Review Cuci (BHarian)

Hans Isaac kotakan janji

Oleh Nurulhisham Abdul Latiff
nurul@bharian.com.my

EMPAT tonggak Cuci The Musical iaitu Awie, Hans, Afdlin dan AC.

Cuci The Musical yang dibarisi bintang terkenal tanah air sarat adegan pecah perut

USAH dibandingkan Cuci The Musical (CTM) dengan teater lain kerana persembahan oleh Tall Order Productions ini mampu berdiri atas nama dan kekuatannya sendiri. Tampak ringkas, tetapi teater ini sarat dengan detik yang menghiburkan serta persembahan memberangsangkan barisan bintangnya.

Elemen komedi yang kuat, diselitkan menerusi dialog serta gelagat pelakonnya di pentas, membuatkan penonton tidak kering gusi sepanjang hampir tiga jam persembahan berjalan. Bahkan, CTM hampir disalah erti sesetengah peminat sebagai sebuah pementasan lawak, dek banyak sekali saat melucukan termuat di dalamnya.

Dialog kelakar yang terpacul secara tiba-tiba di mulut pelakon, dikira amat menjadi, sehingga peminat tidak senang duduk di kerusi. Janji yang diucap Penerbit Eksekutifnya, Hans Isaac, ketika ditemui Hip beberapa minggu lalu bahawa peminat akan ketawa besar melihat pelbagai telatah watak dalam teater itu kini ditepati.

Begitupun, pengarah bersama, Datuk Zahim Al-Bakri dan Harith Iskander tidak melupakan genre asal teater ini. Maka, selang beberapa ketika, penonton dihidang dengan nyanyian bintangnya termasuk Afdlin Shauki, AC Mizal, Awie, Vanidah Imran, Adibah Noor, Ramli Hassan, Harith dan Hans sendiri.

Hampir 90 peratus bintang yang mewarnai CTM ialah pelakon yang turut bergelar penyanyi, ataupun sudah berpengalaman luas dalam persembahan muzikal. Lalu, nyanyian secara langsung mereka dilihat berjaya memikat hati, disokong pula irama sedap didengar ciptaan Pacai dan Douglas Lim.

HARITH memikul dua tanggungjawab, sebagai pengarah dan pelakon.

Antara yang menyerlah tentunya Adibah, yang melontarkan vokal terbaik setiap kali membuka mulutnya. Dewan bagai terdiam tatkala penyanyi Terlalu Istimewa ini mengambil giliran menyampaikan lagu seterusnya.

Adibah juga kelihatan sangat serasi berpasangan dengan Awie, seorang lagi penyanyi yang sememangnya terkenal dengan vokal yang tinggi. Pasangan ini nampak comel bersama, sedikit sebanyak menghidupkan lagi cerita yang diketengahkan. Penonton pasti tertawan dengan kisah cinta dua penyanyi dan pelakon ini.

Pada masa yang sama, lakonan pelakon lain harus dipuji. Afdlin, Ramli, Harith dan rakan yang lain cuba mempamerkan persembahan terbaik. Penonton akan terasa melihat aksi Afdlin, mereka ketawa menyaksikan gelagat Awie dan AC, ada yang tersenyum dengan sikap jujur Hans serta tidak kurang yang terpikat dengan penampilan Vanidah.

Namun, AC seakan berjaya meletakkan dirinya setapak di depan dengan persembahan begitu membanggakan. Dengan aksi serta lakonan yang semula jadi, lontaran vokal yang baik serta lawak yang memang mencuit hati, pelakon ini memastikan kelibatnya di pentas tidak dibayangi bintang lain.

BABAK mencemaskan membabitkan Afdlin, Hans dan AC.

CTM bukan hanya menghiburkan peminat dengan lawak pecah perut dan kehebatan nyanyian mahupun keindahan lagunya, ia juga menyuntik elemen baru dalam pementasan teater di negara ini. Paling ketara, semestinya kewujudan babak pertandingan mencuci bangunan, yang menyaksikan pelakonnya perlu menuruni dinding agak tinggi. Ada juga babak romantik yang menyaksikan Hans dan Vanidah menaiki gondola, memberikan penonton satu pandangan berbeza.

Pujian juga patut diberikan kepada pereka tari, Stephen Rahman-Hughes. Daripada watak Hang Tuah dalam pementasan Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical, dia kini bertanggungjawab mereka gerak tari untuk Cuci. Namun, gerakannya agak berbeza, yang membantu CTM untuk nampak berlainan daripada teater sebelum ini. Cuma, ketidaksamaan pergerakan yang kadang kala berlaku di kalangan pelakonnya boleh mengganggu konsentrasi.

CTM juga agak meleret, sehingga persembahan yang dimulakan kira-kira jam 8.45 malam hanya tamat selepas jam 12 tengah malam (dicampur rehat selama 15 minit di antara dua babaknya). Jika bahagian pertama mengajak penonton ketawa melihat pelbagai babak lucu, bahagian kedua pula lebih dramatik apabila konflik mula berlaku.

Muzikal ini bukan saja mengajak penonton mengikuti perjalanan suka duka empat beradik ini mencapai impian, malah ketika yang sama mengerti erti persaudaraan, pengorbanan, kekecewaan dan kasih-sayang. Sebuah persembahan yang membanggakan, CTM memastikan penonton pulang dengan sejuta tawa dan kenangan.

