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Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical)
Encyclopedia
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a Malaysian musical directed by Zahim Albakri, co-directed by Adlin Aman Ramlie, book by Saw Teong Hin and music composed by Dick Lee
. The musical is based on the 2004 Puteri Gunung Ledang film
. The original production was staged at the Istana Budaya in February 2006, this was followed by two more productions and an upcoming third in February 2009. Tiara Jacquelina
and Stephen Rahman-Hughes starred as Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah in all the productions to date. Other members of the production team are music director Roslan Aziz
, choreographer Pat Ibrahim and production designer Raja Malek. The musical was staged in poetic Malay
and Java
nese-accented Malay
, but English
subtitles were provided.
n warrior Hang Tuah
. The pair first meet when a Malaccan entourage arrives in Majapahit, and both are immediately intrigued with the other's charm and intelligence.
When Majapahit is threatened by a coup, the king Gusti Adipati asks Sultan Mahmud
of Malacca for help. Sultan Mahmud promises his aid on the condition that he be allowed to marry Gusti Putri. Gusti Adipati agrees to the condition, not realising that his sister has fallen for another. Sultan Mahmud then sends Tuah to lead a delegation to warn Majapahit's enemy. Gusti Putri, overcome with longing for her beloved, decides to leave Majapahit for Mount Ledang, where she will wait for Tuah.
Gusti Adipati learns that his sister has fled, and chases her to Malacca. When Sultan Mahmud learns that Gusti Putri is on Gunung Ledang, he sends Tuah as his delegate to formally present his proposal of marriage to her. The lovers are reunited on Gunung Ledang, but Gusti Putri is disappointed to learn that Hang Tuah has sought her out on behalf of his king.
Gusti Putri then sets seven conditions for Sultan Mahmud to fulfil before she will accept his proposal, the seventh condition being a bowl of his young son's blood. Before Sultan Mahmud can kill his own son, Gusti Putri stops him, declaring that the conditions were a rejection and all she wants is to live on Gunung Ledang in peace. Enraged, Sultan Mahmud condemns her to live forever alone on Gunung Ledang.
and Pat Ibrahim began discussing the idea of a musical version of the Princess of Gunung Ledang
story during the development of the film
, during which Pat began having meetings with Singapore
an composer Dick Lee
to discuss the idea. The critical and commercial success of the film became the deciding factor for pursuing a stage version. It was decided that the musical version would follow the storyline established by the film, due to audience's familiarity with it, but with a more contemporary feel in order to appeal to younger audience members. Accordingly, the character of Gusti Putri, who was sombre and philosophical in the film, was reinterpreted as being younger and more playful in the stage version. Tiara said that the reinterpretation of the character was in part inspired by the success of her music single "Asmaradana", which was recorded for the film and became a hit among young Malaysian music fans, drawing their attention to the film itself.
Saw Teong Hin, who directed the film, was invited to write the book. He was later joined by Zahim Albakri and Adlin Aman Ramlie as co-writers. Together with composer Dick Lee, conductor and musician Jason Voo, music producer Roslan Aziz
and arts students with UiTM, they held a 10-day workshop for the musical, working on the script and songs. Following the workshop, Saw, who had been invited to direct the production, bowed out due a conflicting project. Writers Zahim and Adlin became the director and co-director respectively.
. Raja Malek developed the idea of using stupa
s that could be rotated and rearranged to form various parts of the set. The stupas were inspired by "Pintu Gerbang", the oldest remains of Majapahit civilisation that consist of two large pillars on either side of a gateway. The pillars represent the two Java
nese mountains Gunung Agung and Gunung Merapi.
For the other lead role of Hang Tuah, established actor and singer M. Nasir
, who had portrayed the character in the film, could not commit to the musical due to other projects. Even with rehearsals in full swing and a confirmed date at the Istana Budaya
, a replacement had not been found. Eventually, Kavita Kaur and Dato' Farid Ridzuwan (CEO of TV3
) recommended Stephen Rahman-Hughes
, a Malaysian-born West End
actor, to the production team. Rahman-Hughes signed on to the project in December 2005, barely two months before opening night. The challenge lay in coaching Rahman-Hughes in Malay
, a language he was not familiar in.
