Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

A doomed love for Hang Tuah and Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah. (Photo Courtesy of Halimi Saidi)

Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical

Gusti Puteri and her maid and confidant, Bayan as she is about to flee to Gunung Ledang. (Photo Courtesy of Prakash Daniel)


By Balqis Zahua

"Cintamu bagai cahaya mentari yang membakar wajahku. Meskipun sekilas kurasakan, namun akan menjadi bekal hingga akhir zaman"

("Your love is like the sun that touches my face. Though ever so briefly, I will treasure it for eternity")

Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah

This was the line that brought tears to my eyes, watching the musical Puteri Gunung Ledang, a story of doomed love – the love between Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah, the princess from Majapahit and Hang Tuah, the brave warrior from Melaka.

Having seen the movie and read about the raving reviews for seasons one and two, plus the performances in Singapore, this was something I didn’t want to miss. And it certainly was worth it.  I was so over the moon after it all.

Having never had the opportunity to be at Istana Budaya before this, I waited in anticipation of the performance. The curtains opened to a breathtaking sight of a transparent screen with a stupa behind it with dancers in Indonesian/Majapahit costumes poised gracefully on top.

As the screen lifted to haunting music and dancing, the audience was instantly transported to the mythical past of the kingdom of Majapahit.

Act One opens with Gusti Adipati Handaya Ningrat, Puteri’s brother and the Majapahit King on the verge of defeat. He sends a messenger to Melaka to propose joint forces to combat Demak and waits anxiously for a response from the Sultan of Melaka. His prayers are answered when Sultan Mahmud’s delegation arrives in Majapahit with Hang Tuah.

Not realizing who Hang Tuah is initially, Puteri falls for him. The first meeting sparks romance between the two. Maybe the sequence was too short, but I didn’t feel the intensity of the lovers. What I do remember clearly was what the lovers said as they were forced to part because of Hang Tuah’s mission:

"Setapak melangkah, dua langkah ingatan kanda pada Dinda…"

("One step I take further from you, two steps closer my thoughts are of you…")

Adinda bersumpah, jikalau kekanda tidak kembali, adinda akan menyusul kekanda, berpijak di tanah yang sama, bernafas pada yang udara yang sama…"

("I swear, if you don’t come back to me, I shall go and seek you, for us to be together on the same earth that you stand on, and to breathe the same air you breathe…")

Belayar berbelok-belok, sauh dibongkar ditempat tenang, yang tinggal hati tak elok, yang pergi hati tak senang… Bila sampai waktu, kita akan bersama...

("To set sail on choppy seas, to anchor where the sea is calm, the heart of the one that stays is shattered, the heart of the one that leaves is broken... When the time comes, we will be together again…")

Unknown to them, Adipati has already promised Puteri to the Sultan. While Hang Tuah negotiates peace with Demak, Puteri flees to Gunung Ledang to await his return.

Act Two sees Hang Tuah returning to Melaka, engulfed with emptiness, unaware of Puteri’s journey to Gunung Ledang. When he arrives in Melaka and finds out about Puteri’s disappearance, he faces off with Adipati. Hang Tuah then realises that Puteri is waiting for him at Gunung Ledang but before he can make his way to her, a decree is made – the Sultan will take Puteri as his wife.

This is where we see Hang Tuah’s agony, when he is ordered by the Sultan to lead the Royal proposal delegation to Gunung Ledang. The journey is a difficult one and Hang Tuah gets separated from the pack.

The two lovers are finally reunited but an official from the Melaka court appears and reminds Hang Tuah of their mission to Gunung Ledang. Hang Tuah, the ever-loyal subject, bows before his Sultan’s will although torn by his love for Puteri.

Frustrated by her lover’s stand, Puteri imposes seven impossible conditions for her hand in marriage, one of which is a bowl of blood from the Sultan’s heir.

The Sultan deems the seven conditions as a challenge to his greatness and ego, and decides to kill his own son, Raja Ahmad, to prove his absolute power. Puteri appears just in time to stop the Sultan and rejects his proposal. The angry Sultan Mahmud puts a curse on Puteri and banishes her to Gunung Ledang for a lifetime of solitude. Here we hear her heart-rendering song, “Suatu Hari Nanti”, hoping and willing for Hang Tuah to join her one day.

Hang Tuah rushes to Gunung Ledang in search of her but fails.

Legend has it that Gusti Puteri still waits for her true love on the peak that has become a symbol of their enduring devotion. There, they remain as two beings, separated by time.

A very sad tale indeed … the fact that their love was doomed from the very start, each moment they had spent together was ever so precious.

Whatever Act One lacked, Act Two gave it all – emotion, feeling and intensity.

Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina’s portrayal of the Majapahit princess is to perfection, having played her in the movie in 2004 and subsequent PGL musicals. Looking as stunning as ever, she sailed through her role of being a princess, having her heart broken, being vengeful towards the Sultan and pining for her true love with gusto. Her vocals are stronger and better after having a short stint in Australia sharpening them; her dance moves are graceful and mesmerising.

We can all relate to the strong character and the strength she brought to the role, which emphasizes that even when subjugated, one must not accept fate without a fight.

Stephen Rahman-Hughes’ portrayal of Hang Tuah was equally magnificent. If Act One did not give him the opportunity to shine, in Act Two his vocals had the audience captivated. Of course his good looks helped, too. Playing the great Hang Tuah was no easy feat but Rahman-Hughes managed well with feelings and emotion to spare.

One of my favorite scenes was when the Sultan broke into a jazz number with his ‘istana’ people. If I had loved Adlin Aman Ramlie’s performance as the Sultan in the PGL movie, his portrayal here was even better, more menacing.

A.C. Mizal, who portrays Adipati, was equally good. He really got into the character of the King of Majapahit with energy, movement and a somewhat short temper.

All that combined with Dick Lee’s incredible musical score brought the show to different levels. Under the direction of Roslan Aziz, the combination of traditional and modern numbers left a mark on those who heard them. My personal favorite was “Keranamu Kekasih”, a duet sung by Hang Tuah and Gusti Puteri.

The dancers under the tutelage of choreographer Pat Ibrahim were full of energy to say the least. They gave their all, and that in turn had the audiences either swaying or clapping together with them.

The special effects were new for this third season. They were fantastic, with fireworks literally exploding in several scenes, and actors disappearing into thin air. To top it all off was of course the set designed by Raja Maliq, the most elaborate being the ‘istana’ and the ship that brings Puteri to Gunung Ledang.

Leaving the performance, I couldn’t help but be proud of the achievements of the whole entourage and the heights they have conquered. Puteri Gunung Ledang the Musical has truly covered milestones in the Malaysian theatre business and also for theatre-goers alike.

Maybe one day we at UCSI could also be able to offer theatre and have performances that we could be proud of. We certainly have the professionals out there that have started to garner interest; all we need now is the passion…
     
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