If musical extravaganzas are right up your avenue, then Ho Lin Huay has the perfect treat for you. We spoke to the acclaimed writer, director, producer, singer, and composer about her latest effort, Jewel of Tibet, and what she loves the most.

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Tell us about yourself

I graduated from the University of Miami in the United States with a degree in motion picture and theatre production. I wrote and directed Siddhartha the Musical, founded Musical On Stage Productions. My goal is to produce top notch Malaysian musicals. Now I work in the television industry as a producer, writer and director. I’m also a music video director, as well as a singer and composer. Most recently, I produced, wrote and directed Jewel of Tibet.

Tell us about Jewel of Tibet.

It’s a musical extravaganza that chronicles the tale of Princess Wenchang’s journey from China to Tibet more than a thousand years ago to marry King Songsten Gampo. She crossed deserts, braved hailstorms, and scaled  snow-capped mountains, and brought with her the peaceful teachings of Buddhism and Chinese Culture to Tibet. With her gentleness, wisdom and compassion, she captured the hearts of many in the land of snow.

What has directing a large-scale production like this been like?

It’s been a great journey. This is my 3rd large-scale production, and I have gained quite a lot of experience from the previous two. I'm fortunate to have a fantastic production team with me, some of them having been with me since way back in 1999.

What have rehearsals been like?

We have rehearsals at least 3 times a week, 6 months before performance. It's important for all the cast members to know each other well, and since all are from different backgrounds in terms of singing and dance training, it takes time and lots of training for everyone to blend together.

Describe a typical rehearsal.

Well, we start with a warm-up session (body and vocal). For the first 3 months, we do small group rehearsals, scene by scene. One group concentrates more on voice and speech, while choreographers work with the dancers. Once that's done, we start to work on blocking. Two months before show, we will do the first full run, and fine tune the details.

What are your greatest hopes for the production?

For Malaysians to produce international standard musicals. Given time, local musical theatre can reach out to mass audiences, and have a bigger market.

What are your greatest fears for the production?

I don’t have any. I guess if I had any fears at all, I wouldn't have done it!

How do you handle all the drama backstage?

To me, it's extremely important to have a harmonious and loving backstage atmosphere, where everyone is like a family. I always encourage the team members to be honest and voice out their views and opinions.

What inspires you?

All the great Broadway and West End musicals. I feel musical theatre is a great art form. It has really great entertainment and artistic value.

What first sparked your interest in musical theatre?

I was involved in the drama club in secondary school, and I’ve always loved movies and stage performances. I went to the United States to study motion pictures, and since all motion pictures students had to take up a second major, I chose Theatre Arts.

What's next for you?

Due to popular demand, we will be re-staging Siddhartha the musical in Jakarta this coming October. My plan for the next few years is to bring three of my musical productions, Siddhartha, Above Full Moon and Jewel of Tibet overseas.

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Yasmin Zetti Martin writes for Kakiseni.

“Jewel of Tibet” runs at Panggung Sari Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, from Sun 2 - Sat 15 March, 2008 (Tue - Sat: 8.30pm; Sun: 3pm)

 

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