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Ghouls, Ghosts and Great fun at the Pattaya Players Haunted Tour

Capital performance of La Bohème

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Ghouls, Ghosts and Great fun at the Pattaya Players Haunted Tour

By Zelda Lavish
Armed with my camera in-hand and a good dose of courage, I approached the gates of Horseshoe Point’s “Three Kingdoms Park” on October 31 with a mixture of both anticipation and horror. This Hallow’s Eve was to mark history in the making as the Pattaya Players Community Theater Troupe put on the first-ever Haunted Ghost Tour entitled, “The Path of Phantoms, Poltergeists and Pagans.”

A couple of Pattaya Players in full make up and costume – or maybe not.

Set amidst the prodigious background of ominous pagodas, stoic statues, and twisting pathways, the low-lit ambience of the evening was haunting in its very existence. Add to that the Ghost Tour itself, which blended Thai history, popular visitor attractions, and well-researched folklore, as guests were treated to an exploration of the eerie side of after-dark at Horseshoe Point.
The evening’s “Ghost Hosts” (or tour guides) were both sinister and systematic in their guidance through the dark alleys that lead to the ghostly encounters. As each tale finished it’s horrifying completion, you could physically see the guests on the tour beginning to cringe, and you could feel the sense of dread sweeping over the crowd just before some dark, ominous creature leapt forth from their ghostly grave!
The Pattaya Players’ deathly cast were both frightening and believable as they donned gruesome costumes and menacing make-up to give unsuspecting victims the scare of their life!
The tour itself took about 40 minutes from start to finish and visited eleven sinister spectres along the way. One particular ghost will be etched in my mind forever as her “Ring-like” appearance (long black hair, white billowing gown and slow, creepy movements) sent visitors screaming in a desperate attempt to escape her haunting!
It was however, the ability of the Pattaya Players (aptly headed by Writer, Director and Tour Guide Christopher Parsons) to offer such a scary experience while also including activities for younger children and those who chose treats over tricks for the holiday.
Nestled in the center of the Park, carefully insulated and protected from the out regions of the Ghost Tour were a multitude of rides and games with a fun Halloween Theme: “Whack the Bat,” “Bobbing for Apples,” “Reach into the Witches Cauldron” and a live “Ghost Slot Machine” were just a few of the games on hand. In addition, a giant, inflatable “Haunted Castle,” “Run-Away Merry-Go-Round,” and “Aqua Bubbles” added excitement and energy to the evening’s overall impact.
But, this night was not just about games and ghosts. The Pattaya Players are also local philanthropists, and are intent on not only providing theatrical productions that entertain, inspire and inform but also in helping those in the community who are less fortunate.
It is with that goal in mind that the Pattaya Players sponsored over 50 children from both Ban Jing Jai Orphanage and Street Kids Independent Living Shelter for the evening. The children were given free tickets for all the rides and games, a packed-meal style dinner and a trick or treat candy bag. The smiles and wais that were put forth from the children told the tale in and of itself.
After the inaugural success of “The Path Of Phantoms, Poltergeists and Pagans,” Pattaya Players Christopher Parsons said: “We hope this production will become our landmark Pattaya event. We intend on keeping it fresh by changing the “haunted experience” portion of the evening while expanding the games and rides that brought out over 300 guests.”
The Pattaya Players next event will be “A Dicken’s Christmas Carol - A Traveling Travesty told in two tumultuous Acts” and will take place at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya on December 12-14. See their website at www. pattayaplayers.org for further details.

Capital performance of La Bohème

Rudolfo decides to burn his manuscript to fend off the cold.

The four bohemians sing of their hardship.

