Apa Kata Blogger Yang Menonton Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical Season 3 (Bhg. 3)

1. puteri gunung ledang the musical season 3

rasanya ramai yg tahu aku mmg minat dgn teater.. huhu.. dan ini aku boleh anggap teater yg aku wajibkan diri aku utk tgk.. n alhamdulillah.. akhirnya aku dapat tgk gak.. season 3.. tiket ni dibeli awal tahun aritu.. itupun kira masih bernasib baik masih ad baki2 tiket utk aku.. haha..

jika mahu mendidik rakyat malaysia ttg betapa beznya teater itu.. aku rasa PGL ini adalah teaternya.. bukan tak ada teater lain yg lagi bagus namun utk sesebuah production yg besar, teater ini adalah yang paling berjaya..

Dari awal hingga akhir, kita akan lihat segalanya berjalan dengan lancar.. setiap watak memainkan peranan masing2 dengan jayanya kecuali hero teater ni, Stephen.. suara dia mmg sedap tapi dari segi lakonan, dia kurang menjiwai watak..mungkin sebab dia bukan orang melayu tulen maka segala kesopanan dan kegagahan yang sepatutnya boleh menjadikan dia sebagai watak yg hebat nampak kaku.. huhu.. pujian harus diberikan kepada AC Mizal yg memegang watak sebagai Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat.. watak sebagai seorang raja Majapahit yang memang menjadi.. tak lupa utk Adlin Aman Ramli utk watak Sultan Mahmud.. aku tak berhenti gelak part dia menari n menyanyi dalam kegembiraan sebab nak meminang Gusti Puteri.. aku akan ingat scene tu sampai bila2.. lawak gile a.. tak sangka Sultan Mahmud boleh menari broadway versi melayu.. dan yg paling penting, watak Gusti Puteri Raden Adjeng Retno Dumilah yg dilakonkan oleh Tiara Jacquelina sangat berkesan..Teater ni gak siap ada magic lagi n props dia memang mantap gile.. 5 bintang aku bagi.. hehe..Tahniah utk semua crew PGL.. lepas ni dgr2 nak wat teater lg.. harap2 kali ni lebih hebat daripada yg sedia ad..

2. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical III - Dari Perspektif Berbeza

February 20, 2009

Posted by zulfirdaus abu hassan

Apa lagi yang tinggal untuk aku perkatan tentang pementasan bernilai jutaan ringgit ini? Ratusan, atau mungkin ribuan blogger lain yang berkesempatan menonton pementasan ini telah melakukan perkara yang sama. Dan mungkin majoritinya, jika tidak semua, memberikan maklum balas yang positif terhadap buah tangan Enfiniti Production ini.

Malam tadi aku berpeluang menyaksikan keindahan cinta Gusti Putri dan Laksaman Hang Tuah buat kali yang ketiga di pentas yang sama. Bezanya, kali ini aku berada sangat hampir dengan pentas pementasan. Eksperesi wajah, gerak bibir dan laku pelakon juga setiap perincian dapat aku teliti. Kali ini aku menilai pementasan ini dari perspektif yang berbeza, secara literalnya, kerana pementasan yang dua sebelum ini aku menonton dari baris kerusi yang agak terkebelakang. Nah, inilah hasilnya…

Rekaan Set:

Sangat menakjubkan! Satu hasil kerja yang genius barangkali. Susun atur dan ulang guna set yang sama sangat mengakumkan. Dahsyat! Itu bukan suatu yang berbeza kerana dalam pementasan pertama dan kedua juga teknik yang sama digunakan. Namun ada beberapa kelainan yang diketengahkan kali ini seperti set perlabuhan Melaka dan yang paling ketara kapal yang dinaiki Gusti Putri ke Melaka yang nampak lebih besar dan ‘hidup’ dengan pergerakan mengikut pukulan ombak yang sangat realistik. Apapun, prop bagi Istana Melaka dan Gunung Ledang adalah yang paling menarik perhatian. Memang indah, amat indah…

Tapi, akan jadi lebih sempurna andai si penarik/penukar set adalah bukan dari golongan pelakon. Mungkin ada cara yang lebih baik untuk tugas tersebut kerana kehadiran penarik/penukar set yang juga pelakon agak sedikit mencacatkan mood terutama tatkala si Putri dan sang Laksamana bermadu kasih - terasa seperti si penarik/penukar set yang juga pelakon itu ada bersama di babak tersebut.

Pelakon:

Yang paling menarik perhatian aku tatkala menyaksikan pementasan ini dari jarak yang kurang dari 30m(?) adalah ‘ensemble’nya. Kadang-kadang mereka yang digelar ensemble ini lebih menyerlah dari pelakon-pelakon utamanya dan ada ketika aku menanti-nanti kehadiran ensemble-ensemble ini ke pentas. Rentak tari mereka kemas dengan ekspresi yang sangat bersahaja. Ada bakat-bakat besar di antara para ensemble ini yang boleh diketengahkan Enfiniti Production untuk produksi akan datang. Cuma…bila diteliti, agak janggal melihat susuk tubuk para ensembles ini yang rata-ratanye bertubuh kecil berbanding para pelakon utama. Kenapa ya? Dan…para ensembles ini (hanya jika dilihat dari jarak yang hampir dengan pentas) adalah semuanya dari golongan muda belia. Tiada ensemble yang mewakili kepelbagaian peringkat umur. Mungkin itu tidak penting. Tapi kalau boleh dimasukan elemen tersebut, mungkin ia akan lebih mewarna-warnikan lagi pementasan besar ini. Yalah, kadang-kadang agak tidak masuk akal melihat seorang gadis muda yang berpewatakan (dan juga bertutur) seolah-olah wanita separuh abad. Agak kelakar di situ, namun mungkin elemen kelakar itulah yang cuba diketengahkan.

Muzik:

Apalah sebuah muzikal tanpa si pemain muziknya? Saat pihak produksi memperkenalkan para pemain instrumen untuk muzikal ini di awal pementasan, aku agak bangga dan kagum melihat barisan pemuzik yang masih muda namun menggalas tugas yang sebesar ini. Bukan perkara yang mudah kerana di tahap ini tiada secalit kesalahan yang boleh dilakukan oleh si mereka. Ada juga nama-nama besar dalam senarai pemuzik seperti Ramli Mohram yang sudah mencipta kejayaan di sana sini tapi si muda-mudi itulah yang tetap menjadi perhatian. Apatah lagi saat pementasan berlangsung dan muzik mereka bergema di setiap pelosok dewan, aku jadi terus kagum dengan pemain-pemain muzik ini. Kredit juga harus diberikan kepada si pengarah muziknya, siapa lagi kalau bukan si duda kepada Sheila Majid, Ratu Jazz Malaysia, Roslan Aziz!

Koreografi:

Tahniah Pat Ibrahim! Hasil kerja yang sangat menakjubkan! Paling menghiburkan babak ‘Broadway’ Sultan Melaka bersama rakyat jelata dan juga tarian Gusti Putri di hadapan Sultan Melaka. Juga semua tarian yang melibatkan ensemble. Memang hasil kerja bertarah dunia!

Magis:

Memasukkan elemen ilusi di dalam pementasan muzikal ini adalah suatu yang bijak yang telah dilakukan Enfiniti. Memang menjadi! Elemen magis inilah yang membuatkan PGLM 3 terus berhantu. Penonton sangat terpegun melihat babak-babak seperti Gusti Putri hilang dalam pelukan Bayan dan nenek kebayan bertukar menjadi Gusti Putri saat berdepan dengan Tuah di Puncak Ledang.

