CATS - One Special Night Of The Year

Following its triumphant season in London’s West End, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking musical CATS comes to the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands for a limited season from 17 December 2019.

World-renowned theatre star Joanna Ampil reprises her role as Grizabella. Joanna Ampil has performed in several West End musicals, including Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar and Avenue Q, and she played the role of Fantine in Les Misérables in London.

Joining her in the cast are Luke Fraser Yates, George Hinson, Gavin Eden, Kirsty Ingram, Elizabeth Futter, Sally Frith, Erica-Jayne Alden, Amy Whittle, Ellie Young, Holly Willock, Danielle Cato, Gabrielle Coca, Cian Hughes, Rhys Batten, Thomas Inge, Mukeni Nel, Lloyd Davies, Abigail Dever, Alexandra Wright, Elly Shaw, Liam Buckland, Lee Nicholson, and Brian O’Muiri. Resident director is Dane Quixall. Further casting to follow.

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats,the show is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with our favourite feline characters including Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Skimbleshanks.

The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year - the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, who must choose one of the Cats to ascend to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole

new Jellicle life.

For more information, visit www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing.

About CATS The Musical

CATS, one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The ground-breaking production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years.

Since its world premiere, CATS has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 81 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

The magnificent musical score composed by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, includes the poignant hit song ‘Memory’, which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.

About Base Entertainment Asia

Base Entertainment Asia is the largest presenter of live theatrical entertainment in Southeast Asia with offices in Kuala Lumpur and its regional headquarters in Singapore. It is the resident developer, producer, programmer and manager of live entertainment at Singapore’s Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands.

Till date, Base Entertainment Asia has presented The Phantom of the Opera in Malaysia and over 200 of the world’s most recognised shows of varied genres in Singapore; musicals – Disney’s Aladdin, Disney’s The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Matilda The Musical, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, CATS, Chicago, MAMMA MIA!, West Side Story, Annie, Evita, Kinky Boots, Jersey Boys, The Lee Kuan Yew Musical, THE SECRET (based on Jay Chou’s movie, Secret; stage magic – The Illusionists I and II, Cosentino: Anything Is Possible; circuses – Le Noir, Cirque Adrenaline, Cirque Eloize, Circus 1903; live concerts – James Blunt, Pentatonix, Michael Bolton, Bjorn Again, Cliff Richard, AR Rahman, Air Supply, Elvis Costello, The Village People and Bjorn Again, The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Bee Gees Gold, Kit Chan, Kenny G; classical concerts – The Music of John Williams, The Music of Hans Zimmer VS John Williams, 007 In Concert; ballets – Superstars of Ballet Gala, Teatro di San Carlo’s Gisell; dance – Kabuki (Ebizo, Takizawa); cabaret – Forever Crazy: Crazy Horse Paris; comedy – Laugh You Long  Time; children – Disney Live, Disney in Concert, Hi-5, The Wiggles; under the big top – Cirque du Soleil – Totem, Cavalia; corporate speaking engagements – Cesar Milan, Steve Backshall; corporate events/exhibitions – Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019.

For more information, visit:

• Website : baseentertainment.com.sg
• Facebook : www.facebook.com/BASEentertainmentAsia
• Instagram : www.instagram.com/baseasia

About David Ian Productions

David Ian Productions is a leading entertainment company based in London’s Covent Garden. Formed in 2006, DIP specialises in presenting large-scale theatrical productions in the UK, the US and internationally, and also offers a full general management service to the industry.

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Singapore-Based Fund Launched To Protect Asia’s Oceans From Plastic

With 60% of ocean plastic originating from the region, Asia is the biggest source of plastic leakage into global oceans. A recent Ocean Conservancy Report identified a net financing gap between USD$28 and USD$40 per ton for plastic waste collection in the five top ocean polluting countries in the world – China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

A US$106 million (SGD$144 million) fund dedicated to preventing plastic from entering the Asian oceans was launched on 04 December 2019 -  The Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF) is the world’s first investment fund dedicated to address Asia’s plastic crisis. The Singapore-based fund is also one of the ten largest ASEAN-based Venture Capital Funds in the market.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

"The good news is that we are able to reduce nearly 50% of the world’s plastic leakage by investing in the waste and recycling sector in Asia, and even more if we invest in innovative materials and technologies. This is why we are here in Singapore – a strategic hub of Southeast Asia - to prove that investing in this sector is scalable for the region and can generate competitive returns, while moving closer to solving the ocean plastic crisis."

