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#SHOWBIZ: 'Working Dead' musical back with a bang

MALAYSIAN musical 'The Working Dead', first staged in 2019,  returns to  the stage, eager to captivate  theatre lovers  with its catchy songs, moving story and relatable themes.

Presented by KULT Productions, it has  12 performers, and will feature all the  songs that made the show a hit when it was first performed.

The music, composed by Lydia Tong and Kelvin Loh, will be performed by a  five-piece band under  music director Lee Han.

 PJPAC

The show will be performed at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre  at One Utama, Petaling Jaya, from Nov 8 to 10.

Producer Terence Toh said: "The Working Dead'  premiered in 2019 but so many of its themes continue to resonate today.

"Many of us are caught up with hustle culture. We're  pressured to be productive, just to keep up with societal demands.

"We ignore our  wellbeing and time spent with our loved ones, in the pursuit of  paychecks.

"We think all these sacrifices will pay off in the long run, but will they really?"

 

 CAMMIES

'The Working Dead', which was nominated for 13 awards at the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards 2019 and won three, tells the story of Edwin, a  salaryman who dies on the job.

His demanding boss, Chan, hires a bomoh to bring him back to life to finish his tasks, and it is up to his wife Sarah and colleagues to save him.

Heartwarming and hilarious, the musical touches on themes, such as love, family, sacrifice, money and societal expectations.

 NEW CAST

Brian Cheong and Colin Kirton reprise their roles as Derek and Mr Chan.

The new cast includes  Adry Nasution, Amirah Redza, Jewel Chen, Jonathan Lim, Khoo Yan Yu, Lee Sher Maine, Rachel Liu and Salma Zafri.

Also returning from the 2019 production are director Nicole Ann-Thomas, choreographer Kenny Shim and production designer Christopher Ling.

 

 HOLISTIC

The musical is supported by the Dignity Foundation, a non-governmental organisation providing  care and education for marginalised and urban poor children in Kuala Lumpur.

Part of the musical's profits will be channelled to the foundation.

 WELL-RECEIVED

Toh said: "A lot of the first 'Working Dead'  was  well-received,  so we are keeping all its fundamental parts.

"Most of the story is the same and all the songs have been retained.

"We have streamlined and improved the musical, taking into account audience responses from the first time.

"Some of its lines have been modernised. For instance, in the old musical, there were references to speaking on Skype. Now they use Zoom.

"And some of the scenes have been tightened up and streamlined.

 DELIGHTED

"A few jokes have been changed, removed or added.

"While a lot of the choreography and music direction is kept from the first show, we have  also added a lot of new changes, which we believe makes the story stronger."

When asked about the response to the first season, he said that he was delighted with the response.

"We had great houses. Nine of our 16 shows were full houses.

"A lot of people liked our musical's humour, its  talented cast, its relatable storyline, its themes of work-life balance and catchy music.

 MESSAGE

"People who watch it are inspired to think about what is  important and are encouraged to make changes.

"They realise the importance of spending time with the people they love, and not be too distracted by career or materialism.

"Also, don't turn your employees into zombies. It never ends well."

 PANDEMIC

He added: "I think 2024 audiences may interpret and relate to this musical  differently than 2019 audiences.

"This is because new audiences have been through the pandemic, which altered many  people's perceptions of work and corporate life."

He added that people were more used to things like remote working and flexible hours, and thus had more appreciation for the characters' desires to work hard while  maintaining time for their loved ones.

 MINIMAL

"We have about five youths from the Dignity Foundation in the musical. They  are mostly in their late teens or early 20s.

"Most have minimal stage experience, and some are even making their stage debut.

"These kids are  talented, and I have been  impressed with their passion and dedication to the show."

 IDA

He said  all  cast members had impressed him.

"We have a good mix of new performers and veterans, and I am  awed by their  talent.

"The only main cast member I have never worked with before is  Ida Mariana Azmi.

"I am so honoured to be working with such an iconic performer, and am  glad she decided to come on board."

There are  22 songs in the musical, which cover  rock, pop, gospel, jazz and salsa.

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