It’s rare that Meips and I get an evening out together. Which was why when the opportunity came up for me to have a Mummy-and-daugther date to watch Barbie LIVE! at the Mastercard Theatres, I was interested, though a tiny bit hesitant.
Barbie, well, she really is a character with her fans and detractors, isn’t she? There are those who believe that Barbie promotes an unhealthy body image with her unrealistic vital statistics, and similarly, those who criticise her for encouraging girls to be shallow and vain. I can understand the basis for some of these comments, and they’ve provided food for thought for me.
But I must admit that as a little girl, I loved my Barbie dolls. I had two original Barbies, including my all-time favourite Peaches n Cream Barbie, and a bunch of other erm, cheaper reproductions, together with a big carry case of outfits and shoes. I also had Dream Glow Ken but other than the glow-in-the-dark stars on his vest, I didn’t find him too exciting. My most priced possessions however, were Barbie’s things. I had the pink bed with pink sheets which I was constantly making and re-making, and also a pink bubble bath pool, which as a lot of fun when my mum did allow us to fill it with water! I don’t think I had much else, but some of my childhood friends did, and we’d put everything together and make a big party of it. Our Barbies didn’t only sit around and look pretty either. They were usually involved in our elaborate storylines where Barbie could be anything she wanted, and indeed anything WE wanted her to be.
So the truth is, I have many fond memories Barbie. And I don’t think playing with the dolls affected my body image or made me want to be Barbie. Well, ok, maybe I did want to be her just to have all her cool stuff!
And yet, when the invite came for the live show, I wondered — was it a good thing to be bringing her, my little two-and-a-half year old who has yet to see or play with a Barbie doll? Would it be exposing her to the wrong values? Worse, would I be laying myself vulnerable to the world of Barbie merchandising? (Hey, she is my daughter after all!)
I decided in the end not to over-think it and to take the opportunity to spend some time with my little girl. And I’m glad we went in the end, because she enjoyed it, and the lesson they were trying to put across was one that I would want her to learn too — to be brave, believe in herself, and embrace the power of true friendship.
My little girl was certainly excited about a night out at the theatre.
Gasp! It’s Barbie!
And when the show began, she sat wide-eyed, taking it all in.
The story is about Barbie trying to help her friend Teresa, who doubts herself when she is cast in a leading role in production. Her self-confidence isn’t helped by Barbie’s rival, Raquelle who seeks to undermine her and steal her role. Eventually, with the help of Barbie, Teresa overcomes her fears and Raquelle’s conniving ways to step into the limelight.
The musical is interspersed with scenes from Barbie’s three Princess movies — Swan Lake, Mariposa & the Fairy Princess, and Princess and the Popstar. Barbie uses lessons learnt from these movies to help Teresa find her way. There are short video excerpts after which the scene is brought to live on stage. Being unfamiliar with the movies, I found the first couple of excerpted re-enactments hard to follow. However, I did enjoy the last segment with the scene from the Princess and the Popstar where two girls trade places only to find that the life they wished for was not all what they thought it would be.
I think this show is definitely one for the Barbie fans, what with the thrill of seeing the characters come to life and re-living parts of well-loved movies. And hearing familiar songs too! There was a mum behind me who was singing along to many of the tunes, much to my amusement.
But even if you are unfamiliar with Barbie’s movies, you’d probably still enjoy catchy songs, energetic dances and elaborate sets. A couple of characters also came off the stage at certain parts of the show, adding to the excitement. They were on mostly on the right section of the audience and we were on the left, so perhaps that is the better section to sit in! Meips named “the butterfly!” and “the dancing!” as her favourite parts of the show. I know she also loved the confetti (pink, naturally) that came floating down from the ceiling at the end.
I had my camera confiscated (!!!) before I entered the theatre as they have a policy prohibiting DSLRs and cameras with interchangeable lenses. So the following photographs are courtesy of Delphine from In the Wee Hours. (And yes, if you intend to go for the show, bring a regular point-and-shoot if you want to take pictures!)
Meips’ favourite butterfly, from Mariposa & the Fairy Princess.
The Princess and the Popstar.
The dressing room where many of Barbie’s pep talks for Teresa took place. Meips was very taken with this. Hmmm.
Part of the cast and crew.
It was a fun, girly night out, just me and my girl.
I guess I’ll re-visit the issue of Barbie dolls in about a year or two, but this was as good an introduction I could have hoped for.
Barbie LIVE! is on at the Mastercard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands from 10-14 September 2013. Tickets are priced at $35, $55, $75 and $95, with special VIP tickets at $125 (including a photo opportunity with the cast.) Tickets are available on the Marina Bay Sands website and through Sistic. The show is 2 hours long with a 20 minute intermission.
* We received tickets watch Barbie Live! for the purpose of writing this review. All opinions expressed remain strictly my own.
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