, Sultan Mahmud
of Malacca
sends his emissary, Hang Tuah
, to Gunung Ledang to present his royal proposal of marriage to the mystical Princess of Mount Ledang. The Princess and Hang Tuah are independently famous figures of Malayan history-mythology, and it is only in this specific story that the two briefly cross paths, though in some versions of the tale it is Tun Mamat, not Tuah, who presents the proposal to the Princess as Tuah was too old and weak to reach the mountain peak. The original concept of the Puteri Gunung Ledang
, as pitched by Mamat Khalid, was to pose the question of what would happen if these two characters had met and fallen in love.
’s rule, the Majapahit empire was a powerful neighbour of Malacca
. The Princess was set up as the younger sister of the Adipati (King) of Majapahit at that time.
Hang Tuah
is an actual Malacca
n historical figure, but his career as a Laksamana (Admiral) began during the reign of Sultan Mansur, who was Sultan Mahmud
’s grandfather. By the time Sultan Mahmud became ruler of Malacca, Hang Tuah was an old man at the end of his life. However, the musical opts to show Tuah as still being in his prime of his career, though the age gap between him and the Princess is acknowledged by a line in the show when the Princess remarks that she was a child when she saw the famous Admiral Tuah for the first time.
The musical instead focuses on the love story between the mortal characters of the Princess and Tuah. The seven impossible tasks are only briefly mentioned towards the end of Act 2, near the finale.
Due to the romantic nature of the reinterpreted story, the finale was made bittersweet, with Sultan Mahmud cursing the Princess to live forever on Mount Ledang alone. In the original legend, the Princess was never condemned by a curse as she was beyond the Sultan's jurisdiction, and it is Sultan Mahmud who ultimately suffered by trying to fulfil her seven conditions. Historically, Sultan Mahmud was the last Sultan of Malacca, and at the end of his reign had to flee from his city, thus ending the Malaccan Sultanate. This Sultan Mahmud is sometimes confused with his great-grandson, Sultan Mahmud II
, who was assassinated on his royal dais.
and the Puteri bears similarity to the love story between Tuah and Tun Teja. As chronicled in Hikayat Hang Tuah and other sources, Tun Teja was a beautiful princess from Pahang
. Sultan Mahmud heard of her beauty and sent Tuah as his emissary to present to her his royal proposal of marriage. Upon meeting Tuah, Tun Teja fell in love with him, and in some versions Tuah reciprocated her feelings. Ultimately, Tuah placed his loyalty to Sultan Mahmud above his personal emotions.
The Puteri Gunung Ledang
film acknowledges the existence of Tun Teja, who in that version is already Sultan Mahmud’s wife and the mother of the crown prince Raja Ahmad. The musical omits Tun Teja completely.
from February 10 to 24, 2006. The enthusiastic response both critically and commercially lead to a second season being announced before the first season had been completed. The second season ran at the same venue from August 6 to 21, 2006, and featured supporting cast replacements, slight changes in the set-up and dialogue along with more sophisticated props.
The musical had an international run when it was performed in Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
from November 24 to 26, 2006 in conjunction with Pesta Raya (Malay Festival of Arts). The tickets were declared sold-out a month prior to the performance, prompting the organisers to create an extra matinee performance on the November 25, 2006.
A special performance of the musical was staged in April 2008 to celebrate the opening of the East Ledang resort in Nusajaya, Johor
. The original ensemble performed the show, with the understudies taking over the principal roles originated by Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes.
The musical had its third run at the Istana Budaya from February 6 to 21, 2009.
Understudy cast
, opting for "rousing numbers, a full chorus performing lavish song and dance spectacles, and colourful costumes and props". Composer Dick Lee found inspiration in Bali
, Java
and among his own Peranakan
heritage. A live cast recording of the songs from the show was released on CD in August 2006. A few songs were omitted from the album, all of them featuring the vocals of Sukania Venugopal.
