Sing To The Dawn, a book I last read during secondary school as part of literature lessons. Now, it has evolved to be a musical.
Honestly, I would prefer the book better than the musical. It seemed as if the scriptwriter wanted to strike the right balance between being true to the book, and simplifying it so that children are able to understand. Unfortunately, that balance could not be found.
One does wonder if 12 year old students are aware of gender equality issues in countries round the world, amongst other issues portrayed in the musical. While acting by the cast were brilliant, the music itself left much to be desired. If the musical is to be targeted for kids, its duration of two hours could be shortened perhaps. One could consider composing songs with catchy lyrics so that it will be impressionable upon the yung patrons.
Sex is always a sensitive issue among the young. There was a scene depicting a scantily clad female dancing for money as a culture of the city. Naturally, that garnered much verbal response from the students. Was it really necessary, one wonders.
Overall, the props and acting were well-done, especially by the father. I overheard students reacting angrily when the father nearly struck his daughter on-stage. It's one thing to read about it. It's another to see it on stage. That said, the singing was sorely lacking n the lower register. The high jarring notes did clash with each other at certain points, creating more of a cacophony than a symphony. A good attempt nevertheless, though more work needs to be done for it to rise to the next level of success.
