I love musicals, don't get me wrong. To me, life would be perfect if everyone could just break into song and dance. And when I fork up moolah to watch what is suppose to be a damn good musical, I expect it to be, well, a damn good musical. So when I don't get my knickers wet from that orgasmic pleasure I'd get from watching good musicals, I get very upset.

Honestly, I don't know which is worst - the audience, the organizer or the cast. So where do I start?

Perhaps I should start with the venue. After watching the musical, I truly believe that Plenary Hall is unsuitable to stage musicals. The acoustics inside the hall was crappy. The sound was so concentrated at the stage that you could barely hear the music and the singing. Which to me is rather strange, because when you attend musicals or stage shows, you'd expect to hear the sound like as if it's playing right in your ear. What's that word? Surround sound. So, mental note to self: Plenary Hall bad for musicals.

Next complaint, the audience. I honestly believe that the typical Malaysians have no clue of how much effort, energy, money, sweat & tears it takes to stage a musical. So when people go snapping away with their flashy cameras inside the Plenary Hall, that ticks me off. Like, really ticks me off. Not only is it disrespectful to those involved in staging the musical, but also the plays are copyrighted. Therefore, distributing images of such is considered copyright infringement. Plus, the flash from their cameras are very distracting.

And the organizers are equally at fault. Only in Malaysia will you see this kind of behavior. None of the ushers made an effort to stop people from taking pictures. I mean, if I had known, I should've brought a DVD recorder, record the whole show and upload it onto YouTube. Heck, why should I upload it for free when I can burn it on a DVD and sell it off?



Wait, there's more. Food and drinks inside the Plenary Hall. That's just obnoxious! That is the first time I've seen people happily munching and drinking away like as if they're attending a movie. OMFG. Wait wait wait, the ushers were equally as guilty as I saw one usher running around with a large Pepsi in her hand. Oh, the monstrosity of it all! I'm just pissed coz I would've brought my picnic basket if I had known that eating and drinking was allowed.

It's common practise worldwide to not allow guests to enter once the doors are closed. When it states that the show is to start at 8pm, it will start at 8pm. So, if you missed the first act, well too bad. You'll just have to wait for the intermission so you can enter the hall. You know, some actors have been known to point out the late comers. Late comers are distracting not only to the actors but to those who are already seated. But again, only in Malaysia will you have latecomers barging in, interrupting your moment as they try to get to their seats. And of course, following Malaysian timing, the show started at 8.30pm.

You won't see this kind of nonsense in Singapore's Esplanade or London's Royal Albert Hall. Oh wait, I forgot, this is Malaysia I'm talking about. Hence the lack of culture and appreciation to the finer things in life. It is the same lack of appreciation that led a particular minister to suggest that our Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra is just a waste of taxpayers money and that it should be dissolved.

I don't know about you, but I surely can't live without orchestra and musicals and theatre. And it is because of my deep appreciation for the fine arts that has made me lash out like this. I dedicated half my life playing in an orchestra, so trust me, when you put in everything you've got into a show, all you really want in return is to be appreciated and acknowledged. But when the members in the audience behave in such a rude manner, disrespects the show, then how could one truly feel appreciated?

Woooh! That got me all worked up, now didn't it? I need a cold shower. I will talk about the cast some other time.

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