The place was abuzz with activity and clamor as excited children, accompanied by their nervous parents, registered for the audition of “When I Grow Up,” the first-ever musical presented by YoungTalents, a new initiative to develop the creative arts in children.

YoungTalents seeks to cultivate positive self esteem and confidence in children through involvement with theater and drama production and stage performances. Another goal of YoungTalents is to serve the community by bringing creative arts to the less fortunate.

The musical performance was held at the Victoria Concert Hall, and for many of the children, it was also their first time participating in such an event.

“When I stepped onto the stage, my heart pounded so loudly that I thought the people around me could hear,” said Maeva Stead, 8 years old.

“It was really fun. I was very nervous but at the same time, it was also very exciting. My whole family came to support me,” shared Kate Koh, 10 years old.

The cast of this musical comprised of 170 children from ages 3 to 12. They sang, danced and acted. It was the story of a shy little girl with a dream to sing, but afraid to believe she has what it takes. One day she was mysteriously transported to a beautiful place called Dreamland to discover the strength and courage within her.

UNEARTHING TALENTS

The audition and rehearsals unearthed a huge ensemble of young talents who demonstrated boldness by treading into where they had not ventured before. More than sheer talent, the children worked very hard memorizing scripts, dance steps and song lyrics. In the days leading up to the performance night, they rehearsed tirelessly, and strived for excellence. No whine nor whimper was heard through it all.

The stage of the Victoria Concert Hall was transformed into an enchanting Dreamland. When the performance began, the stage was filled with children, each one decked in a colorful costume. There were butterflies, bumble bees, fairies, superheroes, funny bones, soccer stars and even “ingredients” to whip up a sumptuous meal!

“The best part of this musical is that I made many friends here,” said Chen Yi Fei who is 11 years old.

When asked which one was his favorite scene, John Chan, 8 years old, emphatically exclaimed, “Of course it was the chef scene! I was that big mushroom!”

A distinctive attribute of YoungTalents lies in their commitment to special children. Some roles and scenes were created to ensure that every child had a part to play in this musical.

For 9-year-old Adam Han who was born with hearing disability, he was one of the dancing bones in a scene while Yeoh Yong Wen, 10, who has central processing learning disability, did an outstanding job in the “Chef Dance.”

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

Like Julia, the girl who learns through her adventures in Dreamland that faith and confidence within can make one’s dreams come true, many of the children took away with them this pivotal life lesson. Displaying faith and confidence, many of the children conquered their own mountains to put up a remarkable show. And this is something that will stay in their hearts and minds through the coming phases of their lives.

“I’m glad Corine had the experience to perform in this musical. I feel proud of her. This is the first time she performed on stage, so it’s a good experience that will help in her future. This will be something she can look back on and know that she has accomplished,” said one parent Ms. Belinda You.

“I’m glad very happy and proud of the kids. They have all worked so hard throughout the rehearsals. Even though it was very tiring I’m glad that they have gone through it and survived,” added another parent Mr. Kuak, whose daughter was also involved in the musical.

This was not just a musical for the children, but for many of the adults who came to watch the performance, attended the event, they could relate to the story as well.

“I think it was a great success. I’m surprised that it’s not just a show for kids but for adults as well, about the fulfilling of dreams through hard work and believing in yourself,” said Mr. Paul Ong.

And so, each and every child put up an awesome performance to a full house of 900 proud parents, friends and supporters at Victoria Concert Hall on November 25, 2007. HT

(About Yeoh Yongwen, 9)

Yong Wen was diagnosed with central auditory processing disorder and has difficulty learning thus she has a low self esteem. When her mother heard about the musical, she wanted Yongwen to have a chance to build up her self esteem. The initial practices were difficult for her as she could not remember the steps and songs. Through the encouragement and patience shown by the teachers and her mother, Yongwen persevered. Her fellow cast members showed care by helping her with the steps. It was an accomplishment for Yongwen to remember all the steps! To stand before the crowd and perform has increased her self esteem and given her a sense of accomplishment.

(10-year-old Jireh Tan’s mother)

“I’m very grateful to YoungTalents for their kindness and concession to make special arrangement to sponsor Jireh’s costume and giving two sponsored tickets to our family so that we could experience an exciting and wonderful time. Jireh is still talking about the musical and he really treasures his costume. I hope that he can participate
in more of this kind of projects in the future.”

(9-year-old Isabel Tan’s father)

“Thank you very much for all of your efforts and arrangements for Isabel and the other children. Most of all, I thank the teachers for seeing through all the rehearsals. It’s thank you for all your hard work!”

(About Adam Han, 9, who is hearing impaired)

Adam was excited about joining the musical. To learn the dance, he counted every step and practiced daily at home. He is thankful for his friends and teachers who chipped in to help him.

(11-year-old Ling Yi Jing’s mother, Linda)

“A big thanks to all the teachers and staff for making the musical possible for Yi Jing. This is a chance to boost her confidence and Yi Jing made new friends during the rehearsals. More importantly, she is happy throughout the whole process and an important lesson she learnt is that everyone, regardless of main or supporting role, is important; one has to be committed so the show can be perfect and successful. Thank you.”

(Mindy, mother of Joan, 10 & John, 8)

“This event has been a totally life changing experience for my family. We were pleasantly surprised when both Joan and John passed the audition the first round. After a few rehearsals, they began to understand that this is a commitment not play.

“We thank God for giving them an opportunity to serve. Learning to pray before every rehearsal has also inculcated in my children the importance of prayer which is invaluable.

“We were also thankful to Pastor Eileen and all the teachers, for being so patient with both of them, especially John. He has taken on two roles—the opening recital and a mushroom in the chef scene. He started to cough about one and half weeks into the rehearsal but every night he would pray for God’s healing before sleep. That test of faith came when he had literally lost his voice the day before the actual performance. He knew he had to rest but his spirit was not dampened. God is indeed faithful! John was able to articulate his lines clearly and with confidence. 

“They have also understood that they can serve God
in whatever way in any situation. Overall, it was more than just FUN for all! The children are looking forward to yet another performance soon!”