We like to "Move it, Move it" {Review of Madagascar Live!}

So the kids have been feeling thrilled ever since we knew that we were going to watch the opening show of Madagascar Live!. To date, we've watched all the three films in the Madagascar series and Penguins of Madagascar, and even had the chance to interact with the DreamWorks characters when we went on holiday. Thus, you can be sure that the girls are not unfamiliar with the names Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien the Ring-tailed Lemur, Melman the Giraffe, Marty the Zebra and of course, the adorable penguins.

Madagascar Live! brings forth a whole new theatrical experience for the family and allows us to relive some memorable moments from the show through music, dance and storytelling. Since Singapore is the first leg in Asia for the tour, we were excited to be one of the first ones to catch the show and the girls were over the moon when we were invited for a meet and greet session.

Do you know? It takes over an hour just for the performers to get their makeup done before every show. Unlike seeing them in full mascot suits like we did previously, I thought it was good that that the kids could see their faces and hopefully start to understand that these are 'real' people who put in time and effort to stage this musical adventure.

Held at MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sand, the shows tend to start quite promptly so do make sure you don't arrive late. If you need booster seats, you can get them yourself from the cloak room or ask one of the ushers for help. Food, drinks and snacks can also be purchased on-site at the bar located in the foyer.

Image credit: Base Entertainment Asia

Let the show begin! Lasting for 101 minutes, with a 20-minutes interval, this musical promises to be a fun-filled, entertaining extravaganza for the audience. We were delighted to see the well-loved characters coming to live on stage, dancing and grooving to catchy new songs. Angel's favourite was Alex the Lion, Ariel adored the penguins (don't ask me which one, I think all of them) while I personally preferred Gloria the Hippo.

Image credit: Base Entertainment Asia

Oh wait, there was this one character that stole our hearts when he appeared - Mort, the absolutely adorable Goodman's mouse lemur. Sure, he might just be a stuffed toy which soft of got flung around during the show but those huge, innocent doe eyes made it one of our favourites for the evening.

Madagascar Live! is based on the first movie, Madagascar, which was released in 2005. To summarize, it follows the adventure of four friends who are in the Central Park Zoo. One day, when Marty is celebrating his 10th birthday, he reveals his longing to explore and see the world out there. At the same time, the plotting penguins - Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private are also trying to escape from the zoo. By a twist of fate, they end up in Madagascar and come across a pack of lemurs led by King Julien. Alex helps to fend off the lemurs' predators, the fossas, only to realise that he is hungry for meat and tries to eat his best friend Marty. He gets banished by King Julien but eventually overcomes his cravings with the help of his friends and they are reunited for a happy ending.

One of the best things I love about the Madagascar series is how it portrays and celebrates friendship. This is especially evident between Alex and and Marty who would go the extra mile for each other and never leaves the other in the lurch. I especially love it when they sang the song "Best Friends" on stage and gave each other a big, tight hug. Awww, thankfully I managed to capture it on camera! Speaking of which, we were told that cameras were prohibited and the audience could only take pictures using their mobile phones. After some hassle with the ushers, the management informed that we could use our cameras only if we received media invites to review the show, which we did. So, don't be surprised if they tell you to leave your camera in the cloak room or stop you from using it during the show. If you can, just sit back, relax and enjoy with the kids!

Another highlight of the show would be the stage setting which was vibrant, eye-catching and the backdrop changed from time to time to complement the plot. You get to see New York Times Square, a metro station, an island paradise, a ship and many more! Multi-hued lighting and a variety of props were also used to jazz up the stage and create excitement, including smoke, a giant sized steak and glowing eyes for the fossas.

If I have to choose what I like least about Madagascar Live!, it would be that there was a lot of dialogue and the kids, or at least the toddler, got a little bored and fidgety in the second half. We would have preferred more songs and dancing instead. Also, I know it's mighty hard but we did wish that the cast could perform live instead of lip sync to pre-recorded sung and spoken vocals. At times, we could see the lapses between the sound and the lip movements so it was pretty obvious, to the adults at least. In any case, the kids didn't realise this so perhaps we were asking for too much. All that should matter is that we enjoyed the show, and we did.

As for the bonus part and what we love best, it was that we got to interact, stand up and 'Move it, Move it' with the cast! Oh yeah, this classic song has to be our favourite and we were glad they performed to it not once, but twice. At the second time, towards the end of the show, they also invited all the guests to stand up and boogie, much to the excitement of the girls who immediately jumped off their seats! Oh yeah, these two can never say no to great music and a good dance workout.

All in all, we had a fun evening and the kids still can't stop talking about the show or who they like best. I bet we are going to watch, and re-watch, the Madagascar series soon and when the time comes, we will reminisce how we came up close with the characters during Madagascar Live! and all the fond memories we took away with us.

I like to move it, move it 

She likes to move it,move it 

He likes to move it,move it 

You like to MOVE IT

******

For those of you who have not grabbed your tickets, here are more details about the show.

MADAGASCAR LIVE! in Singapore

Event date and time
21 to 24 April 2016 

Thursday – 6pm
Friday to Sunday – 11am, 2.30pm and 6pm

Ticket pricing
VIP Reserve : S$130
A Reserve : S$100
B Reserve : S$80
C Reserve : S$60
D Reserve : S$40
VIP Box (For 4 seats): S$520
Box Seats(For 4 seats): S$240
* Excludes the booking fee of SGD$4 per ticket

Venue
Grand Theatre, MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands

How to book
Internet: www.MarinaBaySands.com/ticketing or www.sistic.com.sg 
Phone: +65 6688 8826
In person at: Marina Bay Sands Box Offices

Disclosure: We were invited to meet and greet the cast of Madagascar Live! and attend the opening show in writing this review. All photographs, unless stated otherwise, are our own and same goes for all opinions.