Friday March 24, 2006
A work to call our own
By JASON CHEAH
Malaysian director Jo Kukathas has an almost motherly feeling over the current project she is directing, composer Saidah Rastam’s M! The Opera.
And even though she wasn’t exactly directing it from the start, it isn’t as if she doesn’t know anything about this opera currently on its debut run at the Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur.
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Jo Kukathas. |
“At the time it was more as a friend or ‘a third eye’, so when I did step on, it was not like, ‘here it is, go direct it’. I knew what it was aspiring to be.
“My first role was a dramaturg, not director. I helped with the script development.”
Directing the opera was both challenging and exciting for Kukathas, traumatic even.
“There is no formula with this so-called opera, and there was a need to be flexible. After all, this is contemporary opera, it’s not just what is coming out of the mouth but from the entire body.
“It’s great, though it’s been a long time in development. Just from last September, a lot of work was done to find a storyline that was compelling.”
M! The Opera is about love, fashion, even murder, set in the Klang Valley. It is the story of the rise of young fashion designer M. Other characters influencing his life and his work include his mother Kak Ros, his childhood friend and muse, Spei, his arch rival Kerabat and his confidante Madam Pynchon, among others.
“I like large stories,” Kukathas said. “This (one) is about fate – is there such a thing as being born with a gift? This needle is a gift but who takes it? Who uses the gift well?”
As for how she approaches directing the opera, Kukathas said: “I like to do physical theatre, to use the body.”
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Judimar Hernandez. |
Hernandez came on board even earlier than Kukathas, in November of 2004 and admitted that since then she has seen the cast grow.
“This is a hybrid mix of an ensemble and (at first) I didn’t know where to start,” she said.
“I began by letting them be aware of their body first, using a lot of physical work to enhance their capability. This (production) is more than just about the voice.”
Even for her there is something new to learn.
“I’ve worked with actors and dancers but never with singers. It was tough, and it was a bigger challenge for the dancers who have come on board. Like I have to sing (in this opera) and I can’t sing to save my life.”
Hernandez is confident that the music of M! The Opera will stun audiences. “It may well be an opera but I’ve never seen an opera like this. I’ve been in Malaysia for 12 years and I’ve seen all sorts – experimental and straightforward – but this is very physical ? just everybody is always moving.”
Thespian Chacko Vadaketh’s role in this opera is also something he isn’t exactly used to.
As producer he isn’t as involved in the staging of the opera as he might have been in previous productions he has been involved in.
“It is a huge learning curve for me,” he said.
One of the most difficult tasks for him was obtaining the funding for the project, which he has been involved in since late 2004.
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The two leads, Doreen Tang and Khir Rahman. |
And with this being a new production, there was none at the beginning.
Vadaketh’s take on this opera is that a storyline like this couldn’t have happened anywhere else except in the Klang Valley (specifically Kampung Baru).
“This is uniquely Malaysian but still very contemporary. It’s Malay theatre and English theatre, Malay music and English music coming together and that doesn’t happen very often.
“I don’t want to make grand claims but we wanted to create what we think is good. And now we want to see what it looks like on stage. It’s like giving birth to a baby.”
Vadaketh would love to see this production go on tour.
“Singapore is interested. Saidah and (librettist) Jit Murad have already made an impression there and the Singapore Arts Festival director came up to see rehearsals. Both Jo and Saidah have worked in Japan, so there’s been interest there too.”
M! The Opera stars Khir Rahman as M, Doreen Tang as Sepi, Maizurah Hamzah as Kak Ros, George Chan as Kerabat and Cindy Yeap as Madam Pynchon. Among the supporting cast include celebrity stars Paula Malai Ali (Dominique Soong), Mia Palencia (Juno Sharpe) and Azean Irdawaty (Tom).
M! The Opera runs until April 2 (no shows on March 27 and 28). All shows start at 8.30pm except for Sunday matinee shows at 3pm.
Tickets are priced from RM30 to RM150 for evening weekend shows, RM30 to RM120 for evening weekday shows, and RM20 to RM90 for matinee shows. There are special discounts for students, seniors and the disabled. Call the Istana Budaya Box Office (03-4026 5558), TicketCharge (03-77262002 or browse www.ticket2u.biz
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