--- Rob Kaplan, CEO Circulate Capital ---

CCOF is launched by Circulate Capital, a Singapore-based and MAS licensed venture capital fund management company with founding investors and partners among the world’s leading companies; PepsiCo (the first investor), Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC. To address the financing gap between available private capital and resources needed by Asia’s waste sector, CCOF will provide both debt and equity financing to waste management, recycling, and circular economy start-ups and SMEs in South and Southeast Asia focused on preventing plastic pollution. Circulate Capital has identified more than 200 investment potential opportunities across a range of industries in the region, with their first investments targeted in the coming weeks.

"Circulate Capital plays a critical role in solving the issue of plastic waste in our environment. Supporting companies and infrastructure that are addressing plastic waste will catalyze the development of systems designed to advance a circular economy for plastics."

--- Bambang Candra, APAC Vice President Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics ---

The fund's launch comes at a time where the Singapore government has initiated recent green investment programs. These include the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) recent commitment to US$2 billion of green investments directed at sustainable projects and initiatives such as the Zero Waste Masterplan and a Resource Sustainability Bill as Singapore aims to establish itself as the regional Circular Economy Centre of Excellence, driving green investment efforts around the region and the world.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

Circulate Capital’s investment model seeks to mobilize institutional investors by blending concessionary funds with investment capital. Its objective is to mitigate risk and demonstrate that investments in turning waste into value can ultimately provide attractive financial returns.  

"For the beverage sector, the more recycled content used in any type of packaging such as 100% recyclable plastics, the lower the carbon footprint. That’s why at Coca-Cola we have invested in Circulate Capital and have committed to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can we produce by 2030. Beverage packaging does not need to become waste. By investing in the waste collection and recycling sector in this critical region, it can become a valuable material used again and again - a step closer towards a circular economy."

--- Matt Echols, Vice President, Communications,
Public Affairs and Sustainability Coca-Cola Asia Pacific ---

To address a full suite of solutions from policy and corporate commitments to financial incentives and changes in consumer behaviour, Circulate Capital has also partnered with a number of nonprofit organizations, including Ocean Conservancy, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), and The Circulate Initiative (TCI), a nonprofit organization launched in October 2019 dedicated to ending ocean plastic pollution and building thriving, inclusive economies. By combining the efforts of the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund, The Circulate Initiative and other partners, the quality and quantity of investable opportunities will increase and foster conditions which entrepreneurs in the waste ecosystem need to succeed.

(Photo Source : CCOF)

About Circulate Capital

Circulate Capital is an investment management firm dedicated to incubating and financing companies and infrastructure that prevent ocean plastic. We focus on the prevention of mismanaged plastic waste in countries located in South Asia and Southeast Asia, regions that contribute disproportionately to ocean plastic pollution primarily because they often lack investment in critical waste and recycling infrastructure to manage the problem. We were created in collaboration with Closed Loop Partners and Ocean Conservancy, and our founding investors include PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company and Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC.

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Go Global With CBC's SD-WAN eNet Connect

China Broadband Communications (CBC) has launched CBC eNet Connect, a fully-managed, transport agnostic, cloud native SD-WAN service in Singapore.

(Photo Source : CBC)

CBC eNet Connect is a network-as-a-service (Naas) designed to enable enterprises and businesses to migrate to SD-WAN with zero-touch provisioning, network visibility and centralised policy management. Enterprises requiring SD-WAN for hundreds or thousands of retail points such as food and beverage, fast retail, supermarket and convenience stores; or companies looking for a SD-WAN or Hybrid WAN product that connects between China and their home country, with minimal upfront cost, can expect a service, which is scalable, robust and cost-effective Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network replacement. 

(Photo Source : CBC)

Benefits of CBC eNet Connect

More cost effective compared to MPLS service and other SD WAN providers, CBC eNet Connect optimizes access to global cloud-based applications like Office 365, Skype for Business, Salesforce and more.

