~ Loong-Updates~ (Malaysia Entertainment & Event Updates Blog ) : BROKEN BRIDGES: Multi-Award Winning Musical Returns to the Delight of Fans

Saturday 27 April 2013

BROKEN BRIDGES: Multi-Award Winning Musical Returns to the Delight of Fans

BROKEN BRIDGES: Multi-Award Winning Musical Returns to the Delight of Fans

Kuala Lumpur, 20 April 2013 – A true test of a successful musical is whether you leave humming the tunes. Almost a decade after its premiere, fans are still humming the tune of ‘Ipoh Town’ from Broken Bridges. This multi-award winning musical will be restaged at klpac from 16 to 26 May and tour to penangpac for the first time from 1 to 8 June 2013.

The combination of an acclaimed director Joe Hasham OAM and two die-hard musical fans, Lim Chuang Yik and Teng Ky-Gan, proved lethal. This unknown Malaysian musical by two unknown Ipoh lads swept half the music prizes at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards and bagged the Audience Choice Award too.

Set in 1950’s Ipoh, the protaganist Ming (Jon Chew) dreams of a bigger and better life beyond Ipoh, while his best friend Leong (Ho Soon Yoon) is perfectly content with small town life. Ming wants to chart his own destiny but his father, a quintessentially Chinese towkay, Wong (Colin Kirton) has his own plans for him including an arranged marriage and a coffee shop business.

This emotional tug of war begs the questions: “So what’s wrong with the old ways?”, and on the other hand, “So what’s wrong with the new ways?” Director Joe Hasham OAM says, “Everyone appreciates a good story and it doesn’t have to be a complicated one. Simple stories that tug at your heart can be extremely powerful and captivating. I think that’s why so many people have taken to plays like Philadelphia, Here I Come and Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me. Broken Bridges is no different. It moves you at a very basic level.”

Bringing audiences back half a century to tell this story is no easy feat. Executive Producer Dato’ Faridah Merican remarks, “I grew up in that era and it was so much fun. I’m glad set designer Loo Jia-Wei incorporated historic landmarks such as Jubilee Park where cabaret dancer Rose Chan performed as well as the now demolished Pasar Bulat in this staging. Completing the transformation would be the retro costumes by Dominique Devorsine. Think bell bottoms!”

Instrumental in bringing the musical alive and working closely with the director are musical director Llew Marsh and choreographer Lex Lakshman Balakrishnan. Broken Bridges’ clever formula of combining Broadway style music with a hearttugging Malaysian story won the hearts of many and paved the way for other Malaysian musicals. With 21 catchy tunes, colourful characters and heartwarming story, get ready to be entertained from start to end.

The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat presents ‘Broken Bridges’ from 16 to 26 May 2013 at klpac and from1 to 8 June 2013 at penangpac. Call 03-4047 9000 (klpac) or 04-899 1722 / 2722 (penangpac) to purchase tickets. For more information, visit www.theactorsstudio.com.my.