Seize The Day!

That awkward moment when I'm NOT tweeting for attention; and two actors decide to hijack my tweet. Oh that John Michael Higgins really IS everywhere!

Can someone verify D.W. Moffett already?

It's Always This Versus Something Else

Have you ever felt somewhat shortchanged in life?
Like you deserve better, but it just wasn’t to be?

I did.

“Did” because I was once a childish fool, who never counted her blessings but believed that... read more

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This is a short excerpt from my latest article for 95% Advertising Academy's latest project - 95% More. You may take a look the full write-up here. Click through the rest as well, alright? There are plenty of enlightening articles waiting to be read!

A Morning with Ramin and Annalisa

Having spent a good part of the past two years dabbling in the remotely new (and still growing) swing dance scene in Malaysia, you can say that I've developed some form of immediate respect for people who are willing to put in the time and effort to organise free recruitment drives, community outreach programmes and the like. I really do.

Hence, huge props to the peeps at Enfiniti Academy for organising the lovely community engagement session with Annalisa Kerrigan and Ramin Karimloo!

Ramin Karimloo and Annalisa Kerrigan (Pic credit: Olala/Quin)

It was a really intimate Q&A session where fans, students of the arts and their parents got to ask the pair any questions regarding a career in the performance arts. Predictably, some of the questions were more technical than the rest ("How do you warm up before a show?") - but most were general enough that people from different creative fields such as design and advertising could easily relate to and be inspired by.

From questions regarding typecasting to keeping a role fresh, or how it was like to work alongside Nick Jonas in Les Mis - I felt that both Annalisa and Ramin did a pretty great job in keeping their answers real.

Best video recap I managed to find online!

Parents questioned the practicality of a career in the performing arts while students frantically searched for a fast track to success. (I squeezed in a question about how side projects such as releasing an album aids in improving their craft/career) But it seemed like no matter what your role is in the creative business, be it singing, acting, writing or dancing - it is focus, true grit and determination that you'll need to overcome obstacles in the industry. And of course, lots of passion and practice. There are no bloody shortcuts! Even if you struck gold in a reality TV show - it's best that you arm yourself with the capacity to keep on learning, no matter what.

I can't recall their exact answers to most of the questions (still slapping myself for not bringing a recorder with me!) but I remember Annalisa sharing some stories about her time in Florence and most notably - how it's not always about looking abroad but making a name for yourself in Malaysia first. Start off where there's already a pretty receptive yet unsaturated market and grow it from there on. Most of us dream-chasers tend to forget that, don't we? Yeah well, I'm guilty of rashly jumping into deep ends too.

The pointers she gave were smart, sharp and most importantly, really genuine. She may be diminutive in frame, but that lady's one heck of a fighter - which made respect her so much more!

Ramin, on the other hand, sounded like a complete bore... nah, just pulling your leg there! This "honorary principal" of the academy and mentor of the students came off as a man who seems to be really honest with himself.

"I complain about not being able to play the guitar better. But do I practice everyday? No. So it's my own fault."

Clearly, the take-out from that was that you reap what you sow. Yet, he advises that one should not go making unnecessary wars with things that are out of your control, say... roles that just don't fit you. Some things just aren't meant to be - but they open up windows to other opportunities. (I couldn't agree with him more!)

When questioned about what his goals were in playing roles that were preceded by the likes of Michael Crawford and Colm Wilkinson - his response was that he did not go in aiming to top anyone, but as someone who has something to share and to tell a story.

I find that this holds true in most creative industries, especially advertising.

"I spent years trying to be someone else and it got me nowhere. You are more interesting than anyone else."

 A quick shot with Ramin at the door. What a privilege to have him and Annalisa take on my question!

"Oh wow." I think the 25th Anniversary Souvenir Book might have caught him by surprise.

Signed programme book by Ramin and Annalisa from the night before.

A Time For Roti Canai With Maple Syrup

I must say that 2012 has been a pretty good year for me - especially on the music front! I got to catch my favourite band (who else can it be?) earlier in March and this month?

After missing him LIVE in Kuala Lumpur on three separate occasions, I finally got to meet the voice behind this very song - Ramin Karimloo!

Oh, uh... Ramin-who?

Right. I think that a little introduction may be in order here.

Ramin Karimloo is an Iranian-born Canadian actor who is most known for originating the role of the Phantom in "Love Never Dies", the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber's infamous "The Phantom of the Opera", in which he has also played the roles of Raoul and the Phantom respectively.

Fellow West End enthusiasts might also recall his other roles such as Chris Scott in "Miss Saigon" (dear lord one can only imagine how lovely his rendition of "Sun & Moon" must have been), The Pirate King in  "The Pirates of Penzance" and most recently, musical theatre's most lauded ex-convict, Jean Valjean of "Les Miserables".

He also had the privilege to play the title role in the 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, as well as Enjolras in Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena.   (Both made available on DVD so you don't miss out!)

Ramin as Jean Valjean with BFF Hadley Fraser as Inspector Javert

So, what business does a man from the West End have in a country like Malaysia?

That's something you have to thank the theatre-loving folks of Enfiniti Vision Media for! Much credit goes to them for putting together another wonderful effort in bringing quality West End acts closer to home. Last year, they organised "West End Stars In Concert", which featured the powerful voices of Simon Bailey, Stephen Rahman-Hughes as well as Ramin Karimloo himself. I missed it thanks to some mission I had 6,118 feet above sea level but wow - how the audience survived such earth-shattering pipes will forever remain a mystery to me.

This time around, however, it was this.

A two-night dinner concert at JW Marriott. With him was Annalisa Kerrigan, an opera songstress who's proudly half-Malaysian.

It was a different sort of concert - and at one grand a pop, "An Evening With The Phantom" was definitely one that was catered towards the more affluent members of society.

Needless to say, the release of the poster (and its price) totally floored Quin, Olala and I. But thankfully, the universe was kind enough to give us what we wanted, and on the eve of the concert itself - we won two tickets to the show via a Twitter contest!

And how did we win it, you ask?

A super shameless, super heck-it-all-there's-nothing-to-lose sort of last ditch copywriter-designer effort that we chalked up in the dying minutes of the contest! THIS.

You're probably thinking that it looks nothing like him. But it's alright - it's the thought that counts! 

And our lucky streak did not just end there! Just as we were getting ready to to shell out for another ticket and split the costs three ways, I got a call from Lino who then invited me to be his plus-one! So all three of us got to go for free! How awesome was that? It's as if everything worked its way to give us what we have been secretly hoping for!

And here are some pictures from the night itself. A night where we felt completely out of place, and drifted even further from reality when Ramin (joined by Annalisa, of course) sang us through his life's musical journey - from the Phantom of the Opera staples to Jean Valjean's prayer, to a really dark rendition of "Sunset Boulevard" and a bluegrass cover of "What a Beautiful Morning"on his banjo... with plenty more in between.

And not forgetting his most famed anthem, "Till I Hear You Sing", which he apparently laid to rest in this very ballroom for the very last time.

The JW Marriott ballroom that was completely transformed for the night, fitted with an 'official chandelier' by Seng Hup too!

With the ever-friendly Tiara Jacquelina (and possibly, Olala's biggest idol). Read up on her, folks - she's truly an examplary lady.

Annalisa asking if I enjoyed the evening. How couldn't I?

Signed and sealed with a wink!

And of course, a picture with the Phantom himself - Ramin Karimloo!