Review: Ghost the Musical

Last night, I had the privilege to be invited to Ghost the Musical, which is currently showing at Marina Bay Sands.

Having not caught the original 1990 hit movie, I frankly wasn't expecting much from this production, but wow, I was definitely proven wrong. 

My boyfriend was familiar with Ghost, as it was an Oscar-winning movie and one of the biggest grossing films of all time. But whereas movies have the luxury of backroom special effects, this musical had to rely on real-time illusions and quick switches to execute the visual tricks perfectly in front of our eyes.



The Story

Quite simply put, the musical is a supernatural story of the power of love. Life for Sam and Molly seems to be perfect...until one day when they are mugged while walking back to their apartment. In the tussle, Sam gets shot, and becomes trapped as a ghost between this world and the next as he is unable to leave Molly, who he discovers is in great danger. Enlisting the help of a fraud psychic, Oda Mae, Sam tries to overcome all obstacles in communicating with Molly and saving her.


The Musical: Great visual effects and illusions



I wasn't too impressed with the vocal abilities of the leads, but the entire production was truly a visual treat to the senses. We got to see inanimate objects take on a life of their own and even a person walk through a solid door right before our very eyes! It was almost like magic.

You'll be able to distinguish clearly between who's a "ghost" and those alive thanks to the clever lighting employed throughout the show. No expense was spared in the lighting and stage props. There was great detail to every prop, which I enjoyed scrutinizing. I can only imagine all the hours spent rehearsing and creating all of these props.

The classic scene! Fans who caught the movie will recognize this.
My boyfriend got super excited when this was about to happen.

You know how in some magic shows, you become solely disappointed because you're able to spot the tricks they used to create the illusions? That won't really be an issue here, because any ropes or ties used were almost impossible to spot, and the quick switches were so rapid that you would miss it if you just blinked.



Being a dancer myself, I found the choreography and synchronization among the dancers a beauty to watch. Many of them danced and twirled effortlessly, even managing double turns (a feat I still find hard to accomplish even after so many years of training) on HEELS!



And if you asked me, the real star of the show was the psychic, Oda Mae. Her hilarious antics left most of us in the audience in stitches. She definitely stole the limelight away with her incredible acting chops and stage attitude.



Details and Discounts

The musical ended up being such an enjoyable visual treat that I wouldn't hesitate to shell out $85 - $125 to catch this if I hadn't been invited.

Ghost the Musical runs from now until 15 November at Mastercard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands. If you're a Sands Rewards member, you get a crazy discount of 50% off your tickets until 8 November, so that's 2 more days left to redeem it :P

Groupon is also having a great discount here where the deal runs for the following prices at a steal:

• Cat B Reserve ticket for 1 person for $64.50 (instead of $129)
• Cat A Reserve ticket for 1 person for $79.50 (instead of $159)
• VIP ticket for 1 person for $89.50 (instead of $179)

Otherwise, I honestly thought this was a great show that was totally value-for-money. It is also one of the better productions I've caught (the best still goes to The Phantom of the Opera, which I caught in NYC Broadway a few years ago). Highly recommended, especially for couples.

Now excuse me while I go get the song "Unchained Melody" out of my head.

With love,
Budget Babe