Puteri Gunung Ledang

Because my awesome boyfriend and his awesome friends are so so....awesome...I managed to watch the Puteri Gunung Ledang Musical Season III for absolutely free! Like...ohmygod...am i fur reeaaal?

Bimbocity aside, I was totally stoked when Dennis told me we were going to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical because i have heard since the first time it came out, that it was really good. So we went. Before it started his friends were all talking about it being in Malay and how our Malay language have rusted over the years out of school and how we can't even form a proper Malay sentence since. It was really funny because not only was the musical in Malay, it was in the olden Malay language which I probably know as much of as any Mat Salleh that went to watch that night, if not less. =)

But fear not, for the production crew have thoughtfully provided subtitles on screens at the side of the stage. Eventhough, i had to squint quite a bit because my vanity contact lenses did not come with astigmatism which, I have come to realise, is actually pretty bad. So after straining my eyes for 15 minutes or so, I gave up and just sat back, soaked in the vibrant cast and found myself actually understanding, more or less, what the whole thing was about. (note, reading the synopsis beforehand helped).

The musical really stood up to every praise and ovation it was given for the past couple of seasons. It definitely exceeded my expectations of a local production, and I am one person who does not look that lowly upon my own country, mind you.

I thought the costumes and wardrobe were all very befitting and authentic. The Puteri, Tiara Jaquelina, looked amazing despite being about 40 years of age. Every one of the cast sang beautifully especially the Bayan, Ida Mariana, who was the Puteri's caretaker. And even the half kwai loh Hang Tuah, Stephen Hughes-Rahman, had the most mesmerizing voice (and look) despite not being fluent in Malay.

But what I loved most about the play was the dance choreography which really looked extremely professional. I found that the dance was flawless in every aspect. It was playful and coy, very precise, quick paced and the whole thing just amalgamated so well. I dare say this production is up there with any west end musical.

It was a great night out, that sent my mind back to the times in Puan Misliah's house, studying our Komsas book for SPM. How we memorised the seven preconditions the Puteri gave to the Sultan, how we deciphered the meaning of their actions and pretty much regurgitated word for word during the exam...=)