If you want to know your work mates better, forget staff lunches and team building sessions – join the theatre. That's the advice of 40 office workers from TaiKoo Place and Cityplaza who are embarking on a musical journey to try their hand, or rather voice, at musical theatre during three weeks of a cappella performances at the ArtisTree in Taikoo Place.
Affectionately named
a cappella-la-la, the programme was created by
Swire Properties with the aim of connecting the office community and promoting happy and engaged work environments. Workers were offered the chance to team up with Yat Po Singers, Hong Kong's first professional a cappella theatre company, and star in a variety of shows, performed in both English and Chinese, from
January 23rd to February 6th.
Executives from all sectors jumped at the chance to audition for the musical adventure following an impressive casting call stunt last September, when performers from
Yat Po Singers dressed in office wear surprising the crowd in TaiKoo Place during lunchtime with their a cappella singing parades. The video of the stunt (below) not only garnered over 30,000 views on social media, it also encouraged 200 office workers to apply to the programme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOSwGlWJvKg
Now, after four months of comprehensive professional training in a cappella singing, acting and physical movement, the 40 successful candidates are ready to shine onstage and present
Double Bill, a musical extravaganza comprised of four original a cappella acts themed around office romance, marriage, relaxation, and the renowned Italian opera
Turandot. Other highlights from the programme include
Men in Love, a one-man cabaret by vocalist Rick Lau (video below), and
Wednesday Lunchtime Concerts performed by Yat Po Singers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZfkGKYoS4c
Ditching her suit and donning polka dots, participant Mandy Tong, a VP at JP Morgan tells Localiiz, “The most fun thing about taking part in the programme is getting to know more people outside of work, not only within the same industry as me, but all kinds of backgrounds. It’s great because you have something to look forward to outside of work. We have a lot of fun during our rehearsals which we hold twice a week, it beats just having lunch with colleagues. What funner way to network?”
Don’t miss Tong’s hilarious and wacky performance as a 1950’s style Hong Kong worker slaving away in
The Way We Work, which runs as part of the
Double Bill Two production on February 5th and 6th.
All performances are completely free but get your seats quick because it's first come first served and we have a feeling it’s going to be a full house! And if you fancy giving it a go yourself, why not sign up for one of the master classes on offer and see if you can hit all the right notes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L14bePSN5Ag
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