Colours Of My Life

Lorong: The Musical - A Look into the Dark Side of Kuala Lumpur 

Comment - Last night I attended a musical at The Actor's Studio, Lot 10, called "LORONG: The Musical" (lorong means a small street or a lane in Malay) with my a close friend of mine who is the founder of The Hope Factory and a number of our friends. "LORONG: The Musical" is not your typical musical theatre production led by a famous director and starred by glamorous actors. "LORONG" tells a story about a young boy who grew up in Chow Kit Lane, a high-risk area in the city of Kuala Lumpur. He was abandoned by his real parents and was found and adopted by a transgender who works as a prostitute.

"LORONG" is a story about a boy, Adi, who faces challenges in society as an anak pungut (an abandoned child who is adopted by others, such children are usually looked down on by society).

"LORONG" is a story about the life of a transgender prostitute who decides to change for the better when he became a care-giver to Adi.

"LORONG" is a true story about love and compassion in a place no one thought these two virtues could exist.

Most importantly, "LORONG: The Musical" was directed and starred by the youth and children who grew up or are growing up in Chow Kit Lane but are receiving help from called KL KrashPad, a non-profit charity organisation which provides these youth and children with the help they need (financial, emotional and psychological) in order for them to create a better future for themselves.  

If you want to know what happens next you'll have to watch it for yourself, of course. What do I personally think of the musical? The quote below aptly describes my thoughts on the production:

"Some might find the themes unsettling, particularly upon the realisation that many of the activities depicted occur in such close geographical proximity to our shiny office blocks and five-star hotels.As a trustee of Yayasan Chow Kit since its beginning, the production brings to life many of the tragic stories that I’ve previously read about and heard brought up at board meetings. 

But more importantly, the musical makes palpable the sense of optimism that each one of the kids innately has: kids who have been unappreciated and perhaps, more damagingly, underestimated by society from the beginning." 

 -- Tunku ’Abidin Muhriz, Down Lorong The Musical lane, The Star

If you're interested to watch "LORONG" please click on the banner on the left-side of my blog for more details. Tonight's their final show so go and support these great kids! Proceeds go towards maintaining KL KrashPad, a safe haven for the teens and children of Chow Kit lane.

As I began to write this post I serendipitously came across a new song by Kelly Clarkson which fits my sentiments this morning. I dedicate it to the KL KrashPad kids and to everyone who has a "dark side" and has been through some tribulations and rough times in their lives. Don't let the past haunt your future. Go on, unleash the courageous 'you' and be the person you are meant to be - a person who is destined for greatness and nothing less.

Story -   http://shaelaiza.blogspot.com/2012/05/lorong-musical-look-into-dark-side-of.html

Down Lorong The Musical Lane

Revolving around the lives of the children in Chow Kit, we see a whole range of human emotions in this musical — not something the thousands who pass through Chow Kit will associate with the area.

MUSICALS seem to be the art form du jour. In the past few years, in addition to inviting famous West End and Broadway productions to perform in KL, we’ve had Puteri Gunung Ledang, Tunku (Abdul Rahman), P Ramlee, Cuci and other Malaysian names and words suffixed by “the Musical”; the latter just completed its third incarnation.

Obviously, some are more enjoyable than others. Production values differ, and acting in musicals sees the great range from fresh-faced beginners to those who have already reached the pinnacle of Malaysian stardom.

I’ve seen musicals operating on a shoestring budget where the actors aren’t paid for months after their performances, others where the actors are schoolchildren who fanatically volunteer their time and effort with no thought of financial reward, and others where no expense is spared in getting beautiful props and sets that silently arrange themselves automatically from scene to scene.

My main concern – not unreasonably, I think – is the music. Some, like P Ramlee: The Musical, have an awesome bank of ready material to draw on, but unfortunately, too many Malaysian productions seem to imitate Andrew Lloyd Webber too readily and obviously.

Disappointingly, one or two of the big budget musicals didn’t even bother to hire live musicians, using recordings instead: misplaced priorities methinks.

Lorong the Musical will have live instruments. Running at the Actors Studio in Lot 10 next week, it will provide a rather different and special experience compared to previous musicals.

Produced after winning a competition on TV3 called Sejuta Impian, the story revolves around the life of children in Chow Kit, through the lens of a young orphaned boy who others – motivated by their own emotional needs or survival instincts – either try to protect or harm.

There are themes of redemption and empowerment painted against a wider picture of drugs, sexuality and criminality.

Throughout the production we see the whole range of human emotions: despair, hatred, hope, and love – especially love, which is not something the thousands of people who pass through Chow Kit everyday will associate with the area.

As the musical’s original song declares: “Kita tiada beza: sama mengejar cita-cita, dahaga belai kasih sayang cinta” (we are no different: we chase dreams, and we crave love).

But do not doubt the authenticity of the story. Its author grew up in Chow Kit.

