20 An Evening At Merdekarya

My cousin, Genie Wong (whom I call Gen), was here for an open mic session at Merdekarya. I whooped in joy when she asked to stay over at my place for several nights. With my aunt now staying with me, you can imagine how lively it was in my home! 

Here's a little about what an open mic session is. 

Wikipedia:
An open mic or open mike (derived from open microphone) is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies.These events are typically focused on performance arts like poetry and the spoken word, music, and comedy.

Merdekarya , I gather, is a place that promotes independent Malaysian music and books.

It was our first time here. A dim lit hangout with artsy decor which I will describe as grunge. We arrived at 7.30pm.

As we enter (ground floor)

Up the staircase

The ambiance

The wall decor

Tipping is 'encouraged'

This place is a beacon of creativity. I adore the light covers at the balcony (pictured below) and I bet you can guess why! The crescent and the star makes it significantly Malaysian. Those are the symbols on our flag.   

Lights

The show started an hour-plus late. This didn't sit well with me, but I relaxed as soon as the first performer, Kee Vern Lai, went on stage. Then, Genie was up. She wooed us with her sultry voice and a few of her original songs. We clapped very loudly of course, with wide smiles on our faces. Family, you know.

The crowd started coming in at 10pm-ish. It's a great place but idle chatter and drinking just wasn't our thing so we left after the second act. Our late-night days are over. Between me and my bed, there is beauty sleep and that's hard to beat!

I'm leaving you with this video of my cousin's performance that night. Enjoy!

2 Pluck : Musical Arson - A potent laugh inducer

I was a little sceptical about forking out RM55 for "Pluck - Musical Arson" at the beginning. Whenever I think of classical music, I imagine an audience of men and women with toothpicks holding their eyelids up and lips pursed to keep from yawning.

My reservations left, as I guffawed and haha-ed throughout the show. Kit Massey, Brooke Day and Flora Allison brought classical music to life in a tale of comedic chaos.

The story begins with the two men vying to hog the limelight as they played their violin and viola with gusto. In between is Flora, who plays the cello. From the glare she's giving the boys, you know she's had enough of their competitive antics. What ensues is mayhem and mischief.

They did such a great job interacting with the audience, you would not have come across a more enthusiastic crowd. I left feeling so good that it felt like I had spent a day at the spa and in this case, the treatment was laughter.

The show runs from 21 July - 31 July 2011 at PJLA, Jaya One (Landmark: The Bee). Tickets priced from RM44 to RM77. We bought our tickets on the day itself from the counter.

A brilliant execution of classical music and comedy, not to be missed! 

At The Bee, Jaya One to get our tickets

A poster at The Bee

Our tickets - my name is printed on it!

The stage - Just 3 red chairs

Autograph session after the show

Kit (Left) and Brooke (Right)

Flora, the sultry singer..gives me "fever"

No, of course not! He doesn't bite!

2 Magical Musicals Gala Premiere @ Sunway Lagoon - 10th June 2011

Mesmerising, that's how I would describe this latest initiative from Sunway Lagoon. The effort they put into creating a stage that could carry this musical over ordinary standards is certainly commendable. Malaysia Boleh!  "Huh? Where did that come from?.."

Getting in, however, was a sore point with me. We were made to go through three long queues! Humidity levels were high outside the theatre. As the hour dragged on, I became drenched in sweat. The agonising wait was obviously irritable to the tired faces that stared before the backs of many in the unmoving line.

This led me to believe that the amphitheatre would be nothing but a giant baking oven. Oh, woe. Oh wait, I'm glad I was proven wrong. Huge fans had been installed to counter the heat. Phew!

Amphitheatre @ Sunway Lagoon

The story of this musical is set in New York and it's about a group of performers seeking to make a name for themselves. Their struggles and how they find love in the end are portrayed in songs from Grease, Glee, Saturday Night Fever, Mamma Mia! and more, bringing substance to the loose script. Magical Musicals is therefore an apt name to describe this endeavor.

Saturday Night Fever

Playing with fire ..Jai Ho!

The cast

Posing for the photographers

I truly enjoyed the musical. I only wished that the food and drink vendors who keenly interrupt my view would remove themselves when the show was on. I also detest the fact that they were charging us at cut throat prices. RM5 for a bottle of mineral water is daylight robbery. This isn't a posh air-conditioned restaurant, for goodness sake.

These guys are a distraction.
Check out the price list!

The tickets

Tickets courtesy of AMBP, to whom I am grateful for this opportunity. For information on ticketing, showtimes and the production, head over to Air Asia Red Tix's website.

0 PJ Laugh Fest 2011 - God of Carnage

The PJ laugh fest is back! 

It kicks off with the God of Carnage, a comical tale of two modern over-achieving parents trying to resolve an issue of misdemeanor involving their sons in a friendly and organised manner befitting the status of civilised society.

It's a story we can easily relate to, poking fun at parents of today who shield their children against the harsh realities of the world.

As the two parents meet to discuss their sons, they soon find it a struggle to maintain the niceties when differences in opinions begin to cloud their original purpose. Good sense evaporate into ugly pettiness, giving us a glimpse of their uncultured behaviour. Not too different from times of yore when society was presumed to be crass in their dealings.

It serves as a reminder that while we have conditioned ourselves to fit in as deemed correct by modern society, we have yet to acknowledge that we are all subject to a myriad of emotions which largely contribute to the way we react to things. What we have mastered throughout the ages is to maintain a facade acceptable to the educated majority, which does not necessarily reflect who we are inside.


The stage


Will Quah, Lina Teoh, Maya Tan and Megat Sharizal played their characters well as the concerned parents but I must applaud the ladies in particular for the strong performance they put on. I felt drawn into their trivial arguments.

Maya Tan played the wife who was the perfectionist you just want to strangle. It was a straightforward role but she brought so much life into it that I was completely sold on her performance.

Lina Teoh was impeccable in the diversity she had to carry as the understanding wife who later became a defensive mother struck by a bout of nausea and had gotten drunk after the discussion fell apart. I'm so amazed by the "realness" of it all.

The play is a lengthy display of articulatory prowess, but there are comedic scenes catering to the more visually inclined as well.  You would not want to miss the part where Will Quah walks around in his boxer shorts. I could not recall anything else that accompanied that scene, nor the verbal assault that was going on. Too tickled to notice? Yeah, I think so..

Megat Sharizal's caveman rant will leave you in stitches and the part where Lina Teoh enacts a flawless vomit scene (was it real ..or not?) will gross one out enough to be impressed. Fair warning to those sitting in the front row ..

Enlightening and entertaining, this is one play I'm glad I didn't miss.

The location - PJLA Theatre

The lift is cute



What's inside the flyer

I was lucky enough to get a free pass in, thanks to Huai Bin (sixthseal.com), who had run a contest in his blog. 

Admission Fee: RM60. When: 28 April to 8 May 2011. Duration: 1 hour, 30 mins. Where: PJ Live Arts.