Dama Music Theatre celebrates 20 years with an exciting primer on musicals that will educate and thrill, writes Aref Omar
DAMA has always been known to put out quality, award-winning music productions. Weathering challenges, it has stood the test of time two decades on.
“Dama has gone through a natural progression in its exploration of music,” says co-founder and artistic director, Pun Kai Loon, when met at Dama’s office in Plaza Damas, Kuala Lumpur. Starting out as Dama Orchestra, with a 20-strong ensemble, the outfit was cut down to a six-person band after the Asian economic crisis hit.
Building Dama up again, with the inclusion of a vocalist, the group evolved from performing Chinese classical pieces to more contemporary works, as well as Malay and Indian songs.
“Khor Seng Chew (co-founder and music director) and I have a deep interest in Western musicals and we both travel to London frequently to get ideas and to liaise with the professionals there,” he says.
After choosing a new direction to focus on, the group became Dama Music Theatre.
In conjunction with its 20th anniversary celebration, the company is staging Larger Than Life: Favourite Songs From Broadway-West End Musicals, from today till Oct 12.
“This represents Dama’s first public performance of a main full length show featuring fully Western works, as opposed to short showcases we’ve done during private and corporate events,” says Pun.
The 135-minute extravaganza with a 15-minute intermission will feature tunes from over 20 musicals by the likes of Rogers & Hammerstein, Steven Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Walt Disney.
In addition to popular chanteuse Tan Soo Suan, the show will feature West End talent Nigel Richards backed by a team of local singers and dancers with choreography done by Broadway-based Michael Masterson.
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
Larger Than Life will be an exciting concert marked by dazzling solo, duet and ensemble performances. “Nigel and Michael bring with them lots of technical knowhow and they’re working professionals, so it’s a golden opportunity to learn and absorb,” says Pun.
He adds that they’re also lecturers and their academic background lets them function more effectively in sharing their work, experience and techniques.
Both Richards and Masterson, who were also present, agree that it’s exciting to be at the start of the evolution of a country’s relationship with music theatre.
“People generally know the songs individually but not so much in the context of the musicals they’re in, of where they come from,” says Pun of the large scale of famous musicals in the West that are not very well known here. So they decided to string them up in a grand concert to give people an entertaining introduction to the colourful and wide musical world out there.
“These are musicals worth looking at and hopefully it will foster a better appreciation and understanding as well,” he says.
The showcase will include narration by Samuel Tse to tie up the progress and development of Western musical theatre.
“There’ll be interesting stories to tell and I feel that some are worthwhile lessons to understand the art form,” says Pun.
Masterson explains that the show will cover many periods as well, from the 1920s to the post-millennium era.
“It’s a huge canvas and we’re going to paint different worlds in the theatre,” says the choreographer, who has had over two decades of experience working and performing in 25 countries.
Richards, who has played the Phantom and Enjolras in West End productions of the Phantom Of The Opera and Les Miserables respectively, adds that the performances will be faithful representations of the various productions they cover.
“There’ll be nearly 40 songs featured, some in medleys, all sung in character, so hopefully people will be able to relate them to the musicals they’re from,” he says.
With excerpts from Top Hat, The Sound Of Music and Cabaret to Chicago, Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys, the show offers exciting choreography onstage.
“I’m throwing everything at the ensemble to see what Malaysian dancers are capable of, and they’re up to it,” says Masterson.
He adds: “It’s been a joy but aside from the choreography, I’d like to walk away from this project knowing that I left them with something.”
Richards, who is also vocal coach, says that all involved are on a journey of learning, development and improvement.
“We’re all working very hard and I feel everyone wins in the end,” he says of the seven weeks of intensive rehearsals.
HOPE AND HUMANITY
Masterson has collaborated with The American Voices Association in bringing US music theatre and dance to conflict-ridden countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sudan.
“It was tough, but rewarding. The people are so grateful and you find just the most amazing talents in these isolated places around the world,” says the American, who has directed musicals such as Grease, Annie, Hairspray and West Side Story.
“And I’ve learnt from them just as much,” he adds.
For Richards, who has played Quasimodo in Notre Dame de Paris in China and South Korea, theatre has the opportunity to show people the best of humanity.
“Singing and making art is something that humanises us and connects us, theatre is incredibly important,” he says.
Currently a visiting professor of musical theatre at the London School Of Musical Theatre, Richards recalls a famous story during the Balkan War in Sarajevo where the theatre remained open every night.
On the popularity of musicals, he explains that even all of Shakespeare’s plays have at least two songs in them.
“In fact the earliest script of entertainment is a second century BC Roman drama and it’s a musical,” he says.
LargerThan Life
When Today to Oct12, 8.30pm (Sun, 3pm)
Where Pentas 1, KLPaC, Sentul West, Jalan Strachan, off Jalan Ipoh, KL
Admission RM68-RM268.
There will be fundraising nights for various charity organisations (visit www.damaorchestra.com for details). For tickets, call 03-40479000 or visit www.ticketpro.com.my.