The actors – children of the KL Krash Pad, a youth activity centre operating as a joint collaboration between Yayasan Chow Kit and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry – are still growing up in Chow Kit.

As such, this is more genuine than any public service message from a government agency or a corporate social responsibility video.

It is a distilled version of the stories of the people of a neighbourhood much maligned or written off by authorities as an area just as problematic now as when Sudirman held his concert there (his song Chow Kit Road warns of being cheated by unscrupulous traders and being caught by undercover cops if you’ve been enjoying drugs).

The recent movie Chow Kit was also partially based on the experiences of the KL Krash Pad kids.

When you consider that many of the actors have gone through similar experiences as those portrayed, you’ll realise how courageous they are.

Some might find the themes unsettling, particularly upon the realisation that many of the activities depicted occur in such close geographical proximity to our shiny office blocks and five-star hotels.

As a trustee of Yayasan Chow Kit since its beginning, the production brings to life many of the tragic stories that I’ve previously read about and heard brought up at board meetings.

But more importantly, the musical makes palpable the sense of optimism that each one of the kids innately has: kids who have been unappreciated and perhaps, more damagingly, underestimated by society from the beginning.

When I went to see them rehearse, the contrast between their acting angry, crying gang-like personas and their true, giggly selves – switched on and off like consummate professionals – was like night and day.

True, the children of the KL Krash Pad have performed to audiences before – their dance troupe has been quite a hit, but this is their first full scale in-house production offered to paying audiences.

With that, I encourage you to attend, especially if you’ve paid RM200 to watch a culturally devoid, emotionally hollow, Lloyd Webber-like production in one of Kuala Lumpur’s grander venues.

Performances run on May 29, May 30 and May 31 and tickets are priced at RM30, RM48 and RM58. Call 017 768 3865 or 010 421 7397 for details.

> Tunku ’Abidin Muhriz is a Trustee of Yayasan Chow Kit.

Story http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?file=/2012/5/25/columnists/roamingbeyondthefence/11349760&sec=roamingbeyondthefence

POSTER

THEATER LORONG THE MUSICAL 

pO

Tentang ChowKit

Chow Kit merupakan suatu sub-daerah di tengah-tengah Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ia terletak di sekitar Jalan Chow Kit dan ditutupi oleh jalan-jalan selari iaitu Jalan Raja Laut dan Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. Ia dinamakan bersempena dengan nama seorang pelombong timah dan kanselor perbandaran, Loke Chow Kit.

Sekarang ini kawasan berkenaan mempunyai ciri-ciri Indonesia kerana pendatang Indonesia berniaga di gerai-gerai keciil. Akhir-akhir ini, wujud satu komuniti kecil Negro / orang Afrika terutama dari negara Nigeria. Ia mempunyai sebuah pasar pagi dikenali sebagai Bazaar Baru Chow Kit yang merupakan pasar pagi terbesar di Kuala Lumpur.^[1] Ia juga bercirikan pasar malam yang dikenali sebagaiBundle Chow Kit di sepanjang Lorong Haji Taib yang mana juga dikenali ramai yang menjadi penjualan pakaian terpakai dan aksesori-aksesorinya.^[2] Chow Kit juga dikenali sebagai daerah lampu merah dan sebagai tempat perjumpaan mak nyah. Ia juga dikenali sebagai tempat popular bagi penagih dadah.^[3] Stesen Monorail Chow Kit terletak di dalam kawasan ini dan Stesen LRT PWTC terletak berdekatan.   

Lagu Chow Kit Road

Penyanyi Sudirman Arshad pernah mengadakan konsert terbuka di sini dan menyampaikan lagu 'Chow Kit Road' pada tahun 1980-an.

Lagu Chowkit Road

jom dengar lagu chowkit road yang pernah didendangkan oleh Allahyarham Sudirman 

Coretan Pembukaan

Assalammualaikum, dan salam Sejahtera,


Syukur ke hadrat illahi dengan kurnia dan rahmatnya, dapat kami, remaja-remaja CHOWKIT meluahkan interpretasi jiwa kami kepada masyarakat umum yang berada diluar sana. Umum mengetahui akan keadaan ChowKit yang tidak tamat-tamat dengan kisah tragis masyarakat dalaman yang saban tahun mencatat rekod kesalahan jenayah, sehingga sesetengah masyarakat yang celopar mulutnya mengklafikasikan kami LEMBAH DURJANA!, sehingga mereka lupa bukan semua yg ada disini buat jenayah!


Teater "LORONG The Musical" yang bakal dipentaskan kelak, bakal memaparkan sikap tragis masyarakat Malaysia yang rupa-rupanya menjadi punca kepada kemelut negara yang penat lelah memerang gejala yang membelenggu negara yang ingin mencapai status negara maju 2020 tidak lama sahaja lagi.


Nantikannya, daripada kami. =D


SEKIAN,




J.S AWAL.

Kawasan ChowKit