L’arietta: Speed Dating Tonight!

By Jamie Chan on September 21, 2022 • ( Leave a comment )

Cast and crew of Speed Dating Tonight!

All Dressed Up (No Place To Go), 2020

In early 2020, I was flying back from my African adventures. Then, even though the Covid virus slowly dominated every headline, we seemed safe from this foreign entity. Until the borders shut a week after I landed and Speed Dating Tonight! along with a bunch of other projects got cancelled. Under lockdown (circuit breaker in Singapore), the idea of a digital opera production was born.

Zoom calls were made, too much whiskey drunk, safe distancing measures applied, and unstable internet connections later, we premiered All Dressed Up (No Place To Go). An original operatic work composed specifically for the digital medium. A new piece was shot, edited and broadcast every week for 9 weeks, with the circuit breaker/ safe distance measures ongoing. This production tested my skills as a content creator/ producer/ broadcaster beyond anything I imagined.

Teaching the cast how to use a video camera over zoom? Check
Directing over zoom? Check
Foley? Check
Special permission to head out during circuit breaker? Check
Learn how to broadcast in 24 hours? Check
Last-minute heart attacks? Check.

Live Broadcast

All Dressed Up (No Place To Go) Videos

Speed Dating Tonight! 2022

Two years later, more than half the people I know have gotten covid but we’ve survived.
Well, this production almost didn’t happen again because 3 of the cast members got covid and had to be replaced by 3 singers and a dancer, who learnt their parts in just about 24 hours. Joy.

Here are some images from the miracle show.