FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PAN Productions returns with the Mel Brooks’ smash hit musical, The Producers . Based on the 1968 film of the same name, the show follows the story of Max Bialystock and
Leopold Bloom who have discovered a surefire way to make a fortune on Broadway: raise millions from little old lady “investors”, produce the worst play in a long history of flops, and then run off with the money when the play closes on opening night. They think they’ve found their play in ‘Springtime for Hitler’ – but anything can happen when the lights go down on Broadway!
With songs including "I Wanna Be A Producer" and the infamous "Springtime for Hitler",
The Producers is a hilarious, glittering and irreverent spoof of traditional Broadway musicals that will delight audiences from s tart to finish with it’s trademark comic moments and slapstick humor!
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The Producers went on to win a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards on the Broadway stage, including Best Book, Best Score, and Best Musical, before it was turned into the
2005 hit movie starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman. This is the first time The Producers will be staged in Southeast Asia.
This production is proudly presented by Berjaya Corporation Berhad and sponsored by
AmPrivate Banking, KLK Holdings and OCBC Bank. Other supporters include Zoos
Advertising and M.A.C. Cosmetics.
When:
26 April - 11 May 2013
Where:
Pentas 2, Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center (KLPAC)
Time:
Tickets:
8.30 pm (Tuesdays - Saturdays)
3.00pm (Saturday & Sunday)
RM125, RM105, RM85 available at the KLPAC Box Office, 03-4047-9000
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Who’s in the show?
The two wouldbe producers “Max Bialystock” and “Leopold Bloom” will be played by
Peter Ong and Vince Chong, respectively.
Peter comes fresh off his critically acclaimed portrayal of “Bobby” in Dream World
Productions’ staging of Sondheim’s
Company in Singapore. Other recent musical theatre credits include “The Scarecrow” in
The Wizard of Oz
, “The Emcee” in
Cabaret
, and “The
Big Bad Wolf” in
Always in Wonderland?
. His opera roles with various international opera companies include “Don Ottavio” in
Don Giovanni
, “Tamino” in Die Zauberflöte , “Goro” in
Madama Butterfly
, “Remendado” in
Carmen
, and “Pong” in
Turandot to name a few. He is scheduled to perform songs by Poulenc in the Singapore Lieder Festival 2013 later in the year.
Vince was last seen onstage in Terima Kasih Cinta as “Taufiq”. The Akademi Fantasia
Season 1 winner has recently released a successful album of Christmas songs entitled
“With you this Christmas”. Other stage and musical theatre credits include “Eddie The
Singing Frog” in
Frogway,
“MC” in
The Taming of the Shrew: A Bollywood Cabaret, and
“Father Benjamin” in
Apocalips. He has also recorded for many original movie soundtracks including Puteri Gunung Ledang .
“Ulla”, the producers’ curvaceous assistant, is played by Safia Hanifah. She holds a BA
(Hons) in Musical Theatre from LASALLE College of the Arts. Safia’s most recent work was This Placement (Teater Ekamatra), a site-specific collaborative piece conceived by
Irfan Kasban. Other professional stage credits include: Puteri Gunung Ledang (Enfiniti
Productions), Ismail the Last Days (KLPac) and Mak Yong Titis Sakti
(The Actor’s Studio).
Portraying the unstable playwright “Franz Liebkind” is Alfred Loh. Alfred Loh has been acting since 2008. Since then, he has been involved in both theater and film productions in different capacities, from playing an assortment of roles as part of KLPAC's Theater
For Young People ensemble, to tackling multiple characters in Arthur Kopit's Oh Dad, Poor
Dad, Momma’s Hung You In The Closet And I’m Feeling So Sad . Alfred is also part of the
Shakespeare Demystified ensemble, which produces abridged Shakespeare plays aimed at making the Bard more accessible to masses.
Playing “Roger De Bris”, Springtime for Hitler’s hack director, is Alizakri Alias. Alizakri has appeared in M! The Opera staged at Istana Budaya in 2006, as “Tun Razak” in
KLPAC’s
Ismail,The Last Days
, “Prince Charming” in Pan Productions maiden production
Always in Wonderland?
in 2010, as “Herr Schultz” in
Cabaret and as “Henry Gale /
Emerald City Guard” in
The Wizard of Oz last year.
