Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre
Encyclopedia
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (informally, KLPac) or Pentas Seni Kuala Lumpur in Sentul West is one of the most established centres for the performing arts in Malaysia. It is a non-profit company whose aim is to "cultivate and sustain the performing arts for the betterment and enrichment of communities within the Klang Valley and for the Nation." Located in Sentul West Kuala Lumpur
, KLPac was founded by Joe Hasham
and Dato' Faridah Merican, below Dataran Merdeka. Each year, KLPac and the Actors Studio plays host to more than a hundred major events, as well as many other workshops, classes, film screenings and more. Many of KLPac's events are self-directed, self organized shows, as KLPac also rents out their facilities, equipment other for individual performing arts events.
created first privately owned and operated theatre in Malaysia below Dataran Merdeka, called The Actor's Studio at PlazaPutra. In 2003, flash floods in Kuala Lumpur destroyed the underground complex. In May 2004, Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia, YTL Corporation Berhad and The Actors Studio Malaysia created a new jointly-owned platform to develop the performing arts, which became the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac). KLPac opened its doors in May, 2005.
In 1906, it became part of Sentul Works becoming the region’s most important railway depot & workshop. It then was bombed during tail end of WWII but was soon rebuilt. It was converted into a make-shift golf clubhouse in the late 1960s, but became abandoned in the early 1990s.
, to its current space on the rooftop of Lot 10
.
, Mark Beau de Silva, Christopher Ling, Kimmy Kiew, Kelvin Wong, and choreographer-in-residence Lex Lakshman Balakrishnan, and executive producer and director Dato' Faridah Merican.
Actors such as Patrick Teoh
, Sharifah Amani
, Ramli Ibrahim, Ahmad Zamil
, Joanna Bessey
, Mano Maniam, Datuk Syed Alwi, David Knight
, Gavin Yap, and Colin Kirton
, among many others have graced the stages of KLPac and The Actor's Studio. Notable Shows include Julius Caesar
, Cinderella, Aladdin
, Going North, Broken Bridges - The Musical, Electric Beckett, Bottom Top, The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Passion
, The Odd Couple
, Let’s Go Mamak, Tunku The Musical, ISMAIL The Last Days, Kaki Blue.
In addition, shows such as Kudan Project Production
, The Moon Speaks to my Heart, Macbeth
, have been performed by touring theater companies on KLPac stages.
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Sinfonietta (KLPac Sinfonietta) is a symphony orchestra created by the Joe Hasham and Dato' Faridah Merican. It presents performances within the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center. A growing number of classically trained music students within Kuala Lumpur means that there is little shortage of volunteer musicians.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, KLPac was founded by Joe Hasham
Joe Hasham
Joseph Christopher "Joe" Hasham OAM is a Lebanese Australian actor who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependable and decent gay lawyer Don Finlayson in soap opera Number 96.- Early life and education :Hasham graduated from the National Institute of...
and Dato' Faridah Merican, below Dataran Merdeka. Each year, KLPac and the Actors Studio plays host to more than a hundred major events, as well as many other workshops, classes, film screenings and more. Many of KLPac's events are self-directed, self organized shows, as KLPac also rents out their facilities, equipment other for individual performing arts events.
Origin
In 1995, Faridah Merican and Joe HashamJoe Hasham
Joseph Christopher "Joe" Hasham OAM is a Lebanese Australian actor who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependable and decent gay lawyer Don Finlayson in soap opera Number 96.- Early life and education :Hasham graduated from the National Institute of...
created first privately owned and operated theatre in Malaysia below Dataran Merdeka, called The Actor's Studio at PlazaPutra. In 2003, flash floods in Kuala Lumpur destroyed the underground complex. In May 2004, Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia, YTL Corporation Berhad and The Actors Studio Malaysia created a new jointly-owned platform to develop the performing arts, which became the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac). KLPac opened its doors in May, 2005.
Building
The impressive KLpac building has in fact a long history. The railway warehouse was in Sentul Park, a piece of land which came under YTL ownership with the acquisition of another company. The remodel features glass windows along the front of the building, as well as a walkway leading up to the building. In the 1800s, the building was a wood-crafting workshop and sawmill.In 1906, it became part of Sentul Works becoming the region’s most important railway depot & workshop. It then was bombed during tail end of WWII but was soon rebuilt. It was converted into a make-shift golf clubhouse in the late 1960s, but became abandoned in the early 1990s.
KLPac
The four main areas of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre are:- Pentas 1 (a Proscenium Theater) : 504 seats
- Pentas 2 (a Black Box Theater) : 192 seats depending on configuration
- Indicine (A film screening room) : 100 seats
- Academy: 9 Studios for rehearsals and training
The Actor's Studio at Lot 10
The Actor's Studio at Lot 10 has a 198-seater Hanamichi Thrust Stage. The Actor's Studio has been moved, from its original space in PlazaPutra, to BangsarBangsar
Bangsar, also Bungsar , is an affluent residential suburb on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, lying about south-west of the city centre. It is part of the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency...
, to its current space on the rooftop of Lot 10
Lot 10
Lot 10 is a shopping complex within central Kuala Lumpur's shopping and entertainment district, Bintang Walk. It serves the wealthy and it is the equivalent of other city's high-class shopping such as Fifth Avenue or Knightsbridge in the 1990s. It was officially opened on 1 August 1990. It is...
.
Penang Performing Arts Centre (penangpac)
The Actor's Studio in collaboration with Eastern and Oriental Bhd to establish a similar performing arts center in Penang. This will be Northern Malaysia's first non-profit arts center. It will have a 300 seater proscenium theatre, a Black Box theatre, and rehearsal and training facilities.Theatre
KLPac regularly puts on theatre shows and musicals, which are directed and most of the time, written by KLPac's own directors-in-residence, such as Joe HashamJoe Hasham
Joseph Christopher "Joe" Hasham OAM is a Lebanese Australian actor who became famous in Australia in the 1970s through his long running role of dependable and decent gay lawyer Don Finlayson in soap opera Number 96.- Early life and education :Hasham graduated from the National Institute of...
, Mark Beau de Silva, Christopher Ling, Kimmy Kiew, Kelvin Wong, and choreographer-in-residence Lex Lakshman Balakrishnan, and executive producer and director Dato' Faridah Merican.
Actors such as Patrick Teoh
Patrick Teoh
Patrick Teoh is a well-known actor and radio personality in Malaysia. A distinguished career in radio, TV, stage and movies spanning more than 3 decades has earned Patrick the nickname of "Voice Of Malaysia", bestowed by his fans and the Malaysian mass media.-Early life:Patrick Teoh was born in...
, Sharifah Amani
Sharifah Amani
Sharifah Amani Syed Zainal Rashid Al-Yahya is a Malaysian actress. She is the second daughter of veteran Malaysian actress, Fatimah Abu Bakar. