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SINGAPORE : It's time once again for you to let your fingers do the talking - pledging support with SMSes and phone calls. No, this isn’t yet another TV competition, this is the star-studded "President’s Star Charity" show, which will be held on October 12.
This year’s show, themed The Singapore Cabaret, will be hosted by Adrian Pang and Michelle Chia, and features music and dance from nearly 90 performers, including MediaCorp artistes Kym Ng, Fiona Xie and Tay Ping Hui, as well as veteran singers Rahimah Rahim, Veronica Young and Anneke Gronloh.
And to celebrate Singapore’s multi-racial ethnicity, it will be done in English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and Hindi.
But just why a cabaret theme?
“We thought, hey, let’s do something nostalgic, because we haven’t seen this kind of thing for quite a while on TV — you know, songs from the ’50s and ’60s,” said the show’s executive producer, Julie Sim-Chew, at a press conference yesterday. “People will probably recognise the songs, and it could be an interesting show, going back to our roots of live performances.”
At last year’s show, President S R Nathan appeared onstage to recite verses from Desiderata backed by an 80-strong choir. This year, he’ll make a repeat appearance, this time with classical ensemble Tang Quartet and Cultural Medallion winner Tan Kian Por, revealed Julie, although she was tight-lipped about what he might be performing.
But the performer shouldn’t be the basis of your donation, said the show’s co-host Adrian Pang. “I believe that whether it’s a musical item or a stunt ... at the end of the day, people will be motivated to give because they want to help those in need, not because someone sang very well.”
All proceeds will go directly to this year’s 31 President’s Challenge beneficiaries, including Child at Street 11, Sanctuary House and the Bishan Home for the Intellectually Disabled.
Catch the live telecast on MediaCorp TV Channel 5 on Oct 12, 7.30pm. Those who wish to donate can call 1900 221 8821/22/23 for S$5/S$20/S$100 donations. The phone lines will close on midnight, Oct 18. - TODAY/ar
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