Teater muzikal ini dipentaskan di Istana Budaya sehingga 8 November. Tiket menyaksikan persembahan boleh didapati di Istana Budaya dan menerusi Axcess Tickets Sdn Bhd.

Review Cuci (Malay Mail)

THEATER REVIEW: Good, clean fun

By Joe Lee

Monday, October 26th, 2009 03:08:00

ENSEMBLE: The cast of Cuci delivers a surprisingly enjoyable performance

THE only possible downer to Cuci The Musical is that it threatens to be more of a lengthy stand-up comedy routine by the funny leading cast, who have set their reputations as people who are able to tickle the funny bone.

Expectations weren’t exactly soaring for Hans Isaac’s effort, when the curtains first raised. Considering he is more well-known for film roles, and that Cuci the Musical is based on his directorial debut ‘Cuci’ last year, it would have been shrewd not to go into Istana Budaya with high expectations. However at the end of the night, when the cast came out for their final bow, it was evident that any preconceptions of how the show would turn out, had been totally obliterated. It might have been almost unthinkable that a contemporary musical theatrical presentation based on a popcorn movie, unashamedly laced with pop culture references in its comedic dialogue which refers to everything from a telco’s mascot to Star Wars - could be this enjoyable.

*

Anyone who has caught Cuci The Musical however, including the most hardened of critics, would definitely admit it is one of the most refreshing local efforts to be staged at Istana Budaya.

HIGH NOTES: Hans and Vanidah proved their singing prowess in Cuci the Musical
SCENE STEALER: Harith Iskandar at what he does best

It is indeed a guilty pleasure.

Tall Order Productions Sdn Bhd’s maiden theatrical effort is a success - with hopefully the box-office takings justifying it at the end of the day, as it definitely has taken the local theatre scene to new heights, if you can excuse the pun. Cuci The Musical, is based on the film. With the leads Afdlin Shauki, Hans, Awie and AC Mizal reprising their roles as Fairil, Khai, Jojo and C’Tan respectively – the musical still revolves around the dreams of their family business in the small outfit called Cuci-Cuci Services (M) Sdn Bhd in being the best to count the Petronas Twin Towers as one of their contracts.

*

A chance meeting later, the quartet are invited to participate in the Window Washing Olympics (WWO) – a competition run by, Citi Jasmin or better known as CJ played by Vanida Imran who takes over from Umie Aida who played the character in the film version. Cuci-Cuci are eventually pitted against team Wira Maju, a company owned by CJ’s boyfriend, Wira (Harith Iskander).

*

Cupid claims some massive overtime with hands full of not only pairing CJ and Khai, but also Jojo with CJ’s personal assistant, Farah – otherwise known to us as Adibah Noor. While the As of the cast in Afdlin, Awie, AC and Adibah are known to be more than able to belt out the tunes and were undoubtedly responsible for many of the high points of the show, it was a pleasure to see Hans and Vanidah pleasantly surprising with their vocal chords and rise to the occasion to complete the star-studded line-up. Hans may not be recording his debut album anytime soon, but he was definitely able to hold his own against the stellar cast, as was Vanidah – who left many longing to hear more of her.

*

While at times, you get a feeling that someone may have forgotten their lines and decided to throw in a few more jokes of their own, the setting more than allows for such liberties to be taken without compromising or jeopardizing the show. Supporting actor Harith Iskandar is in his element as well. The only problem in the whole cast would have been the unnecessary addition of Reefa’s character (and his bad acting) as well as the questionable casting of Ramli Hassan as CJ’s father. He plays a Tan Sri who seemed to overdo everything to appear more of a Liberace impersonator at times. It didn’t fit in with the excellent efforts of other members of the cast.

GREAT SETS: Raja Maliq with yet another ‘epic’ set design

Songs were catchy and sing-a-long courtesy of Pacai, though there were suspiciously some interesting melodies that sounded familiarly recognizable. Without dragging down the whole production, it has to be stated that there were a few downsides to the production. Minor technical glitches aside (including whoever manning the lights appearing to doze off at times), the ensemble cast were a letdown – and occasionally an irritant instead of complementing most scenes they appeared in.
*
Choreography by Stephen Rahman-Hughes was hardly memorable, and for most parts appeared disjointed from the actual feel of the musical that was being presented. Still, there were so many high points to the show, these minor downers did little to kill enjoyment for a musical that definitely deserves more hype for being a brave venture that paid off.
*

Which has to be pointed out, included the interesting sets conjured up by the one and only Raja Maliq. While the media rave about the period pieces that venture into productions of this scale, Cuci The Musical proves that lavish costumes and extravagant sets and epic storylines are hardly needed to prove that Malaysia could actually have a musical theatre effort that would do the country proud.

*

Congratulations are in order to co-executive producers, Hans and Datuk Yasmin Yusuff as well as director Datuk Zahim Al-Bakri for the effort as well. If you haven’t watched Cuci The Musical yet, don’t miss out on the opportunity to watch something that actually
deserves your Ringgits, your attention and your applause.

*

Who would have thought Cuci could be so much fun, despite not having wet t-shirts? CUCI THE MUSICAL is now being staged at Panggung Sari, Istana Budaya until Nov 8 2009. Showtime is 8pm daily, with extra matinee show at 3pm on weekends. Tickets are priced at RM253, RM213, RM193, RM173, RM153, RM113, RM63 and RM43, For ticket reservation or more information, surf to www.axcess.com.my or call 03-7711 5000.