Yesterday once more
Its credentials as a box office hit almost guarantees the musical version of Sembilu to be a smash, too.
sEMBILU created a splash when it was released in 1994, turning Wings frontman Awie, former Miss Malaysia Erra Fazira and singing siren Ziana Zain into household names.
The chemistry between the trio was so amazing that viewers fell in love with the movie and its sequel Sembilu 2 (1995).
The trio came together again for Tragedi Oktober, Maria Mariana, Maria Mariana 2 and Merah.
And now, two decades on from its original jaunts, the best-selling Sembilu and Sembilu 2 (which raked in RM4.2mil and RM6.1mil, respectively), the trio is making a comeback of sorts.
Next month, Awie, Erra and Ziana will come together in Konsert Teaterikal Suara Kita, a musical theatre production to be staged at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya in Kuala Lumpur.
Suara Kita, scheduled to run from March 3–9, combines the concept of acting and singing as a flashback to the glorious days of Malay boxoffice movies.
The two-and-a-half-hour musical will feature signature scenes from Sembilu, Sembilu 2, Tragedi Oktober, Maria Mariana 2 and Merah, which once topped the local box-office.
Awie, whose company Awie Entertainment Sdn Bhd, is the producer for Suara Kita, said that he had been toying with the idea of performing with Erra and Ziana for a while.
“I planned for Suara Kita two years ago, but it wasn’t easy to bring Erra and Ziana on board as each had their own commitments. Thank God, it’s finally becoming a reality.”
But there were complications with this plan: Awie had to get the “green light” from his wife Rozana Misbun, given his romantic past with Erra (they were once engaged).
“I told her about my idea because I know I have to take care of her feelings as well as other people’s interest. She was surprised at first, but then encouraged me to go ahead since it was for work and art. Besides, she is a fan of Erra and Ziana,” he said in a press conference for the concert at Istana Budaya recently.
Awie added that after getting his wife’s “blessings”, he, rather fortuitously, met Ziana at an event and shared his plans with her.
He was relieved when the singer welcomed his idea.
“I met Ziana when we were both doing a show at an event. I told her of my concert idea and she instantly agreed.
“She then asked about Erra, but at that point, I had not met with Erra yet.
“As fate would have it, in an episode of my program Tunggu Sekejap, TV3 surprised me by inviting Erra as a guest to the programme. That was when I voiced my plan. I remember I was stammering when I talked to her. I never thought that she, too, would welcome the idea,” he recalled.
When asked how the romantic scenes would pan out between him and Erra, Awie said he has no problems. He also added that he was willing to accept criticism.
“Acting is acting and we are professionals. Maybe our acting will be better than when we acted in the movie. And I am ready to accept good or bad criticism.
Erra, likewise, has no issues working with her ex-fiance as both of them have their own families now. She also said that the time is right to share the nostalgia with fans.
Meanwhile, Ziana added that the moment Awie informed her of the reunion idea, she could not say no since she loved every moment in those movies. “Seriously, we were such a great team back then and it’s a ‘must’ to take die-hard fans on a nostalgic journey.”
Awie further explained that the concert is divided into two segments.
“In the first, fans will see the three of us singing hit songs from our albums. The second segment is the musical. We will stage unforgettable moments and scenes from the five movies,” he added.
The RM1.4mil production has Erma Fatima as (joint) director, event producer Azmi Zainal Abidin as production director and composer Edrie Hashim in charge of the musical direction.
And in this day of perks and extras, RM399 and RM499 ticket holders are privy to a special reception, which will be held at 9pm on the last day of the show, where fans get to meet the trio up close and personal.
Konsert Teaterikal Suara Kita is staged from March 3–9 at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya. For ticket bookings and info, visit www.ticket2u.biz.