Act I
Act II
Dick Lee
Richard "Dick" Lee Peng Boon is a Singaporean pop singer, composer, songwriter, and playwright. He is best known as a Singapore Idol judge, but often too as spokesperson for the New Asian generation....
. The musical is based on the 2004 Puteri Gunung Ledang film
Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a Indonesian legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M...
. The original production was staged at the Istana Budaya in February 2006, this was followed by two more productions and an upcoming third in February 2009. Tiara Jacquelina
Tiara Jacquelina
Tiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress and film producer. She rose to fame in Puteri Gunung Ledang, the biggest budget movie in Malaysia to date, in which she played the lead role, and sang the theme song, "Asmaradana"...
and Stephen Rahman-Hughes starred as Gusti Putri and Hang Tuah in all the productions to date. Other members of the production team are music director Roslan Aziz
Roslan Aziz
Roslan Aziz is a Malaysian music producer/engineer and the man behind Malaysian acts such as Sheila Majid and Zainal Abidin, Amir Yusoff, Prema, Zubir Ali,Raja Atilia and 'aLi . Co-founder of the Roslan Aziz Productions label , the first local recording label to generate interest from abroad, R.A.P...
, choreographer Pat Ibrahim and production designer Raja Malek. The musical was staged in poetic Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese-accented Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, but English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
subtitles were provided.
Synopsis
Set late in the 15th Century, the musical tells the tale of Gusti Putri, a princess of Majapahit who falls in love with the MalaccaMalacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
n warrior Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
. The pair first meet when a Malaccan entourage arrives in Majapahit, and both are immediately intrigued with the other's charm and intelligence.
When Majapahit is threatened by a coup, the king Gusti Adipati asks Sultan Mahmud
Mahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)
Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
of Malacca for help. Sultan Mahmud promises his aid on the condition that he be allowed to marry Gusti Putri. Gusti Adipati agrees to the condition, not realising that his sister has fallen for another. Sultan Mahmud then sends Tuah to lead a delegation to warn Majapahit's enemy. Gusti Putri, overcome with longing for her beloved, decides to leave Majapahit for Mount Ledang, where she will wait for Tuah.
Gusti Adipati learns that his sister has fled, and chases her to Malacca. When Sultan Mahmud learns that Gusti Putri is on Gunung Ledang, he sends Tuah as his delegate to formally present his proposal of marriage to her. The lovers are reunited on Gunung Ledang, but Gusti Putri is disappointed to learn that Hang Tuah has sought her out on behalf of his king.
Gusti Putri then sets seven conditions for Sultan Mahmud to fulfil before she will accept his proposal, the seventh condition being a bowl of his young son's blood. Before Sultan Mahmud can kill his own son, Gusti Putri stops him, declaring that the conditions were a rejection and all she wants is to live on Gunung Ledang in peace. Enraged, Sultan Mahmud condemns her to live forever alone on Gunung Ledang.
Early development
Tiara JacquelinaTiara Jacquelina
Tiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress and film producer. She rose to fame in Puteri Gunung Ledang, the biggest budget movie in Malaysia to date, in which she played the lead role, and sang the theme song, "Asmaradana"...
and Pat Ibrahim began discussing the idea of a musical version of the Princess of Gunung Ledang
Legend of Gunung Ledang
Also see : Location Gunung Ledang, theater Puteri Gunung Ledang , 2004's Puteri Gunung Ledang , 1961's Puteri Gunung Ledang...
story during the development of the film
Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a Indonesian legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M...
, during which Pat began having meetings with Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an composer Dick Lee
Dick Lee
Richard "Dick" Lee Peng Boon is a Singaporean pop singer, composer, songwriter, and playwright. He is best known as a Singapore Idol judge, but often too as spokesperson for the New Asian generation....
to discuss the idea. The critical and commercial success of the film became the deciding factor for pursuing a stage version. It was decided that the musical version would follow the storyline established by the film, due to audience's familiarity with it, but with a more contemporary feel in order to appeal to younger audience members. Accordingly, the character of Gusti Putri, who was sombre and philosophical in the film, was reinterpreted as being younger and more playful in the stage version. Tiara said that the reinterpretation of the character was in part inspired by the success of her music single "Asmaradana", which was recorded for the film and became a hit among young Malaysian music fans, drawing their attention to the film itself.