Standing Ovation:

Seperti biasa, di penghujung pementasan, penonton memberikan ’standing ovation’ buat semua tenaga kerjanya atas hasil yang sangat membanggakan. My standing ovation goes to those I mentioned above. Oh, and also for Bayan! Juga kepada Enfiniti Production dan Tiara sebagai penerbit. Bagi aku Tiara telah melakukan yang terbaik tetapi masih ada yang tidak mencukupi terutama dari segi nyanyian. Kerana ini sebuah muzikal, dan sebuah muzikal menuntut setiap pemain mempunyai suara yang tiada cacat celanya. Apatah lagi bagi si pemain watak utama. Bagi aku Tiara gagal di situ. Setiap kali Tiara melontarkan suaranya, aku jadi takut andai tiba-tiba suaranya tidak kesampaian. Nafas Tiara sangat jelas tersekat-sekat tatkala dia mendendangkan lagu-lagu. Malah ada sekali dua suaranya memang kedengaran sumbang. Mujur bunyi yang bergema dan muzik yang lebih kuat dapat melindungi kecacatan itu walau tidak kesemuanya.

Jadi apabila Tiara berlari keluar saat curtain call dengan mendapat tepukan paling gemuruh dan standing ovation, aku andaikan itu kerana penghargaan khalayak terhadap usahanya dalam memperkenalkan PGLM ke tahap yang amat membanggakan…bukan kerana kualiti persembahannya.

Truly am looking forward to a new Gusti Putri in the next cycle of PGLM!

3. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical Season 3

Yahhh...teater yang aku tunggu tunggu sejak tiara announce nak buat lagi sekali...
aku kira bertuah sebab berpeluang tgk PGL1, PGL2 dan semestinya PGL3...dari first season sampai third season mmg lakonan, story n dialog makin mantap siap ada magic magic lagi dasat laaaaa....

Aku p tgk 12/2/2009 hari tu...memang excited habis...dan walaaah hasilnya memang makin mantap dan banyak pembaharuan dari segi set, jalan cerita etc...

Tiara Jacquelina - Gusti Puteri Raden Adjeng Retno Dumilah
Aku rasa kalau lepas ni sapa yg ganti dia mmg kena bersedia tahap gaban la...mmg susah nak ganti..Tiara mmg nampak put all efford dan menjadi satu dgn watak puteri ni...tapi yg season 3 ni tiara nampak berisi sikit la...

Stephen Rahman-Hughes - Hang Tuah
Aku rasa mmg improve sangat dialog dia kalau compare dgn season 1 n 2, lebih fasih dan aku boleh percaya dialog yg keluar tu adalah Melayu..slang dah kurang habis..
lakonan mantap..nyanyian hebat terutama yg bab merindu puteri tu...gila panjang napas tuuuuuuu....

Adlin Aman Ramlie - Sultan Mahmud
As usual, mmg nyampah la kan kat sultan ni..tapi yang paling di tunggu pun sultan melaka nyanyi depan pintu istana ala broadway..mmg happening every season ok!!!
Line makin banyak season ni..

AC Mizal - Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat
Mmg menjadi Gusti Adipati..tapi personally aku rasa (based on yg aku tgk la ya...aku rasa sesaon 3 ni AC agak kureng...best lagi season 2, lagi terasa gerun takut Adipati ni)

Ida Mariana - Bayan, Putri Understudy
As Bayan, dari season 1, 2 n 3 mmg tak pernah menghampakan...best sungguh..kali ni watak Bayan dah berkembang dan makin banyak line..mmg best la Bayan ni!!!

haa...nak baca lebih lebih tgk sini...http://www.enfiniti.com.my/pglm3/
macam macam ada..scene by scene pun ada

Tapi bagi aku based on hari yg aku p tgk tu dari season 1,2 and 3, aku rasa aku paling suka season 2...tu opinion aku la kan...tp mmg season 3 improve a lot la

4. Of mists and magic: An insight into the brains behind the beauty

Yesterday I was finally able to meet with some of the production team of Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical; it helps to be part of one of the title sponsors and the neice of one of the stage managers, as that got me some time with a few of the key members of the production team.

So after three hours of sitting in the cafeteria of Istana Budaya and about ten minutes with each person I was able to interview, this is most of what I got:

Dato’ Zahim Albakri — Director

“When we started Season 1, it was all very raw; we took what we could from the book, the movie script, and whatever research we could do. We’ve come a long way since then, and we’re always thinking of how we can make it better. One of the obstacles of making changes and additions to this season was that we tried to keep what the audiences loved, but in order to add to and enhance the show, some things needed to be taken out, and people remember that, even the little, little things.

“What sets PGL apart from other local productions — besides the obvious* — is that we took our time to get everything right: the story, the music, the design, everything. We wanted the development of the production to be solid, and it was a collaborative effort. The problem is that people here love to rush things, they want it yesterday, and that results in a lack of detail because they overlook stuff.

“I would like to see this production travel… take it on tour. But there are a lot of variables to consider, like the language — do we stick to Malay or change it to English for the international audiences? And schools are asking for the script so that they can have their own production of PGL, which is great, because it shows what an impact this has had on the community.”

* He couldn’t suppress a grin when he said this. Love the underline meaning there.

Raja Maliq — Production Designer

“Everytime we wanted to restage PGL, Tiara would challenge us to come up with something new, something better. After Seasons 1 and 2, I went to London and watched Zorro The Musical, with music by the Gypsy Kings and illusions and all, and I thought that PGL is mystical and magical, and it would be something different if we had illusions and special effects in Season 3.

“The magic of this production is the synergy, the way the team works together. The best experience for me is working with the crew backstage; they are so dedicated and they always do their best.

“You know, I’ve never seen the show from the audience’s viewpoint. I’m sure it’s great and all, but I don’t want to jinx myself!”

Pat Ibrahim — Choreographer

“The difference with working in this season is that I worked with only one director, which gave me more room for my own staging, and I was able to do different things, like the dance that Puteri does for the Sultan in Act 1, and the Sultan’s dance sequence in Act 2 (when he knows he’s going to marry her), which was actually intended to provide comic relief, because the scenes leading up to that were getting quite serious and dramatic.

“For the film, Tiara and I did our research on traditional dance in Indonesia, which gave us ideas for both the Javanese and Malaccan dances, even though they have their distinct differences. I was able to create a lot of it based on discussions with the directors, who told me what they wanted and I just adapted the choreography to it.

“This may sound a bit corny, but I feel like this is what I was meant to do . If you believe in something, you stick to your guns and do it. It’s most satisfying to see something so big come out of little ideas that people just sat around and threw out. And even though it’s come this far, it’s still very much a learning process for me.

“Oh, and the one thing you must always remember is that no one is indispensable!”

Anslem Roy - Illusionist

“This is my first time working on a production like this. I worked on musicals in Korea, Japan and China, I did Ayumi Hamasaki’s shows in Japan and Missy Elliot’s when she came to Genting, so when Enfiniti (Productions) called me and said they wanted to meet with me to discuss creating illusions and special effects for Season 3 after they went to London (and saw what productions out there were doing), I think they wanted to see if a Malaysian could do it!

“Since I wasn’t part of the team during the inception stage, I had to make sure my designs worked around what was already there. I had to be careful not to make this look like a magic show; it had to be just enough to make sense and be relevant to the show and the story, which made this one of the most difficult productions I’ve worked on. But I’m thrilled to bits that it has worked out this way.

“My biggest challenge is trying to change the mindset of people working in theater here. There are people who will not like what you produce and think it’s too much or too little, but once they see the full effect of it, they start to open their minds just a little bit more.”

Ng Mei Chuen - Assistant Stage Manager (My Auntie Mei!)

“This is the first large-scale production to be made in this country, and everyone always has to be on their toes, to make sure they have all the props ready at hand, to know their cues and manage every scene with as little interruption as possible.

