By Chen Huifen

THREE Singapore students who went on a study trip to New York City have come back entranced by the magic of Broadway. Asked which part of the trip they will always remember, all of them said the famous entertainment district, where more than 30 theatres are clustered.

'I caught eight Broadway shows during my 10-day stay in New York City, including Wicked, Rent, Legally Blonde, Gypsy and Spring Awakening,' said Yow En Ning, who saw some of the shows more than once.

'I was sitting in the front row for some shows and it's incredible having performers look at you or cry in front of you less than two metres away,' she said. 'You're struck by the notion that they really are performing for you - and only you - right then and there. The energy works both ways.'

The final-year economics and social science student from Singapore Management University (SMU) was part of an SMU business study mission (BSM) to New York.

Like En Ning, second-year social science student Serene Lim was also charmed by the bright lights and glitz. While collecting tickets for the musical Hairspray, she was invited backstage for photos with the set and cast. 'That left us on a high for the rest of the day,' she said.

This was the fourth BSM but the first to focus on the creative industries - which meant opportunities to meet top executives from media companies like CNN and HBO, magazine publisher Conde Nast, and advertising giants Ogilvy and TBWA/Chiat/Day.

The students also visited The Broadway League (the official trade association for the commercial theatre industry), The Juilliard School (a well-known performing arts conservatory) and Deitch Projects (a contemporary art gallery founded by Jeffrey Deitch).

At the broadcasting firms they learned about news production, documentary-making, programme sales and the use of new technology. Their first-hand visits also gave them a glimpse of the corporate culture at the companies.

'I loved the decor and atmosphere at TBWA,' said Serene. 'The office was colourful and had an open concept, which is pretty much what everyone thinks a creative agency should look like. Walking around the place, it looked like the employees really enjoy being there.'

For third-year law and social science student Jason Chiang, The Broad League made the deepest impression. 'When we think theatre, the obvious things to look at first are the actors, the writers, directors and choreographers,' he said.

'But with The Broadway League, it gave a fresh perspective on the business side, such as how Disney was represented in the industry, how movies affected the field and how Broadway is moving into viral marketing. It was intriguing. I wondered why Singapore could not go that route.'

Being in New York during summer, the students also had more daylight hours to soak up the vibrancy of the Big Apple than previous cohorts who went in winter. Some lucky ones even caught sight of Morgan Freeman, who was performing in the Broadway play The Country Girl at the time. 'By the time I got out my camera I only captured his back view,' said Serene. 'But everyone I showed the picture to knew it was him anyway.'

Jason, who extended his trip, made a sojourn to Niagara Falls and the factory outlets at Woodbury Commons near New York City.

'The shopping was ridiculous. We had to map out our attack plan. And the stuff there was insanely cheap,' said Jason. 'I had a $20 policy - no single item (bought) could cost above $20, But I still bought enough clothes to wear something new to school every day for five weeks, with stuff to spare.'

Apart from their tangible souvenirs and shopping bargains, the students have plenty of good memories and priceless lessons to hang on to. They told BT they miss New York and realise they spent much too short a time there to understand the place fully.

'It's a great city of extremes,' said En Ning. 'You have the rich and successful, and you have the homeless and poor asking for money on the street. There's the glitz and glamour of Manhattan and 6th Avenue, and also the more run-down, impoverished boroughs like the Bronx and Brooklyn.

'You get to see how far people can fall and you get to see how well people can perform. It's a dichotomy that is both terrifying and exhilarating. It's a hard city - but there's an optimism and grit about it.

'It was an inspirational experience, I think - telling me to aim high, dream big, live hard and have a sense of humour doing so.'

This article was first published in The Business Times on Oct 13, 2008.