<font color=#F2F2F2>Welcome to Musical On Stage Productions!

We are going to have an audition on 9th Oct, for next year May Jewel of Tibet the Musical will restage at Beijing, China.

AUDITION INFO:

Synopsis

Jewel of Tibet is a musical extravaganza about the story of Princess Wenchang’s journey from China to Tibet more than a thousand years ago to marry King Songsten Gampo. Crossing deserts, hailstorms, and snow-capped mountains, she brought Chinese cultures and all kinds of technologies to Tibet. With her gentleness, wisdom and compassion, she captured the hearts of many in the land of snows. And she has left behind her legacy in the world famous Potala Palace in Lhasa.

From the majestic Tang Dynasty to the vast mystical land of Tibet, Jewel of Tibet artistically depicts a historical epic with enchanting music and songs, intricate dance movements, spectacular scene change, backdrops and props, and over 200 sets of newly designed colorful ethnic costumes from traditional Tang China and Tibet.

The musical was performed in Mandarin with English subtitles. It premiered at Istana Budaya National Theatre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from March 1-15, 2008 to great success and rave reviews.

Synopsis

Part 1: KARMA & SAMSARA Every action we perform leaves an imprint, or potential, on our very subtle mind, and each karmic potential eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. Positive or virtuous actions sow the seeds of future happiness, and negative or non-virtuous actions sow the seeds of future suffering. This definite relationship between actions and their effects is known as the 'law of karma'. An understanding of the law of karma is the basis of Buddhist morality. It is important to understand that as ordinary beings we do not choose our rebirth but are reborn solely in accordance with our karma. This uninterrupted cycle of death and rebirth without choice is called 'cyclic existence’ or ‘samsara in Sanskrit. And our ultimate objective is liberation from Samsara.

Part 2: THE BUDDHA and RAHULA The Stanzas of the Lion Men included verses uttered by Princess Yasodhara to her son, Rahula, on the occasion of the Buddha's first visit to Kapilavatthu after his Enlightenment. She explained some of the physical characteristics and noble virtues of the Blessed One. Not long after, Rahula took up the rope and became a monk at a young age. Though a monk, he liked to lie and told jokes. The Buddha used a unique method to teach his naughty son.

Part 3 : THE GREAT SIXTH PATRIARCH OF ZEN BUDDHISM, MASTER HUI NENG His Holiness Hui Neng, who became the great Sixth Patriarch of Zen was a poor illiterate peasant boy from Hsin Chou of Guangdong. One day, after he had delivered firewood to a shop, he overheard a man reciting the Diamond Sutra and became enlightened. Hui Neng then traveled thousand miles to meet the Fifth Zen Patriarch, Hong Ren. Hong Ren knew Hui Neng has great wisdom and immediately accepted Hui Neng as his disciple, but he had to hide this fact from the very educated northern monks at the monastery. To protect Hui Neng, the Patriarch sent him to the kitchen to split firewood and pound rice for eight months. One day, Master Hong Ren summoned Hui Neng in the middle of the night and gave him the insignia of his office, the Patriarch's robe and bowl. Hui Neng was told to leave for the South and to hide his enlightenment and understanding until the proper time arrives for him to propagate the Dharma.

Part 4: THE GREAT COMPASSION Billions Kalpas ago, there was a Buddha whose name is Thousand-rayed-King Motionless Tathagata, for mercy and mindfulness to Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and all living-beings, he spoke this Vast-Perfect-Unimpeded Great-Compassionate-Mantra, and said to Avalokitesvara: "Good man, you should hold this heart-mantra to give great benefit and happiness to all living beings in the future." Right after hearing this mantra, Avalokitesvara was happy and vowed: "If I will be able to give benefit and happiness to all living beings in the future, let me have thousand hands and thousand eyes immediately." right after the vow, He got thousand hands and thousand eyes on His body, six types of quakes occurred on grounds of the ten directions, thousands Buddha’s of the ten directions emit their light to His body and lightened unlimited worlds of the ten directions. Avalokitesvara’s never-tiring work is to save all souls from the Ocean of Illusion and Suffering. Stemmed from his realization of how many suffering beings there were dependent on his deliverance, he shed tears. From His tears were born the Goddess Tara, whose two principle forms are White Tara and Green Tara. The white Tara is consort to Avalokitesvara. She gives comfort and children, a goddess of mercy. Green Tara represents a more dynamic aspect: her colour indicates growth and new hope. Legend has it, Princess Wen Cheng of Tang Dynasty, who introduced Buddhism to Tibetan people was the reincarnation of Green Tara

