Don't Forget Your Lyrics

SINGAPORE : Half a million dollars – that’s how much a forgotten lyric might cost you if you are a contestant on new Channel 5 game show, “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”.

Hosted by local celebrity, Gurmit Singh, contestants are required to sing out – karaoke style – the words to fill in the blanks in the song. And if you can keep singing it right for 10 songs, you’ll walk away with S$500,000!

Easy peasy you say? Well, not quite.

“These people who come along thinking they know the song and when the music stops, the lyrics go away, they get stumped!” Gurmit said.

“My theory is this, when people see blanks, dashes, their minds go blank as well.”

Each game consists of three tiers which are divided into nine levels. The difficulty of the challenge increases with each tier and the tiers dictate how many blank lyrics contestants have to remember and sing within a stipulated time.

Contestants have to get every exact lyric correct to pass the stage, and like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, they can get help if they wish to.

Each contestant is entitled to three lifelines also known as “backups” that they can use when they are stuck at any point of the competition. But each backup can only be used once.

“Backup Singer” allows the contestant to bring a friend or family member on stage to help sing the missing lyrics.

If contestants opt for “Two Words”, they can choose any two words they have filled in to check if they are right.

The last, “3 Lines”, allows contestants to pick the correct answer from three multiple choice options.

“Every time you answer correctly, you keep going up (the different levels), higher and higher. But every time you lock in the words and they are wrong, any single word, any single punctuation is wrong, you go to either zero or S$10,000 threshold level,” Gurmit explained.

The game show also features celebrity contestants like MediaCorp actresses Fiona Xie and Jade Seah, characters from Channel 5 sitcoms such as Phua Chu Kang (Gurmit Singh), Sergeant Dollah (Suhaimi Yusof), Adrianna Wow and Barbarella Chanel (both played by Michelle Chong) and even “Singapore Idol” winners Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza, as well as runner-up Jonathan Leong.

But the one to look out for is actress Andrea Fonseka who is “really good”. “She knows many songs, she’s like a walking encyclopedia,” said Gurmit.

“Don’t Forget the Lyrics” premiered last year in the United States, and Singapore is the 30th country in the world to showcase the popular game show. It premieres Thursday, 27 November, at 8pm on MediaCorp’s Channel 5.

– CNA/km

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'television Extras' Given More Air-Time In New Channel 5 Comedy

SINGAPORE: Media household names Gurmit Singh and Fiona Xie are putting themselves in the shoes of television extras in the new Channel 5 comedy, “Calefare”.

Together with Benjamin Heng, Vadi Pvss, Mastura Ahmad and Tracy Tan, this group of much-neglected actors are off to pursue their dreams of fame, fortune and glamour in Singapore’s television industry, without whom the stars on stage and screen cannot do their job.

Speaking to Primetime Morning, Gurmit and Fiona share their insights on the types of calefares that are out there and on what it is like having not many people notice them, since they are now relegated to being behind the scenes.

Waiting eagerly for his big break is Gurmit’s character Andy Lau Hong, who has been in the industry for the past 15 years.

Ironically, although “Calefare” is scripted, Fiona divulges that “there’s a real extra on set who has climbed the rank” and is almost like Andy Lau Hong who is waiting to see when he will strike lucky with the stars.

Fiona’s character is Joleen, a wannabe ’emo’ singer who hopes that a singing contract will land in her hands.

Although acting and singing may not have a direct correlation, Joleen believes that being in the same industry will give her the opportunity to meet the right people, and somehow will land her a big break!

Looks like some calefares will do anything just to merit the attention!

So, are there any struggles or differences between being mainstream actors or bit-role actors?

“At some levels, we are all the same because we have to wait a lot,” shares Gurmit.

Essentially, what you get behind the scenes are just hordes of people waiting around for the scene to be set up.

With his funny man antics, Gurmit jokes that the actors will be in front of their laptops, busy chatting away, while others will doze off unknowingly, maybe a chicken wing in hand!

