This magical, theatrical production, directed by Fan Dong Kai, will incorporate world- class illusions performed by award-winning illusionists and father-daughter duo Lawrence and Priscilla Khong. This is the first time the magic duo is staging a performance that has no narration or dialogue, and will rely solely on the art of magic, dance and state-of-the-art technology to tell the story. It will also combine classical music arranged in a modern style by renowned music director Kenn C. The retelling of the old Christmas classic will be the largest scale performance to be held at Gateway Theatre to date with an international dance troupe of 14 dancers and over 50 backstage production crew. The Nutcracker promises to take you on a magical adventure, that will dazzle your senses and touch your heart along the way.
Creative Director for the production, Fan Dong Kai explained, “As there have been many versions of The Nutcracker to have been adapted to various performances, we have selected a version of the story that most audiences would be familiar with. What differentiates our production is that it is a magic show. In fact, it is a magic show that no one has ever seen or done before! We have adapted this timeless piece and given it a modern magical twist. Instead of ballet, we are using illusions, special effects, dance, video animation and costumes to tell the classic Nutcracker story. This will be a must see for anyone, young or old.”
Gateway Entertainment is constantly in search of new ways to combine magic and theatre, consistently pushing the envelope to find creative and innovative ideas to capture the hearts and minds of their audience. For The Nutcracker, they have partnered with industry giant, P’Art 1 Design Pte Ltd, to conceptualise new ideas in presenting the illusions, to capture the essence of the timeless classic. Add this to the fact that the production will be staged for the first time in Gateway Entertainment’s own theatre space, and you have a winning combination that is bound to stand out among the rest.
“We are definitely very excited to stage this new production at our very own Gateway Theatre as this gives us the flexibility to do a lot more, and make full use of the theatre’s auditorium acoustics, lighting and staging capabilities. As our productions can be technically challenging, this also gives us an opportunity to test our theatre to its maximum capacity. More importantly, it helps us establish ourselves as theatre owners and we hope this production will be a start for future collaborations with industry partners to bring in world class productions into Singapore,” said Nina Khong, CEO of Gateway Entertainment.
Gateway Theatre officially opened its doors in July this year with an Opening Festival, showcasing multiple local acts and performances. The Theatre intends to be a creative work space that will attract and inspire local talent, as well as new and seasoned audiences, encourage artists to explore their creativity, and allow the public to explore their imagination.