(Photo Source : CBC)

CBC eNet Connect monitors path's link quality continuously, which is used for smart routing optimization, service accident alarm and auto operations. Based on the link quality monitored, CBC eNet Connect leverages different uplinks such as wired internet and 4G uplink to optimize application traffic via different paths. CBC eNet Connect can also manage customers’ sites to eNet fabric via different ECR to achieve higher quality performance.

(Photo Source : CBC)

Another key benefit of adopting CBC eNet Connect is the reduction of circuit costs for enterprises and business with multiple locations. Multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) is the enterprise gold standard of WAN transport between branches. Through Hybrid Connect, enterprises can enjoy combined internet access circuit from multiple ISP, including 4G LTE as well as 5G technologies.

(Photo Source : CBC)

It also supports large scale deployment with automation, flexibility, which could be set up in minutes instead of week or months, and features an intelligent performance management feature that encompasses everything from networking to dataflow into a single platform. Users can easily and quickly monitor and report data, make changes to network configuration.

(Photo Source : CBC)

For more information on CBC eNet Connect, visit www.cbccom.net.

(Photo Source : CBC)

About China Broadband Communications (CBC)

CBC is a fully licensed value-added services provider backed by CBC Capital, offering a unique services portfolio; supplying international carriers, cloud providers, system integrators, and nterprises with domestic local access, wavelength, dark fiber, Internet access, IP VPN, IDC, SD-WAN and cloud services in China, since 2008.

(Photo Source : CBC)

Headquartered in Beijing with branches in Shanghai, Suzhou, Hong Kong and Singapore, CBC also has offices in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu and Changsha. Its extensive network footprint in China connects thousands of buildings and data centres with points of presence covering over 90% of major business regions on the mainland.

(Photo Source : CBC)

Over the past 11 years, CBC has been served many of the world’s leading businesses in finance, insurance, logistics, healthcare, media and content, ecommerce and more. CBC is certified by TL9000, ISO9001, ISO20000 and ISO27001, to provide reliable and secure services to enterprises in multiple business areas.

(Photo Source : CBC)

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Little Sheep Hotpot Opens At Orchard Gateway

Fancy a Mongolian style hotpot tonight?

Little Sheep Hotpot's second outlet is now open at Orchard Gateway's busy intersection. Tucked away in a private escalator to its exclusive basement one unit, the eatery hails with its origins from Inner Mongolia, and is well known for its delicious soup base that is made from 36 different spices and Mongolian lamb delicacies. 

Each hotpot is filled with a steaming aromatic broth that is decorated with an assortment of fresh ingredients such as goji berries, jujubes, black cardamon pods, ginseng and herbs. For those who like their meal on the fiery side, a spicy crimson broth can be ordered with mala chilli oil and peppercorns.

Choose from either a mala, original, tomato or mushroom soup base...

"We are excited about the opening of our second outlet. After the launch our first outlet at One Fullerton near the iconic Merlion statue, we have decided to setup the second outlet in a prime location at Orchard Gateway to capture a healthy balance of local and tourist footfall."

--- Sam Lim , Executive CEO, No Signboard ---

Choices of meat include seafood, mutton, pork, among many other selections...

About No Signboard Holdings Ltd. 

No Signboard Holdings Ltd. which traces its origins to the late 1970s, is a leading lifestyle F&B player in Singapore. It is principally engaged in operating a chain of seafood restaurants under its No Signboard Seafood brand. The Group also has a Beer Business which promotes and distributes its Draft Denmark brand of beer, and a Ready Meal Business, which will distribute ready meals under its Powered by No Signboard endorsement.

The stylish way in which the hotpot is delivered to our tables...

Backed by a track record of over 30 years of quality cuisine and customer-focused service, the No Signboard Seafood brand of premium seafood restaurants is one of the leading seafood restaurant chains in Singapore. It is also widely known for its signature White Pepper Crab dish created by its founder Mdm Ong Kim Hoi, which is one of its bestselling dishes.

A testament to its strong branding, the Group has received numerous accreditations and awards over the years including the SG50 Prestige Enterprise Award 2015/2016 - Singapore’s Top F&B Brand for Seafood Category for its Restaurant Business and the Outstanding Brands - Beer 2016 for its Beer Business.

