From classics such as The Little Mermaid , Beauty and the Beast , Aladdin , Tangled , Moana to Oscar-winning La La Land , and musical hits like Step Up , Chicago , Sister Act , and Footloose, Wendy Dickson has created a choral of medleys in Tales as Old as Time. “The scores I combined from different stories are a lot to do with dreams and wishes . Yet all of the stories are rooted in reality,” says Wendy, who has been a teacher for close to four decades. The self trained musician’s talent in choral music and theatre arts have found expression in productions such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease: The School edition, and other choral productions.
A lot of thought has gone into the production. “We started work on it in January, and later stepped up rehearsals,” says Wendy. The audience can expect to be mesmerised by the performance of close to 100 singers, actors, and dancers from the age group of four to sixteen from the Kiara Music Academy that has been offering musical instruction in keyboards, drums, guitar, western choral singing, and voice training since 2006. Bringing fairytales alive on stage is a challenge, but Wendy seems to have enjoyed every bit of the production process as her eyes light up as she says: “I just love stories. Stories are my life. I don’t think we can ever grow out of fairytales.”
“I have brought in the writers of the classics too in the production,” says Wendy, reflecting her highly creative mind, “I tried to imagine what might have gone in the minds of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm.” The music includes scores from Broadway and film music such as The Fools Who Dream from La La Land. “I wanted to expand the experience for the kids,” says Wendy.
There will also be guest performers from the Kiara Silver Chorale, from age 18 to early 50s and thespians Ashish and Munira Sen, and Dr. Arvind Kasthuri.
Tales as Old as Time will be staged on October 13. 7.30 pm, at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Tickets are available on www.eventshigh.com and at Lusitania, Richmond Town and Mosque Road Fraser Town or call 9886199035. A portion of the proceeds will be go to Bosco Rainbow Home.
