Malaysian Girls - How Ugly Can It Get?

No, it's not Malaysian Dreamgirls Season 3! Malaysian Girls is a local musical about a local beauty pageant and the stories behind it. With a cast of almost an all girl cast with 2 and a half men (you'll know what I meant if you watch the musical). Produced by Dato' Faridah Merican and directed and original concept by Joe Hasham. Both the co-founder of Malaysia's popular performance arts studio, The Actors Studio Malaysia and also The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac). The last musical that I watched with them on the helm is Ismail the Last Day. OMG, that was three years ago.

Once again I've come to KLPAC to get in touch with my inner artistic self. Thanks to Richard for passing me the ticket because he can't make it. Of course have to thank Serge for organizing this for us bloggers.

I don't want to spoiled too much of the fun by going too detail into the story. Simply put it, the songs are quite good and some good singers there. Some of the scene are very funny with some quite original jokes that is quite related to our daily life. So, it's like laughing at our self.

Some of the bloggers there said that I look like one of the character in Malaysian Girl. Gucci Lim (Freddy Tan). He's one of the standout character in the musical. He got one solo part where he rap in Cantonese with a bit of profanity too.

Another likeable character is Miss Klang, Daphne Wong (Amanda Ang). At first I really thought that Cantonese is Amanda's mother tongue but when I met her after the musical only then I know she doesn't speak one bit of Cantonese. Good job there Amanda ;) But it will be more politically correct if she's Miss Ipoh instead because the staple dialect in Klang is Hokkien, not Cantonese. Just my humble opinion =P

Anrie Too as Miss Sungai Way, Lin Lin, one of the most promising contestant to win Malaysian Girls but she has a hidden secret. What is the secret? Go watch it and find out lah.

The lead male performer is Aanantha as Ray Sanjay who took over the Malaysian Girls pageant from his deceased brother that he had never talk to for many many years.

Serenity Billion is the partner and trainer of Malaysian Girls pageant. See her rivalry with Ray Sanjay at first and then... Tabitha Kong did a marvelous job in portraying Serenity. She balanced her singing and acting quite well.

The character that most of the audience like (IMHO) will be the bithcy Jasmin Hibiscus (Siti Farrah Abdullah). She's really into her character that even after the show, she's still talked like she's Jasmin Hibiscus. Or maybe that's just her true character =P Job well done there, Siti.


There are variety of songs sang in Malaysian Girls. Malay, English, Chinese and Indian. So 1 Malaysia man. In the end, what I got from the story is that, we should be proud of who we are and don't have to pretend to be someone else that is not our true self.

Bloggers with Tabitha Kong.

Amanda Ang and I.

If you want to catch Malaysian Girls a fun, simple and entertaining local musical, which is showing now until 30th December in KLPAC, Sentul then go on and your tickets and show schedule from klpac.com or visit Malaysian Girls Facebook Page for more juicy story. Also, next year January, Malaysian Girls will make a tour to Penang. More details here.

Pictures credit to Dustyhawk.net.

Ismail the Last Day @ KLPAC

Two weeks ago I went to KLPAC, Sentul for the first time. The purpose I come here is to watch the musical, Ismail the Last Day which some of my blogger friends Aronil, Nick, Charmayne and Min Li are in the cast.

KLPAC

The price for the ticket is RM 40 on weekday and RM 80 on weekends. It was Wednesday so, I got RM 40 ticket. I sat in the 3rd row from the stage. The stage floor was covered with a large Jalur Gemilang. First came in the orchestra members, and then the orchestra conductor. Then the orchestra starts to play the prelude. Okay, okay. Not going to spoil the whole thing.




Before this musical, all I know about Tun Dr. Ismail is Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI). Never have I knows that he was our Deputy Prime Minister to Tun Abdul Razak. He was Home Minister before that whom responsibled for jailing extremist using ISA (Internal Security Act), this was after all after the May 13th riot. He will even jail his own mother if found her to be guilty, he once said.

Back to the musical. For those of you expecting political story in the musical will be disappointed because as the story goes, I found that it is more about Tun Dr. Ismail choices between his family and the country. He already knew that I have cancer before he accept the job as the Deputy Prime Minister when Tun Abdul Razak was elected as Prime Minister. Thus the title, "The Reluctant Politician" a biography of Tun Dr. Ismail which this musical is loosely based on.





The leading actress/singer have a very good vocal. The cast also did a good job. I especially like the Malay dancing scene and the scene from Queens College back in the 40's. While his wife asking him to quit as the Deputy Prime Minister because of his failing health, Tun chose to go on for the future of his country, Malaysia.

The musical starts from after May 13th riot, and the days of Tun Dr. Ismail being the Deputy Prime Minister until his last day. During the Malay dance scene, one can hear a familiar tune back in P. Ramlee's time and also the ending tune is somewhat similar to AM Bank's theme song in the ads.



Taken with Aronil after the performance ended.

While this is not a Broadway production but this is a story that is closer to home. The music is fabulous and the ochestra did a great job. The choreograph while not flawless but somewhat makes the flow. Vocals, I might say is better than some of the new singers that just came out from those reality contest. Today is the last day of Ismail, the Last Day will be showing. Since tomorrow is a public holiday. Why not go to KLPAC and support our local performance art. Click here for more info.