“This time around, we had the magic bit thrown in, which added to the challenges because everyone had to be more on their toes to make sure everything actually works, and that raised the stakes, because with safety issues (due to the kerosene used for the pyrotechnics), there is less room than ever for mistakes.

“I liked working on P.Ramlee: The Musical, which has its own magic, but working for PGL is a completely different experience, because it’s very stylized, the language is different, and all that gives it a sense of novelty.

“Eeeyyyeeerrrr… why you take my picture when I look like this now?!”

* * *

Unfortunately, Dick Lee, the composer, and Roslan Aziz, the musical director, were not around, and Adlin Aman Ramlie, the scriptwiter and lyricist, was too busy getting into his Sultan Mahmud getup, so I didn’t get to meet any of them. And stipulations set by the production company did not allow me to go backstage or meet Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes, but I suppose you can’t have everything.

5. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Pada Hari Valentine yang lepas, kami raikan 'cinta" kami dengan menonton teater Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical di Istana Budaya. Ianya satu pengalaman yang 'mempersonakan" kerana teater selalu dianggap lemah , dikalangan orang Melayu kerana dari satu babak ke babak yang lain , mungkin akan membuat kita tersasar dan tertidur. Selalunya skrip sangat penting untuk menarik penonton untuk melihat teater itu.

Saya meminati teater dan telah menonton teater sejak dizaman di ITM lagi. Walaupun ianya bukan bidang pengajian saya , tetapi saya sangat suka pada seni karya orang melayu. Sewaktu di zaman sekolah lagi hampir kesemua buku Hikayat diperpustakaan sekolah saya, telah saya baca sehinggalah ke buku buku novel A Samad Said, Shahnon Ahmad, Rejab FI malah semua novel diperpustakaan disekolah habis saya baca. Sehingga sampai kesatu keadaan saya akan mencari novel yang tebal tebal kerana tidak mahu buku itu habis dibaca dalam masa yang singkat. Saya kemudiannya membaca novel novel Inggeris yang banyak berkisar tentang kehidupan orang putih. Saya tidak menggemari novel cinta malah lebih terjurus kepada novel-novel tentang kehidupan dan perjuangan hidup. Melalui pembacaan itu saya rasa pada usia itu , adalah satu-satunya cara saya dapat mengetahui kisah kehidupan orang lain , bagaimana mereka menangani masalah , konflik yang mereka lalui dan belajar tentang bagaimana takdir memainkan peranan penting dalam kehidupan seseorang. Secara tidak langsung ianya akan mematangkan pemikiran saya .


Sebegitu banyak yang saya baca , tidak pernah saya mengetahui tentang hebatnya cinta Puteri Gunung Ledang kepada Hang Tuah. Rupa-rupanya , Puteri Gunung Ledang adalah seorang puteri dari Kerajaan Majapahit yang meninggalkan negerinya dan bersembunyi di Gunung Ledang menantikan kedatangan Hang Tuah untuk mencarinya disana. Waktu itu mana ada talipon tetapi "rasa' menarik Hang Tuah keGunung Ledang, bukan untuk buktikan cintanya tetapi menyatakan lamaran dari Sultan Melaka. Sebuah cinta yang unik tentang "ketaatan dan cinta" diantaranya adalah 'pengorbanan".

Taat Hang Tuah kerana Sultannya sehingga cinta di tolak tepi. Dari situ kita belajar tentang "Taat kepada ibubapa" apabila memilih untuk bercinta. Walaupun cinta itu sangat agung ianya tetap harus tunduk apabila mempersoalkan "taat kepada ibu bapa" dan seterusnya. Tidak disangka kisah kita orang melayu lebih bagus tetapi malangnya tidak dapat diketengahkan dengan agresif dan komersial dek kerana ketidakmampuan dan tiada keyakinan penaja untuk membiayai kos yang tinggi. Sekiranya kita diberi peluang, lihatlah hebatnya pelakon-pelakon kita memainkan watak dengan begitu professional sekali.

Hasil dari keyakinan yang fokus dari Tiara Jaqualine , akhirnya sebagai rakyat Malaysia saya bangga kerana kita juga ada produk "teater" yang kita tidak malu untuk tonjolkan dimata dunia. Kita sebenarnya sangat kaya dengan budaya dan legenda malah lebih bagus dari negara barat tetapi kelemahan kita, kita tidak yakin kebolehan kita, kita tidak fokus membuat research tentang sejarah silam kita dan lebih malang kita gagal untuk berbangga menjadi rakyat MALAYSIA.


Saya percaya perubahan minda yang secara tidak langsung dicernakan dari PGL ini akan menarik minat yang lebih ramai dari kalangan orang Malaysia untuk menonton teater. Saya gembira melihat PGL bukan sahaja ditonton oleh orang melayu malah orang cina dan india juga turut sama menonton dan sama-sama memberi "standing ovation'.

Yang pasti , berapa mahal pun tiketnya, saya pasti tidak akan ketinggalan untuk terus menonton teater PGL dimasa-masa akan datang .

It is a National Product and we should be proud of it....

Puteri Gunung Ledang kini sebuah jenama teater yang esklusif...

6.Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical

Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical was great last night, I might even say that it was splendid and amazing. With few heart-touching moment accompanied by some of the sweetest memorable quotes, its all thumbs up for the play that night. Even as I was sulling over a certain matter and was only keeping to myself and not talking to anyone else, the play did well enough to captivate me to focus on it instead, and in a way I'm glad for it

I know my face must've been real solemn then, and since I took the initiative to stay alone without no company whatsoever, people must really hate me by now, especially the Asasi TESL's. They must think that I'm a real snob or something, or I just did so to get sympathy. Mind ya, it was because of either, but then again, I'm not interested in telling anyway

PGL was about the theme of love, revolving around Gusti Putri and Laksamana Hang Tuah. But ironically, the play tonight didn't excite anymore love feelings in me anymore. I just can't trust myself with it, I'm just not good enough to handle such feeling. I should've known better than to try to grasp it by buying some gifts for her whereas I can use the money for something else better

If only it came earlier a day or two, PGL

7.Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical)

I've got a call from my dearest friend Ira. She invited me to watched Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical) which has been held at Istana Budaya Malaysia. Since we're students, we only have to pay around RM87 for each ticket in which my ticket has been sponsored by Ira..Yeay!! i'm so lucky. Hehehe. I immediately say yes when she offered me to watched the theater and sorry to Atie because I've to cancel my aerobic session with her. What to do... the offer is so interesting and who would get a free ticket like me?? This is what people called as a "rezeki". Hehehe... This is the first time I step my foot at Istana Budaya and who knows, the place was so beautiful as the name represent the prestiges of the place itself. This is the first time i met Tiara Jacquelina, Adlin Aman Ramli, AC Mizal, Stephen Rahman Hunges, Datuk Zahim Al-Bakri and others. Up until now, this is the best theater that i had ever watched. No wonder the ticket price is quite expensive. The props for each scene of this theater was so amazing and creative. I was wondering how much it cost for each props. Believe me that it must be expensive. Not just that, the costume that the actor and actress wear which shows the era of Malacca and Majapahit was also beautiful. I never thougt that Tiara and Adlin have a meladious voice. There are lots of parts which is funny, and humor. Sometimes i feel like i'm watching Disney theater because the songs was so meladious. What i can say here is... you should watch this PGL things. Tiara said that this is the best audience that they ever have. maybe it's because the theater has been attended by Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Malaysian Prime Minister) together with his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah. Lucky to me because this is the first time i met them.

