Front Row

Musical Treasures is an exciting Broadway-inspired fundraiser organised by renowned choreographer Farah Sulaiman, aimed at supporting Persatuan Sindrom Down Malaysia (PSDM). Featuring iconic hits from beloved musicals like Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, and The Sound of Music, the production promises a vibrant song-and-dance spectacle while working to raise RM300,000 for PSDM's essential programs. The show...

When Earth became a living hell, humanity sought refuge on the Moon, hoping it could restore the lost glory of our civilization. But what happens when our greed and thirst for power emerge once more? Following the success of Orang Bulan, Yusof Bakar completes his science fiction trilogy with two new BM plays—Penakluk Bulan and Pemusnah Bulan. Continuing with the same characters and universe, Trilo...

PESZTA , a vibrant arts festival in Kuala Lumpur's historic Kampung Attap, is set to return for its third year over the Malaysia Day weekend. This unique festival, named after a playful twist on the word "Pesta" to incorporate its three main venues—Pentago, SAM Mansion, and The Zhongshan Building—celebrates Malaysia's independence and diversity through a series of community-focused programs. We fi...

The 39 Steps is a high-energy theatrical adventure combining mystery, espionage, and humour. Adapted from John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, it follows the dashing Richard Hannay, whose ordinary life is upended when a mysterious woman claiming to be a spy is murdered in his flat. Now on the run from a shadowy organisation called “The 39 Steps,” Hannay navigates a whirlwind of...

Ballet Manila's Greatest Hits in Malaysia , presented by DanceLink, is a dance production featuring Ballet Manila , one of Southeast Asia’s premier ballet companies. Led by Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the first non-Russian artist in the prestigious Kirov Ballet, the show opens with Lisa’s rendition of the opera-ballet "La Traviata" and continues with a diverse program of classical, mod...

  A Reason for Falling is a contemporary dance performance by Malaysian artist Hwa Wei-An that invites the audience to reconsider the concept of falling as more than just a loss of balance, but as a moment filled with possibility. Inspired by the thrill of freeriding, Wei-An began developing this work in 2018 during a choreographic residency with Dance Nucleus, aiming to translate the experie...

The Barehands Residency (BR) was established by Malaysian artist Juhari Said in 2010, and is a dedicated space for artists to collaborate and exchange ideas. Located in Hulu Langat on a four-acre property called Akal di Ulu, the residency has welcomed artists from around the world, creating an environment that encourages creativity and cultural dialogue. Following a successful 2023 residency in pa...

The Poetics Collective , under the banner of VerSeS Music Ensembles , will be performing the romantic and expressive works of Johannes Brahms, Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann. Featuring Robert Schumann's  Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood), Clara Schumann's Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Opus 22, and Johannes Brahms's Liebeslieder Waltzes, Opus 52, this program delves into the rich...

The Sisters Soong is a new production by The Actors Studio Seni Teater Rakyat, weaving a dramatic tale that spans the personal and political spheres of three of the most influential women in 20th-century China. Written by Joe Hasham OAM and directed by Dato’ Dr. Faridah Merican, this play blends history and fiction to explore the lives of the Soong sisters—Ai-ling, Ching-ling, and Mei-ling—who eac...

Bharatha Kalanjalii Malaysia are celebrating their 50th anniversary, kicking off a year-long calendar of events with the Bharatanatyam dance performance, Swarnarekha. The school was co-founded in 1974 by Srimathi Meera Venugopal, a distinguished disciple of the renowned Dhananjayan duo, who has been working hard ever since to promote Indian classical dance here in Malaysia. We catch up with Meera,...

lowercase laboratories are set to present its debut text adaptation production of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus , which hopes to offer a fresh, innovative take on the classic play, focusing on the psychological depth of the characters and the brutal consequences of their choices. Known for its extreme violence and themes of revenge, this adaptation uses real, dead, and dried flowers to symbolise...

Bharatha Kalanjalii Malaysia are celebrating their 50th anniversary, kicking off a year-long calendar of events with the Bharatanatyam dance performance, Swarnarekha. The school was co-founded in 1974 by Srimathi Meera Venugopal, a distinguished disciple of the renowned Dhananjayan duo, who has been working hard ever since to promote Indian classical dance here in Malaysia. We catch up with Meera,...

Nothing Gentle in the Shadows is a film that addresses the stigma and silence surrounding sexual violence against men, exploring how their masculinity is questioned by authorities and society when they come forward. The documentary features three male sexual assault survivors from diverse backgrounds who share their experiences, underscoring that sexual violence can affect anyone, regardless of ra...

Joseph Haydn's oratorio " The Creation ," depicts the biblical creation story from the Book of Genesis, and is set to be performed in Malaysia for the first time since 2013. The one-night-only event, conducted by Prof. Dr. William Weinert from the Eastman School of Music, will feature the Malaysia Bach Festival Singers and Orchestra, and three soloists. We discuss what's in store with Prof. Dr. Da...

The Taalam Percussion and Solkattu Academy Malaysia (TAPAS Malaysia) are set to launch this Sunday, and will be the first ghatam school in Malaysia, serving Southeast Asia. The launch includes a morning rhythm workshop, and also free evening performances for the public by leading Malaysian Carnatic music practitioners. We discuss ghatam music, and the upcoming events with Karthik Krishnasamy, the...

Under the direction of Cheryl Mah and guest conductor Damrih Banawitayakit from Thailand's Silpakorn University, An Uncommon Journey III is both a concert and outreach project, spearheaded by The klpac Symphonic Band. At the concert, we’re promised Malaysia’s brightest young wind, brass, and percussion musicians perform with the Outreach Band and saxophone soloist Mohd Shahrizal Kamal, the 2023 Ma...

Noted With Thanks is a new stand up show that captures the unexpected twists of life during and after the global lockdown. While many experienced love, loss, self-discovery, and even new pets, Malaysian comedian Kuah Jenhan took a different path by landing his first "real" job at 34, after a 15-year career in stand-up comedy. Adapting to office life, Jenhan finds himself trading the lively atmosph...

After five years, The klpac Orchestra are back with its unique East meets West concert, Tunes from the East II . This upcoming concert will feature a 70-strong orchestra under the direction of Maestro Lee Kok Leong, showcasing some of Malaysia's most talented Chinese instrumentalists. Featuring a mix of renowned pieces  and also the premiere of local compositions we find out what's in store f...

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...

"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...

" 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 So...

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 intellig...

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 Th...

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...

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...