Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah!

Still reeling from the Merdeka celebrations and feeling the patriotism deep in your veins? For your dose of Malaysiana in September, Broadway Parodies Lagi Lah! (BPLL) will not fail to please. It returns for a second run with new songs and several new singers after its first staging turned out to be a sold out success. Described as Lat’s, Reggie Lee’s and CW Kee’s world of cartoons set to Broadway tunes, BPLL takes the songs from Broadway we all love and know so well and twist and turn them to fit a local context to rather hilarious effects. So expect references to our uniquely Malaysian culture like Good Morning towels, Genting Highlands, Bursa Malaysia, datins, tai-tais and more elements that only someone who’ve lived in this country long enough can truly appreciate. Case in point: writer and facilitator Brian McIntyre who is actually from Cardiff; he was encouraged by friends Jason Cheong and Edna Tan to pursue his talent in spoofing songs. Thank God for friends like these! Although a lot of the material you’ll hear in BPLL appeared in the first run, look out for new additions like “The Roti Man” (originally “The Candy Man” from Willy Wonka) and “Tai Tai Spenders” (spoofed from “Big Spender” from Sweet Charity). The cast also sees returning faces like Glamorique Arshad and Ho Soon Yoon performing with newcomers (but not newbies!) like Mia Palencia, Janet Lee, Zeqhty Nattrah and Tabitha Kong. Also look out for people like Shahila Johan, a young talent who majored in classical voice in ASWARA and Sarah Low, who was previously seen in Rose Rose I Love You. With big tunes and big laughs, BPLL has what it takes to surpass the success of its first run.

Text Sarah Chan