Here is the synopsis about Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical) that i copied from Wikipedia. Sorry... i'm too tired to think of the summary but since i mentioned the source is from wikipedia so i don't think that i made any unethical issues about copyrighted right... Hehe... You can visit Datin Seri Tiara Blog for any futher information about all this PGL things. Her blog was in my blog list...

Set late in the 15th Century, the musical tells the tale of Gusti Putri, a princess of Majapahit who falls in love with the Malaccan warrior Hang Tuah. The pair first meet when a Malaccan entourage arrives in Majapahit, and both are immediately intrigued with the other's charm and intelligence.

When Majapahit is threatened by a coup, the king Gusti Adipati asks Sultan Mahmud of Malacca for help. Sultan Mahmud promises his aid on the condition that he be allowed to marry Gusti Putri. Gusti Adipati agrees to the condition, not realising that his sister has fallen for another. Sultan Mahmud then sends Tuah to lead a delegation to warn Majapahit's enemy. Gusti Putri, overcome with longing for her beloved, decides to leave Majapahit for Mount Ledang, where she will wait for Tuah.

Gusti Adipati learns that his sister has fled, and chases her to Malacca. When Sultan Mahmud learns that Gusti Putri is on Gunung Ledang, he sends Tuah as his delegate to formally present his proposal of marriage to her. The lovers are reunited on Gunung Ledang, but Gusti Putri is disappointed to learn that Hang Tuah has sought her out on behalf of his king.

Gusti Putri then sets seven conditions for Sultan Mahmud to fulfil before she will accept his proposal, the seventh condition being a bowl of his young son's blood. Before Sultan Mahmud can kill his own son, Gusti Putri stops him, declaring that the conditions were a rejection and all she wants is to live on Gunung Ledang in peace. Enraged, Sultan Mahmud condemns her to live forever alone on Gunung Ledang.

This whole about theater things really make me think of Malaysian history especially about the era of Malacca. Maybe if I have free time somedays i would Google about all this historical things in order to sharpen my knowledge.. Thanks again to my dear friends Ira, Ninie and Ira BF Juan.

8.. princess .

February 19, 2009 at 22:44 (. me .)

last night i went to Istana Budaya with my family. we watched Puteri Gunung Ledang (PGL) The Musical i bought the ticket a month earlier (kot?) for the price of RM153. huhu.. agk pokai bln ni sbenanye.

i already knew the storyline. but this time around, they really made lots of improvement. the songs.. i like! the choreography.. i like! the romance.. i like! the magic.. i like! everything bout PGL.. i LIKE! hehe~ i really enjoyed it.

one thing that i’m a bit upset is.. there will be no more Tiara Jacquelina as Puteri in the next season aihh.. what else can we do? Malaysia needs to have more talented actors and actresses. if not, asek2 bile time anugerah je org yg same yg dpt. x variety lgsung. kn labu kn?

9. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Last night, incrediblely and unbelievablebly i went to see Puteri Gunung Ledang the musical ! Well its my 1st time going to a theather! i never set foot in Istana Budaya before..but there always a first time right?

So..wut did i noe about theater?From my understanding which is from an old memory during my school years, its supposed to be boring,kelam kabut, rough transition between the scenes, lousy music, a bunch of people talking with high voices and the list go on and on...

That is my 1st impression about theater la..nak wat cmne kan.aku nih buknyer berdarah seni..aku berdarah merah type-O.So mmg aku blind n blur pasl seni2 nih..except computer arts.dats where my passion is...

Ok..ok..back to the main story...once upon a time and its start raining gumball?(cilok from Bed Times Story).SO there i was walking to Istana Budaya (after aku park kete la>>>byk gile kete..sungguh tak kusangka.)OK im in!wahhh..terlopong aku sekejap....leh tahan gak Istana Budaya nih...n aku tgk rmi gak r artis2 yg dtg...tp aku nih xbpe nk knl sgt artis Malaysia nih..so aku xtau nme diorg..huhuh..mintak maafyer artis2 malaysia sekalian!
->sehebat2 istana budaya aku nk komplen gak...their space for the seat are freakin small..hmm maybe coz kitorang amik seat yg plg murah kot...hahhaa..xpe la.abaikan komplen aku tuh....

~hmm..aku byk kje r..aku bg komen aku je la...Refer to my expectation above, i waz amaze n WOOOOW!all my schoolish thought bout theater gone in an instant..the opening wuz superb...terlopong aku sekali lg....korang bayagkn ek..stage kt Istana Budaya tuh leh naik turun..cm magic plak!Elevated Stage tuh!kagum2..the lighting effect+ special fx+actors+music all are perfectly blend in...i love the music and the lighting...its givine me the mood...

owhh...magic pon ade gak tau!nenek kebayan menjelma n *poof* ilang...n *poof* kua tmpt lain lak....gile terer..mesti diorg blaja ngn fuyoo magic nih...aku xtau la cmne PGL The Musical Season 1 n Season 2 cmne..org ckp die lain2....xtau r betul ke x...

haaa..yg lpg bez ialah sultan melaka..hahhaa....spe lg klo bukn Adlin Aman Ramli..hhahha..xbley blah..Sultan Melaka menari2 nk dpt bini baru nyer pasal..n care si adlin tuh menari mmg rse nk pecah perut...seriusly..i never watch him dance before..hahahhaa...his acting pon mmg spontaneus! as expected from a man of theater. meanwhile AC Mizal as ruler of majapahit plak kinda remind me of the japanese Kabuki.But i cn rely tell that he is rely into his character...the puteri n hang tuah?erm so so la acting diorg..xde pape yg menarik pon..hahhaha..

10. Antara merdu alunan Remy dan magis Gusti Putri!

Menonton teater Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical, tak dapat tidak membuatkan aku cuba membandingkannya dengan P Ramlee the Musical. Maklumlah, kedua-duanya hasil tangan dari Enfiniti Production, team produksi yang hampir sama - cuma cerita yang sememangnya berbeza.


P Ramlee the Musical (PRtM) dimulakan dengan babak P Ramlee @ Remy (lakonan Sean Ghazi) sedang bermain piano bersama isterinya Saloma @ Sally (Liza Hanim) di kediaman mereka di Kuala Lumpur. P Ramlee yang bagaikan merasa kecewa dengan kehidupannya di Kuala Lumpur - menggubah lagu Air Mata di Kula Lumpur, sambil mengenang zaman lampaunya - dari Pulau Pinang, bersama kekasih hatinya Azizah (Siti Nurhaliza), berhijrah ke Singapura bersama sahabat baiknya Sukardi (Chedd Yusoff), pertemuan dengan isteri-isterinya Junaidah (Atilia) dan Norizan (Melissa Saila) serta zaman kegemilangannya.


Babak-babak dalam Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical (PGLtM) pula lebih mudah. Penonton dibawa menyaksikan kehidupan Puteri Raja di Majapahit, Gusti Putri Raden Adjeng Retno Dumilah (Tiara Jacquelina) dan kekandanya Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat (AC Mizal). Bagaimana kedatangan rombongan Melaka membibitkan rasa cinta Gusti Putri kepada Hang Tuah (Stephen Rahman). Ancaman Demak menyaksikan Adipati terpaksa meminta pertolongan dari Sultan Melaka (Adlin Aman Ramlie) - dengan syarat Gusti Putri harus menjadi permaisurinya. Short version - Hang Tuah dihantar melawan Demak, Gusti Putri sedih - lari ke Gunung Ledang mencari cintanya, Sultan Mahmud murka, suruh Hang Tuah meminang Gusti Puteri (time tu la dia ala2 demand mintak 7 benda mengarut tu!)



