Yee Sang Dinner 2008!

Our annual chopstick- (and roof-)raising makan fest is back!

The Phil's 2008 Annual Yee Sang Dinner will take place as follows. See you there!

Date:
Saturday 23 February 2008, 7.00pm

Venue:
Sri Melaka Restaurant, Taman Tun Dr Ismail
(No. 24, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur)

RM40 per head.

Please RSVP by this Thursday Feb 21st to Alain Boey 012.438.6248

Menu:
1) Norwegian Salmon Yee Sang
2) Three Combo Platter
3) Eight Treasures Sharksfin Soup (Vegetarian Sharksfin)
4) Salted Egg Prawns
5) Assorted Vegetables with Brocolli
6) Deep Fried Grouper in Superior Soya Sauce
7) Special Crispy Chicken
8) Iced Longan & Sea Coconut
- Chinese Tea OR Iced Lemon Tea
- Steamed Rice

The Holly Jolly Christmas Party + Mini Concert

Join us at The Phil's Christmas Party/Mini Concert!

Date: Monday, December 17, 2007

Venue: Li Villas in PJ - Multi-Purpose Hall (See map below)

Time: 7:30 pm till 11:30 (next day working lah!)

Cost: RM 15 per head.

Gift Exchange... In the spirit of the season, we would like you to bring a gift (budget isRM20) for the Gift Exchange portion of the party...

Please RSVP by emailing selangor.phil+socials@gmail.com.

There will be a mini-concert and Carol Singalong session during the party.

And of course, lotsa food :)

See you there!

Movie Night (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) - Thu, 12 July - Bring A Friend

Please take note: I am cancelling movie night for today as nobody has expressed interest in attending.

Regards,
Callista

For our Movie Night this July, we're going for something non-musical for a change. Movie for this month is The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

BRING A FRIEND!
Do bring some snacks for sharing, and bring a friend along to join in
the fun!

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

WHEN:
Thursday, July 12, 2007, 8.00pm

WHERE:
Li Villas Condominium, Section 16, PJ - we've booked the TV room at
the condo's clubhouse.




SYNOPSIS (from wikipedia):
Anthony "Tick" Belrose, a.k.a. Mitzi Del Bra, a drag queen, accepts an offer to perform at a casino in Alice Springs, a remote town in central Australia. After persuading his friends and fellow performers, Bernadette Bassenger, a.k.a. Ralph – a recently bereaved transsexual woman – and Adam Whitely, a.k.a. Felicia Jollygoodfellow – an irritatingly flamboyant and obnoxious drag queen – to join him, the three set out for Alice Springs in a large tour bus which Adam/Felicia christens "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". Guy Pearce plays Adam/Felicia, Terence Stamp plays Bernadette/Ralph and Hugo Weaving plays Tick/Mitzi.

They encounter on the way the less accepting attitudes of rural Australia, sexual violence, and the problems of vehicle breakdowns. The troupe eventually arrives at their destination with costumes and dance routines prepared. Before they arrive, Tick reveals that he is married (It is hinted that his wife is a lesbian.), and that the trip is a favour for his wife, who runs the casino where they will be performing. Upon arriving, they learn that Tick and his wife also have a young son.

Movie Night (A Chorus Line) - Thu, 7 June - Bring A Friend

For our Movie Night this June, we will be watching the revival version of A Chorus Line.

BRING A FRIEND!
Do bring some snacks for sharing, and bring a friend along to join in
the fun!

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

WHEN:
Thursday, June 07, 2007, 8.00pm

WHERE:
Li Villas Condominium, Section 16, PJ - we've booked the TV room at
the condo's clubhouse.




SYNOPSIS (by David Law):
A Chorus Line is a definitive if not the definitive musical. Winner of 9 Tony awards and the Pulitzer Prize, it opened in May 1975, ran for 6,137 performances and was the longest running Broadway musical when it closed in April 1990. Unfortunately the film version was one of the worst ever adaptations of a musical, directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Michael Douglas, neither of whom had made a musical before...or since.

This is not the movie version, but a shot from the audience front seat view of the 2006 revival, which itself won several Tony awards. A faithful recreation of the original production, this is for those who saw it the first time round to relive the experience, those who saw the movie to finally exorcise its memory and to introduce a whole new generation to the magic of the Broadway musical.

Photos from REBOOT!

Here they are - photos from poolside potluck April's Club Nite (themed Reboot to signify a fresh start as the Society moves into its 50th year of promoting music and the arts in Malaysia)!

The feast started at 6pm (it's still quite bright, as you can see below), mostly devouring Zal's gorgeous French onion dip (which goes with anything from celery sticks to chips) and Cris' killer grilled chilli fish...


and this is to prove that it was indeed a pool party!!

the poolside cabana where we were were makan-ing...

