PETALING JAYA: Follow The Light, a poignant, hilarious, and contemporary take on the Christmas Story, emerged as the main winner at the Boh Cameroonian Arts Awards 2023 tonight.
Presented by theatrethreesixty, Follow The Light earned its creator, composer Nick Choo and his team four awards in the Musical Theatre category — Best Original Music and Lyrics, Best Original Book, Best Musical Direction, and Best Group Performance.
Follow The Light also became one of four winning performances in the Best Of category.
Choo said: "I made the various characters distinct by giving them individual musical styles. For example, the wise men sing hip-hop and R&B tunes."
Choo developed the musical during his days in Murdoch University, Australia in 2005.
The show made its Malaysian premiere in 2010, directed by Colin Kirton.
Follow The Light director Christopher Ling said that it was universal and realistic.
"Its strength lies with the real, human characters that are successfully expressed through the songs," he said.
The awards, known as the Cammies, is in its 18th year and was held at 8.30pm in the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC), One Utama, here.
Themed "A New Day, Setia Pada Senimu" (Loyal To Your Art), it featured 84 nominees in the running for 30 award categories, and covered four categories namely Dance, Music, Theatre and Musical Theatre.
A total of 101 productions that were staged over the last three years competed for awards.
Legendary Dondang Sayang composer and musician Datuk Mohd Baharim Mohd Sharip was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event's guest of honour, National Culture and Arts Department deputy director Rosnan Nordin, said: "The arts unites all races of the nation. What you have is integrity and passion, don't ever give up!"
For the full list of winners, visit www.kakiseni.com (http://www.kakiseni.com/)