Review: 'Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert' is an amazing feat of code-switching
Broadway Beng is flanked by his Chio Buus in “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert.” (Dream Academy)
Duration: About 90 minutes with a 20 minute intermission
Dates: 14 Jul (Thu) – 31 Jul (Sun), 2016
Showtimes: Tue – Sat 8pm, Sat & Sun 3pm
“Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert” is a concert-style musical that features the eponymous Broadway Beng performing an array of different musical numbers that are adapted from Broadway and Hokkien songs. It stars Sebastian Tan as Broadway Beng. It also stars Chriz Tong, Frances Lee, and Munah Bagharib as his three Chio Buus.
I have to confess that when I saw the SISTIC notes that no subtitles would be provided for “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert,” I was a little apprehensive on whether I’d be able to catch all of the Hokkien jokes, and whether a non-Chinese companion would be able to appreciate it. However, there were subtitles for the Hokkien performances, and even the non-English portions of the show were easily understood through Broadway Beng’s body language and context. It was my first time watching “Broadway Beng” in this concert format, and it was an enjoyably surprising experience.
What’s going on in “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert?” (Dream Academy)
Highlights
Sebastian Tan as a charming Broadway Beng
You’d expect Broadway Beng, the character, to appeal only to a very specific demographic of the audience, yet he manages to charm the myriad groups at the show, whether they’re fans of Hokkien songs or steadfast proponents of international theatrical performances. His ability to cater to the nostalgia of the dialect-speaking crowd and yet make clever references to popular musicals is what gives Broadway Beng its unique Singaporean flavour.
Effortlessly slipping between proper English, Singlish, Hokkien, and Mandarin
It’s amazing to see how easily Sebastian Tan slips between exquisite English and heartlander Hokkien within the same verse itself, never missing a beat on his accentuation. Never do you hear Hokkien spoken with a Western slang, or grammatically correct English tinged with awkward emphasis. Every verse and line of dialogue sounds authentic and appropriate, and this code switching is amazing to behold.
Funny skits and stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy routines help link the different performances together, and give us an insight into Broadway Beng’s character — after all, it’s his larger than life personality that brings the show together. The jokes are as funny as the songs, which speaks to the range and delivery of the performer as well. It’s this mix of different types of comedy that gives “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert” a healthy variety of humour, so that you never overdose on just one type of performance.
Broadway Beng looks miserable… Les Miserables, to be precise, in “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert.” (Dream Academy)
Letdowns
10th anniversary element isn’t strong
I was expecting more of a sense of nostalgia or growth through the musical, since it’s a celebration of 10 years of “Broadway Beng.” While there was some context given at the beginning, the idea is dropped in the later part of the performance. It’s not critical, but it would have helped give a stronger thematic link through the show.
Chio Buus feel underutilised
The Chio Buus are present, but that’s about as far as they go. Their flashy costumes seem to imply that they’ll play a more significant role in the performance, but there aren’t any memorable parts for them. More could have been done with their roles in the show, but to be fair, “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert” is primarily a one-person show.
The stage in “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert.” (Dream Academy)
“Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert” provides a broad spectrum of humour with a distinctly Singaporean flavour.
Should you watch this? Yes, especially if you like old Hokkien songs.
Tickets for “Broadway Beng: 10th Anniversary Concert” are available at SISTIC.
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. He Tweets/Instagrams at Optimarcus and writes at marcusgohmarcusgoh.com. The views expressed are his own.
