FROM A JACK TO A KING Opens in Singapore, 5/5

 According to the New York Times, the rock n' roll musical From a Jack to a King has recently kicked off its Asian tour in Singapore.  With direction by Matt Devitt, this 1992 hit of the West End is based largely on the tale of Macbeth.  This jukebox musical was written by Olivier Award winner Bob Carlton, and debuted in 1982 at the Bubble Theatre in London.

The show will be running May 5-9 in Singapore at JubiLee Hall at the Raffles Hotel.  From there it will move to the Hilton Kuala Lumpur on May 12-14 and then the Millennium Hilton Bangkok on May 20-22. All performances will be in a dinner theatre style.

Director Matt Devitt said of From a Jack to a King, "The show has always evolved for various reasons. When we were in the West End, the union rightly asked for understudies so, rather than have people waiting in the dressing room, Bob rewrote the play and included the three witches, that weren't in the original production and were now played by the understudies. And gradually over the years, the witches have become more important."

From a Jack to a King is like a rock concert with a plot. It's Macbeth to music, set in 50s Soho  with a dash of West Side Story. Eric Glamis decides to rule the music bizz, so he takes on a dodgy manager, Duke Box, kills Terry 'The' King, marries Queenie, Bitch from Hell, gives a few concerts, and is finally arrested by Joe Mcduff, the suave American cop. All students of English will be pleased to learn that it sticks to the Bard's own hallowed lyrics.

The tale charts the blood-stained wade to rock stardom of Eric Glamis. He clambers over the corpses of rivals, but becomes terrified of their ghosts and meets his murky end when enemies approach bearing brtnaches torn from the woods of Soho.  The show features popular music of the '60s and includes such numbers as "Leader of the Pack", "Tell Laura I Love Her" and "Shakin' All Over".

For tickets, call SISTIC 63485555 or book online www.sistic.com.sg

To read the full article, visit: www.nytimes.com