The Little Sheep Hotpot mascot brings cheer to the opening festivities...

The Group was successfully listed on the Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited on 30 November 2017.

Choice of fragrant dipping sauces...

A perennial favourite - BBQ mutton skewers...

For more information, visit nosignboardseafood.com.

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Spoonful Meals Launches In Singapore

Spoonful Meals, now the largest cloud kitchen operator and delivery-only brand creator in Hong Kong, has launched in Singapore. With over 1,000,000 meals delivered to-date, Spoonful meals aims to provide consumers in Singapore with more choice, more convenience and more delicious food in the thriving delivery market.

"The success of the delivery model in Singapore suggests that the market is ready to withstand delivery-only brands. The whole food and dining culture is changing rapidly as consumers tastes get more sophisticated, yet they prioritise convenience. We are here to fulfil those needs by providing a large variety of delivery-only food brands which give top quality, genuinely tasty food delivered within 20 minutes, using our delivery partner Foodpanda's extensive network."

--- Rishi Arora, General Manager, Spoonful Meals Singapore ---

"We could not be more excited to launch in Singapore and bring our concepts to consumers across a variety of markets. We’ll be launching our corporate app by November and will continue to partner with Foodpanda locally for our direct to consumer business."

--- Max von Poelnitz, Founder of NOSH and Spoonful ---

Healthy sides available include NOSH's Toasted Pita with Baba Ghanoush Dip ($4.90), NOSH's Beetroot Quinoa Salad with Walnuts and Feta Cheese, and GA's Woodear Mushroom with Black Vinegar ($3.90)...

• Even with after the waiting time for a food delivery, the Toasted Pita was fragrant with a mild garlic fragrance. Perfect with the rich Baba Ganoush eggplant dip.
• The salad is a good mix of flavours with the tanginess of the beetroot was mellowed by the aroma of the walnuts and the savoury cheese cubes.
• Although the initial taste was akin to a confinement dish, the crunchiness of the woodears made for an appetizing snack before the mains.

Spoonful Meals currently features two brands NOSH and GA, with 2 more brands, Sesami and JOMO, launching in November. Sesami will serve Japanese bento boxes while JOMO has a vegan fast food (think burgers and fries!) concept. With each brand offering a different type of cuisine, consumers are treated to a variety of food options to satisfy their immediate cravings. All meals are prepared and cooked in a cloud kitchen centralised to the delivery area, ensuring that food delivered is always fresh and timely.

GA's Chicken Leg (side) is of such a substantial size that it would be easily mistaken as a main...

NOSH

NOSH offers healthy California cuisine with its selection of burrito bowls, salads, crudites and vegetarian options. Some of the items on the menu include Grass-Fed Beef Burrito Bowl with Guacamole, Brown Rice and Coriander ($12.90), Miso Salmon Grain Bowl and Sugar Snap ($14.90) and Vegetarian Baba Ghannouj Quinoa Salad ($12.90). Each of these meals boasts a low calorie count of between 400-600 per serving and have been carefully curated with a high-protein with low-fat content; ideal for weight watchers and the health-conscious.

Grass Fed Beef Burrito Bowl with Guacamole, Brown Rice, and Cabbage ($12.90):
Although the brown rice was a tad dry, it was balanced by the tenderness of the beef and the guacamole. A wholesome choice at only 650 calories...

Overall, the California Series Miso Salmon Grain Bowl & Sugar Snap ($14.90) was more balanced with stir-fried peas and the medium-well doneness of the salmon fillet. The bright pink of the lotus root adds a spark of colour to the finish of the dish...

GA

The Cantonese brand, GA (家常), roughly translated to 'home-cooked', was designed by a team of Hong Kong based chefs with a focus on comfort food and affordability. It offers a selection of heart-warming Chinese favourites, mostly from about $8.00 per meal, reminiscent of Cantonese style comfort food like Sichuan Minced Beef with Sautéed Eggplant & Rice ($11.90), Slow-Cooked Chu Chow Beef Udon ($12.90) and Mongolian Cumin Pan-Fried Lamb with Baked Cauliflower and Rice ($8.90).

