Resorts World Sentosa's INCANTO

Media Invite

(Daddy reviews)

Last weekend, we were invited down by Resorts World Sentosa to catch the all-new Incanto show at Festive Grand. We didn't bring Ale along for the ride as we weren't sure if she could sit still throughout the entire 90 minutes of the show.

Incanto is the second resident in-house show after Voyage de la Vie - the rock musical cum circus -  and is billed as a theatrical magic spectacular.  Headlined by famed illusionist Joe Labero, it was every inch of a spectacle with bewildering illusions and heart-stopping stunts. But more on the show later.

Before the start of the show proper, we had a chance to go behind the scenes to see how everything is being put together.

The acrobats from the Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe were first up, and they demonstrated the graceful art of jumping through hoops. Which looked all too easy from where I was standing, but obviously it is anything but that.

All the jumping had Ash and Ayd open their mouth in disbelief, as the acrobats effortlessly cleared through the hoops one after another.

And when volunteers were needed, both Ash and Ayd offered themselves without an ounce of hesitation.

For first-timers, I reckon they didn't do that badly. They might have to land more gracefully as compared to a flat thud on the soft mat though... if they ever want to consider a career in acrobatics that is.

And no, I didn't have a go. Getting stuck while jumping through a hoop is not funny at all.

One of the amazing things while we were standing on the stage was the huge size of it. We were told that the height of the stage was around 3 storeys high, while there is even a basement below the stage which extends a further 4 storeys down!

We were then ushered into the dance studio backstage, where the dancers were doing their warm-ups in preparation for the show later.

The dance ensemble cast truly carries a huge international flavour – from Ukraine, London, China, and Australia - and everyone of them were in such high spirits as they performed a snippet of the finale dance segment for us.

Their energy and passion must have rubbed off on us, because Ayd wanted to join in and learn some of the dance moves as well!

Did he enjoy himself? Without a doubt.

Our final destination of the backstage had us paying the make-up and costume room a visit.

The room was massive, unsurprising for a show of this scale. More importantly though, Ayd immediately requested for some make-up done on his hand. Yah, he not paiseh.

On happy customer!

Make that TWO happy customers!

We even tried our hand at donning some of the costumes used in the show.

That concluded our backstage tour, which only served to heightened the excitement of the boys. Luckily, we did not have to wait too long for the show to begin.

No photography is allowed during the show, so that means I am able to enjoy the show without having to worry about taking photos of the performance. Heh.

If you have seen Voyage de la Vie, you will find that Incanto incorporates similar concepts of song-and-dance routines interspersed with acrobatic acts. But on top of that, it adds magic to the bag of tricks and involves a fair bit of audience participation too.

The story loosely follows the journey of a young girl who is caught up in a battle between a good sorcerer and a master of the dark art, the dungeon master. But not to worry if you cannot follow the story because the storyline is its weakest link.

Luckily though, the show is saved by the main man himself - Magician Joe Labero. The three-time recipient of the Merlin Award does not disappoint with the magic show staples which he executed with charisma and pizzazz. Ash and Ayd were left spellbound in their seats as they pondered over how the illusions were executed.

The other crowd favourite were the antics of Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, which included synchronized trapeze performance on a giant bell above the stage and somersaults through revolving hoops. But all that paled in comparison when Wheel of Death was rolled out.

Photo courtesy of RWS

Executed by four men - some blind-folded - as each of them strive to keep their own wheel rotating, they even take turns venturing out to balance atop their wheel while running and even with a skipping rope! This was definitely the heart-stopping moment of the show for the wifey and me. Rightfully though, this incredible feat has earned the troupe awards around the world, including gold prizes at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de L'Avenir and Gold & Silver Clown awards at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival.

Overall, all of us - especially the 2 boys - enjoyed the show. It isn't perfect - the songs are a tad cheesy and the dance choreography needs a little bit more work - but it is a marked improvement over Voyage de la Vie and more importantly, a fun and engaging show for the whole family. Take note that there a few instances where loud sounds and pyrotechnics are utilised, but on the whole there aren't too much 'scary' moments for younger kids.



Incanto is presented by Resorts World Sentosa, in association with Danze Fantasy Productions. Tickets for Incanto are on sale now at Resorts World Sentosa’s ticketing counters and all Sistic outlets. Alternatively, you may purchase tickets online HERE. Rack rates for Category 1 – 5 tickets are $148, $98, $88, $78 and $48 respectively. Check out ticket promotions HERE.