Tra-la-la-ing!

My my it's been ages since this blog has been updated. People must be wondering what the cast of Ismail has been up to. Instead of blogging we have been licking wounds, healing muscle aches, nursing bruises and tending to our voices by ensuring we stay away from chocolates, durians, peanut butters and anything that can cause phlegm (like soya bean)...

We have already started learning the Ismail songs... it's been 2 weeks since we had words like "Pa-da-pa-da-pa" (is that even a word), "Come outtttt, you cowards" and "Allllllllll deriddddeeeddd" thrust into our brains. "Come out, you cowards" is the opening song of Ismail and is a battle-like song, so by the time Mervyn, our musical director is done with us... we'd probably be ready to go for war singing a song. With one or two of us bobbing our heads as we go along. "Come outtt *bobs head*, you cowards *bobs head*".

You know what I mean *wink*.

The girls have also learnt a second song in a Zapin tune called "Kekasih". Beautiful tune, romantic lyrics *does the kiss fingers and go muah! like ze French*... However, the very first time we sang it in our soprano voices, Mervyn's face screwed up like a shrivelled prune. You know-lah, girls nowadays are all about girl power and women strength... where got like last time, all soft and lembut and lemah-gemalai!!!

Anyway, under his steady directions, we kinda found that old malayish feel, so now we sing "buihhhhh-buih" with that lil twang. Kakakaka.. we sound so good! *perasan-ing*

...

When it comes to movement rehearsals... Lax our dance captain is da bomb!!! He makes the dances and choreography so interesting with the different movements that we never tire doing it like 10 times. Everyone loves dancing to Saturday Night Fever and pretending to be John Travolta in his shiny white jumper and struting. Oh----yeeaaahhh!!! C'mon baby lets move that asss~~~...

And everytime we finish our dance, Lax stands behind Joe (our director) jumping up and down with joy or pretending to snap pictures with his invicible camera.

Like at the end of each dance we usually have to pause and pose-lah for like a few seconds or so... so with Lax doing his damn funny antics at the front, how to keep a straight face like that? *pengsan* A few will burst of laughing, a few will try to tahan the laughter and saliva comes out instead and some will be so focused (or blur) that they dun notice Lax in front at all... Then Joe will stare at us.

We also learnt the Zapin, Joget and Inang... but I don't want to talk about these dances because most of us still can't get the 'feel' right (especially the guys)~~ Waaaaahahahahahahahhahahahaaaha.... Don't kill me yall. *smiles*

Ok, I'm done. Dunno what to say dy. I think I'll start compiling a list of "Funny Things People Say at Rehearsals" very soon. It will probably be enough for a book and be a best seller. Crazy people we bunch are, I tell you.

MiNiMiNLi signing off! xoxo

Ismail Starts Singing

Right so now with Mervin back from his travels, we are now left to the hands of the musical director. Who very clearly stated down his rules.

1. He won't encourage us, cause that is just plain well ridiculous. He believes that you as a performer will know when you've done it right. So he won't give us false pretense of "Oh you guys are doing well"
2. No directing of oneself, be it tapping the foot, movie your hands up and down the air, and even bobbing your head to the tempo.
   
3. One is not allowed to sit down as long as the musical director is standing. (Phew and that can be a very long time - aiiiee bad for the back)
4. If one person sings out of key or screws up, the whole group will get a shelling.
5. Oh yeah mistakes on the first day is ok... Mistakes on the second day... NO NO NO!
   
6. Don't change anything that he has not changed in the pieces.

Hmm did i miss anything out?

So those are the rules, and we first studied the overture and the song for the 'rakyat'. Of course like any musical we are separated into three parts :Soprano, Alto (Both sung by women) and Bass (Men).

The men singing were so cute! You'd never have thought they could be so well behaved and look actually worried that they weren't going to do well. Sweet!!! lol. The song actually sounded pretty good when all the sops, alts and basses, were in unison. Harmony people.... Harmony!!

Besides it's the first time singing to this script. Overall I think we gave it a good go.