Cris attempts synchronised swimming..

the 7pm gang. as you will see, more arrived later!

dusk falls, more food arrives, and the candles are lit for extra 'atmosphere'!

Broadway (Parodies) Baby Mr Ho gives his approval...

The food doesn't seem to finish..

Never too late for a swim!

Watch this space for our next Club Nite.

In the meantime, join us for this month's Movie Nite (Sweet Charity) on Thursday May 3rd!


What are Club Nites?

The Phil organizes gatherings known as "Club Nites" (or “Nights”, depending on how sober the webmaster is at press time) a few times a year, where the members meet, mingle, makan, sing, makan, sing, and makan. (Other memorable occurrences during past Club Nites include having unsuspecting party-goers thrown into the pool, and waking up the neighbours, and also, you know how they say the hallmark of a good party is if security arrives?... ok, shall say no more...) Well, basically Club Nites are informal get-togethers with the ultimate objective of having loads of fun. They’re also great opportunities for budding talents to show off their vocal prowess / dexterity of fingers on the ivories / guitar-strumming abilities / any other skills, in a friendly and informal setting.

Flashback! Photos from February's Movie Nite

Yes, as you all know, Movie Nite is back! Same place, this time on a Thursday (May 3rd, to be exact). In case you've forgotten what Movie Nites are like, here are photos from the last Movie Nite in February (March's was postponed to this month; April's gathering was a Club Nite - photos from that soon!), where we watched this:


(the DVD, not Zal)

.. and we watched it here ...



... welcome to the Selangor Phil - where, if we ran a cinema, the movies would probably be screened in the drinks & snacks section ...


... we're Knights of the Round table, where the amount of food is for-mi-da-ble...

... there's always a pack of Cheezels going round ...

... everyone likes sofas..

See you on May 3rd for this month's screening - Sweet Charity!

REBOOT! @ Club Nite on April 14th

A date for your diary - the first CLUB NITE of the year, themed REBOOT! to signify a fresh start as the Society moves into its 50th year of promoting music and the arts in Malaysia!

It will be a potluck - bring your family and friends! We'll provide the necessary ambience for you to 'reboot', all you need to do is turn up with your friends and bring a dish that you feel matches the theme!

It's a poolside party so bring your swim gear too!

Date & Time:
Saturday, April 14th, 2007
5.00pm till late

Theme:
REBOOT! (Potluck)

Venue:
Poolside, Li Villas Condo, No. 1, Jalan 16/20, Section 16, PJ (Scroll down for map)

RSVP:
RSVP by calling Callista or emailing (selangor.phil+socials [at] gmail.com).

What are Club Nites?
The Phil organizes gatherings known as "Club Nites" (or “Nights”, depending on how sober the webmaster is at press time) a few times a year, where the members meet, mingle, makan, sing, makan, sing, and makan. (Other memorable occurrences during past Club Nites include having unsuspecting party-goers thrown into the pool, and waking up the neighbours.) Well, basically Club Nites are informal get-togethers with the ultimate objective of having loads of fun. They’re also great opportunities for budding talents to show off their vocal prowess / dexterity of fingers on the ivories / guitar-strumming abilities / any other skills, in a friendly and informal setting.

March Updates!

Dear Members and Friends of The Phil,

Thank you for the many calls which the Committee members have received in respect of the rehearsal dates.

The Committee had planned to resume rehearsals beginning March. However, we are having some issues with the venue - while MAB has been our faithful rehearsal venue for the past years, the charges have been increased to 5 times our previous rate. (This was also the reason our third Movie Night had to be postponed!) We are still in the process of negotiating the rental rates and have also started looking for alternative venues. If any of you have any contacts for venues, please share the information with us.

Upcoming Activities:

The SongFest Singing Competition has been scheduled for this May 2007. Keep posted for more information!

Club Night happens on Saturday April 14th! More information on this blog shortly!

Yes, we've been having venue woes this March, but fear not, Movie Nite (which is held on the first Monday of every month) hasn't disappeared! Watch this space for info on May's Movie Nite!

Best regards
Alain Boey
Chairman

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 :)

DVD Nite (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) - Mon 5 Feb - Bring A Friend

For our February DVD Night, we will be watching Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

BRING A FRIEND!
Do bring some snacks for sharing, and bring a friend along to join in
the fun!

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

WHEN:
Monday, February 5, 2007, 8.00pm

WHERE:
Li Villas Condominium, Section 16, PJ - we've booked the TV room at
the condo's clubhouse.