CASTING
Terus terang, motif utama aku beriya sangat nak menonton PRtM dulu adalah semata-mata kerana Siti Nurhaliza! Jadi, komen aku tentang casting ni sure agak bias. Lakonan Sean Ghazi memang menarik. Liza Hanim pun mantap (dan aku lebih suka kalau kemantapan itu ditonjolkan sepenuhnya dari sudut lakonan dan nyanyian - bukan dari pakaian. Seksi gila akak Liza Hanim kau!). Melissa Saila memang superb. Seolah-olah kita dapat merasa bagaimana perasaan Norizan pada masa tu (cuma perasaan sedih tu tetiba je hilang bila dia bukak mulut nak menyanyi! She better stick with acting). Chedd pun best, Atilia pun best (and she can sing!). Siti? Haha, perlu ke tanya? Sebenarnya biasa je lakonan Siti tu. Tapi part dia memang ditunggu-tunggu la. Cuma aku rasa dialog dia agak sscripted. Terlampau berbunga-bunga. Sebab tu aku suka scene Liza Hanim. Dialog dia lebih realistik.


Dalam PGLtM pulak, watak yang paling berkesan ialah Bayan (Ida Mariana). Aku pun tak kenal siapa dia ni, tapi memang mantap la lakonan dia. Suara dia pun mantap. Dan berbanding dengan PRtM, pelakon-pelakon PGLtM semua boleh menyanyi. Ada lah pitching lari sket masa Tiara nyanyi tapi x obvious la (ye la..banyak gak part dia kena nyanyi...sumbang sket tu leh dimaafkan la). Stephen memang tak payah dipertikaikan la (part nyanyi la...kalau part dialog walaupun pelat omputih dia hampir dah xde, tapi cara pengucapan dia tu nampak macam trying too hard - nasib baik la ni musical, so dia nyanyi je la banyak). And surprisingly, tetiba aku suka ngan suara AC! Im not a fan of AC kay (apatah lagi lagu Fiona dia tu), tapi dia menyanyi dengan best.


So bab casting, sama je markah dia. PRtM aku distract masa Norizan menyanyi, PGLtM lak bila Tuah bercakap!



SET
Set paling aku suka dalam PRtM ialah set keretapi (masa Ramlee dan Sukardi nak ke Singapura). Sangat kreatif. Kali ni dalam PGLtM, ada kapal layar la pulak (Scene Gusti Putri nak belayar ke Melaka). Mana la boleh ko nak bandingkan set dalam dua teater ni. Set PRtM lebih kepada realistik - set bangunan, dalam rumah, tgh shooting, set PGLtM of course la lagi gempak - Air Terjun, Gunung, Pelabuhan Melaka, Istana Melaka, Istana Majapahit. Actually aku nak cadangkan kat Enfinity supaya adakan Action Figure Gusti Puteri ngan Hang Tuah. Dengan set dia sekali. Ye la, dalam teater tu, ko sambung-sambung stupa tu leh jadi Istana Majapahit, tukar sket, jadi Gunung, tukar lagi ngan tambah kain berjurai, jadi air terjun. Kreatif la!


PGLtM menang! tapi PRtM tetap pulang bermaruah!



JALAN CERITA
Kekuatan PRtM ialah pada jalan cerita dia. Skrip dia pun realistik. Kelakar pun ada (terutama scene Saloma dan P Ramlee nyanyi lagu Gelora. Terasa macam deleted scene dari filem P Ramlee dulu-dulu lak). PGLtM aku suka dengan ayat-ayat berbunga dia - "dinda akan menyusul kanda, berpijak pada bumi yang sama, bernafas pada udara yang sama" dengan dialog Tuah "apakan daya, tangan terpasak di langit, kaki terpasung di bumi, jasad tidak setanding mimpi". Tapi jalan cerita dia predictable (mb sbb aku dah tengok PGL the Movie). Scene masa Sultan Mahmud main dengan anak dia pun aku rasa macam adlib sebab skrip tu macam tak masuk dengan latar masa. Tak perlu nak buat lawak sebab aku rasa PGL patut lebih classy (tapi scene kembar 2 orang tu lambat masa latihan tarian kat Majapahit, dengan orang melaka baca perutusan ala2 mengaji tu bagi aku kelakar la). Babak 1 aku tengok tak berkelip mata - sebab aku nak tau apa cerita dia. Masa babak ending, Gusti Putri ala-ala feeling sebab tak dapat jumpa Tuah, aku leh terlelap dekat 5 minit. Tak yah la kau feeling bagai, memang semua orang tahu cerita PGL bukannya happy ending. Hahaha.


PRtM menang sebab aku leh stay tanpa perlu terlelap.


* * *
Kesimpulannya, kedua-dua teater ni memang best. Kalau kau minat P Ramlee, dan dengar merdu alunan suara dia, cuba menyelami bagaimana agaknya kisah seorang P Ramlee, PRtM memang tak patut kau lepaskan (dah terlepas pun masalahnya...mb lepas Liza Hanim bersalin kot. Harap-harap diorang consider nak buat season 3 pulak). Cuma aku kecewa sket sebab PRtM takde pun keluar Sound Track dia. PGLtM ada lak keluarkan soundtrack. Tak adillah macam ni!!!


Dan, kalau kau nak merasa cinta agung, nak merasa mistik dan magisnya Gusti Putri, PGLtM lah jawapannya. Ekceli, magik Gusti Puteri satu je....dari nenek kebayan bertukar jadi puteri. Yang lain-lain tu Bayan lagi banyak buat magik (hilangkan Gusti Puteri, keluar api dari tangan, bunga yang ala-ala terapung). Tapi memang kemas la cerita ni. Scene Gusti Puteri muncul ala bayang-bayang kat Gunung Ledang masa Tuah cari dia pun best. In fact, masa starting je aku dah kagum bila lakaran stupa kat layar macam tetiba muncul jadi real!


Tiket pun aku rasa dah fully booked (in fact PRtM pun tak tau ada ke tidak season 3), dan nasihat aku produksi dari Enfiniti memang bagus. Lain kali kalau ada, boleh book awal-awal!

11. Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical Season III

From the Scene "Tujuh Syarat"
Press PLAY

Tujuh Syarat - PGLtM


beta gusti puteri raden adjeng retno dumilah
puteri seri di gunung ledang...

syarat pertama, syarat kedua...
bagi cerah perjalanan beta dari puncak ke istana melaka,
hamparkan kukuh jambatan emas,
jambatan perak pula dari istana ke puncak ledang.

syarat ketiga, syarat keempat...
melaka kerajaan makmur, ramai darah mekar dan subur
alirkan tujuh tempayan air mata mereka
kemudian...
tujuh tempayan juga air pinang muda,
buat seru beta bersiram.

syarat kelima, syarat keenam...
tujuh dulang hati hama,
disilang dulang yang tujuh lagi,
disusun hati sang nyamuk pula.

syarat ketujuh...
bukan kejam, bukan dendam,
ini duga nilai kasih paduka pada beta
pelengkap hantaran beta,
semangkuk darah putera mahkota...



as aforementioned i was in kL last weekend to watch the highly acclaimed Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical Season III with my friend hafiz and his friend ebby. it's a simple story of forbidden love between hang tuah and the beautiful princess from majapahit whom was soon cursed by sultan mahmud of melaka [who was planning to have her hand in marriage but she's not in love with him] to be the princess of mount ledang.
some say that this story is a legend, and some say there is some truth to it where sultan mahmud was able to fulfill some of the impossible conditions given by the princess which somewhat lead to the fall of the powerful mallacan sultanate at that time.

so there, storyline done. here's my review on the musical...

to be completely honest, the 1st half of the show i was wondering why is it that this musical got so many great reviews other than because of it's star studded casts? i felt that there was something a little teensy bit wrong with the plot development in the first half as the scene progressions were quite dull and messy.

