Screenshots

Focal length 200mm, 1/20, F5.6, ISO640

Focal length 200mm, 1/20, F5.6, ISO640

The rendezvous on the hills reaffirmed Puteri's faith that she and Hang Tuah were made for each other, and Bayan gave her full blessings (picture below).

Focal length 200mm, 1/80, F5.6, ISO1600

Focal length 200mm, 1/15, F5.6, ISO640

Bayan, convincingly played by theatre doyen Sukania Venugopal, projected in one breath her soliloquy before she took her life rather than going through her death sentence passed down from Adipati. Is that another symbolism of defiance to the power paradigm?

Focal length 135mm, 1/13, F5.6, ISO640

This is Gusti Adipati Handayat Ningrat, played by former 4U2C lead singer AC Mizal. His stage postures and movements mimicked that of the kabuki tantrics, which I found very effective.

Focal length 200mm, 1/30, F5.6, ISO640

This is Sultan Mahmud of Melaka (picture above) played by co-director Adlin Aman Ramlie. He was given both a clownish and tyrant packaging - a feudal lord who was ready to kill his own son, Raja Ahmad, just to prove his absolute power when he was challenged by Puteri who imposed seven preconditions for her consent to marriage. The seven preconditions, which would have inflicted much harm to Melaka, was actually an affront to the honour of the Sultan.

Focal length 28mm, 1/8, F5.6, ISO800

The visual impact of wayang kulit (shadow play) was exploited very artfully, it was a delight to see it executed so effortlessly by the lighting designer Mac Chan and his team.

Stage Notes

I stand being accused of going into cliche, but suffice to say PGL The Musical is a potpourri of talents where racial and cultural mutual-exclusivity takes a back seat.

As a musical, the production, and the art and musical directions are helmed by a pan-Malaysian team. The composer is Dick Lee, the famed Andrew Lloyd Webber of the east who traced his roots to the Peranakan ancestory. He gave PGL The Musical a Pocahontas feel and even Tiara sounded like Lea Salonga ("Miss Saigon") at some corners.

The soundscaping was rather impressive with Roslan Abdul Aziz at the helm, and I saw him patting the musicians' shoulders before the musical curtained-up. It surprised me a little, though, that I didn't hear much of gamelan ensemble. The closest resemblance to the nusantara musical embience was the haunting silk-licks from flautist Rohaslam Hizad Ahmad.

The orchestra conductor, who also commanded two keyboard systhesisers, is Jason Voo, so young and musically-sharp that one sensed the age of Mac Chew-Jenny Chin combo has gone past, unrealised. I saw another familiar face in drummer Zahid Ahmad, in his Bermuda, who provided the rhythmic backbone to Dick Lee's score.

Sitting right before me, some five feet away and beside keyboardist Eric Li (two synthesisers), was a young lady musician whose name wasn't mentioned in the souvenir programme. She commanded four synthesisers and and soundscape module hooked to an Apple Powerbook. She had her back at me all night long but who is she? Lee Sze Wan?

WHO IS SHE? Focal length 28mm, 1/6, F/3.5, ISO1600

Much of the mood was soothed by back-up and chorus singers who didn't get much limelight, what a pity.(I wonder if Mohd Hafiz Askiak was the vocal conductor last night?)

It's worthy to note that Sakae Tsuchida was the sound engineer, though the audio cue for some of the actors was tardy in several scenes... well it's only the second night of the show. Teething pains.

All in all, I think the entire production team -- from producer Adeline Tan to co-directors Zahim Albakri and Adlin Aman Ramlie, choreographers Pat Ibrrahim, Abdul Mutalif Abu Bakar and Mohd Fairuz Mohd Tauhid, production designer Raja Malek, costume designer Akma Suriati Awang, and all unsung heroes under their charge -- deserve a standing ovation for such a fabulous production which we seldom see in this country.

At the end of the show, I went up to thank Daniel for his kind hospitality. We agreed that PGL The Musical is an ambitious project in many respects and much of the credit must go to Tiara for her boldness in making a difference in performing arts..

Roslan told me in a short conversation during intermission that he was amazed at the ensemble of young musicians pooled together for the orchestra. It's from all Malaysians for all Malaysians, he said.

So to all Malaysians, catch this show at Istana Budaya if you have time!

The musical premieres tonight, February 9, and will play through February 26 at 8.30pm (normal price) nightly. There are three matinees on February 12, 19 and 26 at 3.00pm (normal price).

Tickets are priced RM150, RM100, RM70, RM50 and RM30 Details on ticketing are available here.

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Last night's media preview was also made available to the bloggers from the English and Malay streams.

We (my Significant Other Stefanie and darling Celine) were showered with good company from Patrick Teoh and wife Min, Daniel Tang and Kate James (the film editor of Puteri Gunung Ledang the movie), Zona Marie Tan (Happy Birthday!) and Naz & Sharon, Sharizal and Shaanti (a guest from New York City who is here for an Islamic Conference - Selamat Datang!), Suanie and Fireangel (who came in ang-ang [CNY red] dresses), MackZul and Aini, and last but not least, TV Smith & Lu Sean.

Courtesy Daniel Tang (L-to-R): TV Smith, Jeff, SultanMuzaffar, Patrick Teoh

Sorry guys, I had to leave early (10 minutes to midnight) as Celine was past her bedtime. (Who took our share of the birthday cake?)

The photos were uploaded at 2.00am. The text was cleared at 7:15 this morning.