NDP SHOW GETS REVAMPED!

No more Prologue, Acts I, II, III and Finale. For a change, this year's National Day Parade (NDP) show will not be done in the conventional style that Singaporeans are familiar with.

In its place, an exciting variety show, hosted by popular local celebrities Gurmit Singh, Siti Khalijah, Sebastian Tan and Vernetta Lopez, will be held to showcase the diversity and uniqueness of Singaporeans. In addition, four young kids will mirror the anchor emcees during the Show.

Anchored on nine different themes: Play, Build, Reinvent, Express, Represent, Aspire, Embrace, Love and Party, this year s show promises an audio and visual feast for the audience.

Each theme will be reflected in each show segment, and will highlight different aspects of the Singapore Story.

For instance, during the Play segment, young kids will tell traditional Singaporean folklores, like the stories of Bukit Merah and Sang Nila Utama. A giant human LED screen made up of 800 participants from the Singapore Soka Association will also create images to support the storytelling, thus making it livelier.

Chairman of NDP 2013 Show Committee Colonel (COL) David Chua explained the rationale behind the variety show concept: "Everyday Singaporeans and their extraordinary stories are at the heart of the NDP show this year. Every Singaporean has a story to share, no story is too big or too small.

"We hope that through the variety show format, these stories will be able to connect Singaporeans and when they watch their fellow citizens perform, we hope that they will see their own stories, hopes and dreams reflected within."

He was also confident that this year's show will be able to engage the audience, just like in past years, or perhaps even better: "A variety show...allows us to express ourselves differently. These segments are interactive in a sense that Singaporeans can identify with their own experiences within each of these segments. So there's something for every Singaporean to take away from any of the nine segments... I'm sure it will captivate the nation."

The audience can also expect to have a good laugh as local theatre producer, director, writer and performer Selena Tan helms the production of the Show as Creative Director.

She said: "We're definitely aiming to put in as much comedy as we possibly can, realising also that we're reaching out to a much wider audience this time round at the NDP. We're still adding wherever we can and trying to get as many of those humorous moments in as possible because I personally believe without the humour, everything falls apart."

Besides musical and cultural performances, this year's show also includes performances by sports athletes, including professional National Team sportsmen like current players from the National Table Tennis Team.

Chief Choreographer Patrick Loo admits that there have been some challenges faced during the performances: "For example, for the sportsmen, since they are not actual performers, they may not be able to follow the choreography of the performance. It's out of their comfort zone."

Mr Loo added: "But they are getting the hang of it. Practice makes perfect, and I'm sure the performance will be a huge hit."

Other highlights of this year include BMX bikers, parkour runners, skateboarders and inline skaters executing bold stunts live; the Merlion "coming to life" and participating in the celebrations; and the Sing-A-Nation citizen choir performing this year's theme song One Singapore. This year's theme song was composed by Music Director Elaine Chan, with lyrics by Ms Tan.

The Sing-A-Nation concept is in contrast to previous years' format of having one or several local artistes performing the theme song. Instead, it is made up of 68 ordinary Singaporeans from the age of 12 to 69.

Speaking about the song, Ms Tan said: "The idea behind the chorus of the song is really 'One Singapore' because they came from all walks of life, different ages. One Singapore is our central theme. We wanted to keep it really simple, but with a nice catchy and upbeat tune."

Mr Zach Leong from the Baker Brothers, one of the Sing-A-Nation singing groups, said: "This concept is great because this year's NDP theme is Many Stories... One Singapore, so we get to perform with people from different walks of life."

He added: "Because it is performed by so many different people from different backgrounds, the way it is sung may vary from singer to singer, but it resonates into one singing voice, so it shows the unity of Singaporeans."

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