Adam, The Musical - An Uncommon Love

I haven't been to the theater for a while now. I guess it must have been a decade since I last did. To be fair, live performing art has never been popular amongst the masses in the country. 

"Adam is about the dangerous time we live in, of suspicion and fear of people and things we don’t know. It is about compassion and strength, and how these qualities can turn the bleakest days into one with light, even if it is just a faint one.

Adam is about finding true love, and knowing that we can be very lucky after all." 

Excerpt from The Actors Studio website

Having heard a lot about the show Adam, The Musical which was a collaboration between The Actor's Studio and Malaysian AIDS Council, I decided to pop by and check it out. It so happened that the day I chose to attend the show was when they had an after show party for the latest installment of Sex and the City at Rootz at Lot 10's rooftop. So, I had a lot of eye candy to take in as I waited for the doors to be opened.

Now, why am I writing about a musical here you may be wondering? Well, I thought that it was a brilliantly written play and it drove home some truths which we may have chosen to ignore in our lives. Also, I believe that the way the show was written and executed was a perfect example of embracing differences in a multiracial society which IMHO is sadly lacking amongst Malaysian today.

The show had a tagline which went "An Uncommon Love" which I thought was probably well chosen in light of the show's central theme. As the crowd was milling about outside the theater, there was a staff member who went about selling programs. When I was offered one, I cheekily said that I'd have to see if I enjoyed the show first to which she smiled sweetly and said "Of course"... Perhaps she thought I was a penny pinching scrooge of some sort... :p

Anyway, despite the show being held on a weekday, I was somewhat surprised to see the place somewhat packed. It seemed that a majority of the crowd were made up of young professionals, somewhere between the mid 20s to late 30s. There were a smattering of foreigners as well in the crowd.

When the lights dimmed and the show started, I was initially a bit lost with the appearance of Mek Mek Besar who, near the end of the show eventually revealed that he was sometimes know by his other name, Michael the Archangel. I thought that his costume was somewhat over the top... A bit like a cross between a Roman toga and PJs... But you've got to love his sense of humor and how he made the character come to life with his energetic movements and booming voice... Played by Mark Sobels, full mark to the Archangel... A whole lot better performance than the one by Paul Bettany (hold the jeers please, I personally like him - just not in Legion")

Mek Mek Besar aka Michael in a comtemplative mood

And the crowd roared with laughter when Tria Aziz who looked like she belonged in an asylum rather than on stage came on stage with her bulging eyes. I actually thought that her eyeballs were going to pop out! Unfortunately, the photo which is posted in this entry which came from Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) Facebook album wasn't one with her pushing her white wheel chair around stage like a DUI driver.

Tria drove home a point when she said in one of her scenes that she didn't mind being called "Keh Leng Ah Po" by the nurses. The phrase roughly translates to "Indian Auntie" which is considered a derogatory term by some in the country. In fact the word Keh Leng (sometimes spelled as Keling) started an argument of sorts between politicians a few years back when it was used in speech. I guess we can have a choice as to whether we'd allow a term to affect us or otherwise.

The opening scene was completed with the ensemble walked down the terrace with lighted candles and sang the opening number for the show.

We were then given a background of the characters in the show. The spotlight was of course on Adam, who was engaged to Sylvia with a wedding coming up soon. An interesting twist was that Adam was a Muslim while Sylvia was brought up a Catholic. Elsa, Sylvia's sister was dead set against the union and tried her utmost to talk Sylvia out of it.

Cast members with Director Joe Hafsham (Front row 3^rd Right), Dato Faridah Merican (Front row 3^rd Left), Malik Taufiq (Front Row 2^nd Right), Tria Aziz (Front Row 2^nd Left), Mark Sobels (Standing 1^st Right), Tabitha Kong (Standing 3^rd Right), Sandra Mannas Wolf (Standing 4^th Right)

Elsa, which was played by Sandra Mannas Wolf was the resident villain of the show. Her portrayal of the bitchy and condescending sister made her scenes one to look forward to. And she sang brilliantly as well! She wouldn't be out of place in Desperate Housewives!!! And I meant that as a compliment to her acting chops!!!

Auntie Noni which was played by Dato Faridah Merican was Adam's aunt who brought him up since he was a small boy after Adam's mother (Auntie Noni's sister) passed on from what we can assume to be an AIDS connected ailment. A touching scene was when she told Sylvia of what she thought when Adam first met her - "Do you know, the first day he met you; his face was shining like full  moon in Ramadan. He laughed at me, held my hands, look into my eyes with a smile and I know, maybe this boy don't need me anymore."