Paul Strachan
The Grande Ballroom of The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in Bangkok was the venue to welcome back The European Chamber Opera, who had returned to Thailand for a fine performance of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème on November the 3rd
La Bohème is arguably one of today’s most popular operas and appears as number 2 on Opera America’s list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America, second only to Madame Butterfly, also composed by Puccini.
For this performance the cast, who were previously seen in Pattaya last year performing La Traviata, were joined by the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra which was conducted expertly by Somtow Sucharitkul, the founder of the famous Bangkok Opera and was as ever directed by Stefan Sanchez the Artistic Director of European Chamber Opera.
This was a departure from the usual fare from the European Chamber Opera who normally tour with a pianist, so the audience was in for a rare treat.
The world première performance of La Bohème was in Turin on February 1, 1896 at the Teatro Regio and tells the story of four bohemians whom whilst not exactly affluent - are artists in their own right.
The first act opens on the bohemians’ unheated garret; we see the poet Rodolfo, (Robert Millner) and the painter Marcello (Stefan Sanchez) who are shivering with the cold.  The scene established the tone of the performance: a combination of beautiful singing and excellent acting.  The other two bohemians arrive: a philosopher Colline (Dominic Barrand) and the musician Schaunard (Davic MacDonald).
Rodolfo’s friends depart and he then meets his neighbour the seamstress Mimi (played by Anja Rossau) who is pale and coughing, and the story unfolds.
Millner as Rodolfo was an attentive lover with an Italianate sound and a serious side to his personality, his voice combined wonderfully well with the silvery tones of the Anja, and the scene draws to a close with the thrilling duet “O soave fanciulla — Oh gentle maiden.
The second act was a far more convivial affair with a chorus off-stage by the Bangkok Opera Company and the set was transformed into the Café Momus replete with an extended cast to add to the ambiance.
Musetta (Sandra Porter) formerly Marcello’s sweetheart, arrives with her rich and aging government minister admirer and Porter made the most of her opportunity to steal the scene.  She lit up the stage with her charisma, as she sang about the way passers-by looked at her on the street.  She sings a risqué song “Quando me’n vo — When I go along”, hoping to reclaim Marcello’s attention.
One of the most attractive elements of the cast is the joie de vivre of the four friends and they way they interact with their fellow players.  During the ensemble that follows, Musetta distracts the government minister and when his back is turned she lies on the tables and Marcello, much to the delight of the audience - can’t restrain himself and ends up on top of her.
The pace and feeling of La Bohème again changes in act 3 as Mimi’s health is declining.  She finds Marcello and tells him of her hard life with Rodolfo, she then hides as Rodolfo tells Marcello that he left Mimi because of her coquettishness, but then finally confesses that he fears she is slowly dying.
Rodolfo admits he can do little to help Mimi and hopes that his pretended unkindness will inspire her to seek another, wealthier suitor.  Mimi’s coughing reveals her presence, and Rodolfo and Mimì sing of their lost love and make plans to separate amicably: “Donde lieta uscì – From here she happily left,” but their love for one another is too strong.  As a compromise, they agree to remain together until the spring.
Meanwhile, Marcello has joined Musetta, and the couple quarrel fiercely: an antithetical counterpoint to the others’ reconciliation: “Addio dolce svegliare alla mattina! – Goodbye, sweet awakening in the morning!”
For act 4 we return to the garret, Marcello and Rodolfo bemoaning the loss of their respective loves: “O Mimì, tu più non torni – O Mimì, will you not return?” Schaunard and Colline arrive and they parody eating a plentiful banquet with only a small amount of food, they then dance together and sing.
Musetta arrives with news that she found Mimi who had left her wealthy patron, wandering the streets, severely weakened by her illness.
Mimi, haggard and pale, is assisted into a chair.  Rodolfo and Mimi are left alone as their friends leave to try and raise some money to help poor Mimi.
Left alone, they recall their past happiness; this is one of the most evocative moments of the evening and where the singers and the orchestra excelled with the duet: “Sono andati? – Have they gone?”
They relive their first meeting, the others return, with a gift of a muff to warm Mimi’s hands and some medicine, and tell Rodolfo that a doctor has been summoned, but it is too late to help their friend, who lapses into unconsciousness.  As Musetta prays, Mimi dies.  Schaunard discovers Mimi lifeless.  Rodolfo cries out Mimì’s name in anguish, and weeps helplessly.
This was an incredible evening, with some great performances and La Bohème was the perfect opera to showcase not just the cast but also the Siam Philharmonic Orchestra.
If La Bohème was released today it would be described as a ‘musical jam packed with hits’ but its far more than that.  It is a piece that captures all the themes that are as prevalent today as they were in 1896.
The only downside to the evening was the relatively poor turnout; however for the cast, the orchestra and the audience, this was of little importance and as the European Chamber Opera continues their tour of South East Asia, our neighbours in Chiang Rai can look forward to a performance of La Bohème at La Meridien at the end of November.  I personally will look forward once again to being treated to another night of opera next year by the European Chamber Opera and with a bit of luck they will return to Pattaya because despite what you might think – there is certainly an audience for the arts in all their guises in fun city.

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