JOHAN JAAFAR
Most hilarious ever musical to grace the land

2009/10/31

THE cover of the souvenir book is reminiscent of the poster for the first Ghostbusters movie in 1984 -- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis in full regalia. They were the flaky chasers and flushers of, what else, ghosts and spirits in New York City. They made their fortune as "paranormal investigators". Between them, they were more than just buddies, they were "blood brothers" in the realm of an extraordinary vocation. It was not about confronting evil, friendly and ugly ghosts and spirits to please their clients. At times they had to confront the ghosts within themselves, defining both their relationship and resilience.

Ghostbusters started an entirely new genre of "scare comedies" that defined the 1980s. It is nuanced, hugely entertaining, yet clever. Ivan Reitman, the director, replicated the success with Ghostbusters II, slightly longish but equally good-natured and devilishly entertaining. The Ghostbusters series is part of the 80s movie-goer's psyche. They were among the must-see movies of the decade.

I believe Cuci the Musical will help redefine the stage musicals of this decade, and in doing so set a new marker of excellence for theatre production in the country. Perhaps we can forgive the offering by Tall Order Productions Sdn Bhd, now showing at Istana Budaya, for being half an hour too long, or at times taking a bit of a slapstick route to appease, but the fact remains that audiences do not mind. They wouldn't mind if it is loud, boisterous and noisy. Or if the plot is stretched unbelievably thin at times. Why should they? It is one of the most hilarious musicals ever to grace the land.

There were times when I felt guilty for laughing too much. Many in the audience, I am sure, shared my guilt. This is one production where pretentiousness has to be left out of the equation. And any intellectual baloney placed in the back burner.

Sit back and enjoy. You'll be surprised at what you see and hear, mostly great acting, incredible dance moves and superb production values. What else do you expect in trying times like these? This musical will literally sweep (part of the meaning of cuci in Bahasa Malaysia) you off your seat.

The quartet of Afdlin Shauki, Hans Isaac, Awie and AC Mizal are part of the dream team making Cuci the Musical a notoriously entertaining production. Afdlin is his usual calm and calculated self, the Big Brother Fairil who means well but sadly has to succumb to an ethical method to save the fledgling company, Cuci Cuci Services, which is made up of him and his three siblings. Hans (Khai) and AC Mizal (C'Tan) are responsible for making the musical hugely believable, with their spontaneous, convincing and nuanced acting.

But Awie (Jojo) is the real surprise. Better known as a singing sensation (he was with the rock group Wings), he has acted in films as disparate as the Sembilu series, Baik Punya Cilok, Diva Popular and Duyung. He shines in Cuci the Musical as the bumbling brother with a conscience. He is funny and credible.

I have never seen his true potential realised until now. Cuci the Musical gives him the chance to prove his real worth. His is paired with the incredibly talented Adibah Noor (who plays Farah), making them the most successful unlikely lovebirds on stage. Harith Iskandar plays Wira, the scheming owner of another rival company. Put Harith in a musical comedy and one can never go wrong. That, simply, is a rule of the game.

Vanidah Imran has been in theatre and film for hardly 15 years. This is an actress to watch. She has tenaciously pursued her acting career in a clever way, effortlessly meandering between stage and celluloid, engaging herself in arty movies and serious plays. Yet she is able to do popular films as well.

Her performance in the largely ignored and under-rated film The Red Kebaya was a career defining moment. Her performance on stage as Wangi in U-Wei Saari's Wangi Jadi Saksi three years ago was memorable as it was difficult. No living actress today would be able to handle the complexities of Wangi, but she tried and she must be credited for the result. Vanidah is Erma Fatimah in her prime and Tiara Jacquelina at her best. Given the chance, Vanidah will evolve as one of the greatest actresses working today.

In Cuci the Musical, the character Citi Jasmin or CJ is not as challenging as Wangi. There is little in the character to showcase her unfathomable talent, but Vanidah moves with aplomb, caressing those she touches with style and finesse.

The only chance she and Isaac have to show their affection is a turning point in the musical. Perched high on the gondola, Isaac's Khai and Vanidah's Citi Jasmin are like tortured lovers looking to be grounded in reality. It is not Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet aboard the Titanic, but nonetheless equally romantic.

Incidentally, many of the prime movers in the musical were involved in the hugely successful Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical (PGL-TM) back in 2006. Datuk Zahim Al-Bakri is around, so too many of the stage hands. Zahim is listed as director with Harith Iskandar this time. Stephen Rahman-Hughes, the Hang Tuah of PGL-TM, is back as choreographer. I am sure he did not have to face the daunting task of delivering his lines in Bahasa Malaysia, which he did remarkably well, considering his background, in PGL-TM, for dance transcends language barriers.

Rahman-Hughes brings his wide range of talent, experience and exposure to the production. After all, he has worked with the Maestro himself, Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber, in Bombay Dreams, not to mention India's own A.R. Rahman in London's West End. Choreography-wise Cuci the Musical combines the tradition of West Side Story, the intricacies of Phantom of the Opera and the joy of Bombay Dreams.

Douglas Lim and Dr Syed Ahmad Faizal al Attas a.k.a. Pacai collaborated as composers and Rudi Muhammad is the musical director. Rudi made his mark before this, composing songs for movies and commercials.

Again, this is multi-ethnicity at its best -- an assembly of some of the best talents on stage comprising people of all races that will make the prime minister proud. Did I say this is the must-see production of the year?

zulujj@tm.net.my

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