The sound of music

Corporate honcho by day, musical muso by night, Tunku Alizakri Alias tells AREF OMAR about his passions

HE is savvy in dressing and demeanour, well articulated and approachable. As head of corporate affairs for yellow telco biggie Digi, Tunku Alizakri Alias happily confesses that his job is his passion.

But what’s surprising about the 38-year-old corporate figure is that come Aug 7, the theatre-going public will get to see him flex his vocal prowess onstage in a musical production of Tun Dr Ismail, simply entitled, Ismail: The Last Days.

“Most people only know Taman Tun Dr Ismail. I really didn’t know anything about the play at first, and I think that’s a symptom of Malaysians in general,” says Alizakri during an interview at Le Meridien in town where he was attending a string of business meetings.

“It was a great opportunity for me to get to know the history of this country and the people that made it, as well as to have experienced a newfound love for Malaysia,” he says.

In the production he takes on the task of portraying Malaysia’s Bapa Pembangunan, Tun Abdul Razak.

Produced by Datuk Faridah Merican and directed by Joe Hasham, Alizakri relished the chance to work with the two.

“I didn’t expect to get such a prominent role, so it was definitely an added bonus.”

To immerse himself in the character, Alizakri viewed what little video footage was available, shaved off his facial hair and got comfortable with wearing big black-rimmed glasses.

“People have told me that he likes to put his hands in his pockets, which I don’t normally do, so I had to make it natural,” he says with a laugh.

“But seriously, as long as I can do it with integrity and honesty, I feel I should at least be able to remain true to his spirit and honour him,” says the KL-ite, who studied law and laments the lack of material on Tun Abdul Razak to sink his teeth into.

“What I found was very cursory, merely records of achievements but nothing to really understand the man.”

Alizakri is quick to point out that Ismail is not a pure musical per se and shouldn’t be compared to previous KLpac productions like Broken Bridges or last year’s Tunku.

“It’s a theatre production with music and singing in it. Expect more dialogue and music that brings out a different level of emotional intensity to the drama,” he says.

The production, which features music written by Datuk Johari Salleh and poetry by Datuk Usman Awang, is a story about love and sacrifice.

“Tun Ismail had heart problems and cancer, while Tun Razak was dying from leukemia.

“These great men had the ability to put their problems aside and fulfil their duty,” he says.

“I hope this play will remind us of what challenges our founding fathers went through.

“It’s not preachy or meant to be a rap on the fingers though,” he says.

Alizakri had his first musical theatre experience with Evita when he aged 12, leading to a lifelong interest in theatre. His favourites include Les Miserables and Miss Saigon.

He recalls his first brush with being in theatre at King’s College, University of London where he had a singing role as the postman in a student production of the musical Vellappan and Minachi, based on a Lat cartoon.

“I remember my mother laughing when I told her I had auditioned for the musical. She told me to sing a bit and I did but the second I finished, she quickly jumped out of her seat, grabbed my hand and excitedly called for my father to come and listen,” he says.

“From then on I thought, hey, maybe I could sing, and what an experience it was, performing in front of an audience,” he says.

Having two passions, his work and singing, competing for his time, Alizakri says that his artistic persona gives him an added dimension and a lot of soul.

“I think every one of us wants to create in one form or another, be it cooking, drawing or whatever, so this is my contribution.

“I work till 6pm and then head off to rehearsals, which go on till 11pm. Rehearsals on weekends go on all day and I don’t feel tired,” says Alizakri, looking wide-eyed and fresh faced.

Alizakri was last seen onstage two years ago in the musical extravaganza M! The Opera.

“I love theatre-based music. It’s not just about making beautiful sounds but putting emotions into the music for a memorable experience,” says Alizakri, who also enjoys artistes with unique voices like Tracy Chapman, Sting and Sarah McLachlan.

Work-life balance is very important to Alizakri and the fulcrum that keeps stress and pressure at bay for him is yoga, which he has sworn by for the last six years.

“It’s a reflection of life, where the journey is what matters most, helping me to gain clarity and focus.

“I would definitely recommend it to anyone,” he says enthusiastically.

So what’s next for the corporate moonlighting theatre practitioner?

“It’s important to find your joy in life and to be true to yourself. I believe in fate, things will happen. But for now my focus is on making this play work,” he says with a smile.


Catch Ismail: The Last Days from Aug 7-31 (Tue-Sat, 8.30pm; Sun, 3pm) at Pentas 1, KLPac, Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan (off Jalan Ipoh), KL. Written by U-En Ng, the play also features Malik Taufiq, Tisha Zarina Zainal, Ari Ratos, Lim Soon Heng and Belinda Richardson. Admission is RM40-RM80. Call 03-40479000.