Together with the ingenious set design, the clever dance choreographies and the enchanting musical ensembles to popular medleys like ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ and the more upbeat ‘Hakuna Matata’, The Lion King production coalesce to give you an exceptional theatrical experience.

The performance is worth the price!

Catch The Lion King performances on Tuesday to Sunday evenings at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2pm. Ticket prices for the engagement starts from S$65. Platinum packages, which include prime seat locations, a souvenir gift, S$10 merchandise voucher and a drink, are also available.
Due to overwhelming response, The Lion King performances have been extended indefinitely.  And to commemorate their status as the longest-running musical in Singapore, the organizers (Marina Bay Sands) have launched a special promotional family package, “Pride Pack” (four tickets). You save $100 per family. Tickets are available from SISTIC or the Marina Bay Sands Box offices.

The tickets are pricey (but well-worth it, in my opinion), so to ensure that you and your family have an enjoyable experience, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Bring a sweater; kids should wear long pants/tights - it can get a little chilly in the theatre.
• Get the kids to visit the bathroom before the show starts. The queue gets a little long during the interval (about 20 mins; a bell will cue you when the interval is over)
• Be punctual – if you are late, you will miss the spectacular start of the performance. Also, you are granted entry or re-admission into the theatre only when there’s an appropriate pause in the show.
• Pack some snacks and drinks for your child unless you don’t mind splurging at the Theatre Snack counter (a regular packet of chips or chocolate bar start at $3; soft drinks at $5 and alcohol from $10-15).
• Children under 3 years of age are admitted free of charge, provided they sit on their parents' lap.
• Get tickets near the aisle if you have a young child – you can get out easily if your child gets restless or frightened by the performance.
• Go for the matinee show (2pm) if your kids can't stay up past 9pm - the show is 2.5 hours long
• As tempted as you will be to photograph and record the performance, it is NOT allowed.

Now we understand why people couldn't get enough of it, and go back a second or third time.  We are watching it again. See you there?

This post first appeared in theAsianparent.com on 8 August 2011.