Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Yesterday, 7 of us made a mad dash to Istana Budaya from college to watch Puteri Gunung Ledang. With about 30 minutes left till the show started, I tell you, I tekanan jiwa throughout the entire journey! Because IF we are late, they will only let us in during intermission. WTH! That is halfway through the show!! But luckily we made it just in time before they locked the doors.

How was the show? Well, when you pay RM87 to watch the show, you expect something great right?

Sorry to say that great was not the right word to describe the whole production.

PGL the musical season 3 was SPECTACULAR!!! It was the most AMAZING thing I have ever seen in my entire life! Throughout the whole show, I felt like a little kid opening her present on Christmas day! It was WOW!!

I absolutely LOVE their dances and their singing. It was live singing if I am not mistaken. They even used projection and the orchestra was awesome! My favourite part is when there is a big crowd and everyone on stage is singing and dancing. I am just lost for words. It was amazing! It was breathtaking. Did I mention that it was amazing and spectacular??

The merry folks at Majapahit

Puteri dancing for Sultan Mahmud

They had minimum props on stage, so it was easy to change from one scene to another. And they never turn off the lights. They had 6 big steps thingy where they used it for almost every scene. Turn it around and you get a mountain. Turn it again and you get Majapahit's market place. Spin it around again you'll get something else! One of the coolest props is the big ship. Yes, you did not read wrong. They actually had a ship on stage!!

A big ship!!! It moved all over the stage!! We were awed..

When I texted Ms Hema about the ship, she got confused and thought that I was saying that we are going to have a big ship on stage in our play! Hehe

The play was in Jawa and Malay. For those that do not understand those languages, they had two screens on the right and left side of the hall that showed the subtitles in English. Genius I tell you.

Even though the play had a traditional setting, you can see modern influence in the play in some of the choreography. Especially Sultan Mahmud when he was grooving to the music. It was so adorable!

Even though the main theme of the play is love, PGL had other elements as well. You have humour, a lot of it might I add. There is also some silat action in there.

Casting was amazing. Stephan Rahman Hughes (Hang Tuah) was amazing. He held a note for almost 10 seconds (I think)!! I love Ida Mariana (Bayan). Her voice was amazing during the chanting scene. It can give you goosebumps! Very mystical and voodoo-ish. AC Mizal (Adipati) was scary! A total Java king if you asked me.

Bayan and Puteri

Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud, one of my favourite, because of his dancing scene :)
Of course not forgetting the star of the play, Tiara Jacquelina as Puteri Gunung Ledang! She dances ever so gracefully.

Hang Tuah

Puteri Gunung Ledang

One of the things that made this play so incredibly amazing and special was the dancing and singing. Even the minor characters and extras were awesome singers and dancers. Which is why I love it when there is a crowd on stage. There were a few scenes when they made people disappear, and of course Bayan's voodoo thingy where she made something float.

The curtain call was fun as well. All the extras and minor characters got their respective round of cheers and applause. All the cast involved came out and did their own thing! Stephan, AC Mizal and Adlin did a few breakdance move and the crowd went crazy! They all got standing ovation!! I claped till my arms hurt. Chad wanted to stand on the ledge when Tiara came out. Jeez, mat poyo...

I find it better than any movie I have ever watched before in cinemas or at home. In movies, everything is there. You want a mountain, you get an actual mountain. Need a dark forest, its there for you. The actual things as we know and see everyday. But in PGL, the thing that made it better than movies, IMHO, is not what the producers or cast or crew can do. It is all up to the audience. And that thing is your imagination. Priceless.

Honestly I can crap all day, but none of my words can ever describe to you how amazing PGL was! The tickets originally cost Rm123, but I got them for RM87 only. Student price. I must say though, even if I have to pay RM200 to watch that show, it is worth every single penny.

Sitting at the grand circle!!

The view from my seat. I get to see EVERYTHING!!

Outside the hall

4 of us had to skip class just to watch the play. 3 of us had to pay Rm30 for the cab ride, which was double the actual price. But at the end of the day, none of us complained. It was all worth it. We had no regrets, whatsoever :)

Syu, Alep, Me, Zan, Chad, Yvonne and Jeslyn

I want to watch it again!! Syok gilerrrrrrrr :)