KUALA LUMPUR: After 17 years, a masterpiece by national laureate Datuk A Samad Said, Lantai T. Pinkie, will be staged again at Balai Budaya Tun Syed Nasir, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) here, on Oct 6 to 8.
The drama script, which previously created a phenomenon in the country, will be staged as a musical for the sixth time, still using the services of the same producer, director and composer namely Siti Rohayah Atan, Dr Rosminah Mohd Tahir and the late Datuk Suhaimi Mohd Zain or Pak Ngah.
Siti Rohayah, who is also the owner of CTRA Production, said the drama script would be staged in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s call to promote the works of the country’s national laureates.
“The main purpose of this staging is to introduce the new generation, who normally is not interested to read, to the works of the country’s national laureates,” she told a press conference on the musical theatre.
Siti Rohayah also hopes that the re-staging of this musical theatre will be appreciated, especially by the new generation, because it is an important aspect of the development of a nation.
The coming staging of the musical theatre Lantai T. Pinkie will feature a new singer and actor, Zera Hariz, as the main character of T. Pinkie, whose real name is Tengku Seindahkuno, a young and beautiful joget dancer in Singapore who became a favourite of the patrons at a cabaret known as Bunga Joget Modern in the 1950s after the Second World War.
The director of the musical theatre, Dr Rosminah Tahir said she is open to quarters comparing Zera with three other big names in the entertainment industry who had played the role of T. Pinkie previously, namely Tiara Jacquelina (1997), Nasha Aziz (2000) and Vanidah Imran (2006).
“For me, every actress has her own identity. Apart from her talent, training and guidance, also the passion to bring the character alive,” she said.
Rosminah said she regarded the drama script, staged since 1997, as a quality work, popular and has commercial value.
Meanwhile, A Samad, also known as Pak Samad, expressed his happiness that the script he produced in 1996 was now appreciated by the new generation.
“I don’t know if people remember it, or perhaps, just the title more than others, but for young people who are new to the drama, it certainly will give more impact,“ he said.
Besides Zera, this musical theatre also features Faysal Saad as young Muhairi, Nabila Huda (Nyai Sunarti), Carolyne Kamba (Puteh Su), Linda Nanuwil (Siti Udaya), Datuk Jalaluddin Hassan (Jongkiding Jaroi), Datuk Tamimi Siregar (old Muhairi), Zaifri Husin (S. Diman), Serra Kamal (Musalmah Jiing) and Ewan Fauzi (Loiran Sindhu).
It tells the story of Muhairi Tirus, a former accordion player at Bunga Joget Modern living a peaceful life in Telok Melano, Sarawak. He was made to reminisce about his life as a musician at Bunga Joget Modern in the 1950s when approached by a student, Loiran, who wanted to study Hikayat Gul Bakawali.
Tickets to the musical theatre, costing RM35, RM56 and RM159 can be bought online at the website at www.ilassotickets.com or call 01113297822 – Bernama
