The significant occasion was marked by the presence of Singapore’s revered leaders, Senior Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, Prime Minister Go Chok Tong and President SR Nathan. They were all welcomed by Esplanade’s eloquent CEO Benson Puah.
The arrival of these leaders alone was already a sight to see. The people and children of Singapore gathered as early as 5 p.m. and waited until 7 p.m., choosing the best possible spot to get a closer view of their statesmen. And what statesmen they were! The word appropriately describes them all.
Watching from inside the Esplanade, I saw the thick crowd of happy faces. As soon as the cars entered the driveway, a sound reverberated like hail falling heavily on a hot summer day, a truly joyous sound of welcome that made my hair stand. At close range, I looked at the faces of families, parents and children gathered together, bright and eager to see the evening’s special guests, the very people who are gifting them with this cultural home for the arts.
I felt a surge of elation over the aura of respect and admiration Singaporeans projected towards their leaders. And like children seeing a Disney movie for the first time in their lives, their broad smiles and highly animated body movements, hands waving excitedly along with cheerful screams, expressed the most touching gesture of respect and love for the leaders who steered Singapore to what it is today. It was a moving yet alien feeling for me and certainly something I have not experienced in my own country. I could not help but get carried away by what I saw that I found myself semi-frozen even while the crowd around me had already started moving to another hall. The ushers had started approaching guests to guide us to the theater area. I had to snap out of that euphoria. The premiere program for the evening, which took months of practice, and perhaps years to refine, finally started.
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra inaugurated the Concert Hall. Guests were led to a 2,000-seat theater that was spread over four levels in an intimate horseshoe-shape style that resembled the traditional Italian opera houses. This hall houses Singapore’s largest performing stage and is specially designed to present all genres of the performing arts, from classical, traditional to contemporary dance, as well as intimate to large-scale performances.
A tour of this theater the previous day had only one word spinning in my head: Wow!
The main stage is 30 feet deep, while the backstage is even bigger at 40 feet, making it a favorite venue for rehearsals.
The dressing rooms are clean and functional, fitted with well-lit makeup tables and, believe it or not, massage beds with masseuses on standby for the stars!
A special eating nook complete with bamboo trees around the tables adds a feeling of nature within the gigantic structure. The sound equipment is the latest and most advanced one can find. But not to be beaten is the orchestra pit that can seat up to 100 musicians.
For all its grandeur, an Indonesian choreographer Boi G. Sakti was given the honor of christening this theater with his creation. A multi-awarded artist whose list of honors includes the Bessie Award from New York, Sakti was specially commissioned to collaborate with the Singapore Dance Theater to present the world premiere of Reminiscing the Moon, a visually mesmerizing dance that blended Sumatran martial arts with modern dance movements. The powerful beating of Taiko drums sounded like thunder, filling the theater and allowing the audience to savor the majestic resonance of each pounding of the drums.
What I found most stunning was the scene when water literally "gushed from the heavens," with real water pouring to the stage in several waterfalls that seemed to come from nowhere from above the 30-foot ceiling that was made to look like an ebony sky. The water simply fell on stage long enough to form a well where the dancers splashed and created visually engaging sprays of sparkling bubbles and swishing sounds that blended with the music with every movement they made.
The upcoming performances are not limited to Asian cultural presentations. The Theaters on the Bay forming the Esplanade are geared to show a wide array of talents from around the world. There are pop music concerts, classical ballet, modern dance and avant-garde theater. The London Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Kurt Masur promises an unforgettable evening with violinist Sarah Chang. Internationally acclaimed artists, like American soprano Jessye Norman, contemporary jazz star Wynton Marsalis and world music superstar Cesaria Evoria, are already part of the impressive program that promises to mark a milestone for the Esplanade’s inauguration.
A meeting with Benson Puah was most enlightening. The question lurking in many visitors’ minds was: Is the Esplanade for the elite?
Puah was quick to reply: "The success of Esplanade hinges on her ability to stay relevant to the community, to be a place where people can converge to interact, to be encouraged to pursue their artistic interests, and to embrace the arts as an intrinsic part of their daily lives."
Always natural, spontaneous and articulate, he continued, "As a national performing arts center, the Esplanade strives to radiate vibrancy, soul and warmth, to touch every single visitor. We are tasked to entertain, engage, educate and inspire, and that we shall! We will present a diverse range of local, regional and international programs to ensure a balance that will cater to all segments of our community so as to be a very special arts center for everyone."
True enough, one can go into the Esplanade any day, and there is bound to be something going on inside, as well as on the grounds outside the building. Take note of the spiky-domed structures which sit on six hectares of prime waterfront land at Marina Bay, which comprises other heritage, arts and entertainment facilities. From the road, one can see many performances by costumed gymnasts and mime artists for the walking public.
Puah said, "We have worked tirelessly to deliver to Singapore and Singaporeans an unforgettable opening that we hope will forever be etched in our collective memory. We will continue to do so to pursue a deeper cultural development in the arts among our people."
I have seen how Puah and his team of collaborators, including the Singapore Tourism Board, tirelessly dedicated time and effort to make the opening a success. To a visitor like me, the work and camaraderie of these people are as spectacular as the presentations they prepared for everyone’s enjoyment.
Capping the evening of the opening was a dramatic display of fireworks and pyrotechnics at the bay.
I went back to my hotel somewhat dazed by the whole event with so many things going through my head. I was happy and at the same time sad. Our very own Cultural Center of the Philippines is more than 30 years old, I thought. The experience was too nice to be marred by negative thoughts.
My daughter entered the room, exhilarated with the experience of seeing Lee Kuan Yew and Go Chok Tong. Just about a month ago, we were smitten by the Prime Minister’s speech as we chanced upon him on TV while switching channels. We were simply smitten by what he was saying and how he said everything with such dignified simplicity and clarity that we stayed with him for over an hour.
"Did you see them, Mom? Did you see how the people swooned, cheered and screamed upon seeing them? The crowd looked like shrieking fans seeing their idols. These leaders were like rock stars!" my daughter exclaimed
To a visitor like me, I felt not only enjoyment but inspiration after seeing what a caring government can do. I watched Lee Kuan Yew, sitting in the opera house, his hair totally white now. He wore, as most of them did, a simple and long-sleeved white shirt. Their overwhelming dignity was simply glowing. Congratulations, Singapore!