When Moonlit City premieres on 25 July at Singapore's Gateway Theatre, audiences will witness more than a retelling of a historic romance—they'll hear the sound of a bygone era brought back to life by Benny Wong, one of Singapore's most accomplished music directors.
Produced by Toy Factory Productions, Moonlit City is part of a special celebration for Singapore’s 60th National Day and Toy Factory’s 35th anniversary. Known for its inventive theatre work and local storytelling, the company is diving deep into history and memory with this Mandarin musical inspired by the lives of Lee Kuan Yew and Kwa Geok Choo.
Known for his orchestral arrangements and deep knowledge of Mandarin pop, Benny Wong is the force behind the show's stirring soundscape. The musical revisits the legendary love story through a collection of Tan Kah Beng's classic songs like 'Moonlight in the City' (城里的月光) and 'The Sun After the Rain' (阿光總在風雨後).
"The music and singing expressions become much greater when arranged in a theatrical-musical style," Benny shares. "There is so much more room to express subtle emotions through music than what could be said through words alone."
Unlike pop arrangements, Benny approached the score with a grand, cinematic sensibility. "The songs become tough to arrange when you're trying to capture the sound of a bygone era," he says. "It's not just about instrumentation—it's about the emotional nuance of the time."
Staying true to the period meant avoiding modern synthesizers and leaning into traditional orchestral textures. "With this confinement, I mainly used traditional big orchestra scoring to arrange all the music," Benny explains. "Every note, every harmony, needed to reflect the emotional weight and the era's authenticity."
The emotional evolution of the central couple is mirrored in Benny's intricate arrangements. "Music helps tell the story deeper, with emotions that otherwise can’t be expressed in such a short span of time," he explains. "Every scene needed to have a musical heartbeat."
With over 1,000 mood compositions and nearly 100 theme songs created during his time at Mediacorp (1999–2011), Benny is no stranger to pairing sound with story. His previous musical credits include 881 The Musical, Glass Anatomy, Kumarajiva, and Sometime Moon, all of which showcased his flair for dramatic scores rooted in local sounds.
For Benny, the journey of scoring Moonlit City has been one of precision and passion. "Every song has its own story, and reimagining them required not just technical skills, but an understanding of what they meant to audiences then—and what they can mean today."
Working alongside vocal coach Elaine Chan, Benny pushed the cast's musical range. "I dare to express the music complexity with no restrictions, knowing I'm in good hands," he says. "The cast has been incredible in bringing this music to life. I hope they feel the weight of each note as much as I do."
He also shared a moment of reflection during the process. "There wasn’t one big emotional moment—every scene, every cue carried something special. It reminded me how music can carry the soul of a story, even one as familiar as this."
Benny sees Moonlit City as more than a tribute to Singapore's history. "I hope we can ignite the spark of our local Mandarin pop scenes and inspire the next generation of talents," he says. "There are so many stories still to be told through our music. This is just one of them."
Moonlit City runs from 25 July to 3 August. Purchase tickets here.