Saw Teong Hin, who directed the film, was invited to write the book. He was later joined by Zahim Albakri and Adlin Aman Ramlie as co-writers. Together with composer Dick Lee, conductor and musician Jason Voo, music producer Roslan Aziz
Roslan Aziz
Roslan Aziz is a Malaysian music producer/engineer and the man behind Malaysian acts such as Sheila Majid and Zainal Abidin, Amir Yusoff, Prema, Zubir Ali,Raja Atilia and 'aLi . Co-founder of the Roslan Aziz Productions label , the first local recording label to generate interest from abroad, R.A.P...
and arts students with UiTM, they held a 10-day workshop for the musical, working on the script and songs. Following the workshop, Saw, who had been invited to direct the production, bowed out due a conflicting project. Writers Zahim and Adlin became the director and co-director respectively.
Production design
Production designer Raja Malek obtained inspiration from museum exhibits for the look of period Majapahit and MalaccaMalacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
. Raja Malek developed the idea of using stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
s that could be rotated and rearranged to form various parts of the set. The stupas were inspired by "Pintu Gerbang", the oldest remains of Majapahit civilisation that consist of two large pillars on either side of a gateway. The pillars represent the two Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
nese mountains Gunung Agung and Gunung Merapi.
Casting
Tiara Jacquelina and Adlin Aman Ramlie, who had portrayed Gusti Putri and Sultan Mahmud in the film, were quickly signed on to reprise their roles in the stage version. A. C. Mizal, actor and former member of boyband 4U2C, was cast late into pre-production as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat.For the other lead role of Hang Tuah, established actor and singer M. Nasir
M. Nasir
Mohamad Nasir Mohamad or M. Nasir , is a Malaysian poet, singer-songwriter, composer, producer, actor and film director.-Career:...
, who had portrayed the character in the film, could not commit to the musical due to other projects. Even with rehearsals in full swing and a confirmed date at the Istana Budaya
Istana Budaya
The Istana Budaya or The Palace of Culture, founded in September 1999, is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theater, operetta, classical concert and opera from local and international performances...
, a replacement had not been found. Eventually, Kavita Kaur and Dato' Farid Ridzuwan (CEO of TV3
TV3 (Malaysia)
Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010...
) recommended Stephen Rahman-Hughes
Stephen Rahman-Hughes
Stephen Rahman-Hughes is an English actor who currently stars as DCI Vikesh Dasari in ITV's Emmerdale. He has previously starred in Bad Girls, Doctors and Sky One Dream Team...
, a Malaysian-born West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
actor, to the production team. Rahman-Hughes signed on to the project in December 2005, barely two months before opening night. The challenge lay in coaching Rahman-Hughes in Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, a language he was not familiar in.
Story adaptation
In the original Legend of Gunung LedangLegend of Gunung Ledang
Also see : Location Gunung Ledang, theater Puteri Gunung Ledang , 2004's Puteri Gunung Ledang , 1961's Puteri Gunung Ledang...
, Sultan Mahmud
Mahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)
Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
sends his emissary, Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
, to Gunung Ledang to present his royal proposal of marriage to the mystical Princess of Mount Ledang. The Princess and Hang Tuah are independently famous figures of Malayan history-mythology, and it is only in this specific story that the two briefly cross paths, though in some versions of the tale it is Tun Mamat, not Tuah, who presents the proposal to the Princess as Tuah was too old and weak to reach the mountain peak. The original concept of the Puteri Gunung Ledang
Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a Indonesian legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M...
, as pitched by Mamat Khalid, was to pose the question of what would happen if these two characters had met and fallen in love.
