The Answer Is... Stefanie Sun 2010 Resorts World Sentosa Chinese New Year Concert

Resorts World Convention Centre,

Compass Ballroom

Tuesday

When local singer Stefanie Sun held her concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium seven months ago, she seemed subdued for much of the time on stage. This time around, the 31-year-old appeared to be much more comfortable and it made all the difference.

It could be the fact that this is essentially a scaled-down rehash of her July show, one she is intimately familiar with by now.

Or perhaps she felt less pressure to dazzle because, as she herself indicated, many tickets were given away by Resorts World Sentosa and attendance was not a direct reflection of her box-office draw.

There were, in fact, several hundred empty seats gaping conspicuously in the choice area up front – they were reserved for the casino’s VIPs who did not turn up.

A paying audience abhors a vacuum, especially if the void is closer to the stage than where they are seated. So the moment the lights went down, fans from the tiered seats at the back of the ballroom surged forward.

The darkened atmosphere also proved to be a boon in other ways. For one thing, the audience no longer had to look at the tacky flower-shaped lights on the ceiling. For another, the stage no longer looked dwarfed by the cavernous hall, which was configured to seat 4,500 people for the show.

The relatively low ceiling of the venue rules out elaborate stages so the vibe of the place is decidedly more Suntec City Convention Hall than Indoor Stadium. This meant that Sun did not have to compete for one’s attention against a set-up with a whole lot of bells and whistles.

Whatever the reason, it was a transformed performer on stage, one brimming with confidence as she delivered hit after hit from 10 best-selling albums.

The choreography was tight on the fast-paced numbers such as Magic and Dreams Never Fail while her distinctively textured voice was in fine form for signature ballads such as My Love and I’m Not Upset.

The acoustics of the hall were clean and clear, and unlike the Indoor Stadium gig, there were no microphone problems to mar her delivery.

A key element that was retained from the previous show was the whimsical and outre costumes, courtesy of Hong Kong’s William Chang, best known for his work on director Wong Kar Wai’s films.

During the 90-minute-plus show, Sun shimmered and glittered in a sparkly outfit straight out of a 1960s sci-fi flick and then preened and posed in a get-up consisting of an origami headpiece and a cream short dress with oversized sequins.

Clearly in a relaxed mood, she gave out hongbao on this third day of the Chinese New Year and, in a reference to media interest over her relationship status, quipped that this did not mean that she had gotten married.

Her easy command of the proceedings was most clearly demonstrated at the start of the joyous First Day.

She simply said “You can stand up now”, and the audience duly obeyed.

I had wondered after watching her last concert whether she would fare better in a smaller setting.

On Tuesday night, she had the songs, she had the voice and, crucially, she had the attitude. The answer was clear.

(ST)