Now that’s presenting the unglamorous side of the media industry!

However, did the both of them ever have to start out as calefares before attaining their present amount of fair attention?

For Gurmit, he was emceeing at the old Haw Par Villa when a producer from the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation discovered him and invited him for auditions. And the rest they say is history.

On the other hand, Fiona was “plunged” into acting but she says that acting as a calefare has given her more “empathy” and now makes an effort to understand them more.

“Calefare” will also feature weekly guest star appearances such as Michelle Cheong, Utt, Edmund Chen and Jonathan Leong.

For more behind-the-scenes drama and laughter, you can catch the series every Tuesday evening, 8pm on MediaCorp’s Channel 5.

– CNA/jk

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LIME Magazine Celebrates 10th Year With LIME Sonic Bang Concert

SINGAPORE: LIME magazine celebrates its 10th birthday by bringing back the two-day music festival, LIME Sonic Bang.

Staged at the ‘scape’ field next to Orchard Cineleisure, the two-day event is aiming to attract some 20,000 youths with a line-up of popular local and foreign bands.

Among the performers are Singapore Idol winner Hady Mirza and runner-up Jonathan Leong.

The event is organised by LIME magazine, which is published by MediaCorp Publishing.

Besides music, the celebration will also have a flea market.

The event last year attracted some 15,000 youths, making it one of the largest youth concerts of the year. – CNA/so

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Singapore Idol Crown Goes To Hady Mirza

Hady Mirza has won this year’s Singapore Idol contest.

26-year-old Hady and the other finalist, 23-year-old Jonathan Leong, took to the stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium for the results show on Monday evening.

The two finalists had beaten hundreds of applicants and fellow contestants to arrive at the Grand Final on Sunday night, after months of training and competition.

Both belted out three songs each on Sunday night.

One of the songs is an original which the winner will record as his first single.

Each had their own camp of supporters.

Hady is known for his smooth R & B voice, while Jonathan wows the crowd with his rocker-like vocals.

Over the months, fans have been voting for their favourite singer via SMS.

And Monday night’s winner clearly garnered the most number of SMSes. – CNA/ir

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Hady Mirza, Jonathon Leong Prepare For Final Singapore Idol Showdown

It started with auditions for over 3,600 Singapore Idol hopefuls in February and now, the competition has been narrowed down to just two finalists.

The showdown for Singapore Idol Season Two will be settled between Hady Mirza and and Jonathan Leong who have become household names in Singapore.

The past eight months have been a learning journey for both Hady and Jonathon.

A lover of all genres of music, Hady feels most comfortable with R&B.

Jonathon is a most at ease singing Jazz, but finds the energy of Rock something he enjoys.

A self-confessed non-dancer, Jonathon says that while he will try to put on the grooves for his final performance, he will still stay true to himself and not try to be someone he isn’t.

Being compared to Taufik Batisah, winner of the first season of Singapore Idol is to Hady and Jonathon a compliment.

Every result show from the past weeks have been emotional experience as they say goodbye to the other contestants who have become friends.

Hady and Jonathon will face off this Sunday, Sep 24 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The show will be beamed LIVE on MediaCorp Channel 5 at 8.00 pm Singapore time. – CNA

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Jonathan Leong, Paul Twohill Make It To Singapore Idol Final

SINGAPORE: The first Piano Show for the Singapore Idol talent quest ended on Channel 5 on Thursday with favourites Jonathan Leong and Paul Twohill booking their spots in the Finals.

They secured the most votes from viewers after their performance on Wednesday.

23 year old Jonathan Leong and 17-year-old Paul Twohill beat 5 other contestants to make it to the Top 12 in the competition.

The other 10 finalists will be revealed in 3 more Piano Shows and a Wild Card segment in the weeks ahead.

Come June 7th, the second batch of the 28 contestants will fight it out for their place in the Finals. – CNA /dt

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