Movie Night (Sweet Charity) - Mon 5 March - Bring A Friend

Important! This month's movie night has been postponed until further notice due to the sudden unavailability of the venue. My apologies.
- Callista

For our March Movie Night, we will be watching Sweet Charity. Directed by Bob Fosse. Starring Shirley MacLaine and Chita Rivera

BRING A FRIEND!

Do let us know if you're coming. Email us at selangor.phil+socials@gmail.com.

WHEN:
Monday, March 5, 2007, 8.00pm

WHERE:
Hall of the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) Complex at Jalan Tebing, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

PARKING:
There are limited parking in the complex but ample parking just outside the complex. There's never been a problem with parking in that area.

ABOUT THE FILM (taken from wikipedia.org):
Sweet Charity, based on Federico Fellini's screenplay for Nights of Cabiria, is a musical directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon.

The original Broadway production opened on January 29, 1966 at the Palace Theatre, and ran for 608 performances. It starred Gwen Verdon, John McMartin, Helen Gallagher, Thelma Oliver, James Luisi, Arnold Soboloff, and Sharon Ritchie. The production was nominated for 12 Tony Awards, winning only one, for Fosse's choreography.

The 1969 film version, Sweet Charity, also directed and choreographed by Fosse, starred Shirley MacLaine and McMartin, recreating his original Broadway role. The movie also included Chita Rivera, Paula Kelly, Stubby Kaye, Barbara Bouchet, Ricardo Montalban, Sammy Davis, Jr., Barbara Bouchet, Suzanne Charney, Alan Hewitt, Dante DiPaolo, Bud Vest, Ben Vereen, Lee Roy Reams, and Al Lanti. The movie was notable for costumes by Edith Head and of course its dance sequences (notably The Rich Man's Frug).

The show was revived on Broadway in 1986 (starring Debbie Allen as Charity) and won four Tony Awards for Best Revival, Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Michael Rupert), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Bebe Neuwirth), and Best Costume Design (Patricia Zipprodt).

A second revival, starring television and film star Christina Applegate, opened on Broadway at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on May 4, 2005, after a troubled three-city preview tour. Applegate broke her foot in Chicago, the second stop on the tour, and was replaced by her standby, Charlotte d'Amboise. Then, after the final leg of the tour in Boston, the producers announced the production would not be continuing to the Great White Way, citing lack of interest. However, two days later, the Broadway engagement was re-born after Applegate convinced the producers to continue. A week into previews, Applegate rejoined the cast, which also included Denis O'Hare and Ernie Sabella. The show was nominated for many Tony awards including Best Revival of a Musical and Best Actress in a Musical for Applegate. (Reportedly, pop icon Britney Spears was asked to replace Applegate when her contract expired, but declined the offer.) The show ended its Broadway run on December 31, 2005, after playing 279 performances.

A national tour of the recent Broadway revival began in September 2006 starring Molly Ringwald as Charity Hope Valentine.

2007 Annual Loh Sang Dinner

As we all know, the Loh Sang dinners have become an annual tradition. Members of the Selangor Philharmonic Society get together, wield their chopsticks with (not-grim-at-all) intent, and proceed to fluff up the Yee Sang for luck.

This year, the Loh Sang party was held at the Maju Palace, with the usual suspects in attendance. Chairman Alain (sounds a bit commie, wot?) spent a large part of the evening entertaining the members with somewhat x-rated jokes. The pre-dinner peanuts, the fish, the veg and even the desserts were not spared...

One of our more enduring (and endearing) members, Pan Swee Chin, got up from her table to dash over to ours, where she proceeded to regale the room with her experience at the recent Il Divo concert. With much miming, high-pitched enthusiasm and energetic re-enactment of her actions, she proceeded to put forth a performance well worth the price of dinner.

I'll have to say this for the Phil... we are never boring :)

Sometime between courses, Ivy and her sister got up to line-dance, and the ever-faithful karaoke machine was cranked up. Beautiful songs were sung, along with bawdy ones. Swee Chin and Callie entertained us with an impromptu salsa...the wine flowed freely, courtesy of Brian and Edna, and the mood was definitely boisterous and festive.

Pictures were taken, but this writer can't attach them to this post at this time because her computer's bluetooth is out of commission. Any other attendees want to submit pictures of that night, please feel free :)

The party, I was told, ended around half past eleven. As with all things Phil-related, it ended with a big musical bang. Right now, we're looking forward to the next DVD night, and I'll let Wen Li inform us when that will be, and what's on the viewing menu.

*edit: I have managed to make a liar of myself. Thanks to Flickr, I have managed to upload the pictures of the dinner. Whee!! :D

Fried Fish...Fantastic!! ;)


Alain offers me head....Fish. Head.


Swee Chin describes her quest for a complete set of Il Divo autographs...
Callista looks on in amusement.


The karaoke machine is fired up...


Callie and Swee Chin salsa to the song from the karaoke machine...
Alain's amused. What can I say? It was an amusing night :)

This is Zal, signing off :)