Puteri Gunung Ledang the musical is without a doubt, the highlight of this year's Pesta Raya festival, and without which, frankly speaking, the latter would have been a snooze-fest unworthy of our attention. Moreover, this year's festival line-up is such a paltry affair that it made me wonder if the organisers had pumped in so much money to bring PGL here that scant little was left to beef up this year's Pesta Raya programme.
My gripings aside, I'm happy to say that PGL the musical lived up to all the hype that had been generated around it eversince the local media started its publicity blitz a couple of months ago. All the glowing reviews from critics across the causeway, which had seemed like exaggerations, were not exaggerated at all. Like the film of its namesake, PGL the musical is an epic story told in epic proportions, and whose epic scale is overtly emphasized by the lavish set, magnificent costumes and lush score by our very own Dick Lee.Dick Lee's compositions, with its use of distinct leitmotifs, is reminiscent of music I've heard when I watched the Forbidden City a few months ago, but I think it was something coincidental (as all works by the same composer usually do have striking similarities) and not just some flagrant recycling on Mr Lee's part.
Comparisons between these two musicals, I suppose, would be inevitable, considering the epicness of both productions and how both had been staged at the same venue, ie. the Esplanade Theater. Since the scores of both shows have been (beautifully) composed by the same person, there is nothing more to be said of the music/song department. However, in terms of story and richness of characters, I would say that the Forbidden City is the more fulfilling watch, probably due to the fact that it was based on definite "historical" events. Moreover, out of the two leading ladies, Kit Chan is the one more equipped for the musical stage in contrast to Tiara Jacquelina, mainly because the former is an established singer whereas the latter is an accomplished actress.
Nevertheless, where set-pieces and stage-props are concerned, PGL the musical simply dazzles and inspires awe even more so than the Forbidden City ever could. Case in point -- six massive boulder-like monuments were arranged and re-arranged in various ways to depict different scenes; from the craggy surfaces of the Majapahit palace to a humongous cliff-wall facing the ocean. A breath-taking set-piece involved a curtain of white cloth falling away to form the waves of an ocean, as a figurative "ship" of warriors, replete with billowing sails, carry the Princess to the Malaccan shore. Whenever Tiara Jacquelina fell short in her solos and arias, she compensated with her sizzling charisma and engaging portrayal of her character. And although I still think Stephen Rahman Hughes is a "salah" choice to play the legendary Hang Tuah (his stiff enunciation and a couple of "pelat" renderings were a major turn-off), his impressive Broadway baritone was a fitting complement to the pomp and grandeur of the staging. AC Mizal seemed to be having such a ball playing the villainous Adipati; it was such a waste that he hardly appeared at all in the second act. Adlin Aman Ramlie reprises his role from the film (as the Sultan) but he deserved plaudits not only for his performance but also for his commendable efforts as the show's lyricist.
In addition to the less-than-perfect casting and perfunctory "love-story" plot, there are other flaws which marred my full enjoyment of the show. I feel that the second act seemed abit truncated and rushed, and the climatic face-off between the Princess and the Sultan could have been depicted in a more believable way. Furthemore, while the music as a whole had a certain modern and Broadway-ish universal appeal, it could have been made more authentic and "ethnic" sounding by the use of traditional Indon musical instruments such as the gamelan. Perhaps the show's creators should have used M.Nasir's composition, Bagaikan Sakti as a recurring theme; I'm sure it would have enhanced the show's "ethnic" atmosphere.
Still, with its sweeping romantic score, stunning choreography, energetic cast and extravagant sets, here is indeed, a majestic spectacle well-suited to be the pinnacle of Pesta Raya 2006. (On another note, it would have been interesting to see the leading alternates i.e. the understudies for Hang Tuah and the Princess, perform in their respective roles; I've heard rumors that they were vocally more competent!)
PS: Picture above is the show's programme and my ticket stub. Didn't manage to take any photos during the show (which is not allowed anyway) or of the cast members lah. The other picture is taken from the official PGL the musical website.
