January 2007

NOTES: Reading the Living Arts newsletter for many years, I was starting to notice quite recently that its potential to be more than just a bulletin pad was not being fully taken advantage of. So I shot an email to Joe Hasham and Faridah Merican, asking them if I could chip in some content to spruce the newsletter up a tad, and also on a personal level, to gain some experience and exposure. Both were delighted to have me on board. My first topic was Faridah's simple suggestion after I gave up brainstorming for a star-spangled introduction.

As a relatively fresh contributor to the magazine, it may seem a little rude to head straight into my business of writing without introducing myself to you. I use the term ‘relatively’ because an account of my audition for Broken Bridges The Musical was published in a couple of recent issues. By the time you get to the bottom of this page, I assume you’d be sensing a pattern with my choice of topic. But not to worry, this is only because at the time of typing, complications arose with a couple of January productions I was hoping to cover. I’ll try to keep things as varied as I can in the months to come.

Now where was I? Ah, yes. Hi, I’m Davina. And if you intend to read on, thanks a mill.

Next Depot: Ipoh

As an ensemble member for a musical, I discovered that you are tossed headfirst into the whirlpool of madness. For Broken Bridges, learning the songs and conditioning our bodies for performance took two months, breathing life into the script and ingraining it into our systems to make it run like clockwork took another two.

Two months after our staging in KLPac, we took Broken Bridges to Ipoh, the town that forms the soul of the musical. Refreshment rehearsals commenced less than two weeks before showtime – a daunting task for three new members to the ensemble but they took it all in their stride. As for the rest of us, we did need to shake a little rust out of our joints but once we got back into the swing of things we were good to go. However, a few original ensemble members who couldn’t join the restaging were sorely missed.

An appendage to these rehearsals were breathing exercises to maximize our lung capacity and hence improve voice control. Enter Monsieur Dominique, a facilitator armed with a repertoire of elaborate puffing and an accent to melt the ice caps of Greenland. He guaranteed results in less than a week - true enough, we felt and heard the difference in mere days.



In Ipoh, we were welcomed with generous smiles and the true blue – or rather white – aroma of its trademark coffee. There’s an endearing quality about the town that makes you feel right at home, and the homely vibe extends itself even to Taman Budaya, the venue for our staging. You can’t put your finger on it, but there’s something about the intimate seating arrangement, dim fluorescent lighting and unpretentious dressing rooms that halves a bad case of the jitters. Loo Jia Wei had designed a multi-tiered stage for the Ipoh run which added a whole new dimension to the show, and the actors lapped it up like kids at a playground.





A new environment, as anticipated, also presents new challenges. No more cute little hi-tech mic packs that each of the cast and ensemble get the honor of guarding with our lives. Say hello to good ol’ fashioned microphones hanging from the ceiling and attached to the front of the stage. This is where our newly-acquired breathing prowess was put to the test. The roof made it audibly clear that rain was the season’s latest trend. The air in the theater was dry and musty, a natural hindrance in the continuous endeavor that is voice preservation. Despite the setbacks, we managed to stage a weekend of smooth-running shows, and thunder even occasionally struck at the most appropriate moments for dramatic effect. It was dreadfully nice to also find out that Ipoh folks make a wonderfully supportive audience.

As we sang the finale song for the last show, I thought I was the only one on stage trying to hold back the tears. I gave up and I drenched the floor at my feet at the first bow. The second everyone stepped off stage, some of us initiated the sob fest. It was somehow great to know that we allowed a production with so much heart to affect us that deeply.

Earlier this year, I was deep in contemplation about taking on Broken Bridges The Musical; if it was going to be an advisable decision to make with my life already thrown asunder with other occupations. A staging in KLPac, road trip to Ipoh, band of newfound friends and mentors, trove of learning experiences and total of eight months later, I now wonder why I even thought twice.





Photo credit: Pangasaasanii G & Davina G