Puteri Gunung Ledang

Puteri Gunung Ledang Season 3 just had it’s last show day. This was my first time seeing the musical and it was also the first time that I got picked to be in but.. had to let it go. Min Li, Abby and I went as a group to watch the show.

After watching it, I’m trying my best not to have the regret of not beeing in the show. Because I have to say it was fantastic and extremely grand. The cast was equally just as spectacular. I went to watch the show cause four people i knew were in it. And boy was I so proud of the three girls that were in Ismail with me!! Safia, Tisha and Kerry Ann. You all look gorgeous on stage and Tisha your Malay kampung girl mannerism was so cute! Safia you worked so hard for it and I’m glad to see you there. Kerry Ann you’ve always been a beautiful dancer.  The cast consisted of Tiara Jacquelina who reprises her role as the Puteri. Lovely and gracefully, she slinks in to character with ease. West-end player Stephen Rahman-Hughes as the dashing Hang Tuah. That man has a wonderful voice with turbo boosters just to pump out more air and volume when he sings.There is one scene where he belts out a long note for at least 20 seconds without losing his breath! Ida Mariana was fantastic as, i have no idea how she got voice to that creepy and haunting chants but she’s my favourite female singer there. 

To me Puteri Gunung Ledang had a very Disney theme to it. It almost felt like it was a combination with Mulan and Pocahuntas. Everything was either yellow, red or had the bluish hue that you see a lot in Pocahuntas. Think Disney on ice.

That’s a compliment okay! I’m not saying that the performances weren’t great but man, the performances were seriously helped a lot just by the mere sets the stage had. The moving mountains alone was enough to go whoa. 

I felt this set was absolutely gorgeous. The movable mountains turned into the edge of a cliff, with ‘water’ flowing in the middle. It’s just a white cloth with blue light and some gabo effect and ta da you have shimmering water.

The biggest whoa for me had to be when they brought in the ship! Although i was a bit peeved that the ship only lasted for a short while just before they went to intermission. How can you not go whoa!

The show enveloped itself on the romance happening between the Puteri and the Hang Tuah. The ending is just heart wrenching if you think about it. It’s the two lovers who can’t be together story… but you just wish that they are in the end. Puteri is cursed to forever be alone on Mount Ledang and whoever that sees her before the dawn will die. Likewise Hang Tuah who suddenly disappears to be with him can never see her… tragic love. But it stays with you. For a happier ending we can imagine that Hang Tuah and Puteri are together forever up on the mountain with their love to hold them close.  

 

.. You know as much as I can say I wasted an opportunity. But at the same time I have to accept that I made a choice and I did do stuff. It’s not to say that I couldn’t have done PGL as well. Just that probably I would’ve killed myself from too many things. Like I said in my previous post here – December was just mad and I had to make some sacrifices. If ever PGL comes to town again, i will definitely try out for it again. It’s a gorgeous show, just too bad that Tiara Jacquelina will not be playing the Puteri next time round. I imagine it will be quite difficult to find a replacement for her.