if tuah's love for the princess is supposed to be love at first sight; then WHEN exactly did it happen? it was as if they saw each other and immediately showed a little bit too much love and affection towards each other. at first, i really had the feeling i was not getting my money's worth [well, hafiz's money's worth ac'ly...] the only build up during the first half was probably right before the intermission where we finally get to see a new prop. yes did i mention that they used the same damn prop for almost every scene?

plus i tot that the songs in the show itself made things weird. i expected more of a modern-traditional fusion much like tiara's song asmaradana. but most of the songs; especially the ballads were all dull typical modern ballads. to me, the traditional aspect itself is the very foundation of this musical. so why not stick to the genre?

then came the 2nd half to which i admit was a whole lot more interesting. there were better songs, better scenes, better props. so in the end it wasn't all that boring...we weren't in the same monotonous world anymore. and yet, in the earlier parts of the second half it felt like they were still rushing to put in as much bits and bobs from PGL the MOVIE into the MUSICAL which still made things a little bit messy.

maybe it was the fact i didn't get the front row experience, instead i had to watch it from the upper circle so i could not fully appreciate this musical. but i'm sure my head was clear enough to see some of the weaknesses from this production. even if i did get the front row tix i'd probably be dissapointed. plus i think i was making too much of a comparison with P. Ramlee the Musical which i watched mid last year.

one major difference between these productions is definitely in the scene shifts. it was much much smoother during P. Ramlee that u couldn't tell the actors from the props people. of course in PGL the props people wore costumes too, but their sole purpose in the scene is just moving the props around. no other interaction whatsoever; i did not like this in particular.

enough with the bad, on with the good stuff...

i wont deny the great talent the cast had. Tiara, Stephen Rahman, Adlin, AC Mizal were all great performers. Adlin Aman Ramlie has always been my favourite local performer and he has thus proven himself great once again in this production. Tiara Jacquelina, despite her not so strong vocals is a beautiful and great performer especially in bringing about the javanese princess image and she's such a graceful dancer.

Tiara Jacquelina as Gusti Puteri Raden Adjeng Retno Dumilah


Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud of Malacca
in one of my fave scenes in the show.
stephen rahman hughes on the other hand; is a good actor with good vocals and stamina BUT i have a problem with him playing the role of hang tuah. hang tuah in our minds is a great warrior of many of our local legends. easier said; hang tuah ialah seorang pahlawan melayu sejati. stephen is not quite melayu. his name says it all. i stongly feel that the likes of M. Nasir is the still perfect Hang Tuah.

if there ever will be an Ashoka the Musical,
do audition for the role of King Ashoka.


who can ever be a better tuah than m. nasir himself?

my final say on this production would be that i praise the efforts given out by the people involved in making this production a success as it has been a great stepping stone for the popularity of our local theatre scene. the musical wasn't perfect, with minor glitches that should be fixed here and there; but it was an enjoyable event for me anyhow.

The costumes were great, the setting for the scenes in Malacca and Gunung Ledang was impressive and definite kudos to the "magic" effects put into the production. i look forward to many other local productions to come.

PS: if there will ever be a P.Ramlee the Musical Season III i'd be happy to see it again...with better seats. :D

12. The Best PGLTM so far

The show for the 3rd season wins hands down. I watched Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical last Thursday, 12 Feb. It's running its 3rd season now until the 22nd of this month.
Like always before, the show played to a full house. Fans of the musical thronged Istana Budaya in full force, anticipating a show better and greater than the ones before, which they all got that night. I came out of the show feeling really good with a hope that one day Tiara will bring it out beyond our shores. PGLTM is a production Malaysians should really be proud of. It's undoubtedly world-class! Great compositions. Superb acting. Breathless settings. Creative choreography.
My favourite scene? When the 'jazzy' Sultan Mahmud Melaka got into his sleek moves. A creative fusion of traditional and contemporary. Now, Sultan Melaka doing that famous Travolta's Saturday Night Fever's pose? How cool is that eh?

Apa Kata Blogger Yang Menonton Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical Season 3 (Bhg. 2)

1. PGL Musical season 3 yg ' wow! '

12 Febuari - PGL Musical season 3 sangat hebat dan buat kami terpaku & terasa sungguh ‘Wow’. Hati berbunga-bunga apabila kami dapat seat barisan ke-5 dari Pentas. Masa sebelum start teater tu, aku dan Syah berdoa-doa agar Datin seriTiara sendiri melakonkan watak tu sbb ada time tu org lain berlakon. Aku rasa masa tayangan siang kot. Kami happy bila tengok Tiara muncul di pentas.

Berbanding dgn PGLM season 2, season 3 ini digarap dgn kemas & terperinci. Antara point2 yg aku ingin share:-

-PGLM 3 menggunakan backdrop yg baru seperti batu- batuan air terjun yg lebih nampak real berbanding season sebelumnya.
-Bahasa Melayu pelakon Stephan Rahman semakin jelas & terasa lebih melayu.
-PGLM 3 menggunakan teknik2 silap mata pada beberapa babak & telah medapat tepukan gemuruh.
-Cinta yg dipamerkan oleh Puteri lebih terasa dlm PGLM3 ini. Di sini kami dapat rasa feel yg lebih dalam beberapa babak antaranya semasa Puteri jatuh cinta dgn Hang Tuah, perasaan membara & pengorbanan Puteri sehingga sanggup berlayar di lautan utk bertemu Tuah & semasa Puteri itu kecewa apabila tahu Tuah datang utk meminangnya kepada Sultan. Hati kami turut tersentuh masa Puteri menagis tersedu-sedu menunggu Tuah yg tidak muncul2.
-Di dalam season kali ini dijelaskan bagaimana Puteri ini mendapat ilmu yg tinggi hingga mampu meredah lautan. Ini adalah ilmu yg di beri oleh Pengasuh beliau. Pada babak ini, terdapat sedikit magic dilakukan apabila bunga putih terawang- awang di udara.
-Babak yg klimaks & mendebarkan tatkala Puteri sangat marah apabila di desak utk berkahwin dgn Sultan Melaka. Pada masa itu kedengaran suara dia bertempik dgn kuat dan seram menyatakan syarat2 beliau.
-Lakonan AC Mizal memang mantap. Agak gerun melihat dia menjadi Raja Majapahit, Cuma bila AC mula menyanyi, dia menggunakan suara normal dia. Suara AC sedap & romantik hingga menghilangkan kegerunan aku terhadap watak Raja Majapahit itu sendiri.
-Backdrops favourite aku adalah keadaan Gunung Ledang tatkala Hang Tuah & pahlwan Raja Melaka sedang menjejaki Puteri. Backdrops tersebut adalah juntaian kain seperti dedaun yg melambangkan hutan rimba, batu-batuan dan air terjun.
-Watak Sultan Melaka oleh Adlin Aman Ramli kali ini sedikit lawak terutama semasa dia menari-nari dab menyanyi.
- Letupan api banyak berlaku dalam teater ini terutama semasa munculnya nenek kebayan. Ini telah menghasikan bau2 benda terbakar & asap. Ada juga time2 tertentu bau minyak gas semasa org2 Melaka menyalakan api sebagai lampu.
-Sistem cahaya & sistem bunyi sangat perfect.
-Suara Datin seri Tiara semakin gemersik & sedap di dengar.
-Aku bagi 5 bintang dan 100% markah penuh utk teater ini. – perfect-

* Ini adalah tayangan yg sempurna pada bulan cinta iaitu valentines day. (aku tak sambut pun tapi romantic jika boleh tengok teater ni dgn pasangan).
Best gilaa teater ni…tak ada perkataan yg boleh describe betapa hebatnya teater ni. Memang yg terbaik & ada class..

2. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical, Season 3

Cerita Cinta Agung.

