ONROP! Musikal
I decided to be hiatus for the whole Nov, but as an Indonesian and as a musical lover, I just feel very obligated to post this entry now XD
An Indonesian comedy musical stage play directed by Joko Anwar, a young Indonesian director who has received many awards in international film festivals. I received a VIP invitation for the special preview show, as my eldest brother is one of the cast.
I went to watch it with my mother just last night and I was blown away with this musical production! I think it's safe to say, this is the very first Indonesian musical play that has the same Broadway musical standard. The songs are very breathtaking Broadway musical-like songs!! I love them so much! (I'm a Broadway musical type of songs maniac, btw)
The story is kind of controversial. It's a critic towards the conservative Indonesian government regulations regarding pornographic. Even in this 21st century, Indonesia is a country that still holds conservative traditions, norms, and moral strictly and highly. Through this comedy musical play, Joko Anwar is trying to convey to people that everyone might have their own religion and beliefs that they hold tight and believes in, but it is not necessary to force those beliefs to other people. While I agree with the message he implied, I'm worried of what the conservative people would have to say about this.
The time and place is Jakarta, 2020. It is a time where moral regulations has become tighter than ever in Indonesia. A woman is not allowed to wear a skirt higher than 10 cm from the sole of foot. People are not allowed to say things like "naked/nude" or other words that is sexual-related things at all, or they will get a ticket for violating the pornographic law or even get arrested for that.
Bram and Sari are a couple who had been going out for 2 years. Bram is a conservative young man who always follows the moral rules, so he has never hugged or kissed Sari, his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Sari is a rebellious girl who wants to be hugged, kissed and loved by Bram. She even begged him to kiss her all the time, but Bram always refused saying it's an immoral thing to do. I really loved this scene and performance where Sari sang "Bram Baby, One Kiss Please", she was all over him, but Bram kept rejecting her^^ I really love the contrast of characteristics of these 2 main characters, the guy is a prim and proper boyscout and the girl is rebellious, sassy and always gives this "I'm sexy" vibe. A perfect "opposite attract" couple.
Bram is a successful novel writer. Ironically, although it's always Sari who always tries to violate the rules, due to the "nude" word Bram wrote in his novel which was actually meant as a metaphor, he was arrested by the moral police. The court proven him as guilty so he is exiled to the ONROP Island. (ONROP is PORNO reads reverse, lol) In the Onrop Island, after he got to know other exiled people there, Bram has realized that he tried to follow the moral rules too much, that he has forgotten how to love. I'll end the synopsis of the story here.
There were many cynical mentions towards Indonesian government in this play. Including a parody of how any cases with Indonesian police can be solved just with money.
The stage sets were AWESOME for Indonesian standard. I cannot compare it with the CHICAGO musical play I saw because CHICAGO didn't have much change of sets. But if to compare with Japanese stageplays I've seen before, I can say ONROP! sets were almost comparable.
Although, best stage lightings I've ever seen was in a Japanese stageplay called "The Magic Pen", where the shadows were so detailed and real, ONROP! stage lighting was totally not far behind, I was impressed with the silhouette of trees reflected on the white screen background that almost formed a three-dimensional image, too bad it was shown only for a few seconds.
The costume designs and colors were very pleasant to the eyes. The dance choreography was absolutely top-notch, unique and some were one of a kind. The choreographer is Eko Supriyanto who has a master degree in Choreography & Performance in UCLA, and had been a choreographer and dancer for Madonna.
Most of the cast are freshly new faces who had to go through a few rounds of audition. But, I really love the main cast, Ichsan Akbar as Bram and Aimee Saras as Sari, they carried the show very, very well. Okay, so maybe they aren't absolute new faces, they were both well-known as radio hosts, but this must be their very first experience as full-fledged musical actor and actress.
They both have wonderful musical voices, good acting performances with very good comical timing. I love Bram's funny way of walk which depicts how he is such a worrisome guy^^
The two leads had very good chemistry that I really believe although they have opposite way of thinking, they love each other very much.
Bram's assistant, Amir, who is a gay transverstite (okama/banci, lol), provides most of the comedic lines and scenes. Yudi Firmansyah did a wonderful job as "banci", I think for every actor, to play a "banci" role must always be a very fun role to act. (that is if they don't care what will the public thinks of his image^^)
The 3 moral police also provides alot of comedic scenes. They mostly hold the antagonist role that would make the audience think, "Oh here they comes again!". The tango song, "Danger: Wanita(Woman)" performed by the 3 police was very funny and interesting. And I think the most hillarious police was the one acted by my brother, Arif Dharma! Haha, sorry! Yeah, this might be just family-favoritism though, can't help it. But with the (faked) Jawa / Javanese accent, I think my brother have provided alot of comical lines and scenes. He screams histerically and jumps up and down frantically, that I was very surprised he can really pull off an acting performance like that. That's totally not my brother, I thought. He was really immersed into his role^^ He really made this little sister of him very proud!
Oh yes, another moral police is acted by Jasfin, and I know him since highschool as he was my senior. His parts also made me LOL-ed, and if only my highschool friends who used to have a crush on him, saw him in this police role, haha.
