‘I feel very happy having so many children’: Dennis Chew on becoming ‘Daddy Chew’ and preparing for mini ‘Cirque du Soleil’ performance
Local DJ-actor Dennis Chew has become a father.
Not biologically, but his young classmates at Ngee Ann Polytechnic have acknowledged him as their “Daddy Chew”.
Speaking to AsiaOne in an interview recently, the 50-year-old shared his experience studying for the Diploma in Chinese Media & Communication at the polytechnic, which he enrolled in last year.
Most polytechnic students are aged between 17 and 20, which means Dennis definitely qualifies for his new nickname.
“Although I am a student, most of my classmates will call me their dad or Daddy Chew,” he said. “I feel very happy having so many children suddenly and I always love to share my working experience with them,” he said.
‘I want to give them a lot’
Dennis, who entered showbiz aged 18 as a radio DJ, shared with AsiaOne how he helps his classmates with his industry connections and work experience.
During their radio production module, he suggested their instructor could bring the students to the Mediacorp radio studio, so that they could observe first-hand how Dennis and his colleagues present and edit their shows, such as The Goodnight Show, which is presented by actor-host Guo Liang and radio DJ Lina Tan, and Dennis’ Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories.
He said: “I feel that just by listening and not experiencing for yourself is not enough. Since I am taking the course, if I can help, I will do it and bring the students batch by batch to the radio studio to observe, so that they will have a clearer picture of what our teacher has taught us, about how we must learn to react fast as a DJ during emergency situations.”
In addition, Dennis also seeks out job opportunities for the students, such as introducing them to the drama unit manager at Mediacorp, so that his classmates can step in if a producer needs a part-time production assistant (PA).
During the interview, Dennis shared that he was currently on term break and around five of his classmates were working as PAs.
They include Timothy Ong and Jovin Zhou, who visited Dennis on the set of the second season of his bake-off reality show Crème De La Crème, and took photos with actresses Fann Wong and Jeanette Aw, who are judges on the show.
He also shared that he once introduced his classmates to the general manager of a Bintan resort when he took a trip with them.
“The manager likes the students because they have very fantastic and innovative ideas,” he said. When they presented their ideas to him, he immediately asked if they wanted to come and work for him during the two-month school break.
“Three of my classmates are currently working at the Bintan resort, doing publicity and marketing.”
Dennis added: “I feel very happy… I want to give them a lot because I feel that only when you see and experience it that you will learn.”
‘It’s not easy for all the antiques on stage’
Dennis is currently preparing for the Love 972 musical show 29 Zheng Jingcai (Battling for Glory 29), which he calls a “mini Cirque du Soleil performance”, where he rehearses six days a week with his fellow radio DJs, including weekends.
He said: “Normally, the rehearsal is immediately after my shift, which is from 11am to 5pm. If we can’t do it during the day, we will rehearse during the evenings, from around 7.30pm till 11pm.
“It is a lot of hard work but it is very fulfilling. When I see a dance form or when the whole scene comes together, there is a lot of satisfaction for me and I think it’s the same for all the DJs and directors as well.”
Speaking about having to dance in the musical, Dennis said that it is an “interesting” experience because none of them are good dancers.
He added: “For our group The Breakfast Quartet, I’m the youngest member at 50… So imagine most of us on stage being over 50 years old and we have to dance, jump, act and run. It is not easy for all the ‘antiques’ on stage.”
The Breakfast Quartet also includes DJs Cai Rongzu, 53, Mark Lee, 54, Chen Biyu, 56, and Marcus Chin, 69.
The performance is being held in celebration of the radio station’s 29th anniversary.
Written by director Jonathan Lim with ideas that were brainstormed by the DJs, the story centres around a mysterious hacker called Squid, who has infiltrated a Love 972 broadcast and challenges the DJs to present an extraordinary performance.
In the 90-minute stage performance, the audience will get to see these DJs form teams and pit against each other to give their best performances to emerge as champion.
He said: “When you listen to the radio, you hear us pass these positive vibes to you through the airwaves to feel happy. But if you come and watch us live, we will transfer all these positive vibes immediately from the stage to you. Isn’t it better?
“If you manage to watch us live, you can also see my tummy live. Mark always likes to ‘suan‘ (throw sarcasm at) me on air, saying, ‘This Dennis has a big tummy’. Now you get to see it live.
“Mark also laughs at Marcus and says that he is very short. Now you can also see him live!”
‘I should continue to majulah‘
Dennis celebrated his 50th birthday on Aug 15 and shares his feelings and goals as he enters a new stage in his life.
He said: “I am actually very happy that I’m 50 already. To me, 50 is just a number because I always feel that how you treat life is the most important thing. I am a very happy person now because I am studying and I am working in a career that I really like.
“I am also very moved because I have a lot of friends who celebrated my birthday with me this year and they are all people who are very important in my life.”
Speaking about what he hopes to achieve next, Dennis added: “I hope to be able to get the scholarship that I want and gain admission into the foreign university that I desire.”
Dennis believes that turning 50 is only going to get better for him.
“During the National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that those who are aged 50 and above this year are under the Majulah Package. Oh, that’s me!
“The Majulah Package is important to me. ‘Majulah‘ in Malay means ‘onwards’. So actually, I want to thank PM Lee for this message. Now I am 50 years old and I shouldn’t stop. I should continue to ‘majulah‘, I should continue to go on and fight for more excitement in my life.”
29 Zheng Jingcai will open on Sept 29, 8pm at The Theatre at Mediacorp and will also run on Sept 30 at 3pm and 8pm. Tickets are now available on this website.
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