Characters
In the original story, the Princess is mysterious and magical, hinting that she is supernatural in origin. In contrast, the stage musical followed the precedent set by the film by making the Princess a mortal human being, and uses the unique creation of the love affair between her and Tuah as the reason she decides to live on Mount Ledang. In order to set up the Princess as a mortal princess, the Majapahit empire was chosen as her kingdom of origin. At the time of Sultan MahmudMahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)
Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
’s rule, the Majapahit empire was a powerful neighbour of Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
. The Princess was set up as the younger sister of the Adipati (King) of Majapahit at that time.
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
is an actual Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
n historical figure, but his career as a Laksamana (Admiral) began during the reign of Sultan Mansur, who was Sultan Mahmud
Mahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)
Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
’s grandfather. By the time Sultan Mahmud became ruler of Malacca, Hang Tuah was an old man at the end of his life. However, the musical opts to show Tuah as still being in his prime of his career, though the age gap between him and the Princess is acknowledged by a line in the show when the Princess remarks that she was a child when she saw the famous Admiral Tuah for the first time.
Story focus
The original legend centres on the Princess’ response to Sultan Mahmud’s proposal. During the time of the old Malay Sultanates the Sultans were believed to have ‘daulat’, a divine right bestowed from God that gives them absolute power over the land and its people. It is because of this that the Princess, though she was not interested in his proposal, did not refuse him outright. Instead she set for him seven impossible tasks for him to fulfil, but Sultan Mahmud was either too proud or too blind to realize that the tasks were her way of turning him down, and when he attempted to fulfil them Malacca fell into ruin.The musical instead focuses on the love story between the mortal characters of the Princess and Tuah. The seven impossible tasks are only briefly mentioned towards the end of Act 2, near the finale.
Due to the romantic nature of the reinterpreted story, the finale was made bittersweet, with Sultan Mahmud cursing the Princess to live forever on Mount Ledang alone. In the original legend, the Princess was never condemned by a curse as she was beyond the Sultan's jurisdiction, and it is Sultan Mahmud who ultimately suffered by trying to fulfil her seven conditions. Historically, Sultan Mahmud was the last Sultan of Malacca, and at the end of his reign had to flee from his city, thus ending the Malaccan Sultanate. This Sultan Mahmud is sometimes confused with his great-grandson, Sultan Mahmud II
Sultan Mahmud Shah II of Johor
H.H. Paduka Sri Sultan Mahmud Shah II ibni al-Marhum Sultan Ibrahim Shah was the 10th Sultan of Johor, Pahang and Lingga ....
, who was assassinated on his royal dais.
Tun Teja
The musical’s reinterpreted love story of TuahHang Tuah
Hang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
and the Puteri bears similarity to the love story between Tuah and Tun Teja. As chronicled in Hikayat Hang Tuah and other sources, Tun Teja was a beautiful princess from Pahang
Pahang
Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...
. Sultan Mahmud heard of her beauty and sent Tuah as his emissary to present to her his royal proposal of marriage. Upon meeting Tuah, Tun Teja fell in love with him, and in some versions Tuah reciprocated her feelings. Ultimately, Tuah placed his loyalty to Sultan Mahmud above his personal emotions.
The Puteri Gunung Ledang
Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a Indonesian legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M...
film acknowledges the existence of Tun Teja, who in that version is already Sultan Mahmud’s wife and the mother of the crown prince Raja Ahmad. The musical omits Tun Teja completely.
Productions
The musical first ran at the Istana BudayaIstana Budaya
The Istana Budaya or The Palace of Culture, founded in September 1999, is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theater, operetta, classical concert and opera from local and international performances...
from February 10 to 24, 2006. The enthusiastic response both critically and commercially lead to a second season being announced before the first season had been completed. The second season ran at the same venue from August 6 to 21, 2006, and featured supporting cast replacements, slight changes in the set-up and dialogue along with more sophisticated props.
The musical had an international run when it was performed in Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
from November 24 to 26, 2006 in conjunction with Pesta Raya (Malay Festival of Arts). The tickets were declared sold-out a month prior to the performance, prompting the organisers to create an extra matinee performance on the November 25, 2006.
