F A pride of lions by the bay - jeepneyjinggoy

A pride of lions by the bay







If the exterior of Marina Bay Sands was impressive, wait until you get inside. The interior was as equally impressive which reminded me of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas- a culinary haven with world-renowned chefs on their menu and a shopper’s paradise with a pool of luxury brands to dive into.

As much as I would have loved to explore the complex, I was there for another reason- catch the Lion King on stage. 




Who hasn’t seen this Disney flick and heard the Academy Award-winning soundtrack ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ by Elton John? Well, it’s the tear jerking, heart-warming tale of Simba and his epic transformation from wide-eyed cub to King of the Pridelands. If you loved the Lion King on the wide screen, you will adore the brilliantly reimagined live version on stage. Director Julie Taymor deserves a standing ovation. 





The stage production of the Lion King explodes with glorious colors, stunning effects and fabulous puppetry. It comes to no surprise why this Broadway born musical bagged over 70 major international awards and captivated over 51 million people worldwide.

In Singapore, the Marina Bay’s 1,680 seat The Sands Theater is showcasing this phenomenal stage play as their resident performance that debuted on March 2011 and will have its last roar on October 30th. 




On the adjacent side, The Grand Theater, larger with 2,155 seats, will stage a wide-range of headlining acts, performing arts and gala events. ABBA Mania and Wicked are this theater’s listed coming shows.

 


Behind the curtain, the Marina Bay Sands made sure all the performances run to perfection. They built their two theaters to dazzle all its guests. Designed in the traditional proscenium style, both theaters are equipped with large orchestra pits, seat wagons and trap rooms, and boasts of the latest technology allowing a multitude of stage configurations and an efficient set-change for all theater performances. 









The Lion City is now roaring louder than before. With fantastic venues such as Marina Bay Sands, it give every traveling Dabawenyo a great reason to make Singapore a regular destination and immerse in the arts, feast on the rich cuisine and again, do what we all do best, shop.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on September 29, 2011.













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