Synopsis

Above Full Moon – the musical starts with the Boxer Rebellion of the late 1890’s in China, in the midst of confusion we see the hero of the musical, Lee Shu Tong, stopped by foreign troupes while on his way to the court examination, stopped by the foreign troupe. The city of Tianjin had been seized by foreign forces. It was then that he realized that his dream had been dashed, he would never be able to become an officer in the court and he would not have the opportunity to help his country… no matter how talented he is.

Lee had been born into a rich and traditional family. He had a gentle and earnest personality and showed versatile artistic talent since very young. Like most educated young Chinese, Lee believed his country and the Qing Dynasty, which was controlled by the powerful Empress Dowager, needed a reform. However, the reform movement was short lived and most of the reformers had been either killed or forced into exile overseas.

In 1906, Lee’s beloved mother passed away. Bound to a loveless arranged marriage and disappointed by the situation in his country, he left his wife at home to study Western painting and music in Japan. There, he fell in love with his Japanese model. Though she knew of his past, she chose to stay with him. While studying, he formed “Chunliu Association”, a coterie of drama, which subsequently moved to Shanghai and pioneered the New Dramatic Movement in China.

In 1911 when Lee returned to China, Qing Dynasty has been overthrown and a new government was in ruling. But, the situation in the country was still uncertain and people were living in fear and poverty. Lee felt that education was the best solution to his country’s problems and that the society needed cleansing through arts. He took up a teaching post where he taught painting and music, as the vanguard of education in western arts. Many of his students became renowned artists, painters and musicians.

Synopsis

Prince Siddhartha was born in B.C. 464 in ancient India where people were divided by a caste system. As the Prince of Kapilavatthu leading a luxurious and prestigious life, Siddhartha observed the unequal status of the people outside the palace. Once he chanced upon the sights of birth, aging, sickness and death, and realized the suffering of the mankind. With a determination to seek a way to end all suffering, he went into a poignant sojourn in search of the truth of life and the universe. After 12 years of practice, he finally attained Enlightenment - The Buddha.

  HO LIN HUAY (Founder/Director/Producer/Scriptwriter)

Lin Huay graduated from the University of Miami in the United States with a degree in motion picture and theatre production. In 1999 she wrote and directed Siddhartha the Musical, the biggest Malaysian-produced musical then, which successfully toured Singapore and South Africa. She is the founder of Musical On Stage Productions which goal is to produce top notch Malaysian musicals. The company produced it second musical, Above Full Moon in 2004, followed by The Perfect Circle in 2006 and Jewel of Tibet the musical in 2008. She currently works in the television industry as producer, writer and director. She is also an award-winning video music director, as well as a singer and composer with 2 albums to her credit. Lin Huay is also the creative director of the 50th Malaysia Merdeka Chinese Celebration Cultural Show at Bukit Jalil National Stadium.

 IMEE OOI (Composer/Music Arranger/Music Director)

Imee Ooi is an established Malaysian music producer, composer, arranger and vocalist. She formed IMM Musicworks in 1997and has by now released more than 20 albums. She is also the musical director and composer of three highly acclaimed stage musicals, Siddhartha, Above Full Moon and Jewel of Tibet. Imee has written numerous musical scores for Malaysian TVs and film productions. She now concentrates on producing Buddhist music, a direction which has been regarded by many as a great milestone in the history of Buddhist music. One of her albums, the highly acclaimed The Chant of Metta, is often played at major Buddhist events all over the world. Imee’s compositions have already become an important part of the Buddhist musical culture, reaching and touching many people heart and soul across the world, spreading the message and teachings of peace and happiness through music.

 PAM LIM (Production Designer)