Barbie LIVE!’s World Premier Hits Singapore Shores
By Kiat Tan Wei Jie & Emillio Rodrigues
Photos by Kiat Tan Wei Jie
Barbie LIVE! makes its world debut here in Singapore on 10 September. The cast packs a punch – with Mattel collaborating with choreographer Kobi Rozenfeld in a Barbie musical like no other.
All eyes were on the lead of the night – Barbie, who was brought to life by Chelsea Bernier.
“I have been a Barbie fan for as long as I could remember. Having the chance to be her was definitely a dream come true,” Bernier said.
Without spoiling too much, the story revolved around filming a musical. Teresa, played by Kristina Miller, constantly finds herself doubting her ability to perform next to her best friend, Barbie. As any other typical Barbie tale, Barbie has all the answers. Raquelle, played by Courtney Cheatham, was amazing in her role as the self-centered villain who kept putting Teresa down in order to get the role.
The musical progressed in three stages depicting a storyline from past Barbie movies. Scenes from past Barbie films such as Swan Lake, Princess and the Popstar and Mariposa & Fairy Princess were reenacted on stage, bringing back fond memories for the older crowd.
Teresa, with the help of Barbie, learns the importance of trust, confidence, friendship and believing in oneself through the different stories being acted, and ultimately overcame the demons in her.
Accompanying the brilliant costumes and set design, the songs performed were a concoction of past songs and new songs from Robbie Roth, which drew the audience to sing and clap along.
The highlight of the performance was the comical scene where Barbie’s aunt, prowled around the theatre in search of Barbie. The brief moments of humour, accompanied by the “Yes!” and “No!” from the audience made the performance engaging and entertaining. The musical came to a close with the cast fulfilling their hollywood-worthy performance with confetti erupting from to stage to bring the crowd to a standing ovation. All in all, the inner girls in us were satisfied.
If you are a die-fan of the Barbie franchise or if you just want to watch a family-friendly musical with your children, do catch Barbie LIVE! from the 10th to the 14th of September.
