Musical in honour of a king
In April 1913, His Majesty King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) donated 100,000 baht as a starting fund for the Savings Office, which later became the Government Savings Bank (GSB).
To pay homage to the revered founder, King Rama VI, the state-owned bank will present Theera Racha The Musical at Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre, at The Esplanade, Ratchadaphisek Road, 7.30pm daily from May 18-22.
Due to the free admission for all the five rounds, theatregoers have to book tickets in advance, which is also being held to mark GSB’s 103rd anniversary.
The title of the musical refers to the Genius King, who initiated banking in order to encourage people to save money. His Majesty also instilled nationalism through his words and royal compositions, which included play scripts, newspaper articles and performing arts.
Taking the audience back to the reign of King Rama VI, the musical will present His Majesty’s futuristic vision and policies in terms of politics, economy, society and foreign affairs, as well as the changes of the Nation-Building Performance era.
The producer, Thisana Duandao, previously staged Klai Kangwon Musical On The Beach in Hua Hin, as well as other grand outdoor performances. Her latest musical promises another spectacle starring Nuengthida Sophon, Korakan Suthikoset, Pattharapon To-Oun, Vasu Sangsingkeo, Thanaporn Wagprayoon and Chaiwat Anutrakulchai.
The production also has 2008 National Artist Rear Admiral Veeraphan Vawklang as its music director/conductor, and Jarunee Hongjaru as composer/ music director.
Jarunee composed one of the theme songs with the lyrics based on King Rama VI’s Khwam Ruk (Love), a translation of poetry from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice.