I just have to post everything that's in my head after watching the show earlier this evening before they all shrivelled up into specks of tiny 'lil dead brain cells the very next day.
I am beyond awed. Blown away to the skies. The show was fantastically brilliant; the energetic, passionate casts, the incredible sound of the orchestra and the AMAZING stage set. Words fail me right now to describe how ingeniously devised the whole set was.
As the show started and opening credits rolled out, I was already close to tears. That was the ultimate moment where I'd be viewing the life and times of my hero since I was a child--the great P. Ramlee. It was at that very moment memories of my childhood surfaced in my mind's eye; the recollection of P. Ramlee's movies I grew up with, his lines memorised by heart and his lovable antics cherished. I was then witnessing his life--the other side of P.Ramlee I never knew.
It started off with an aged and weary P. Ramlee and his beloved wife Saloma, spending a serene, reflective moment together in a stormy night while crooning 'Air Mata Kuala Lumpur' (Kuala Lumpur's Tears) [I'm told by Momma this was the last song he wrote before he passed away]. And the reminiscent of his life followed after, beginning with his childhood in Penang. The journey continues with the rise and fall of a timeless hero and the rest is of course, history.
Sean Ghazi or affectionately Sean (as he was utterly flabbergasted when I referred him as 'Uncle' Sean) was dynamic. He captured the essence of P. Ramlee so beautifully, it was just heart-wrenching. Though there were some tiny flaws of his Penang dialect (but thanks to Momma*, it was still acceptable-lah), the spirit was still so alive. And his voice... I could literally feel my heart melt to my toes. Indescribable.
Saloma a.k.a. Liza Hanim was really the wow factor of the show. She was in every way Saloma herself, it was the very definition of amazing. Saloma's demure ways, her adorable sense of humour and that ever air of I'm-all-woman persona flowed smoothly through Liza as she waltzed around from man-made tree to tree and belting out her sweet melodious voice, followed behind by a flirty, lovey-dovey Sean that was so P. Ramlee.
There was something else about the relationship portrayed between 'Remy' and 'Sally' as they fondly called each other--it was the completion of one another that radiated the pure beauty of their love. And there was nothing else that really matters.
Sometimes I longed for that too. Who doesn't?
Shockingly, I didn't burst to tears throughout the whole show. Yayy me. Eyes kept watering, I admit that; even some men in the audience I noticed brushed an eye. No, there were no dust. Momma had her tissues in hand and dabbed her thick mascara-ed eyes ever so often. It was weird I didn't have twin rivers gushing down my cheeks; I thought I would. I guess I was concentrating more on the outline of the moment rather the emotion of it, as to absorb into the situation unfolding. If I did, Istana Budaya would issue a proclamation of shut down due to inundation of tears. Banjir la pulak (flood it is).
There are some other things to comment, but my head's all scrunched up dry right now. Leaked too much thinking. I'll edit more stuff below very soon.
PS: *Momma is Sean Ghazi's dialect coach for this musical.
Edit:
The show was indeed amazing (did I say the set was ingenious?), yet much to be said about the music. During the play it gradually dawned on me that the music was a bit too... un-P. Ramlee. And true to the theme, very musical. I thought there was going to be a whole myriad of P. Ramlee songs, but most of them were originally produced for the musical. Even Pops said the same thing--well, music-wise, he wasn't that impressed about the show. He suggested it would be better if the songs were produced with the sense and feel of P. Ramlee's era, rather than the usual bubbly, enthusiastic, emotional musical songs. Stage performance nonetheless, was top notch.
I would watch it again, definitely.
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