'GENG Kubur' star Mia Sara Shauki has finally stepped out of her father's shadow with this leading role in a musical about a "princess like no other".
Mia Sara, the 24-year-old eldest daughter of multi-talented Datuk Afdlin Shauki, stood out as the title character in 'Cinderella: A Musical Comedy For The Whole Family' which was staged at the Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre or PJPAC in One Utama Shopping Centre from May 30 to June 2.
FAMILY COMEDY
Directed by Joanna Bessey, the centre's debut musical production featured a brilliant ensemble cast comprising Mia Sara, Brian Chan, Nabil Zakaria, popular comedians Joanne Kam and Papi Zak, Amsalan Doraisingam, Izzaldin K, Sheikh Irfan Mansor, Alya Amani, Arief Danial, Feyee Bethany, Janelle Arnelia, Julia Batrisyia, Swarna Naidu and Tan Guan Lin.
Mia Sara, who first found fame starring in her father's cult family comedy Papadom, may be Cinderella, that perennial Disney princess but she is no damsel in distress.
True, Mia Sara's character is a long-suffering Cinderella in the beginning, as the "tale as old as time" goes.
And as all fairy tales go, she finally gets her Prince, albeit in a storyline which is highly Malaysianised.
As a case point, instead of travelling in a pumpkin, she goes to the ball in a gigantic durian!
FAIRLY LIBERATED
Mia's version of Cinderella is described by the story's manservant narrator Buttons as a "fairly liberated young woman".
Her Cinderella is an all-round good girl, but she is fortunately more courageous than what Disney made her.
Mia Sara's Cinderella is more stoic than usual.
OVERALLS
It is indeed refreshing too to see Mia Sara as a Cinderella in overalls, which is pretty cool.
The image of Cinderella in rags is too cliched, for it makes more sense for the stepmother to appear to be "nice" to Cinderella, lest the long arm of the law gets her.
BTS-STYLE
Brian, who plays the Prince, does not "save" Cinderella but learns a lot from her, in terms of being independent and resourceful.
Brian's BTS-ish Prince is somewhat childish and spoilt, but it is good to see him "learn" a lot of important life lessons from Cinderella, such as cleaning his house.
REDHEAD
Kam, who plays Cinderella's redhead stepmother makes her character a show-stealer as expected.
Cinderella'' stepmother is a glamorous beauty whose ugliness is her meanness towards others.
Nevertheless, she is not a two-dimensional villain, because she does keep her two horrible daughters in place when the need arises.
ACQUITTAL
Amsalan's presence as the father of Cinderella was a surprise addition to the story, because in the traditional fairy tale he is dead.
While his character was not that necessary, he referenced several well-known Malaysians who went missing from their families because of alleged corruption but later gained a "discharge not amounting to an acquittal".
BEST LINES
Izzaldin and Sheikh Irfan were real show-stealers as the two stepsisters.
They had the best lines, especially when they bickered with each other using endearing yet rude nicknames, and had to be silenced by their mother's loud "shut up".
BOO AND HISS
Cinderella's narrator was a welcome addition to the story, and this young man Buttons played adorably by Nabil was the characters' link to the audience.
Every time he appeared on stage the audience was required to say "Hello Buttons".
And it was he who commanded them to "boo" or "hiss" each time the stepmother and stepsisters appeared on stage.
Buttons is like the talking mice Jacques and Gus from the Disney 'Cinderella', they are her confidants and special assistants.
LIBERATED
The Prince's hot assistant Dini played by Alya is the most "liberated" woman in the story.
She initially does not get along with Buttons but love gradually blossoms between them, and having them together gives our leading lady and leading gentleman's best friends an equally happy ending.
Papi Zak is wild and wacky as the Fairy Godmother.
He is a big teddy bear, and full of wit and wisdom like Robin Williams' Genie in the Disney version of Aladdin, only less talkative.
DISCO
It is great to see the ensemble relive the era of disco, and fuse disco with K-pop in some pivotal scenes.
There are a lot of subtle references to Hollywood as well as Malaysian pop culture, and some of the main characters' names are thoroughly but crazily Malaysianised for audiences to have a good laugh.
LOVE
At its heart, Cinderella is a story of the supremacy of love over selfishness and greed, loaded with humour and magic.
It is a brilliant retelling of a hugely popular fairy tale, where audiences get tickled with lots of American and Malaysian pop culture humour, as well as "empowered" by its updated depiction of some of the main characters.
