For The Sake of Argument

Malaysian Nite 2004 - The Art Of Wok

Yeap, what could be most Malaysian (apart from timing...ahaks!) if not food galore !

The first time to actually sit and watch the show from start to end would certainly mean a lot. There I was amongst the yet again full-house crowd in the Great Hall instead of running around backstage or on the stage itself, performing. I was filled with anticipation as one of the production team-member told a friend, an ex-President that this year's was going to be even better than the show we produced exactly 2 years ago. Afterall they were charging us £2 extra (it's £9 this year). That's a bit arrogant I thought but I bet he said it jokingly. Hey, hey we'll see...

The setting this year was modern as opposed to the Sultanate era for the past 2 years. I missed last year's and hadn't the opportunity to watch the cd yet. The show opened with the lion-dance performance. Trust me, it's the same every year which of course means that the somewhat "obscene" routine somewhere towards the end of dance would be evident and especially apparent to those with that sort of "eye". It's really hard to explain, I'll get the cd and let me know if you are interested to watch.

The props were marvellous. They had a sort of massive batik-painting which took up the entire wall as the backdrop and amid the flowers were yellow LED outlining KL landmarks Twin Tower, KL Tower, Menara Pucuk Rebung and a couple of others. Each time it went dark and the curtains were pulled open you'd see only these. Superb.

The script was good and humourous backed by the by and large excellent acting - natural and realistic. No lawak bodoh that would make you feel like banging your head against the wall. Good English, clarity and accent, except for roles that require a strong Manglish or Indian accent. I suppose it must have been hard for the foreigners who were present to make out some of the dialogues as I found it hard myself sometimes.

Lighting wasnt great but you must forgive them for getting the minimal amount of practice...what was it like, once or twice??? The sound was ok but the mics were often noisy. The soundtrack was quite cleverly chosen as it featured only local Malaysian talents including some cool bands like Flop Poppy, and I dunno..the band who did the opening number to kopitiam, not to forget Siti Sarah and Siti Nurhaliza. There was also a band performance (quite impressive and good vocal but lack showmanship), the song written by a fellow IC Malaysian. The girl who sang the Malay ballad has a good vocal too but she was too close to the mic and she sounded as though she was either out of breath or was just not very good at controlling her voice.

The bhangra was very entertaining. The male dances were adorable....so cute...But they didnt get the standing ovation we all received 2 years back..hahaha.. The traditional dances were ok but lack that Ummpphh! and kurang synchronised. Oh but the Sabahan bamboo dance..hmmm..now thats new and I must say caught my attention. Quite skilful. And the Stomp (beats using lying around tools and objects) piece was brilliant. There was this dance called the Kungfu Dance. Ah...thats crap. Shit stuff. Silat - nothing special. Apa lagi huh?? Dikir Barat..IC has relatively few Malays let alone active ones to help boost dikir barat. So for IC standard the Dikir Barat was good. The thing about dikir barat is that u must have and show tremendous energy and you must thoroughly enjoy yourself and look it.

Costume cun. Colourful, vibrant. "Class". The assistant director's dad works for the consulate. She must have pulled some strings.

At the end, there was a short fireworks and confetti. Overall, fantastic. Well...my scepticism had been proven wrong. I'm proud of my successors.

Well, call me a big show off but you can never get a Malaysian Night as good as Imperial's. Its more than the show itself. Its the teamwork, joy, laughter, tough times (including sewing til the wee hours of the morning) and excitement that came with it. This is not TKC where talent is abundant. Teaching geeks and nerds something they've never done before i.e. to dance could be hell but when they show you their commitment and willingness to learn, the worst thing that could happen to you is a back or stomach ache from rolling on the floor laughing unbelievingly at how one could lack coordination so much.

The show reintroduces the shelved Malaysian cultures not just for the audience but for the performers. You'd be surprise to know that many, many, many Malaysians in Imperial learn more about their country's heritage in that short timespan of production at college than their entire life living in the country.

I've been there, done that. Watching the spot I used to fill brought back irreplaceable memories and yes, yes nostalgia. Young Malaysians. Energetic. Now, I only know of Projects and that I'm a fossil (haha!). On my way out, I bumped into David, 2 years my senior and now working for an Investment Bank in London's financial district. And he said, its been 6 years (since he was first involved in Malaysian Night) and it is always great. He keeps coming back for it year after year. Wouldnt miss it. I agree. Its a pity that this will be my last. If I could name 2 best times in college, my experience in the Malaysian Society 2002 has got to be one of them.

p.s- as usual, this is the sort of ocassion in which you'd catch a glimpse of budak2 Melayu yg dressing over2. A few budak 1st Year Petronas who did their A-Levels here fall under this category and I sometimes find them repulsively too sociable. There was this girl, pakai beret (malam2 & dlm hall ?! duhhh) and white, tight tube top. Errr...I guess she came to the wrong event....hmm...and I'm sure the difference between clubbing and Malaysian Nite is marginal !!!!

posted by ShopTastic @ 8:36 pm |