A Day Of Arts
Just finished packing and I am all ready for my first trip of 2012! Visiting dear Jasu in Macau! And my spirits are high, not just because of the trip, but also because I had such a delightful day.
I went for the Titanic exhibition and also watched Wicked today (technically yesterday). I've planned this day for quite a while now, ever since I bought the Wicked tickets, and specially took an off-day so that I could spend the entire day at Marina Bay Sands. People who know me long enough would have heard me babble about Titanic and Wicked at some point of our acquaintance, and to finally experience both today... It is just... wonderful.
Titanic
On 25 December 1997, I watched James Cameron's Titanic movie, the first of many, many, many subsequent times. It was the first three hours movie I ever watched, and the first Hollywood movie I saw by myself in a theatre. I remember wanting to catch it only because it seemed like a really good romance. And it was. I fell in love with Jack Dawson, the blue-eyed boy with ten bucks in his pocket and nothing to offer, apart from the wisdom to make it count.
And I was obsessed. I had pictures of him everywhere. On my computer, in my school files, my wallet. I wrote Moreen Dawson everywhere I could and listened to the Titanic soundtrack on repeat every single day. My mIRC and ICQ nickname was Rose because I wanted to be Rose. I wasn't in love with Leonardo Di Caprio. I was in love with Jack Dawson, and all this invariably formed the beginnings of a deep connection with Titanic.
As with any teenager, my love for Jack Dawson faded away, and Titanic too receded into the back of my memory. Until a few years later, out of boredom, I watched the movie again. This time round, the movie became really poignant to me, but it had nothing to do with a silly teenage crush anymore. This time round, what really moved me was the tragic surrounding the fate of Titanic itself and the passengers on board. Previously just a setting for Jack and Rose's love story to unfold, now Titanic was real to me. The passengers was real. The tragedy was real.
And so was the undeniable heroism of so many people on board who gave up their lives for the sake of others on that fateful night. The staff members of Titanic who never left their post and performed their duties until the very last minute. The third class passengers who was denied a chance at life and chose to die with dignity. The unsung heroes who went around seeking out people in distress, to lend them a helping hand or just to offer them a kind word of encouragement and hope.
All these people stroke a chord in me, grabbed hold of a place in my heart which will never ever go away.
Today, just standing there, looking at the items that belonged to these people, objects that they might had touched and used, it was emotional yet beautiful for me. With every exhibit I looked at, a little tear came to my eyes. I took my time and looked at every single exhibit carefully, not wanting to miss out anything, any detail that was once a part of Titanic, a precious piece of history I will never forget.
Wicked
I have always wanted to watch Wicked since I first saw the episode of Ugly Betty that featured this musical in 2007. An outcast girl who got the love of the Prince? Who wouldn't love that? As someone who appreciates witty twists in any story, I especially love how it tells another perspective of a well-known story, and basically just laughs in the faces of people who looks at the surface of things, unable to discern the real good and bad.
In the 5 years since then, Wicked became some sort of a favourite of mine, without even having watched it, although I knew for sure someday I would, and a lot of expectations was built up for it. And knowing how some musicals differs from country to country, tour to tour, I was really worried that this showing at Marina Bay Sands would disappoint me.
Yet when Elphaba burst out from behind the scenes, all green and grumpy, I was so excited. I was so happy to finally see her! And the moment she started singing, I knew this musical was not going to let me down. She was perfect. Everyone, everything else was perfect. It was exactly what I imagined it to be. Funny, moving and riveting. Not a single boring moment at all.
It never fails to amaze me how much the Arts can make a person feel so fulfilled, and so moved.
Right now, I am happy. =)
I went for the Titanic exhibition and also watched Wicked today (technically yesterday). I've planned this day for quite a while now, ever since I bought the Wicked tickets, and specially took an off-day so that I could spend the entire day at Marina Bay Sands. People who know me long enough would have heard me babble about Titanic and Wicked at some point of our acquaintance, and to finally experience both today... It is just... wonderful.
Titanic
On 25 December 1997, I watched James Cameron's Titanic movie, the first of many, many, many subsequent times. It was the first three hours movie I ever watched, and the first Hollywood movie I saw by myself in a theatre. I remember wanting to catch it only because it seemed like a really good romance. And it was. I fell in love with Jack Dawson, the blue-eyed boy with ten bucks in his pocket and nothing to offer, apart from the wisdom to make it count.
And I was obsessed. I had pictures of him everywhere. On my computer, in my school files, my wallet. I wrote Moreen Dawson everywhere I could and listened to the Titanic soundtrack on repeat every single day. My mIRC and ICQ nickname was Rose because I wanted to be Rose. I wasn't in love with Leonardo Di Caprio. I was in love with Jack Dawson, and all this invariably formed the beginnings of a deep connection with Titanic.
As with any teenager, my love for Jack Dawson faded away, and Titanic too receded into the back of my memory. Until a few years later, out of boredom, I watched the movie again. This time round, the movie became really poignant to me, but it had nothing to do with a silly teenage crush anymore. This time round, what really moved me was the tragic surrounding the fate of Titanic itself and the passengers on board. Previously just a setting for Jack and Rose's love story to unfold, now Titanic was real to me. The passengers was real. The tragedy was real.
And so was the undeniable heroism of so many people on board who gave up their lives for the sake of others on that fateful night. The staff members of Titanic who never left their post and performed their duties until the very last minute. The third class passengers who was denied a chance at life and chose to die with dignity. The unsung heroes who went around seeking out people in distress, to lend them a helping hand or just to offer them a kind word of encouragement and hope.
All these people stroke a chord in me, grabbed hold of a place in my heart which will never ever go away.
Today, just standing there, looking at the items that belonged to these people, objects that they might had touched and used, it was emotional yet beautiful for me. With every exhibit I looked at, a little tear came to my eyes. I took my time and looked at every single exhibit carefully, not wanting to miss out anything, any detail that was once a part of Titanic, a precious piece of history I will never forget.
Wicked
I have always wanted to watch Wicked since I first saw the episode of Ugly Betty that featured this musical in 2007. An outcast girl who got the love of the Prince? Who wouldn't love that? As someone who appreciates witty twists in any story, I especially love how it tells another perspective of a well-known story, and basically just laughs in the faces of people who looks at the surface of things, unable to discern the real good and bad.
In the 5 years since then, Wicked became some sort of a favourite of mine, without even having watched it, although I knew for sure someday I would, and a lot of expectations was built up for it. And knowing how some musicals differs from country to country, tour to tour, I was really worried that this showing at Marina Bay Sands would disappoint me.
Yet when Elphaba burst out from behind the scenes, all green and grumpy, I was so excited. I was so happy to finally see her! And the moment she started singing, I knew this musical was not going to let me down. She was perfect. Everyone, everything else was perfect. It was exactly what I imagined it to be. Funny, moving and riveting. Not a single boring moment at all.
It never fails to amaze me how much the Arts can make a person feel so fulfilled, and so moved.
Right now, I am happy. =)
posted by Keiia at 2:29 AM
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