If you dig love stories, then you're gonna dig this. I, for one do not. Having watched Wicked, I tend to compare PGLM with it. Conclusion; they're incomparable.

Now, back to PGLM.

The storyline was original and deserves resounding applause. "Cerita Cinta Agung" was indeed represented. The props, staging and presentations were amazing. The songs were OK, I guess. I won't sing to any of them, that's for sure. But the casts were a bit "Eh!" coz let's face it, there aren't a lot of very talented singers cum actors in Malaysia who are Malaysians. I wasn't blown off by the singing as I was when I witnessed Wicked. I really think they can do better. The dance numbers were a bit boring and I didn't see a whole lot of difficulty in the choreography.

All in all, it was a good musical, but not worth second viewing.

(A minute there, I felt like I was Simon Cowell. Lol.)

3. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical Season 3.. It was superb and fantastic.. Hard to explain in word, but then you can feel it when you watch it at istana budaya. Yeah!! Mari berkongsi cerita, untuk season 1 and 2, wan tak tengok PGLM ni sebabnya xtahu and xminat sangat teater. So lepas jer tengok P Ramlee Musical tu, wan memang terus fallin in love with teater.. So biler tahu PGLm akan di pentaskan, wan mula la mencari kawan and tiket. Call geng wey tapi no respon sebab masaalah teknikal kot. So try ajak aiman and awang, and they agree..

On wednesday last week, sepatutnya kami bertiga pergi tapi aiman xdapat join sebbnya dia baru dapat kerja and have training on that day. So only me and awang pergi tengok, itupun last minute dah aiman cancel, most of my friend plak ada kelas untuk replace aiman, so burn gitu jer la. Kami tengok tayangan petang which is start at 3pm. Yup ramai giler orang and full okey.



Yes wan excited giler nak tengok PGLM ni, so secara total memang puas hati till that nyte i mimpi tengok lagi PGLM tu.. hebat sangat penangan PGLM ni. Dari awal lagi dah kagum dengan prop, tarian and kostum mereka, jalan penceritaan best and susunan lagu mantap, semuanya smooth and suara mereka yang menyanyikan lagu pun best. I wish untuk tengok sekali lagi, uwaaa desperately need it. Start scene kat majapahit tu, asyik giler wan tengok tarian jawa tu, sbb menarikla.., prop bukit tu memang wan duk fikir, macam ne mereka buat and macam ne leh stand mcm tu, and macam-macam lagi.. 6 bongkah tu leh ubah-ubah untuk few scene.

Then, scene Tiara ilang kat tengah-tengah pentas tu, and how she make it.. itu jadi persoalan yang wan duk fikir, tarian sulu kot kalau x silap yang tiara tarikan pun memang lembut and sangat lawa k. Then scene depan istana, yang prop pagar turun dari atas pun memang lawa wey.. uwaaaa can't explain in word.. ni confirm.. kena tengok and feel sendiri..


Awang pun excited giler and sian kat aiman sebb x dapat tengok PGLM ni.. Rugi taw aiman... hehehe.. End tayangan around 6pm, so suppose malam tu wan kena pergi tengok konsert gamelan kat aswara tapi xgi then lepak jer ngan both of them.. Lepas amik aiman kat subang, we all terus ke midvalley untuk dinner and lepak-lepak kat starbucks the garden..

Sebuah pementasan yang hebat..
Congratulation to all Puteri Gunung Ledang Musical Season 3 crew..

4. Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical 111

Haaalluuuu....

I am watching Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical last night @ Istana Budaya.. Best Giler.. Best yang teramat.. I am so enjoyed with the show. The show started at 8.30pm - 11.30pm. I was very lucky to be inside the Panggung Sari hall to watch the magical and mystical Malaysian made musical called " Puteri Gunung Ledang (Season 3).

The ticket price agak membebankan. Bout RM153 per person. I go with my beloved. So, total price is bout RM306. For me, berhabis untuk teater lagi berbaloi than watching movie kat cinema. Kepuasan yang tak dapat digambarkan dan diungkapkan dengan kata-kata biler menonton teater. I suggest, pada saper-saper yang belum pernah tengok teater, pergilah. I am so sure you'll falled in love in theater. "Cuber sekali pasti nak lagi". Hehehe.. Okey, comes, I citer bout PGLM synopsis. Skit-skit laa ek.. Panjang-panjang tak reti..

The legend comes alive. They are the legends that every Malaysian child knows by heart. Hang Tuah, the greatest Malay warrior, and Puteri Gunung Ledang, mystical keeper of the mists. And now Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical brings to life the beloved tale that is as old as time with a burst of theatrical magic.

The Musical is played out in all its glory. Poor Gusti Putri. Not only does her brother promise her hand to someone without so much as a “May I?”, her beloved Hang Tuah decides that his Sultan is more important than her. In short, she’s been pushed around by men her whole life. Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina stars as Gusti Putri and Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Hang Tuah. But you forget that this princess is no fragile fairy-tale beauty. She doesn’t need a handsome warrior to save her, and she doesn’t succumb to her fate quietly. When all the men in her life seem more focused on their own goals, this Puteri Gunung Ledang takes matters into her own hands. And when her patience wears thin, watch out for explosions!!

Bring someone you love to experience the enchantment of an unforgettable performance that will delight the soul and excite the senses!

A very good and excellence play by whole team. Congrats to the whole PGL team. great show! amazed with the props, good outfits and nice songs. However, there's still plenty of room for improvement

5. Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical is Incredible!

Everybody is talking about it.Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical is freaking awesome! had one of the best chances in my life to watch dis musical. Thanks to Dr. Shireena our Literature lecturer. Another thanks bcos it's fweeeee!

I don't think i could ever describe the awesomeness of the theater. It's so perfectly done. From the main actor and actress to the minor roles even to those guys who pushed the props here and there on the stage- they were so awesome! The view was quite disappointing, yes our free ticket seating is at the upper circle but still!! awesome! Hang Tuah (Stephen Rahman Hughes) has the best voice ever, powerful singer he is. and of course indeed charming. I heard for the 1st season he couldn't really besilat but what i know yesterday, the besilat part was the most suave part ever! Drooling~~ hee! Believe me u dun even want to blink ur eyes! not even once. huhu! ok dats it.

We were lucky because one of the lastweek's show, Adipati's role (Ac Mizal) was subbed by other actor. Dat wouldn't be cool. But honestly i'm not so into musical thingy bcos I found it quite inappropriate at certain time. Singing while you are mad? not really awesome. There was one time when Adipati was so mad and talking about war and suddenly he stop yelling and start to sing! well, it's musical!! I had to remind myself every time. But when Hang Tuah and Gusti Putri sang beautifully on top of the "gunung", then it was so heart-melting moment. I was totally in awe. I wish i kud capture the scene but no cammy is allowed.

I wish the night would never end. I think all Malaysians should watch this theater. Watch and flaunt about it.

Check out how Adlin Aman Ramli danced! Reminds me of "Gang Kapak" from Kungfu Hustle! haha!

6. ~ PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG THE MUSICAL III ~

Kalau sudah rezeki... Malam tadi, aku tanpa dirancang-rancang telah menjadi sebahagian daripada penonton Teater Muzikal Puteri Gunung Ledang III (PGL) di Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya. Penuh sesak dan hampir tiada langsung ruang kosong pada tempat duduk di Panggung Sari yang boleh mengisi kira-kira 2,400 orang penonton itu. Ia satu perkembangan yang cukup membanggakan.

Aku cuba mengambil kesempatan menonton ini untuk melihat sejauh mana benarnya khabar-khabar manis yang ku dengar tentang teater yang kali ketiga dipentaskan ini. Aku mendapat tempat duduk di kedudukan yang agak baik, justeru aku juga dapat melihat pentas dan pemerannya dengan keadaan yang baik juga.

