MUD: The origin story of Kuala Lumpur is a chance to catch history before it’s too late

ENFINITI GROUP has always been a ground-breaking conglomerate, dedicated at raising the standards of the local film and arts industry. MUD: The Story of Kuala Lumpur is another production of theirs that give  the arts scene – and also Malaysian history, a good name. The group’s most iconic productions include Puteri Gunung Ledang, P. Ramlee The Musical, and now adding under their belt, the longest running theatre show in Malaysia.

This wonderful opus of our beloved capital’s history reaches its 2,000 show milestone following its three-year run come April. MUD – The Story of Kuala Lumpur will be staging its final show this 30th April 2017 in its first sanctuary, the century-old Panggung Bandaraya theatre.

The story of the musical begins in 1857 until the mining boom of 1880. Those were the glory days of mining, where the Tin Rush attracted large numbers of pioneers from across the Asian region to the muddy junction of the two rivers, Sungai Lumpur (now known as Sungai Gombak) and Sungai Kelang. The story revolves around three friends, Mamat, Meng and Muthiah, who came to Kuala Lumpur in search of opportunities and a new life.

The musical has blazed the trail in many other aspects too. It is the first musical to hire cast members on a ull-time basis. The diversity and multicultural nature of the cast is quintessential Malaysia.

“We are so grateful for all the support and encouragement we’ve received for MUD over the past 3 years from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the tourism bureau and the public at large. In efforts to introduce MUD in its new format, we are in discussions to hold a roadshow of MUD across the country in the near future. We hope to continue enchanting and entertaining viewers by making MUD available to corporations”, says Tiara Jacquelina, founder and Chief Dream-Maker of Enfiniti, as she muses on what the future of the musical is after its staging ends.

Rarely is it does a piece as entertaining as MUD also acts as an effective medium to teach history and culture. The fact that the performance is interactive also ensures that the audience is immersed into the world being staged. So does the chirpy musical numbers and the snappy – and not to mention, very Malaysian – one-liners.

MUD ensures that is a amalgamation of all that is wonderful about Kuala Lumpur, thus drawing inspiration from various artists and artistic styles from around Malaysia. Ranging from hand drawn batik to Islamic architecture, which are embodied and represented throughout the show form the costumes to soundscape and even the lighting. The musical compositions also have elements of Indian percussion, Chinese string instruments and Malay melodies accompanied by a wide range of other instruments too.

If you have not seen this amazing performance worthy of Broadway and West End accolades, there’s not much time left to catch it. MUD – The Story of Kuala Lumpur will be running until the 30th April 2017. Throughout the month of April, the audience will receive limited edition MUD – The Story of Kuala Lumpur merchandise items (while stocks last).  Tickets for the musical can be purchased over the counter at Panggung Bandaraya Box Office (Operating Hours: 10 am – 9pm) or visit www.mudkl.com.

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Featured image is from MUD: The Story of Kuala Lumpur‘s . Check it out for more info!