05

Who’s going for the Rasa Melaka the stage musical? Can I tag along?

Out of curiosity, how many of you have gone for the preview?

Perhaps, some of you may have even watched the full show.

Stage musicals are typically held in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. For a change, unless you now reside in Malacca as at the time of publishing, why not head to the 600-year-old city instead? After all, where else can a musical about Malacca be held, right?

Rasa Melaka, the first to be shown as part of the RASA-CITY series, is now playing in conjunction with Visit Melaka 2019 and has received backing from the Melaka state government. Shows are to go on until October 2020.

Previews of the show ran from certain days in May 2019. The full 60-minute show is now running at Panggung Bangsawan Melaka, which was formerly occupied by the Cathay Cinema.

The musical, directed by a Beijing-based Malacca-born, is meant to delight and humour both locals and tourists alike. In light of cast members’ various backgrounds, they trained hard for two months, with the right guidance and help from professionally held workshops pre-rehearsals. To reflect the diversity that Malaysia has, the actors and other cast members, who were picked from auditions, are not necessarily Malaccans themselves.

While locals can expect to walk down memory lane, tourists can have a taste of what Malaysia is like, well-known for its multi-ethnic composition. The cast includes a Malay girl, a Hokkien boy and a Peranakan/Baba Nyonya.

Certain cultural elements, a few of which are central to Melaka, will be presented in the musical including the joget dance, the UNESCO-recognised dondang sayang, as well as the silat (a class of martial arts).

The three-act musical is slated to feature both original compositions as well as re-worked arrangements of Malaysian folk songs. Additionally, the musical is said to employ a structure that’s similar to the work of a particular German playwright, which is why the musical is set to be more enjoyable. For one, cast members and the audience can expect to be within reach. As much as history is almost always linked to a time and place, the musical will not show any specific time or venue. It will also solely show villagers and commonfolk – to depict and bring out the best – even amongst the ordinary.  Even then, the musical is said to be accessible to everyone, as the musical’s plot contains universal milestones like getting one’s offspring and getting hitched.

Ticket prices are varied according to categories. Senior citizens who are at least 66 years old, students, as well as those holding the OKU card,  need only pay RM48. Other Malaysians are to pay RM68, while tourists are expected to pay RM88.

For more details on the musical, you may call Panggung Bangsawan Melaka at 06 – 2811 666 or visit the official website at www.rasamelaka.com