Steamed White Fish with Ginger Soy Sauce & Rice ($8.90):
Served with jasmine white rice and cabbage, the steamed sole fillet was masked with the healthy taste of ginger and sesame oil...

Slow Chiu-Chow Beef Udon Stir-Fry Vegetables ($12.90):

An interesting fusion dish pairing a Chiu-Chow style braised beef with Japanese udon, and tossed with a tasty onion and shitake mushroom mix...

Spoonful meals currently retail via the Foodpanda delivery platform. Corporate orders can be made via the Spoonful app, which will be officially launched in November.

About NOSH & Spoonful

NOSH launched as a healthy western virtual restaurant in Hong Kong. Without a physical restaurant space, its approach to cooking and one-of-a-kind operation model enables its delivery and retail partners to meet the demands of its customers’ fast-paced and health-conscious lifestyle, without compromising on food quality and taste. 

Spoonful is a group purchasing app that allows tenants in the same building or professionals in the same office to order from a curated daily menu. All meals arrive warm and savings are passed on to the employee by offering wholesale prices on all the food. 

To deliver on its "Eat Smarter" motto, all Spoonful brand partners are produced in a cloud kitchen and delivered directly to the consumer through Foodpanda or the Spoonful delivery team.

For more information, go to:

NOSH: www.Nosh.sg | Instagram: @noshmeals

GA: www.thisisga.com | Instagram: @thisisga

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Gifts From The Heart At Takashimaya

On Friday 08 November 2019, Takashimaya Department Store unveiled an exhibition showcasing Christmas designs from 19 teams of students from Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design.

In a first-time collaboration with Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design, Takashimaya invited these third-year students to imagine its much-anticipated Christmas packaging for 2019, in line with the campaign theme "Gifts from the Heart". 

"It really is the thought that counts. Our theme of ‘Gifts from the Heart’ embodies that sentiment and encourages our shoppers to put thought into their gift selection, to seek out something truly special for every special person in their life. It multiplies the joy for the giver and the recipient, and makes the whole season more meaningful."

--- Yuko Shibuya, General Manager of Takashimaya Department Store ---

In the spirit of giving, Takashimaya has contributed a generous project fee that goes towards Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design project grant set up to support Design students requiring financial assistance.

The exhibition will be situated at The Atrium, Level 1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre, and remain open to all until 21 November, and showcases all 19 of the submitted designs, one of which has been adapted for the store’s Christmas wrappers and shopping bags.

"For students, there is no greater validation than to see their works appreciated, commercially produced and showcased. The authentic learning experience that Takashimaya has given our students will stay with them long after the Yuletide season."

--- Lim Chong Jin, Director, School of Design, Temasek Polytechnic ---

"I’m sure our students would be thrilled to see their designs on Takashimaya shopping bags and gift wrappers. For shoppers, having a fresh and youthful take on traditional Christmas wrapping will

surely add some uniqueness and fun to the spirit of giving and receiving this Christmas too."

--- Lim Chong Jin, Director, School of Design, Temasek Polytechnic ---

The opening was accompanied by the spectacular light-up of its tallest indoor Christmas tree to-date. Takashimaya’s indoor Christmas tree has become a favourite photo-taking spot for locals and tourists alike. Over the years, it has "grown' to its current height of 16.8 metres. This spectacular Christmas Tree will remain in the Atrium until Wednesday 25 December 2019.

 

Every year, a team of part-time staff are trained in the quintessentially Japanese art of gift-wrapping. It’s another small way in which Takashimaya strives to thank its loyal shoppers.Shoppers enjoy complimentary gift wrapping specially designed by Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Design students with any purchase at Takashimaya Department Store and Takashimaya Square at B2. 

The winning design encompassed the bold use of of geometric shapes gives a dynamic pixelated feel that is original in local Christmas packaging. The bright and cheery tones of the warm colour palette emphasizes the heart of the holiday season, one marked by generousity, sharing and giving....

All are invited to enjoy Takashimaya’s "Gifts from the Heart" exhibition and the must-see Christmas Tree at The Atrium, Level 1 of Takashimaya Shopping Centre. More detail can be found on the Takashimaya website at www.takashimaya.com.sg/events/promotions/.

(Source : Takashimaya)

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