How was that pun?
Anyway.
Your favourite K-Drama stars are here in Madame Tussauds Singapore starting 28 January, and yes, you get to fangirl and fanboy over them as much as you’d like!
As all of you know, Madame Tussauds is a renowned wax museum with 22 branches worldwide. It houses wax figures of many celebrities and significant historical figures that you get to interact with and take your Instagram pictures with, to brag to your friends.
Many of us have been hoping to live out our Korean fantasies by seeing our favourites come to life, even if it’s through wax figures. Well, they have made your wishes come true in the new K-Wave zone!
Most popularly known from The Heirs and Uncontrollably Fond, heartthrob Kim Woo Bin’s wax figure will be making an appearance for a limited period of time at Madame Tussauds! He was rocking a red velvet blazer over a white button-up and his signature smile that gets every heart pumping. Be sure to seize the chance to see him while you still can, because his wax figure is only going to be housed in Singapore for the first quarter of the year! As Madame Tussauds Singapore’s embarks on its year-long campaign to bring in a new wax figure every quarter of the year.
With Kim Woo Bin, you will also get to see the stunning Bae Suzy in wax form, as she adorably puts her hand out as a half-heart, for you to complete! Suzy has been a growing favourite among K-Drama lovers as she has landed lead roles in many recent hit Korean Drama series, like ‘Start Up’ and ‘Vagabond’. She is a brand new, permanent addition to the museum, and is waiting eagerly for her heart to be completed!
The third and final addition to the K-Wave Zone is Song Seung-heon! His wax figure stands smartly, clad in head-to-toe white. My favourite project of his would have to be ‘Black’! He may not be the youngest of actors, but his charm and smile are indeed timeless. They can melt anyone’s heart, regardless of age! Your photographs and selfies with him are bound to leave your friends jealous.
Not only that, the K-Wave Zone at Madame Tussauds is sure to be your next stop for your Instagram-worthy pictures! It has the most aesthetic backdrops for you to show the world your finest fits and celebrity-glow, you know, being around all these famous people!
Feel like travelling and seeing some beautiful cherry blossoms, and exploring the city night-life?
You will see a lovely, fake cherry blossom tree, which is bathed in the gentle light from the hanging lanterns around, mimicking a night walk along the streets of Seoul, as you walk past Bae Suzy, Kim Woo Bin, and Song Seung-heon. A dream come true!
And for those of you who are planning to use your SingapoRediscovers vouchers to visit Madame Tussauds Singapore, here’s what you can expect with your ticket purchase! You will get to be a part of five experiences.
Just to name a few, you can embark on the indoor ‘Spirit of Singapore Boat Ride’ where you get to see everything that makes Singapore truly Singapore in just a few minutes! There is also an exciting Bollywood ‘Ultimate Film Star Experience’ that you can be a part of, as you start off in your dressing room before you head for your “audition” in front of renowned director, Karan Johar. You will hear his pre-recorded reactions to your audition (warning: he might be a little mean, but remember, it’s just a wax figure!). You will then rise to fame, and appear on Karan Johar’s talk show, Koffee with Karan, as a celebrity. You made it!
There’s so much more, but it’s only fair to keep you in suspense and let you explore yourself.
Now, here are some interesting little secrets I learned about the wax figures at Madame Tussauds, which I would love to share with you.
Did you know that all the wax figures match the actual heights of their celebrity counterparts? I was so amused, figuring out how tall the celebrities were. (Beyoncé was rather shorter than I anticipated, but fabulous nonetheless!)
Furthermore, did you know that deceased celebrities’ wax figures are still made, with meticulous attention to detail to honour their memories?
This is done through many meetings with still-living family members, stylists and make-up artists who are most familiar with their style and preferences. Their thorough research and previously known measurements are then taken into account by the UK team that make these figures, who finally decide if they are confident enough to make the late celebrity’s likeness.
There are also many sections in the museum, but the most interactive one would have to be the ‘IIFA Awards Experience’! It is a Bollywood-themed section where you can meet some of the most prominent Bollywood actors and actresses. This section’s route is adapted from the actual IIFA Awards, a prestigious annual award show for Bollywood stars.
It starts with the red carpet, as you strike a pose and smile at the paparazzi begging for your attention. You then move forward and meet some celebrities and even take some selfies with them! During the actual awards segment, you can snag a picture of yourself being an award nominee. After winning which, you then accept your award and give that speech you’ve been secretly rehearsing.
But no IIFA is complete without the stars themselves’ mandatory high-energy performances (yes, it’s your time to shine!). Ending off, you exchange more pleasantries with other stars and move to the ‘A-List Party’ with other famous stars from around the world!
This Bollywood section was created to meet the large influx of Indian tourists into Singapore. (This shows how at Madame Tussauds, they like to keep everything catered to what you want and what you love!) However, with the travel ban that came with COVID-19, maybe it’s time for us to learn about other cultures and entertainment industries too!
During pre-pandemic days, interacting with the figures was allowed, such as touching them and pretending to be ‘BFFs’ with them. But now, touching is prohibited, but that does not stop any of the fun! You will still have a blast, I assure you. There are still some touchpoints for you to engage with!
The figures and all touchpoints are regularly sanitised and kept safe for you to interact with. In fact, all the hair on the wax figures is real, so they are also regularly shampooed and conditioned! Sometimes to freshen up the figures, they are brought back to workshops to touch up on any paint and make-up, or even given a complete wardrobe change.
This new look could match the stars’ current style or even celebrate their favourite or most iconic red carpet fits. These wax figures are very durable, but when their time comes, and they no longer look like the real celebrity, they retire.
It was so interesting to learn these little facts, and I’m sure these give you a whole new perspective about the figures and what Madame Tussauds stands for.
Remember, from 28 January, you can experience all these yourself, and you can meet Bae Suzy, Kim Woo Bin and Song Seung-heon yourself! Isn’t your heart fluttering just thinking about it? Mine too!
To get to Madame Tussauds Singapore via public transport, take the MRT to Harbourfront MRT station, and take the Sentosa Express on Level 3 of VivoCity to Imbiah Station, or you could take the Cable Car too! Since there is some construction going on, getting there may be a little tricky. Hence, be prepared for quite a walk and do follow the signs. You would have to walk around the carpark to make it to the entrance.
If you would like to make use of the $3 Cable Car ride offer (valid till 31 March 2021) and take a little tour around Sentosa too, after getting off at Imbiah Station from the Sentosa Express monorail, follow the signs and head to Merlion Station. Purchase your ticket and ride the Cable Car till Imbiah Lookout then follow the directions and walk to Madame Tussauds.
For more information, you can visit their website and sign up for workshops to become a skilled wax sculptor yourself, in 90 minutes!
Have fun with all those celebrities!
Photos by Darren Chiong of the DANAMIC team.