SYNOPSIS (taken from imdb.com):
The movie starts out with Arthur, King of the Britons, looking for knights to sit with him at Camelot. He finds many knights including Sir Galahad the pure, Sir Lancelot the brave, the quiet Sir Bedevere, and Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot. They do not travel on horses, but pretend they do and have their servants bang coconuts to make the sound of horse's hooves. Through satire of certain events in history (witch trials, the black plague) they find Camelot, but after literally a quick song and dance they decide that they do not want to go there. While walking away, God (who seems to be grumpy) come to them from a cloud and tells them to find the Holy Grail. They agree and begin their search. While they search for the Grail, scenes of the knight's tales appear and why they have the name they have. Throughout their search they meet interesting people and knights along the way. Most of the characters die; some through a killer rabbit (which they defeat with the holy hand grenade), others from not answering a question right from the bridge of Death, or die some other ridiculous way. In the end, King Arthur and Sir Bedevere are left and find the Castle Arrrghhh where the Holy Grail is. They are met by some French soldiers who taunted them earlier in the film, so they were not able to get into the castle.

The Phil's Annual Lou Sang Dinner 2007

It's that time of the year once again.
Time to raise our chopsticks high and make a lot of noise as we eat, talk and be merry! So come one and come all, bring yourself, bring your family, bring your friends, bring that stranger sitting right next to you and come join us in our makan fest.

Date: 2 February 2007
Time: 8pm - they chase us out?
Venue: Maju Palace at Maju Junction
Per head: RM50 (members), RM65 (non-members)

Please RSVP by 29/Jan 2007 (Monday)! If we have enough people, we can have one of the function rooms all to ourselves!

RSVP by calling Callista (012.259.5770) or emailing (callista+thephil [at] gmail.com).

Hope to see everyone there!

Happily Ever After (The Inaugural DVD Nite!)

Dusk fell on the fifteenth day of January, and the rain continued to drizzle amidst the rush-hour bustle of office-workers longing for a restful evening after yet another manic Monday. It took a short while to coax the TV room's air-conditioner from its slumber, but the evening was soon enlivened by giants and magic beans, charming princes and blonde maidens in towers. And, of course, cookies, Cheezels, chips, and orange juice!

See what you missed? ;-)

And during Intermission David enthusiastically showed us his autographed Sondheim programmes...

Needless to say, there was much food and merry-making...

About DVD Nites

- We plan to have them on the first Monday of each month (8.00pm). Check your email, and this blog!

- If you have a plasma TV, a home theatre system, cushy sofas and a well-stocked pantry, we would love to hear from you :)

- Bring all the cushions, bean bags and snacks you want!

- Bring a friend! DVD Nites are a great way to introduce your friends to The Phil.

- Remember, suggestions for shows are always welcome. We'll take movies, operas, musicals, ballets, your neighbour's cats' nightly quartet, anything! (Ok, maybe not the felines.)

About "Into the Woods"

What's it about?
From http://www.sondheim.com/shows/into_the_woods/:

"Into the Woods" blends various familiar fairy tales with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife, who catalyze the action of the story by attempting to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child.

In the first act, the characters set out to achieve their goal of living "Happily Ever After" through familiar routes - Cinderella goes to the Ball and captures the heart of Prince Charming, Jack climbs the Beanstalk and finds a land of Giants and Gold, Little Red Riding Hood survives her clash with the wolf at Grandma's house, and Rapunzel manages to escape her tower with the aid of a handsome prince who climbs her long hair. The Baker and his Wife move through their stories while pursuing their own goal - the witch who keeps Rapunzel (revealed to be the Baker's sister) has put the curse on his house, and agrees to lift it if the Baker and his Wife can find the ingredients to help her reverse a spell which her mother has laid on her, keeping her old and ugly. Those ingredients are: A Slipper As Pure As Gold, which the Baker's wife gets from Cinderella, A Cow As White As Milk, which the Baker buys from Jack in exchange for the fateful magic beans, A Cape As Red As Blood, which the Baker gets from Little Red Riding Hood in exchange for freeing her and Granny from the Wolf, and Hair As Yellow As Corn, which they get from Rapunzel. The ingredients are gathered, and the spell works, stripping the Witch of her power, but restoring her beauty. At the end of Act I, all characters seem poised to live "Happily Ever After".

Act Two, however, deals with the consequences that traditional fairy tales conveniently ignore. What does one do with a dead Giant in the back yard? Does marrying a Prince really lead to a happy and fulfilling life? Is carving up the wolf the solution? Is the Giant always wrong? In Act Two, all the characters must deal with what happens AFTER "Happily Ever After". As they face a genuine threat to their community, they realize that all actions have consequences, and their lives are inescapably interdependent, but also that that interdependence is their greatest strength.

Other "Into the Woods" Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_the_Woods

And who is Stephen Sondheim?
http://www.sondheim.com/features/sondheim101.html