Usah ditanya perbandingan teater PGL musim ketiga ini dengan dengan musim yang sebelumnya kerana aku tidak menonton kedua-dua PGL yang sebelumnya. Untuk PGL yang ditonton ini, pada separuh masa yang pertama aku kira tiada apa yang menarik perhatianku. Cuma pada separuh masa kedua sahaja aku merasa tidak mahu mengalihkan pandang mata ke arah pentas. Debarannya lebih dirasa dan tumpuannya sedikit menyeronokkan.

Secara keseluruhannya, aku rasakan teater ini hanya pada tahap yang biasa-biasa sahaja. Kehebatannya hanya terletak kepada props yang digunakan. Tiada siapa yang boleh menafikan tentang hal itu termasuk aku. Aku sukakan Gunung Ledangnya, aku sukakan reka bentuk Istana Melakanya, jambatannya, kapalnya dan suasana kota Melaka itu sendiri. Ia hidup dan meyakinkan. Sesuailah dengan jumlah modal yang pihak produksi laburkan barangkali.

Selain itu, aku juga tertarik dengan permainan ilusi yang ditonjolkan untuk beberapa babak. Ia menjadi dan dapat mempermainkan pandangan dan tumpuan penonton. Kepantasan dan ketepatan pergerakan ketika permainan ilusi ini dilakukan sangat mengkagumkan. Namun, yang menariknya, pandanganku sempat mencuri pergerakan Tiara ketika babak ilusi nenek kebayan yang mahu bertukar menjadi Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah di puncak Gunung Ledang. Rezekiku barangkali.

Dari segi lakonan, ia cukup untuk memenuhi ciri perwatakan masing-masing. Tiara selaku tonggak utama tentunya. Gerak tari dan lontaran suara dengan permainan emosi dan rasa yang cukup mengesankan. Namun, lain pula halnya dengan Laksamana Hang Tuah. Kata seorang kenalan, Laksamana Hang Tuah untuk musim ketiga ini lebih 'pelat' dan 'tebal lidah' berbanding musim keduanya dulu. Aku hanya tersenyum. Namun, pujian harus diberikan kepada usahanya. Tahniah buat semua.

Pun begitu, jujur aku katakan terujaku untuk menonton PGL tidak mampu mengatasi keterujaanku untuk menonton Teater Muzikal P. Ramlee mahupun Teater Muzikal Ibu Zain.

[Tiba-2 ter-kenang Lantai T. Pinkie... Ermmm.. T. Pinkie tetap dengan donia-nya]

7. PUTERI GUNUNG LEDANG THE MUSICAL III

I don't know how to start this but 1 thing for sure, this PGL is so freakin' awesome... seriously... i was totally speechless when 'they' asked me "how was the play?" because i really don't know how to describe it. for me, the word that i am looking for is beyond my vocab's knowledge and all of the adjectives that i have learnt seems to mean less than the word that i am looking for... YES! i enjoyed watching it, praising it, cheer for it, that much... it was beyond words.

the atmosphere in there was chill, and kak suria (who sat next to me last night was fidgeting and shivering because of the coldness) - but i remain calm because i don't wanna miss a thing... i was trying my very best to read the subtitles because i can't hear what they said clearly and furthermore, they have a weird javanese accent...but it was still awesome... i can't help myself to awww... at everything and stop clapping for every scene... i have never imagined that it will be this good and exciting... i got goosebumps all over me since the play started, before none of them said anything... what an anticipation... there was something magical and tricks going on, which (again) made my hair stands... need i include the part where the 'nenek kebayan' came in? when she kept on disapearing and really look creepy - which all of sudden turn herself into Gusti Putri?

HANG TUAH... melts my heart... he is so charming and he sings like an angel (not that i know how the angel sings; but i wanna say something nice about his voice)... he is so charming and he speaks Malay very well... he can sing, he can act, he can dance and he made me fell in love with him... (sigh...) i went to Istana Budaya last night with no expectation what-so-ever (because we got free tickets); all i know that it's going to be great. but how great could it be? i dunno. all i concerned for (when i reached there) is to find food for my-big-blotted-tummy... but when i saw Hang Tuah and started to pay attention to what he said, to listen to his singing; i actually fell for him. i am still falling for him... i dunno how long its going to last, but i fall for him... (longer sigh...)

all of the casts can sing and act (duh!) and they have a wonderful voice to accompany them. they did a wonderful and unforgetable performance. i love the part where the Sultan Mahmud of Melaka start dancing a kinda modern contemporary dance (when he is happy to marry Gusti Putri - something cheeky about him)... in fact, i love every single parts and scenes of the play. all of it! the excitement continued throughout the show... it is so worth it

*to Dr. Shireena, thank you so much for the opportunity given... i will write my term paper on this with full of passion and effort into it... (yea, we need to submit an assignment about this)

**to all of my friends and those who is reading this blog, please watch this play (if u still can) because it worths every single cents that u've paid. no regret.

*** have i told you guys that it was awesome?

8. One night to believe again

Greg: All it took was five minutes?
Me: It’s called love at first sight. It does happen, you know.

Four weeks ago, I was ready to write the whole thing off. I had become so tired of hearing about it that I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I was sick of having to keep rewriting the Chairman’s foreword because it never seemed to be good enough for the one person who had the final say on it. And even after I had gotten the tickets for it — courtesy of my aunt who manages the sets and props — I was ready to give mine away, because all the work I had done for it and all the fuss and drama surrounding it had threatened to ruin it for me completely.

Thank God I didn’t.

When the first two seasons of Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical were staged, I was still in the U.S., and I didn’t know about the production until my mother came home from watching it one night and couldn’t stop raving about it. Given the standard of Malaysian theater I had come to know and resign myself to, I was rather skeptical: How good can a local production be? I wondered.

Damn bloody good, in fact. I don’t know which element of it I loved best: the music was good, the choreography was amazing the sets and visual effects were incredible, and oh, Stephen Rahman-Hughes… The characters were all very well-cast, right down to the high-strung Gusti Adipati, played by AC Mizal, whose walk and Treebeard way of speaking (on the inhale) quite effectively got on my nerves. Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud of Malacca provided a much-needed comic relief sequence, and all I could say about the six-year-old who played the Crown Prince was, “He’s sooooo cute!”

The thing about stories like this one is that one never knows which part of it really happened, and playing up on the mythological factor is an advantage that the producers have; it’s a full pantomime, so they can do whatever they want with it. And one of the elements they played up the most was the supposed love that the Admiral Hang Tuah and Gusti Puteri Retno shared, the kind of love that they claimed was all they lived for, which leaves people wondering if such a thing even exists. Some express disbelief that the Princess traveled across what may have seemed at the time to be the globe to be with the man she fell so desperately in love with, but to me, it was a painfully familiar scenario, and it reminded me of the very true story of a woman who fell in love with someone all the way on the other side of the world, and flew there in the hopes of somehow making it work with him. So what, then, makes Gusti Puteri’s trek that much of a myth?

But as cynical and jaded as we are, everyone wants to believe in stories like this. It takes away, if only for a moment, the harsh realities of life, and bringing back, if only temporarily, that hope of love and happiness we learnt to feel when we were young and unknowing of the world.

Whether myth, legend or fairy tale, the story of the Princess of Mount Ledang has been brought to life, and it was definitely worth watching — so worth it, in fact, that barely three days after an encore performance was announced, the tickets for it have already been sold out. The production team (whom I get to meet and interview next week!) really worked hard for this, and nothing made it clearer than the huge smile on my Auntie Mei’s face when I told her we loved it.