A special performance of the musical was staged in April 2008 to celebrate the opening of the East Ledang resort in Nusajaya, Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
. The original ensemble performed the show, with the understudies taking over the principal roles originated by Tiara Jacquelina and Stephen Rahman-Hughes.
The musical had its third run at the Istana Budaya from February 6 to 21, 2009.
Cast
Season 1 (10-24 Feb 2006)
Main cast- Tiara JacquelinaTiara JacquelinaTiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress and film producer. She rose to fame in Puteri Gunung Ledang, the biggest budget movie in Malaysia to date, in which she played the lead role, and sang the theme song, "Asmaradana"...
as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah - Stephen Rahman-HughesStephen Rahman-HughesStephen Rahman-Hughes is an English actor who currently stars as DCI Vikesh Dasari in ITV's Emmerdale. He has previously starred in Bad Girls, Doctors and Sky One Dream Team...
as Hang TuahHang TuahHang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter... - Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan MahmudMahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
- AC Mizal as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat
- Sukania Venugopal as Bayan
- Hamzah Tahir as Bendahara
- Yalal Chin (BCM) as Patih
- Mohammed Afif Halim as Raja Ahmad
Season 2 (6-21 Aug 2006)
Main cast- Tiara JacquelinaTiara JacquelinaTiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress and film producer. She rose to fame in Puteri Gunung Ledang, the biggest budget movie in Malaysia to date, in which she played the lead role, and sang the theme song, "Asmaradana"...
as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah - Stephen Rahman-HughesStephen Rahman-HughesStephen Rahman-Hughes is an English actor who currently stars as DCI Vikesh Dasari in ITV's Emmerdale. He has previously starred in Bad Girls, Doctors and Sky One Dream Team...
as Hang TuahHang TuahHang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter... - Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan MahmudMahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
- AC Mizal as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat
- Ida Mariana as Bayan
- Firdee Akassya Rosli as Bendahara
- Yalal Chin (BCM) as Patih
- Martin Haniff Sargeant and Mohammed Afif Halim as Raja Ahmad
Understudy cast
- Lily Zarina as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah
- Firdee Akassya Rosli as Hang TuahHang TuahHang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
- Jeffry Haikel as Sultan MahmudMahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
- Mohammad Faizal Mohd Ali as Adipati Handaya Ningrat
- Norenshah Sahari as Bayan
- Ismarizal Zulamran as Bendahara
- Azrul Zaidi as Patih
Singapore (24-26 Nov 2006)
- Tiara JacquelinaTiara JacquelinaTiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress and film producer. She rose to fame in Puteri Gunung Ledang, the biggest budget movie in Malaysia to date, in which she played the lead role, and sang the theme song, "Asmaradana"...
as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah - Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Hang TuahHang TuahHang Tuah is a legendary warrior/hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter...
- Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan MahmudMahmud Shah (Sultan of Malacca)Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca from 1488 to 1528. He was the son of Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah.Upon his father's premature death, he was installed at a very young age. The regent at that time was the prime minister Tun Perak. During his initial years as a young adult, the sultan was known to...
- AC Mizal as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat
Season 3 (6-21 Feb 2009)
Main cast- Tiara Jacquelina as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah
- Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Hang Tuah
- Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud
- AC Mizal as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat
- Ida Mariana as Bayan
- Chedd Eddie Yusoff as Bendahara
- Yalal Chin as Patih
- Mohammed Afif Halim and Muhammad Hazique Fitrie as Raja Ahmad
Songs
Director and writer Zahim Albakri was influenced by the musicals of Rodgers and HammersteinRodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
, opting for "rousing numbers, a full chorus performing lavish song and dance spectacles, and colourful costumes and props". Composer Dick Lee found inspiration in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...
, Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
and among his own Peranakan
Peranakan
Peranakan Chinese and Baba-Nyonya are terms used for the descendants of late 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to the Indonesian archipelago of Nusantara during the Colonial era....
heritage. A live cast recording of the songs from the show was released on CD in August 2006. A few songs were omitted from the album, all of them featuring the vocals of Sukania Venugopal.
