Written by Valesca Noerjanto
“Laskar Pelangi: The Musical” is coming to town! The musical adaptation of Andrea Hirata’s best-selling novel was such a hit when first performed last December, that the production team decided to have another 10-day run in July. They are also holding a three-day show in the sunny island of Singapore, starting October 1, 2011.
Hey Diaspora had the opportunity for an exclusive interview with Laskar Pelangi’s (LP) very own producer, Mira Lesmana. Her “apa adanya” nature makes the interview flow naturally and so much fun!
Here are the highlights of our chat on the musical, what goes on behind the scenes, the Indonesian movie industry, life and so much more.
How is the musical preparation going?
Preparation in terms of casts’ blockings is actually easy. After the 28 shows from the 1st run and 16 shows on the 2nd run, the casts and ensembles have been well prepared. Except for Muslimah, Ikal and Lintang, LP only has 1 layer of casts for the Singapore run.
What’s complicated is the set and transporting of all casts and crews.
In Jakarta, there’s more flexibility in dealing with stage problems. However, Singapore strictly forbids unregulated adjustments to set. Originally 2 containers of sets were shipped here, including those that were to be built in Singapore. However, due to several reasons they can’t be built in Singapore so additional of 1.5 containers need to be shipped. Plus the event preparation clashes with F1!
I remember clearly a scene in the musical involving goats. Will they be here too?
Esplanade also bans animals (laughs) so scenes including animals must be adjusted. So far only the scene including goats has been adjusted; all other scenes will go as per normal currently. I’m really sad I couldn’t bring the goats here!
Any memorable production mishaps that keeps you laughing?
The 3rd show of the 1st run had to be cancelled. Almost 1,000 people in the audience had entered the theatre, but the equipment did not work. We asked the audience to wait for an hour but in the end I had to go out to tell everybody that we weren’t able to perform. Fortunately everyone was supportive and even applauded. I also heard chants of “It’s alright!”.
But the most fun mishap is the goats! (laughs) In the 44 shows, there are days when the goats decide to do things they are not supposed to do. For the first five days they had to be dragged to the stage. Then the next 5 days they were used to it, so it was easy. After that they got too comfortable and ended up doing “things” on stage. Some of our dancers for the next scene have to sit on “the residue”.
Favorite scene?
I love every scene actually, but if I have to choose it will be “The Blues” after Pak Harfan dies. I love when the “Malayan Blues” is played.
My favorite set is the rumah miring. The flybar in Jakarta can never be precise, so everytime the scene is to be performed, we all just stand there holding our breath, hoping it will be okay. (laughs)
How do you create something deep and meaningful but still appeals to the public?
The dichotomy in entertainment is between artistry and commercialism. I don’t believe in both. I believe in good creations. And for me a good creation has to be communicative and artistic at the same time.
Of course if we’re talking about art, only a small number of people can appreciate it. If it’s commercial, usually there’s no depth. Whatever we create has to be good and meaningful, but the audience has to be able to relate to it. It is a waste if no one is able to relate to what we’ve done. Not saying I know how, but we learn how to do it as we go along. Failure, to me, is part of the learning process, so it’s alright.
I do believe in promotion but we have to do the best we could. A good creation speaks for itself. It is something people would like to share. I believe in the power of word of mouth, especially with the current hype of social media. So the million-dollar question is how do you actually create a good creation.
“Ada Apa dengan Cinta?” is my all-time favorite movie! It was a huge part of my childhood, and also my peers’. Given that the theme revolves around high school life, which is something relatable and obvious, why is it that nobody is able to recreate something of similar quality since?
I don’t know! (laughs) If I have to analyze, even though the storyline is simple, we had to prepare well and make it as close to reality as possible. We took our time. To write a good script you need time. To find good casts you need time. To make your casts act well you need time. The emphasis nowadays is express turnover. Most productions don’t spend enough time, money, or effort in preparation. I guess they believe too much in star power or set location, which I don’t think is enough for a production to work well.
What if you need to choose between quality and funding?
It’s tough. But Miles (Miles Production -Ed.) always places quality as our main priority. And everyone is aware that we can’t always make a lot of money in a short time.
People keep offering big sum of money for quick production and the temptation is so big. We could if we want to, but fortunately people in Miles are very particular about quality.
After doing movies, short movies and musicals, which one is the most exciting?
I love challenges. Even after 10 movies, there will always be new challenges when producing a new movie. Riri and I try not to repeat what we’ve done. Theatre is new for us. But we work with the best people; Toto Arto, Jay Subiyakto, Erwin Gutawa, among others. This is new for all of us six creators. But we are passionate and want the best.
Who do you think is your competition? Nia Dinata maybe?
In our industry, there are very little creators. We don’t see it as a competition. All of us need to keep helping out each other so our industry is able to grow.
What are your upcoming projects? One of our readers was curious on how “Bumi Manusia” is coming along.
I’m suspicious that even God doesn’t know. (laughs) At the moment “Bumi Manusia” is in the preparation stage. I’m also writing another musical. Also, I have a plan to make a smaller film set in eastern Indonesia, like Timor Timur and NTT.
Another question from our readers is on “Drupadi”. Any plans on extending that?
No. “Drupadi” is good enough as it is, at 40 minutes, so there are no plans on extending.
Lastly, for students who wanted to make it in the industry, either as an actor or in the producing/ directing side, where should they start?
The problem with youngsters is that they watch movies, and they want to be a star, they want to act. In reality, it is a long process before you reach that stage. If you want to be an actor, you need to study acting. Yes, some people can make it instantly, through luck maybe. But many of these people don’t stay in the industry for long.
Acting is more than just mimicking someone. You need to read. There’s a philosophy and science behind it. Kevin Spacey went through all that to become what he is now.
When I was 16, I decided that I want to make films, my dad told me three things: I have to go to film school, I have to learn the philosophy behind making films. I have to be passionate and dedicated, I have to understand the industry. Lastly, I have to be ready: there will most certainly some difficulties from time to time as this is not a stable profession, but if I’m passionate, I have to be ready to make sacrifices.
I’m not saying people who don’t go to film school can’t make it in the industry. People like Joko Anwar, he didn’t go to filming school. But he learned a lot. He bought books, watched films, went to workshops. So what’s important is also your self-discipline.
“Laskar Pelangi Musical” opens 1 October 2011 at Esplanade.
Tickets: S$25 – S$40
For more information, click this link.