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“Carmen Ghia”, the flamboyant assistant to Roger De Bris, is played by Joshua Gui.
Joshua was offered a scholarship to study voice at the Australia International
Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia, and graduated with a BA in Music in May
2011. His musical credits include: Dreamgirls as “Wayne”, 2011(Broadway Academy);
In
Perfect Harmony as an ensemble, 2011 (Dama Orchestra); Broadway Bites as a backup vocalist, 2012 (A Farah Sulaiman production); The Wizard of Oz as an ensemble, 2012
(PAN Productions); and Empress Wu as “Prince Li Xian”, 2012 (Dama Orchestra).
Making up the ensemble are Ashley Chan, Callista Chuah, Megan Ch’ng, Mae Elliessa,
Lynn Tan, Denise Yap, Abdul Muhaimin, Brian Cheong, Benjamin Lin, Paul Wong, and
Dennis Yeap, with a special appearance by Elvira Arul.
Who’s behind the show?
PAN’s Artistic Director Nell Ng directs the production. Described by the Press as a
“creative genius” and an “artistic chameleon” with a portfolio that is both “extensive and impressive”, she has a wide experience in theatre, film, television, dance, and radio, as an actor, emcee, comedian, host, scriptwriter, producer, choreographer and director.
Nell directed and wrote Pan Productions’ much loved and fondly remembered debut
Always in Wonderland?.
She also directed & choreographed Pan Pro ductions’s critically acclaimed productions of Kander and Ebb’s
Cabaret and Frank L. Baum’s
The Wizard Of
Oz.
Farah Sulaiman will choreograph the production. Best known for her passion for Musical
Theatre, her debut in RTM in 1975 along with the Sayang Dancers subsequently paved the way for numerous theatre, television, music videos and commercials appearances locally and abroad. In 1982, she represented Malaysia at the World Disco
Championship in London. She was invited to dance for the 1st ASEAN Song Festival in
Brunei, 1986 and the 2nd ASEAN Song Festival in Singapore, 1987. Farah was also one of the choreographers for the 1st season of So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia.
In 2009, ASTRO appointed her to be consultant for Sehati Berdansa season 3. Last year, she was invited by ASTRO to be head judge for Superstar . Her name was also mentioned in the book SHE amongst the successful woman in Malaysia. Farah has produced and choreographed 9 Broadway Musical shows for charity.
Onn San provides the musical direction for the production. A recipient of the Dean's Full
Scholarship Award, he is the first composer from Malaysia to graduate with a Masters
Degree in musical theatre writing at the New York University, Tisch School of The Arts,
Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. His musical theatre writing credits include
The Secret Life of Nora (Enfiniti Vision Media), Eau Blanche! A new musical comedy (NYU),
The Meatball (The Lee Strasberg Institute, NY); Madworld (SIBKL), Drunk Before Dawn
(SIBKL) and Green Tea (University College Sedaya International School of Music).
Set design for The Producers is by Chan Wei Ling, whilst Dominique Devorsine designs
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the costumes for this production. Lighting design is by Teo Kuang Han, and Sound design is by Bryan Christopher Tan. Make up is designed especially for this production by M.A.C. Cosmetics and their fabulous cosmetics team.
Who are the real Producers?
Peter Ong
Alizakri Alias
Nell Ng
PAN Productions
is one of the most exciting new production companies in Malaysia since its inception in April 2010, producing a succession of critically acclaimed and audience favorites such as “Always in Wonderland?” in August 2010, “Cabaret” in 2011, and “The
Wizard of Oz” in 2012.
PAN Productions is committed to producing quality stage performances using the absolute best of Malaysian stage talents .
What the press had to say about:
Always in Wonderland?
“...audiences... are enjoying a theatrical masterpiece of non-stop entertainment.”
New Straits Times
Cabaret
“Pan Productions has done more than make this reviewer say: “
Cabaret
is one of the best things I’ve seen on stage.” Having seen what they can do, makes me say with absolute confidence that this is only “the best thing I’ve seen on stage ... so far.”
The Star
The Wizard of Oz
“... was highly entertaining - three hours of breezy, bountiful and boundless fun.”
The Star
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