The "gelandangan"(homeless) group did a great performance too, reminds me a bit of one of The Cats scene. Sita of Rida-Sita-Dewi vocal group was one of the "gelandangan". The Onropians did a good performance too, the part where they talked about why they had been exiled to the island, reminds me of a scene in CHICAGO^^ The Ultra Vixens, a group of 4 sexy ladies among the Onropians, was very cool!! One of the Vixen was acted by Ade Fitri Sechan, Sarah Sechan's younger sister.
There were also 3 little boys casted for a scene where it depicts Indonesian elementary school kids' innocent understanding of pornography in 2020. The little boys were soooo cute and funny! I laughed out loud at the end of their scene, something you have to see for yourself. It was such an adorable scene! I think that scene with the kids was a brilliant addition to the play. One of the boy also did an opening prologue speech before the play started.
For once, finally I can enjoy good sound system in an Indonesian play. (somehow I'm always not satisfied with any sound system in any stage performance in Indonesia)
Nusantara Symphony Orchestra performed an EXCELLENT and GRANDEUR sound of LIVE ORCHESTRA for the songs performance!! I feel so touched listening to the breath-taking musics! Some of my favorite songs:
1. Bram Baby, One Kiss Please - with reasons I've mentioned above, the jazzy/swing tunes to it was also wonderful
2. "Kalau Gak Ada Kamu, Apa Gunanya?" (Without You, Everything is Meaningless) - another jazzy Broadway song, a duet of Bram & Sari, it's a love romantic song performed in jail. I love the fact they performed the romantic song in their respective prison cells, with other prisoners as their backdancers^^ I also love the lyrics in this song.
3. "Incompatible" - sang solo by Bram, about how he regretted that he always tried to hold back in loving Sari. Yup, yup this one also has that jazzy Broadway tunes to it. (I told you I'm a maniac in that area^^)
I would like to say thank you to the music composers, whoever they are, for composing such wonderful pieces^^
You can listen to the demo version of the songs in ONROP! Official Website here: http://onropmusikal.com/
Of course there are things I'm not satisfied with, although it might be nit-picking XD
MUSICAL PRODUCTION:
1. I wish the wrestle and fight scene between the moral police and the gelandangan-s were more coordinated and choreographed. I'm sorry to compare, but in the Japanese stageplay "The Magic Pen", the wrestle and fight in trying to snatch away the magic pen was the most coordinated, entertaining, and hillarious struggle and wrestle I've ever seen, and the fact that the cast performed it LIVE makes it even more awesome.
2. The way they change sets, although the lights were off, but the audience can still see the crews were crowding the stage bringing in the sets. Again, in "The Magic Pen" Japanese stageplay I saw, I couldn't see any crew at all moving things on the stage, I forgot how, but maybe they had this other white screen next to the red curtain, so the audience can't see the crews on the stage moving in things, or maybe everything were hydrolic, even to little chairs can be moved onto the stage automatically.
By seeing crews on the stage, it messes our imagination of the story XD
3. I didn't really get the ending of the story. I feel it was forced. The story flow was great from the beginning, but the ending was a little bit too much, imho. Or maybe I just need to watch it once again?
TECHNICAL STUFF:
1. Microphones for supporting cast were not switched on, about 2-3 times that happened, I feel bad for them. That was just really, really bad sound system arrangement, I hope that won't happen again.
2. I noticed twice where one character recited lines together with the other character, seem like it was not time for one of the character yet to speak^^ That kinda ruined the mood, but this is just the special preview show, so I guess they're still trying to figure things out.
3. This is not on the musical production. But more to the theater organization comittee. I wish they can arrange the audience to line up neatly while waiting for the doors to open. The entrance lobby felt so crowded and such a mess while we were waiting for the doors to open. But again, this is just the special preview show, so I hope for tonight's show and the rest, the committee can be more prepared and organized the audience well.
OK, I'm surprised I don't have much complains on the musical production?? XD It can't be that perfect??? This is Indonesia, we're talking about! I'll try to find other things that I can nitpick, then, haha!!
Anyway, I love the fact that this ONROP musical play has all the Broadway musical standards have, but it's NOT a remake of any existing Broadway play. It has a fresh and original story, lines and scenes that is very Indonesia-ish, that only Indonesian who might understand the jokes.
As far as I know, not even Japan have a musical stageplay like ONROP!. For Broadway musical standards, Japan only remakes Broadway plays (they have alot of Western/Broadway play remakes). Japanese ORIGINAL musical plays doesn't have the Broadway type of songs, but they use rock / pop-genre songs instead. (which I dislike for musical plays) As far as I can remember, Japanese ORIGINAL plays I love are those of ordinary stage plays and NOT the musical ones.
ONROP! Musikal will be performed at Teater Besar, Taman Ismail Marzuki, from November 13 to 21!!
If you're Indonesian and a musical lover, I really recommend this musical show for you to watch! Hope there are still tickets left, because I heard the tickets were sold out already for some shows^^
To Mr. Joko Anwar and production staff: I DEMAND FOR ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK CD PLUS THE PLAY IN DVD TO BE RELEASED!!!^O^ If they're released, I promise I'll definitely buy the original stuff (NON-pirated) myself for my own collection, even if my brother have it already! Heehee...