This was one of the plays where you just know that everybody who participated in it has put in crazy amounts of effort, sweat and passion in it because they believed that this was going to be their greatest project ever.
This was M! The Opera.
The cast.
The storyline's simple enough. It's about a fashion designer named M, his muse, Sepi and his rival - Kerabat. You can guess what the story is or read it up on their website lah.
Well. I'm going to rattle on the good bits of the opera.
The set.
The clothes were very pretty. Very couture. Straight out of the catwalk. The set was simple and artistic. But a little too dark for my liking. My favourite part was the wedding scene, with the Gigantic kembojas and all. I want it. Where can I buy them?
The cast.
George Chan (Kerabat) stole the show, and he wasn't even the lead actor. What? You mean you thought he was the lead? What? You don't even know who the lead is? HAhaha.
Paula Malai Ali was hot. And a natural. Word is that she had only rehearsed for a month.
Doreen Tang as Sepi was really sweet and she could sing up a storm! Maizurah Hamzah as Kak Ros was great too!
The 2 kids were excellent and ever so adorable. The little girl had the sweetest voice ever!
The highlights of the evening.
Excellent seats. Drinks afterwards.
Got lengchai or not?
Actually, since it's all sold out for the next 7 days I should be honest about it because whatever I say won't even affect ticket sales anyway.
So. Let's actually TALK about the opera.
It was EXCELLENT play...
... if it was meant to be messy and chaotic.
Individually they were all great. The cast gave it their all. They sang their heart out. Danced their limbs out. Acted like they never acted before. They were, to put it simply, awesome!
But when you put the set together and evaluate the play as a complete whole, it was utter chaos. As if a tornado came and swept everything up into its own little vortex of terror. As if the Japanese came to rape our women, burn our villages, destroyed our paddy farms and killed our animals during the world war.
I see what the producers were trying to do here. They tried to emulate the madness and drama that was of Moulin Rouge (the movie) and injected into it, a cocktail of local flavours. See, I absolutely loved the loudness and mishmash of Moulin Rouge so much, that I've watched it a zillion times and memorised all their songs... but unfortunately, the formula didn't quite work out for M!. Then again, I could be COMPLETELY wrong about what they were trying to do and thus, making this paragraph completely redundant. Moving on.
The lead actor..... well.. he.. wasn't really taking any leads. He was as charismatic as a candle holder. George Chan totally pwns him yo!
I stole a sunflower. Muahaha.
What went through my head that night:
WHAT THE FUCK WAS ALL THAT NOISE... oh... it's started, that was the opening. Okay. I'll keep an open mind. It's an opera. It's meant to be BIG and LOUD. This is going to be pretty interesting. Wow, that felt like an hour.... when's the intermission.... WHAT?!?! THEY'VE ONLY STARTED TEN MINUTES AGO? god. Must feel some pain. Sharp. Give me something sharp. Oh! A wooden board in front. Can bang head on. ANything. Must stay awake.... please. oh my god. Why they speaking in Japanese? I no comprehending. The subtitle board not working, AGAIN! WTF?!?!? Another 486673 minutes are you KIDDING ME? Why are they running around looking like their lost? Ooh.... that looks pointy and painful. Please just let it end now kill me I don't care why don't they bloody sell any booze here oh my god. Where's the booze. What are they screaming about AGAIN. Why are they always SCREAMING OHMYGOD MAKE THEM STOP. Oh my head. Woah. The dancing. Very expressive. Very uh, modern. And angry. I wonder if I can eat my own head. Booze. Give. Me. Now. ohmygod ohmygod ohmygodohmygod.
The whole ROW behind us which was full at first, but was completed empty after the intermission. It was the same in other areas too. We wanted to leave too... but you know.. it's bad form and totally disrespectful.
With all the amount of energy and talent the cast had, the over-ambitious direction and execution of this musical/play/opera/chaos fucked up what could've been a GREAT show.
It could've been SO MUCH better. If only they had more time to rehearse together. If only it was more polished. If only they didn't try to fill up the stage with so many people doing so many different things at once. If only they sold some hardcore alcohol in the premises. If only I hadn't gone there straight from work, gone home for a nice cool shower and a fresh change first. If only if only if only.
OMG. I was there!
Well, did I mention that Paula Malai Ali was in it?! Well, it's worth mentioning twice! She's hot! So damn talented! Hah. And to think a talentess potato like me could EVER have a shot at being a VJ. Already I am 50 kgs too heavy-looking. Bye bye childhood dream.
And hey! It's a sold out play! For the next 7 days!
So you know... I can't exactly tell you to watch it even if I wanted to. :)
I still must applaud the tremendous effort put in by the cast! Can't wait to see more local productions of this scale in the future!
Other better, more eloquent reviews:
@ Suanie's
@ Dua Sen's
@ Lainie's
Special thanks to Janet for the invites! I kept a look out for you throughout the whole play... and you know what? You did a great job!
