''Puteri Gunung Ledang'' is a

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n musical directed by Zahim Albakri, co-directed by Adlin Aman Ramlie, book by Adlin Aman Ramlie,

Saw Teong Hin Saw Teong Hin () is a Malaysian film director, best known for directing the Malay language epic fantasy film ''Puteri Gunung Ledang (film), Puteri Gunung Ledang'' and ''You Mean the World to Me (film), You Mean the World to Me'', the first Malays ...

and Zahim Al-Bakri and music composed by

Dick Lee Richard Lee Peng Boon (born 24 August 1956) is a Singaporean singer-songwriter, playwright and film director. Early life Lee was born to a Peranakan father, Lee Kip Lee, (who wrote for ''The Straits Times'') and his wife , Elizabeth Tan. He was th ...

. 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 Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina Eu Effendi is a Malaysian actress, film producer, musical theater producer, singer, and the founder of ''The Enfiniti Academy of Musical Theatre and Performing Arts''. She is well-acclaimed for her role in ''Puteri Gunu ...

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 may refer to: *Roslan Ahmad, Malaysian politician, Malacca State Executive Councillor * Wan Roslan Wan Hamat, Malaysian politician, Kelantan State Executive Councillor * Emmett Roslan Ishak, lead vocalist in Butterfingers, a Malaysian rock b ...

, choreographer Pat Ibrahim and production designer Raja Malek. The musical was staged in poetic

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

and

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

nese-accented

, but

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

subtitles were provided.

Synopsis

Set late in the 15th Century, the musical tells the tale of Gusti Putri, a princess of

Majapahit Majapahit ( jv, ꦩꦗꦥꦲꦶꦠ꧀; ), also known as Wilwatikta ( jv, ꦮꦶꦭ꧀ꦮꦠꦶꦏ꧀ꦠ; ), was a Javanese people, Javanese Hinduism, Hindu-Buddhism, Buddhist thalassocracy, thalassocratic empire in Southeast Asia that was ba ...

who falls in love with the

Malacca Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...

n warrior

Hang Tuah Hang Tuah ( Jawi: , /tuah/ or /toh/) is said to have been a warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. There is limited historical evidence for his existence. However, he was supposedly a great laks ...

. 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 Mount Ledang ( ms, Gunung Ledang; historically also: Mount Ophir) is a mountain in the Gunung Ledang National Park located in Tangkak District, Johor, Malaysia. The summit is located next to the tripoint of Tangkak, Jasin and Tampin Distri ...

, 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.

Development

Early development

and Pat Ibrahim began discussing the idea of a musical version of the Princess of Gunung Ledang story during the development of the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

, during which Pat began having meetings with

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

an composer

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 from the

Universiti Teknologi MARA The MARA Technological University (Malay: ''Universiti Teknologi MARA''; Jawi: اونيۏرسيتي تيكنولوڬي مارا; abbr. UiTM) is a public university based primarily in Shah Alam, Selangor. It was established to help rural Mal ...

, 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

and

. Raja Malek developed the idea of using

stupa A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumamb ...

s that could be rotated and rearranged to form various parts of the set. The stupas were inspired by the "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

nese mountains

Gunung Agung Mount Agung ( id, Parwata Agung; ban, ᬕᬦ ᬆᬕ) is an active volcano in Bali, Indonesia, southeast of Mount Batur volcano, also in Bali. It is the highest point on Bali, and dominates the surrounding area, influencing the climate, especiall ...

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 Dato' Mohamad Nasir bin Mohamed (born 4 July 1957) is a Malaysian-based Singaporean poet, singer-songwriter, composer, producer, actor and film director also known as a Sifu in the Malaysian music industry. Early life M. Nasir was born on Jul ...

, 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 The ''Istana Budaya'' or also known as the ''Palace of Culture'', is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concerts and opera from local and international performances. It is located in he ...

, a replacement had not been found. Eventually,

Stephen Rahman-Hughes Stephen Rahman-Hughes (born 26 January 1970) is an English–Malaysian actor and singer. He is known for his roles as DCI Vikesh Dasari in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' and Adam Bateman in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. Career In 200 ...

