What’s on – February 2014

Kristen Evelyn Rossi, Bangkok’s Broadway Babe
(www.broadwaybabeasia.com, www.facebook.com/broadwaybabeasia), dazzled the stage in “Back to Basics” on December 16, 2013. A one-woman show filled with numbers that captivated the audience from show tunes to swingin’ jazz, blues, and pop hits. The audience swayed to her natural rhythms and was encouraged to snap, clap or sing along to their favorite melodies. It was an enchanting night held at Smiles Jazz and Bistro located just off of Ploenchit BTS on Soi Raum Ruedi, an intimate setting with red velvet curtains, dim lighting, and a full house set the milieu for the evening.

In a stunning gold glittering gown by Suwannee by Sam, that fit her frame from curve to curve, she looked like royalty opening the night with the upbeat “Route 66,” her energy taking over the room.

Elegant gown aside, it did not stop this showgirl from dancing and twirling about. Kristen didn’t miss a beat as she showed off her dancing talent to jazzy tunes, “The Lady is a Tramp,” “How About You” and “I’ve Got a Woman,” which she dedicated to her mom for being “her biggest fan.” Accompanied by the outstanding Khun Beep on piano and Khun Golf on bass, she made a point to bring them into the show as well by flirting and joking in between songs, popping onto the piano, and giving the occasional serenade.

With her audience glued to the stage, Kristen proved that Back to Basics is another step forward in her movement to bring Broadway style to Southeast Asia. A movement she leads using “Broadway Babe” as the heart and soul.

Kristen grew up in New York with a love for musical theatre which led to pursuing a BA in theater in Pittsburgh. In 2007 she took a chance and came to Asia. Realizing a gap in the entertainment market, she started Broadway Babe, alongside then co-producer Justin Brooks, to offer Asia high-quality Broadway-style shows. The New York diva now residing in Bangkok, and she says, “Bangkok is home. So, fellow Bangkokians, if you have yet to catch a show, be sure to stay tuned as this diva is bound to keep turning heads.” Visit www.broadwaybabeasia.com and “Broadway Babe Asia” for information on her upcoming show this spring.

“What does it mean to you personally to be here, representing your restaurant on a big stage?”

Chef Joan Roca, El Celler de Can Roca restaurant (Spain)

Chef Joan Roca, El Celler de Can Roca restaurant (Spain), ranked No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013:
“It’s an opportunity to learn and meet its cuisine, its interesting traditional techniques and creating synergy with the local chefs. It also means having the chance of presenting our kitchen outside its walls.”

Chef Ben Shewry, Attica restaurant (Australia)

Chef Ben Shewry, Attica restaurant (Australia), ranked No. 21 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013:
“I always love coming to Singapore; this will be my fourth visit. In particular I love eating from the hawker markets and visiting my friends like Ryan Clift (Tippling Club) and Andre Chiang (Restaurant ANDRE).”

Chef Andre Chiang, ANDRE restaurant (Singapore)

Chef Andre Chiang, ANDRE restaurant (Singapore), ranked No. 5 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013:
“It’s a big responsibility because we’re not just representing my restaurant and my cuisine, we are also trying to deliver what the best in Asia can offer. So for me, it’s really more of a responsibility than a title.”

“What will attendees learn from your ‘Authenticity’ presentation at Asia’s 50 Best Forum? What are the key messages you hope they take with them?”

Chef David Thompson, Nahm (Thailand)

Chef David Thompson, Nahm (Thailand), ranked No. 3 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013:
“It’s about authenticity and personal culinary integrity. Authenticity in traditional cuisine has consistent and known parameters, such as cultural norms. Culinary integrity, though, has to do with one’s own beliefs and personal expression rather than an expression of a communal food. The segment I will be dealing with will follow the gamut, from the communal to the individual, and the best way that authenticity is achieved.”