KUALA LUMPUR: Liver & Lung Productions will be staging a preview of its new musical, Songs Inspired By A Little Life, as a double bill event with Sepet The Musical next month.
Based on Hanya Yanagihara's award-winning novel, A Little Life tells the story of brilliant and enigmatic Jude, a successful lawyer who must learn to confront his past before it defines his life forever.
Touted as KL's first live musical since the Movement Control Order (MCO), Liver & Lung co-founder Hannah Shields said: "We wanted to go bigger and better. To thank our audiences for their continued support, we decided to treat them to a 30-minute preview of our brand-new show complete with original songs, incisive storytelling and an immersive set up."
Sepet The Musical, which ran for three sold-out weeks in KL last September, is being restaged to celebrate the theatre company's three wins at the recent Boh Cameronian Arts Awards.
"Directing Sepet The Musical was a life-changing experience. Gaining recognition from Kakiseni was both humbling and deeply rewarding.
"We wanted to celebrate the win by reviving the show for new audiences. It's time Malaysia enjoys theatre again," said Liver & Lung co-founder Shafeeq Shajahan, who won Best Direction Award for his work on the musical.
The double bill will be staged over three weekends next month, from Aug 7 to 9, Aug 14 to 16 and Aug 21 to 23 in the creative community mall GMBB at No.2, Jalan Robertson, KL.
Liver & Lung and GMBB have been working closely to ensure that the necessary standard operating procedures (SOP) are in place for the performance.
"We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable evening. Of course, we'll be adding some Liver & Lung magic to the social distancing protocols so they feel part of the overall experience," said Hannah.
Shafeeq added: "Both musicals have heart and focus on intelligent characters overcoming personal obstacles. At Liver & Lung, we're committed to creating theatre that provides audiences with emotive reactions and we hope these shows will do just that."
With a run time of 2 hours and 45 minutes, Sepet The Musical stars Joshua Gui and Badrika Bahadur as Jason and Orked respectively.
Gui will also take on the role of Jude St Francis in Songs Inspired by A Little Life with Badrish Isdin (co-composer of Sepet The Musical) playing younger Jude.
"We encourage everyone who comes to see Sepet The Musical to dress in their best Sepet-inspired attire (cotton baju kurungs). Food will be served MCO-style. It's going to be a fun, moving and heartfelt evening," said Shafeeq.
Tickets, going for RM110 or RM 40 (for A Little Life only), can be purchased at www.liverandlung.com/sepet for tickets.
For more details, email liverandlungproductions@gmail.com, WhatsApp +60104029323 or visit www.liverandlung.com.