, a

n-born West End actor was chosen on the recommendations of TV3 chairman Farid Ridzuwan CEO of TV station and Kavita Kaur 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

, a language he was not fluent in.

Story adaptation

In the original

Legend of Gunung Ledang The legend revolves around a celestial princess who lived on Mount Ledang, located in present-day Tangkak District, Johor, Malaysia. Puteri Gunung Ledang (Johor legend) The sultan had heard of the princess' beauty and wanted to marry her, but ...

, Sultan Mahmud of

sends his emissary,

, to

Gunung Ledang Mount Ledang ( ms, Gunung Ledang; historically also: Mount Ophir) is a mountain in the Gunung Ledang National Park located in Tangkak District, Johor, Malaysia. The summit is located next to the tripoint of Tangkak, Jasin and Tampin Distri ...

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 The legend revolves around a celestial princess who lived on Mount Ledang, located in present-day Tangkak District, Johor, Malaysia. Puteri Gunung Ledang (Johor legend) The sultan had heard of the princess' beauty and wanted to marry her, but s ...

'', as pitched by Mamat Khalid, was to pose the question of what would happen if these two characters had met and fallen in love.Popular Puteri

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

empire was chosen as her kingdom of origin. At the time of Sultan Mahmud’s rule, the

empire was a powerful neighbour of

. The Princess was set up as the younger sister of the Adipati (King) of

at that time.

is an actual

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.

Story focus

The original legend centres on the Princess’ response to Sultan Mahmud's proposal. During the time of the old Malay

Sultanates Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

the

Sultans Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...

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 The Malacca Sultanate ( ms, Kesultanan Melaka; Jawi script: ) was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. Conventional historical thesis marks as the founding year of the sultanate by King of Singapura, Paramesw ...

. This Sultan Mahmud is sometimes confused with his great-grandson,

Sultan Mahmud II Mahmud II ( ota, محمود ثانى, Maḥmûd-u s̠ânî, tr, II. Mahmud; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the 30th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. His reign is recognized for the extensive administrative, ...

, who was assassinated on his royal dais.

Tun Teja

The musical's reinterpreted love story of Tuah 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 (;Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a ...

. 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 ''

'' 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

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 An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cl ...

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 Iskandar Puteri is a city which functions as the administrative capital of the state of Johor, Malaysia (Kota Iskandar) and represents the seat of government of the state of Johor (Executive branch & Legislative branch). Situated along the Str ...

Johor Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...

. 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 *

as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah *

* Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud *

AC Mizal Dato' Mizal Zaini, known professionally as AC Mizal (born 21 December 1971), is a Malaysian actor, singer, comedian, TV host and former radio presenter. Early life Mizal was born on 21 December 1971 in Johor Bahru, Johor. He is the son of D ...

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 *

as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah *

* Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud *

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

* Jeffry Haikel as Sultan Mahmud * Mohammad Faizal Mohd Ali as Adipati Handaya Ningrat * Norenshah Sahari as Bayan * Ismarizal Zulamran as Bendahara * Azrul Zaidi as Afiq

Singapore (24-26 Nov 2006)

as Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah * Stephen Rahman-Hughes as

* Adlin Aman Ramlie as Sultan Mahmud * AC Mizal as Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat * Ida Mariana as Bayan

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 Haziq Fitrie as Raja Ahmad

Songs

Director and writer Zahim Albakri was influenced by the musicals of

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popu ...

, 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 () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

and among his own

Peranakan The Peranakans () are an ethnic group defined by their genealogical descent from the first waves of Southern Chinese settlers to maritime Southeast Asia, known as Nanyang (), namely the British Colonial ruled ports in the Malay Peninsula, th ...

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 Kekasih (''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 Kekasih 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 Kekasih

Response

The musical was critically and commercially successful, earning praise from critics for the reinterpretation of the legend of Mount Ledang.Review
by Shannon Shah for Kakiseni.com

Awards

*5th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2006 5th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards 2006 -- Results **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) —

**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

References

{{reflist

External links

Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical official website
2006 musicals Musicals based on films Malaysian plays Muar District