Broadway comes to Jakarta for two-date show

Broadway comes to Jakarta for two-date show

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

You do not have to spend a small fortune flying all the way to
the Big Apple for a Broadway theater show after all. A local
promoter in Jakarta has invited a cabaret troupe to bring in the
razzle-dazzle from New York's most famous street to perform for a
two-date show.

Original Production, a domestic entertainment promoter that
has brought us British rock band Deep Purple, U.S. metal band
Megadeath and 70s mellow rock band Yes, is expected to bring a
glittery cabaret show to the city with the staging of Broadway:
the Star Spangled Celebration.

Featuring a medley from famous musicals like Chicago, Grease,
Mamma Mia, Cats, 42nd Street and Les Miserables, the shows will
be performed at the Balai Kartini auditorium on Dec. 28 and Dec.
29.

Performers from the 35-strong London-based cabaret troupe will
take turns performing key scenes from the original shows during a
fast-paced, upbeat 50-minute performance.

The cabaret show will be on twice on each date, at 4:30 p.m.
and 7:30 p.m.

To recreate the atmosphere from an authentic Broadway show, a
team from Original Production has prepared the necessary props
and equipment, including state-of-the art lighting.

The selection of the Balai Kartini, which has no more than
1,000 seats, as a venue for the show, was also part of an attempt
to enhance the ambience, similar to an original Broadway show.

"Most theaters on Broadway only have between 500 and 1,000
seats. But the most important thing is that Balai Kartini has the
best acoustics all the music halls in the city," Antin Hernanto
of Original Production said on Wednesday.

Balai Kartini, a newly opened multipurpose hall in the heart
of Jakarta is also one of the most accessible compared to other
venues such as the one at Taman Mini in East Jakarta, where a
world-class production of I La Galigo was recently staged.

But unlike an original production of a Broadway show,
performers in the Star Spangled Celebration, will dance and sing
to pre-recorded tunes, in what is commonly known as the "minus-
one technique".

The Jakarta show is part of the Star Spangled Celebration
world tour. The company has already done shows in Portugal and
South Korea.

Antin said that a large number of tickets for the show had
been sold, mostly for the evening performances.

She added that the four performances in two days was only a
precursor to more such Broadway-style productions that would be
staged in the capital throughout 2006.

Next year, Original Production is expected to promote three
musicals.

Tickets for Star Spangled Celebration are available through
Original Production, which can be contacted by calling 7279-4423,
Ibu Dibyo at 310-0386 or 31931178, or Tarra Megastore 566-9762.