I thought that despite what other may say about her, I felt that Dato Faridah brought to life the character of Auntie Noni. Her portrayal of  the character reminded me of a mother's unconditional love for her child. How she said that no child must be reminded of the terrible way his mother died. How she said that she'd rather will her beloved sister to die than to continue suffering. There were some grouses over her singing where reviews were concerned but I thought that it was live performance for Pete's sake!!!! Not some studio recording!!!

Moving on, there was the two scene stealer, the transvestites which was played by Mo Dee and Fairuz Tauhid who probably had the cheekiest lines of the night. When singing about using condoms for intimate relations, they moaned (forgive the pun) about those who refused to sheath their "member"... 

"When it comes to protection, the hardest part is persuasion... If they still say no, I'll stroke their ego until they rise and say they need a jumbo size..." How can you keep a straight face after a line like that sung with them grabbing the crotch of a guy???!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, my one main grouse about the transvestites was the delivery of their lines, either in song or dialogue. At times, their pronunciation was rushed which resulted in me struggling to catch their words. While I can understand that their Manglish is an important part of the show, perhaps it would be good to consider the areas where it can be used as some of the punch lines which were delivered was rendered meaningless to those who have no knowledge of Malay. It's unfortunate that an expatriate couple sitting in front of me were somewhat clueless when the whole crowd broke into laughter.

Adam, which was played by Malik Taufiq was somewhat average though. Despite his convincing portrayal of a man stricken with HIV, I felt that his singing was a bit weak for a lead, Perhaps he was having an off day so we can't actually blame him for that. Otherwise, I'd say he deserve a 6 out of 10.

The show I attended saw Tabitha Kong in the lead character of Sylvia. And I loved her to bits!!! I loved her  as a seemingly helpless and innocent Sylvia which belied a strong sense of loyalty and love towards Adam. And I thought her singing "Isn't It Strange" was probably my favorite moment of the show. It showed a vulnerable, despairing and shattered Sylvia when confronted with Adam's disease.

MTV Movie awards has an award category for best kiss... Well, believe it or not, the lead characters of Adam and Sylvia actually kissed (or at least pretended to despite looking extremely convincing) on stage somewhere near the end of the show... Perhaps, the local entertainment awards can inaugurate that category by handing the gong to Adam and Sylvia...

In a minimalist setting without too many props, the show was staged and choreographed beautifully. The backdrop was simply projected on via projectors depicting different scenes at the hospital, home, church, mosque etc. Kudos to the Costume Designer, Phin who created an excellent wardrobe for the cast members. And I thought that the dances choreographed by Lex Lakshman Balakrishnan was excellent as well. 

I was somewhat stunned midway through the first session when Sylvia knelt down and prayed the Lord's Prayer as Mek Mek Besar was hovering around and added his unsolicited comments. That is indeed a surprise considering what is happening around the country now where religious fundamentalism is seemingly in the rise and religious tolerance at an all time low. It was definitely a bold move by Director Joe Hafsham and Writer Mark Beau De Silva to include that scene.

Mark Beau De Silva and Joe Hafsham

While some bloggers had criticized the show as ignoring issues such as religious conversion, perhaps it should be remembered that the show was all about a love uncommon... One which transcends illness and religions... After all, when you commit to a lifetime together, didn't you agree to have and to hold, to love and serve in sickness and health, in good times and bad? Of course, we shouldn't lose sight at the social stigma which we brand upon those who are HIV positive.

It was indeed refreshing when Jambu (Mo Dee) spoke on how he removed his wig, make up and lipstick to prepare his brother's body for burial. For a moment there, however fleeting, you actually feel the emotions in the words and you imagine what turmoil he was going through inside. I thought that the projection of a footage of him actually doing that spoiled the desired effect though...

All in all, it was an enjoyable evening at the theater. I'd definitely be a more frequent visitor from this moment forth. As the show ended with the wedding yet to take place, perhaps there's room for a sequel? Adam The Musical Part 2 perhaps? One after the wedding maybe? I'll be the first in line for opening night if that comes into fruition.

In case you were wondering, yes, I bought the program and had a live cast recording of the songs thrown in as well. And I got it during the intermission. Nuff said....

Unfortunately, the run ends today (June 20th)... Perhaps it can be extended or staged again later... I'd definitely go for an encore performance...

Photos from MAC Facebook album & The Actor's Studio website.