Front Row

Gone are the days of princesses waiting helplessly to be rescued by knights in shining armour. Twisted reinvents well-known fairy tale characters, intertwining them into a new plot with a contemporary twist, showcasing strong, independent, and realistic leads that serve as empowering role models for both girls and boys. As times change, our fairy tales must evolve to - and Twisted hopes to reflect this modern perspective. We find out what's in store from Fa Abdul, the director and producer of the show, from Big Nose Productions. 

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"Jungle Jungle" is an exhibition by Taiwanese artist Zhang Xu Zhan, which delves into the shared and diverse cultural narratives across regions, highlighting how music's meaning and folk tales evolve locally. Inspired by the folktale "Sang Kancil and the Crocodiles" encountered during an artist residency in Indonesia, Zhang interweaves similar stories like Taiwan's "The Mouse and the Buffalo" and China's "The Rabbit and the Crab." Through the lens of a fly's compound eye, the exhibition portrays these interchanging animal tales, using metaphors like mirrors and shadows to reflect cultural flows and human-animal connections. We speak to Rahel Joseph, the Gallery Director of Ilham Gallery who are hosting this exhibition, to discover more about the artist, his works and his unique approach to storytelling.

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"If There is An Afterlife, I Hope It’s Your Version Instead of Mine” is a semi-devised play by Asyraf Syahir Najib that delves into themes of death, faith, and emotional struggle. The story follows Sofia, as she is forced to reexamine her beliefs and confront her nihilistic views while caring for her religious, cancer-stricken mother. The story unfolds three years after her mother's death, as Sofia processes her experience and supports her childhood friends, facing a similar situation with their own mother. Presented by EJKLS Seni, we find out what's in store from writer Asyraf, who is also the Founder and Artistic Director of EJKLS Seni, and cast member Myrra Baity, who plays the lead character Sofia. 

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Figures of History and the Grounds of Intelligence begins by questioning what happens when an image transitions from a state archive, into the feedback loops of an artificial neural network. This lecture performance explores the intertwined histories of state planning, global networks, and cybernetics, tracing back to the Cold War, and leading to the current surge in generative artificial intelligence. A new work by artist and writer Ho Rui An, he joins us to share more about this work  which is making its debut right here in Kuala Lumpur, including how he will be employing generative AI live during the lecture performance. This project was co-commissioned by the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and Kadist, San Francisco and Paris and supported by Five Arts Centre and The Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur.

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The klpac String Orchestra, led by Resident Conductor and Music Director Andrea Sim, are set to present a vibrant program showcasing the Romantic period, in the concert titled The Age of Romance, with works by renowned composers from Europe, Russia, and South America. Be transported to Shakespeare's magical world with Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Tchaikovsky’s Themes from Romeo and Juliet. The concert also features Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, selections from Bizet’s Carmen, and rising viola soloist Glaris Tan performing Max Bruch’s Romance for Viola and String Orchestra. We find out what's in store from both Andrea and Glaris.

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Solace of Papan is Malaysia’s first opera in English, which takes its inspiration from Sybil Kathigasu's novel No Dram of Mercy. With a libretto by Chin San Sooi and music composed by Lam Siu Chong, the opera is set against the backdrop of World War II-era Malaya, and tells the story of Sybil Kathigasu's courage in defying her Japanese interrogators during the Japanese Occupation. San Sooi and Siu Chong join us to discuss this monumental undertaking, and the challenges and triumphs of bringing Sybil Kathigasu's story to life.

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We're promised back-to-back jazz music by 17 performers across four stages, at the Royal Selangor Jazz Festival, which will feature local legends such as Junji Delfino, David Gomes, Janet Lee, The Frankie Sixes, FAZZ, WVC Malaysian Jazz Ensemble, just to mention a few. Aside from music, there will be an array of other activities including jazz jam sessions, jazz film screenings, food, fun and so much more. One of the festival's headliners, jazz pianist, composer, arranger and producer Tay Cher Siang, who is also the festival's curator, joins us to share more about what's in store.

Image Credit: Royal Selangor Jazz Festival

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A decade after the iconic Palate Palette (PP) Restaurant and Bar closed its doors, its spirit lives on through the Palate Palette Pop-Up event, a one-day extravaganza that wants to celebrate Palate Palette's enduring legacy of community, creativity, and inclusivity. Featuring a curated mix of food, music, art, and workshops, the event honours the past, revels in the present, and looks forward to a future of shared experiences, making it a must-attend celebration for all. We catch up with Su-Ann Wong, the Founder of Palate Palette, for a walk down memory lane, while discussing highlights from the upcoming event.

Image Credit: Palate Palette Pop, Instagram

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Perhiasan Kaca is a Malay adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ beloved classic The Glass Menagerie. With translation into Bahasa Malaysia by Marlenny Deenerwan, the play, which is a semi-autobiographical piece centred on the dynamics of a family of three, is set to be presented as part of the Kembali Ke Pangkuan series, curated and helmed by The Actors Studio’s new Associate Artistic Director Christopher Ling. Christopher, who is directing the piece, fills us in on what to expect from this production.

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ABBA fans, you're in for a treat - Abborn, an award-winning ABBA tribute act are here in Malaysia, and will be performing in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur. Known for their stunning vocals, costumes, and meticulously crafted performances, ABBORN has captivated audiences worldwide, from Russia to Singapore. We find more about these two concerts - Abba Aborn at Zepp KL and also Dancing Queen Concert – A Tribute to Queen and ABBA in Kuching - from Dato' Nicholas Pinder, the Director of Homme Productions, and Zaid Zaini, the Organising Chairman of Front Row Entertainment, who are producing the show in Kuching. Both are charity concerts, with a portion of proceeds from the KL concert being channelled towards Yayasan Tunku Naquiyuddin (YTN), and a portion of proceeds from the Kuching concert being donated to the Sarawak Heart Foundation.

Image Credit: Megatix

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