Ramlee and Saloma, as played by Musly Ramlee and Liza Hanim.

FOR the cast of P. Ramlee The Musical, to be staged this weekend at the Esplanade Theatres, the bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore had a sense of déjà vu about it. “It reminded us of the scene where P. Ramlee takes the trip from Penang to Singapore…and he doesn’t know what his future will be,” says Liza Hanim, who plays Saloma, the last great love of P. Ramlee, the late great Malaysian entertainment legend.

Those who grew up in Singapore between the 1940s and 1960s know who P. Ramlee is. He directed and acted in over 60 movies, and wrote and sang more than 300 songs. He was a prolific, creative talent. On a more personal note, he was also an inspired lover. He fell in love more than once.

The musical, as Esplanade’s director of programming JP Nathan notes, is “more than a musical. It actually looks at his life and shows that it wasn’t, as the cliché goes, a field of roses.” The show, says Nathan, has the courage to go beyond the surface of things. Meaning, it will show the side of P. Ramlee with a focus on his loves, passions, and personal life.

The production was staged last year to critical acclaim at Malaysia’s national theatre in Kuala Lumpur. Last week, it won six awards from the prestigous BOH Cameronian Arts Awards, including a much-coveted Audience Choice Awards.

	Those who’ve seen P. Ramlee The Musical in KL have called it entertaining and stunning, taking note of the wonderful costumes and dreamy production, and how it is able to takeeveryone back to that time when life was much simpler — though no less complicated, since Ramlee lived at a time of social conflict.
Cast (right) and production (left) of the musical.

“We’re all excited about this Singapore production,” says actress-turned producer Tiara Jacquelina, noting that it is being staged on the 35th death anniversary of P. Ramlee, who died in May, 1973, at the age of 44 due to heart problems.

P. Ramlee The Musical will be presented at The Esplanade theatre from 17 to 19 May 2008, with evening performances at 8pm and a Saturday matinee at 2:30pm. Tickets ($100, $80, $60, $40) are available at SISTIC outlets (6438 5555) and www.sistic.com or www.esplanade.com.