Act I
- Suatu Hari Nanti (Someday) – Adipati, Patih, Putri, Bayan, Ensemble Majaphit
- Moga Temui Cinta (Hoping to Find Love) – Putri, Bayan
- Kemasyhuran (Fame) – Ensemble Majapahit
- Jiwa Abadi (Eternal Soul) – Putri
- Jiwa Abadi reprise – Putri
- Tinta Dewa (Lord's Command) – Bayan, Ensemble Kraton
- Di Puncak Tertinggi (On the Highest Peak) – Hang Tuah, Putri
- Suatu Hari Nanti reprise – Ensemble
- Dewa Perang (Lord of War) – Adipati, Ensemble Prajurit
- Hajatmu Kubantu (I Will Aid Thee) – Adipati, Sultan
- Keranamu Kekaish (For You, Beloved) – Hang Tuah
- Katakan Hadirmu Kerana Cinta solo (Say You are Here Because of Love) – Putri
- Tinta Dewa - Bayan dan Suara Ramai (Lord's Command - Bayan and the People) – Bayan, Ensemble Kraton
- Moga Temui Cinta duet – Bayan, Putri
- Suatu Hari Nanti duet – Adipati, Patih
- Moga Temui Cinta solo – Bayan
Act II
- Melaka Terbilang (Glorious Malacca) – Ensemble Malacca
- Di Puncak Tertinggi solo – Hang Tuah
- Di Puncak Tertinggi duet – Hang Tuah, Putri
- Cinta Atau Setia (Love or Loyalty) – Hang Tuah
- Titah Sultan (The Sultan's Command) – Sultan, Ensemble Malacca
- Melaka Terbilang reprise – Ensemble Malacca
- Mendaki Gunung (Climbing the Mountain) - (Dance) Hang Tuah, Rombongan Tujuh (Seven Delegates)
- Putri Chant/Tinta Dewa – Putri, Ensemble
- Keranamu Kekaish duet – Hang Tuah, Putri
- Katakan Hadirmu Kerana Cinta reprise – Putri
- Tujuh Syarat Agong (The Seven Conditions) – Ensemble Nenek Kebayan
- Melaka Bercelaru (Malacca in Turmoil) – Hang Tuah, Putri, Ensemble Malacca
- Cinta Atau Setia solo – Hang Tuah
- Curtain call: Suatu Hari Nanti/Keranamu Kekaish
Response
The musical was critically and commercially successful, earning praise from critics for the reinterpretation of the legend of Mount Ledang.Awards
- 5th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2006
- Best Director (Theatre) — Zahim Albakri and Adlin Aman Ramlie
- Best Lighting Design (Theatre) — Mac Chan
- Best Set Design (Theatre) — Raja Malek
- Best Music and Sound Design (Theatre) — Dick LeeDick LeeRichard "Dick" Lee Peng Boon is a Singaporean pop singer, composer, songwriter, and playwright. He is best known as a Singapore Idol judge, but often too as spokesperson for the New Asian generation....
- Primavera Best Costume Design (Theatre) — Akma Suriati Awang
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Theatre) — Sukania Venugopal
- Best Original Script, Bahasa Malaysia (Theatre) — Adlin Aman Ramlie
See also
- Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)Puteri Gunung Ledang is a 2004 Malaysian epic fantasy period film directed by Saw Teong Hin and based on the Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a Indonesian legend about a Princess who lived on top of Gunung Ledang and a Malaccan Sultan's effort to court her. The film stars Tiara Jacquelina, M...
- Puteri Gunong Ledang (film)
- Legend of Gunung LedangLegend of Gunung LedangAlso see : Location Gunung Ledang, theater Puteri Gunung Ledang , 2004's Puteri Gunung Ledang , 1961's Puteri Gunung Ledang...
- Gunung Ledang
- Hikayat Hang TuahHikayat Hang TuahHikayat Hang Tuah is a Malay work of literature that tells the tale of the legendary Malay Muslim warrior Hang Tuah and his four warrior friends - Hang Jebat, Hang Kasturi, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu - who lived during the height of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century.The most memorable...