Wednesday 25 June 2008

Looking East?

i must say that hafidah can really sniff stuff out. i'd been sitting on this for a while now, since we met this japanese guy at the cameronian arts awards and he wanted to discuss bringing PGL the Musical to Japan. with the madness of rehearsals and always being behind in deadlines for approving print ads, editing the P.Ramlee coffee table book and managing interviews and communication for the show in between attending rehearsals, there really wasn't much time and brain space at all for anything non-P.Ramlee.

she caught me off-guard with a phone interview about the Japan thing though, i must say. cheeky thing. i hadn't even discussed it with the guys yet. gosh, when you're in "recovery" mode from one big rollercoaster ride, you don't wanna get on another one that instantly.

"putting on" a show the size of PGL or P.Ramlee really takes a whole lot out of you, not just out of our piggy bank, but physically and mentally too. emotionally and spiritually too in the case of PGL especially as everyone knows the project really has a special meaning for me.

well, now it's out in the open i guess the next few weeks will be spent trying to make the next run happen, and anyone interested can keep watching this space...

peace, everyone.


2008/06/24

Wordhasit: Puteri Ledang may head East
By : Hafidah Samat

EACH time Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina’s name makes the headlines, Malaysians inevitably take pride seeing her passion in raising the bar of Malaysian theatre.
And now that she has shouldered the reins of film and theatre productions, our respect and admiration for her can only get stronger. She obviously knows what she wants and strives to remain dynamic in the creative field.

Now, barely two weeks after her latest production, P. Ramlee The Musical: The Life, The Loves & The Inspiration (Season 2) concluded its successful run at Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur, Tiara has started talking about her next project.

According to the executive producer of Enfiniti Productions, the company’s first theatre production Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical (PGLM) has been invited to perform at an arts festival at the Metropolitan Theatre of Performing Arts in Tokyo early next year.

Understandably, Tiara is excited. But still reeling from the too-good-to-be-true feeling, she refuses to think about the offer yet.
In a phone interview last Friday, Tiara let out a hearty laugh, saying that she is still “recuperating” from the sold-out performances of P. Ramlee The Musical.

“Oh my, how did you find out? But yep, a representative from the Japan Foundation has approached me not too long ago. Although the offer is just too good to miss, there are a lot of factors to consider if I were to accept it,” said Tiara.

Logistics is the paramount factor she has to look into if the production goes to Japan.

“PGLM is not designed as a ‘two-men-and-a-suitcase’ production as that would be ideal for a travelling show. And the musical without the set is a different story.

“If the organiser can plan PGLM for a longer run, that would be more economically-viable for us,” said Tiara, adding that she will be meeting with the production crew to discuss the matter in a couple of weeks.

She also said that PGLM has also been invited to be staged in Singapore.

“Honestly, it is expensive to start the entire production all over again and for a production to break even, it has to run for at least two months,” she added.

Asked about her latest project, Tiara said she can’t reveal anything at the moment.

“Yes, I’ve something planned for next year but it is still at an infancy stage,” she said.

The self-professed perfectionist has also released Behind The Scenes At P. Ramlee The Musical, a coffee-table book that documents interesting anecdotes and never-seen-before images of the production.

Citing it as “a labour of love”, she helmed the book project in order to make it more special. “It’s more of a record of our journey and the book can be used as a manual for fellow theatre practitioners for their future productions,” she said.

The book is currently available at all MPH outlets nationwide.

12 comments:

Becky Ng said...

So, are you going to do it?

tiara jacquelina said...

we'll know in due time if we can make it happen. thanks for dropping in again.

Becky Ng said...

If you do it... Can u offer a job for this 16 year old school actress?

tiara jacquelina said...

um... being part of a stage musical the size of PGL or P.Ramlee is a lot more technical than most people realize.. you really can't imagine it, even for the most experienced of actors or singers that have been part of the biggest concerts anywhere, throughout their entire career. being part of a stage musical is a bigger responsibility and task than acting in any tv series, tc drama or film. that's why its usually something only an experienced actor or singer wd try, just to challenge themselves after trying everything. i always encourage people with dreams to go for it, but don't enter a battle field unprepared is what i always advise anyone. take up courses and learn the ropes by working your way up slowly so you build stamina. being in a musical requires a lot of mental and physical stamina and its a case of survival of the fittest and best, cos there's NO room for anyone to make mistakes. I'd say if you are keen, listen out for our next STARMAKER bootcamp, coud be one coming up in the next couple of months. this will at least give you a basic idea.

Becky Ng said...

Thanks.

Unknown said...

Good luck and all the best!

Fa[M]. said...

PGL at spore again?
pretty please..
you know dat sporeans wanna watch it again.
everyone in spore knows it!
grant our wish?
hopefully..
btw,
i LOVE your new hairdo.

Becky Ng said...

Are you going to judge in next week's So you think you can dance???

Amir Fuad said...

Japan, huh? WOW!

Will there be a second season of PGLM in Kuala lumpur? I missed the first one.

BTW, how's the cultural village in Jalan Davis taking off?

Becky Ng said...

hi, it's me again....

hope you dnt mind but i really hope that you will be attending laksa (for more info pls check your yahoo mail.)

the elemination yesterday was sad huh? I saw you cyring among the judges......

so, are you involved in any new projects?

tiara jacquelina said...

dear becky, sorry, i haven't checked my yahoo mail for weeks, months maybe. i dont think i'll be watching anything for a while.am preparing to re-locate to australia for a few months starting next weekend - its a bit of a sudden decision and i haven't even had the chance to publicly announce anything,but will keep everyone posted on my blog! all the best. :-)

tiara jacquelina said...

dear amir,
about the cultural village, sighhhhhhh... i guess we'll have to wait til the smoke clears and things are stabil again, before anything happens.. :-(