EVERYONE can relate to having money problems – well, the vast majority of people – and while there’s certainly a ‘right’ way to earn money, sometimes shortcuts can be very appealing, especially when your dreams are on the line.
Of course the weird thing about money, either chasing after it or having too much of it, is that it can ruin who you are and the relationships with the people most important to you.
That might sound serious, and though there are dark moments for some of the characters of Fortune Kooky, this stage production, currently being performed at PJPAC in 1Utama, is ultimately a life-affirming musical about what’s important truly important in life – with plenty of very Malaysian comedic tangents.
The two act play (which runs almost two hours, including an intermission) is the second musical by KuLT Productions, a local performing arts group founded in 2019. Written by Terence Toh and Lydia Tong, with music by Tong and Kelvin Loh, the story revolves around Jared (played by Ronnie), a young man who wants to strike it rich with an app-based gym equipment company (a bit of a stretch, but ok).
There are seven cast members in total, though a few of them are doing double or triple duty as many side characters.
There’s Jared’s mother Anne (Rachel Liu) runs a humble char kuey teow stall that has seen better days, his best friend/business partner Arvind (Nikkhil), seemingly well-off over-the-top cousin Jessica (Kirthana Kuhendran), his crush-turned-girlfriend Rachel (Angie Cheah) and her eccentric best friend Denise (Lakshmi Ahrunagiry). Alvin Looi plays both the God of Wealth and an Ah Long, though really what’s the difference.
There’s comedy, romance and drama, though the general outline of the story is pretty obvious: easy come, easy go. It’s a fairly simple rise and fall, where the first act involves Jared and co’s struggles to make their dreams a reality, with success (of dubious quality) being earned before the intermission. It all falls apart before an emotional resolution.
For a story with an ultimately simple moral, there’s no expectation to reinvent the wheel, though it would have been nice to explore the space in between gaining and losing, maybe dwell in the wealth a bit.
Either way, it’s not about the plot but about the performances in terms of acting, as well as the singing and dancing in the musical numbers, of which there are many – perhaps too many. The actual performing space at the Nero theatre is not that big, but the cast used it to its potential. It’s also an intimate space, which also helps to bring the audience along for the ride.
Backed by a five-piece band led by music director Loh, the songs run the range of comedic to the emotionally heartfelt. In many ways they highlight the range of the performers. Going from a jaunty Ah Long track, to an aspirational ballad to a teary love song, is a testament to the effort of all involved. – The Vibes, April 9, 2022
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