20 great shows to mark two decades
Istana Budaya celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Dennis Chua tells us what to look out for
BORNEO’S most popular songstress Dayang Nurfaizah marks her 20 years in music with her first solo concert at the national theatre on July 21. Dayang Nurfaizah Dua Dekad is one of Istana Budaya’s star attractions for this year.
“It’s great to celebrate 20 years together. Not only am I marking two decades in music but Istana Budaya, my favourite concert venue, is also turning 20 this year,” said Dayang at the recent launch of Istana Budaya’s programmes for this year.
The programmes were unveiled by Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi and Istana Budaya director-general Datuk Mohamed Juhari Shaarani.
“Over the years, I’ve been involved in numerous shows at the national theatre, and I’m delighted that my musical celebration has finally come true.
“I’ve an idea of who to invite as guest artistes but the list will only be finalised a month or two before the show. And as for rehearsals, I’ll have them during the same period. We’ve got to make it a concert to remember!”
Besides Dayang, rock queen Ella will also take centre stage at the national theatre from March 29 to 31.
Her showcase, Ella Unplugged In Kuala Lumpur, will be a nostalgic journey for die-hard fans, and will feature her major hits such as Pengemis Cinta, Rama-Rama, Standing In The Eyes Of The World, Simbiosis and Sepi Sekuntum Mawar Merah.
Ella will collaborate with music graduates and students from the National Arts, Culture and Heritage Academy (Aswara). The concert will be in aid of the Malaysian Autism Foundation.
British composer and producer Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical Phantom Of The Opera will be the main international production to be staged at Istana Budaya this year.
It runs from June 14 to July 7, and is based on the eponymous French novel by Gaston Leroux.
Adapted into a musical movie in 2004 which starred Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson, it is a romantic thriller about a disfigured composer who coaches an aspiring opera singer beneath the Paris Opera House and kills her potential competitors.
Acclaimed Beijing-based pianist Claudia Yang will be back at Istana Budaya on July 16, this time with China’s Guangxi Symphony Orchestra.
She performed with the China National Symphony Orchestra at the national theatre last year, and will keep classical music lovers spellbound in her showcase that celebrates 45 years of Malaysia-China diplomatic ties.
Bahasa Malaysia theatre fans will once again go on a historical journey to ancient Melaka from Aug 27 to 31 in conjunction with Merdeka.
Teater Tun Fatimah, which was actress Fasha Sandha’s debut at the national theatre 15 years ago, is making a comeback with a whole new cast.
A legendary warrior queen who lived in the 15th century, Tun Fatimah witnesses the unjust execution of her father, brother and husband who are condemned to death based on slander.
She avenges their deaths by capturing the culprits, and also helps defend her country from Portuguese aggression.
Juhari said 20 productions will be staged at Istana Budaya to mark its 20th anniversary but the list is “not exhaustive”.
“There may be others later but the 20 which we’ve announced are events to look out for,” he said.
Juhari added that 22 productions were staged last year — four plays, eight musicals, six concerts, and four dance dramas.
“We had 87,551 visitors and collected RM3.9 million in ticket sales,” he said, adding that their bestseller was Ola Bola The Musical which raked in RM1.7 million.
This was followed by Konsert Duo Legenda, a collaboration between Datuk Jamal Abdillah and Datuk M.Nasir which collected RM752,000.
Juhari said Istana Budaya was confident that audiences would give its 2019 productions strong support, as they featured major artistes, major musicals and “retro” music tributes to 1980s popular music.
“There’s also a good balance of traditional and modern music, and the hugely successful Ola Bola will have an improved second season next month.”