I want to act in a play too. Really. It looks like so much fun! Everybody's enjoying themselves singing.. dancing... fake drinking.... it's so fun! Where can I sign up?
THE END!!!
u have to be -5 kg to be a VJ? teh fuck...
ReplyDeletedunno how to appreciate opera.....
ReplyDeleteHI fireangel. Thanks for a good read on M-The Opera ... that thought it could. You guys review much better than most of the morons writing for kakiseni. At least for an intellectually challenged pleb like me la. Well done. Do come and watch The Homecoming. If you've never read or seen Harold Pinter stuff I think you're in for a treat. TV Smith's coming on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteFA: Wow. I'm very honoured that you've commented.... even if you are just here to whore out your play. :)
[...] More: TV Smith Fireangel Lainie Technorati Tags: m the opera [...]
ReplyDelete'The set.
ReplyDeleteThe clothes were very pretty. Very couture.'
Why did you title it 'The Set' if you're gonna talk costumes??? They're two different things. [And the clothes would want to be couture if it's about fashion designers ... ]
'My favourite part was the wedding scene, with the Gigantic kembojas and all'
Most girls wish for gigantic kembojas on their wedding night ... or is that coconuts ... I forget. :-)
'Danced their limbs out.'
Off even. ;-)
'Acted like they never acted before.'
That's not good. I could have grabbed anyone off the street who's never acted before! :-)
'As if the Japanese came to rape our women, burn our villages, destroyed our paddy farms and killed our animals during the world war.'
EGAD! And we sent KY to Japan!!!! I hope he isn't being raped as we speak!
'Moulin Rouge so much, that I’ve watched it a zillion times'
As long as you didn't watch it a Brazillion times! :-)
[Yes, you need to know the joke behind that one to get it!]
'He was as charismatic as a candle holder'
And they say that he lived his life,
Like a candle holder in the wind,
Never knowing which way to act,
When FA's review came in.
FA would have liked more life in him,
But he'd just never pass,
But his candle burned out long before,
She could shove it up his ...
Oh ... I better not sing anymore ... :-)
[Boy, that's gonna get me into trouble!]
'It’s meant to be BIG and LOUD.'
Oh ... it's an American???
'Why they speaking in Japanese? '
Gaijin wa Nihon go ni hanasu ka? Honto Dayo!!!!!
'Why are they running around looking like their lost? '
The drugs wore off and they realised they weren't in Tokyo anymore Toto!!!
'What are they screaming about AGAIN. Why are they always SCREAMING OHMYGOD MAKE THEM STOP.'
They scream as they had to jab themselves with pointy things to keep themselves awake! :-)
'I wonder if I can eat my own head.'
If you can, the rest of us can have Haggis. :-)
'The whole ROW behind us which was full at first, but was completed empty after the intermission.'
Ptttth, bloody amatures, I could have emptied the whole place with my singing in less than five minutes! :-)
'If only they sold some hardcore alcohol in the premises.'
Vodka makes everything better.
'gone home for a nice cool shower and a fresh change'
My eye sight is going ... when I read that I thought you were going home for a shower and a fresh orange ... my brain went 'WTFrig!' ... then I re-read it.
'I want to act in a play too. Really. It looks like so much fun! Everybody’s enjoying themselves singing.. dancing… fake drinking…. it’s so fun! Where can I sign up?'
Most places in Australia have amateur theatre groups ... only, some of them are difficult to get a good part in. [Because they're just one big clique group, and they often don't allow strangers].
BUT, if you can't find an amateur theatre group in KL, then why dont' you start one?
THE END
dabido's comments could be made into an opera.
ReplyDeleteFA: Save your sanity. Just don't read it.
Too bad MAS no longer sponsoring any of this shit. Miss the time when I could skim a few tickets from my friend :P Cats... Sound of Music... Saturday Night Fever... Damn...
ReplyDeleteFA: YTL is main sponsor now. MAS pokai. Hehehe.
u r sounding so much like bender. nvr really watched anything in m'sia - should try it next time when got chance. watched once in e two durians of s'pore with kit chan as lead. it was not bad.
ReplyDeleteFA: Ooh. Futurama reference. I like.
thanks babe for the review, we are reading with intention to improve....it's a short run after all, like the fate of most local productions if you dont get to tour it - you have less time to make it better.
ReplyDeleteanyway, DO TELL PEOPLE TO GO WATCH IT -- EXTRA SHOW SCHEDULED IN FOR TOMORROW - MARCH 28 (TUESDAY).
thanks for coming :)
mwaah
Paul - you know FA never reads me comments. Anything longer than a Dr Seuss book confuses her. ;-)
ReplyDelete[I feel so safe saying that ... because she never reads me! Wahahahaaaaa!] ;-)
mine wasnt even a review -____-"
ReplyDeletei was one of those who fled!!!!! i have no shame....!
ReplyDelete