Friday August 24, 2007
Musical allure
By SHEELA CHANDRAN
Are musicals the new fad among local theatregoers?
Opulent sets, memorable songs, elaborate costumes and talented casts – that’s what excites fans whenever there’s talk about a new musical in town. And if you have noticed, there has been a growing number of musicals that have been staged here lately, ranging from Broadway theatre productions to critically-acclaimed local works.
For many fans, having the chance to watch these musicals is a dream come true.
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Period musicals: Malay-Mandarin musical Puteri Hang Li Po was one of the popular musicals staged at the Istana Budaya Kuala Lumpur. |
“Many of us grew up watching Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn on the small screen when TV stations would air reruns of those marvellous movies. In fact, I’m watching My Fair Lady on DVD now and I still marvel at how well it was shot, directed and how wonderfully charming the songs are. The musicals are getting even more popular because of the stage sets which tend to be bigger and flashier,” said Lim, who is attached to a local media house, and was thrilled that My Fair Lady came to town recently.
In the last decade or less, Malaysians have had the chance to watch a series of international musicals including Fame, Cats, Annie, Oliver!, Chang and Eng and Saturday Night Fever.
As for homegrown musicals, we have been tantalised by A Fireside Story (touted as Malaysia’s first political musical when Kannan Menon directed it back in the 1970s), The Storyteller, Nunsense, Siddartha, Memories for Sale, My Bollywood Summer, The Reluctant Saint, Above Full Moon, Opera Uda dan Dara, Hip-Hopera, M! The Opera and Pygmalion.
Veteran thespian Datuk Faridah Merican explained that traditionally, musicals have always been the most popular form of entertainment but they seemed to take a little longer to catch on in Malaysia.
“In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s Malaysians enjoyed musicals performed by the Selangor Philharmonic group, Thor Chor Soon and Liau Siak Fah. The performing arts was then regarded more as a hobby, and thus, it ebbed and flowed with the personalities that came and went.
“And because we are still in our early stages of resurrecting musical theatre, we have to feed audiences with stuff they like,” she expounded.
Retired teacher Jesudass Balamanoharan, 68, lauds Malaysia’s effort to stage local and international musicals. “In the past, only the affluent could watch musicals. The closest we had (to musicals) was the British TV series, The Black and White Minstrel Show. Nowadays, people can even select which musical genre they would like to watch.”
However, musicals largely appeal only to those past a certain age. Form Four student Czuleika Halmi does not like theatrical musicals as she finds them boring.
“Musicals are all about singing and if I want to hear people singing, I can tune in to MTV. So far, one of the few musicals that I have enjoyed is Disney Channel’s High School Musical. This Emmy award-winning show is realistic and as a teen, I can relate to it. I cannot relate to musicals like The King and I.“
History ... brought to life in musicals
In Malaysia, there are a large number of musicals that touch on history and social issues. These seem to attract not just music lovers, but those who have a penchant for nostalgia.
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Menopause the Musical didn’t only appeal to middle-aged women. Men and women of all ages turned up to watch the US musical. |
In 2006, local theatre standards were raised a notch higher when the whopping RM1.8mil (the biggest musical production to date) Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical was staged. The musical, based on the movie with a similar title, featured a stellar cast including Tiara Jacquelina (who also played the lead role in the movie), Stephen Hughes and Adlin Aman Ramlie. It proved to be a critically-acclaimed success and raked in eight awards at the Fifth Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards in May.
In 2006, two young men from Ipoh, Lim Chuang Yik and Teng Ky-Gan created Broken Bridges, a musical set in the 1950s about a young lad on a quest to seek his destiny beyond his hometown of Ipoh, Perak. Directed by Joe Hasham, the musical starred Douglas Lim, Tony Eusoff, and Joanne Kam Poh Poh.
Last May, there was Lokman Ab Ghani and Chin Chee Peng’s Cheng Lock: The Musical, which chronicled the life story of MCA founder Tun Tan Cheng Lock, his love for his wife, Yeok Neo, and his struggle to gain independence for his beloved country. Leading the cast were Kenji Sawahii, Felina Cheah Teck Yong and Louisa Chong.
This month, Joe Hasham’s other patriotic musical, Tunku the Musical, is being staged until Sept 2. It was created in tribute to Tunku Abdul Rahman, who orchestrated Malaysia’s independence, and to commemorate the country’s 50th birthday.
The musical portrays the “colour, drama, excitement, anticipation, heartache, sorrow and uncertainty” that resulted after the country’s independence. Leading the cast is Tony Eusoff, Douglas Lim and Doreen Tang.
Faridah, who is KLPac’s executive producer, said: “(Conceptualising) Tunku was delightfully challenging. It brought on so much nostalgia as we went through many book pages and news clippings, as well as footages of Tunku from Filem Negara. Although the going was not easy, it was exciting as the music and lyrics were created song by song, and the storyline was woven from tales around the last 50 years.”
Power houses
Istana Budaya has spearheaded a string of critically-acclaimed Malay musical projects since its inception in 1999. As the main presenter of theatre in the country, it has raised the bar for the standards of musical theatre.
In 2004, Istana Budaya with the assistance of the Malaysian Chinese Cultural Association, created Mandarin-Malay musical Puteri Hang Li Po based on the historical notes found in Sulalatus Salatin, or Sejarah Melayu.
Set in the 15th century, the musical revolved around Chinese princess Hang Li Po (played by Soong Ai Ling) who was sent to Malacca to be Sultan Mansur Shah’s wife.
In 2005, the Cultural Palace staged Dr Anuar Nor Arai’s Ronggeng Rokiah. The musical was centred around cabaret dancer Rokiah (Safura Yaakob), the object of desire of all the men who patronised the cabaret club back in the 1940s.
Last year, Malay musical Suzana @ ‘60 took centre stage at Istana Budaya. The musical was about a group of youths trying to grasp the meaning of the nation’s independence. Leading the cast were Fazura, Zul Yahya and Roy Azman.
For Chinese audiences, the Dama Orchestra has staged Love Without End – a Mandarin musical featuring Chinese contemporary golden oldies from the 1930s to 1960s.
Last June, the orchestra staged Butterfly Lovers – a Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. Soprano Tan Soo Suan played the lead in both musicals.
“Chinese musicals have never been popular. A lot of Chinese productions are predominantly drama, or song and dance.
“When we introduced musicals, it was a new phase for Chinese arts. We have been very lucky with the response from theatre enthusiasts,” said Dama Orchestra artistic director Pun Kai Loon.
Foreign musicals galore
Within the last three months, Malaysians have had the opportunity to watch three international musicals.
In May, there was much hype when Yvents! Sdn Bhd brought in the Broadway musical My Fair Lady.
In June, audiences had a good laugh with Menopause the Musical (brought in by local theatre company Gardner & Wife), a delightful musical in celebration of ageing. Menopause, which featured a parody of nostalgia-inducing songs from the past, was written to help women to see the lighter side of how menopause is a natural passage in life. Many men and women turned up every night during the show’s relatively long run (June 27 to Aug 5).
Last month, Malaysians were mesmerised by Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. The show, imported by Intan Budaya Presentations, also provided the opportunity for local children to get some stage exposure, acting as the children of King Mongkut.
As musicals gain popularity here, Malaysian theatregoers can hopefully look forward to more foreign shows, as well as more provocative and innovative local productions. Perhaps this will inspire the younger set to get involved in such productions. The stage is set, and the future looks bright.
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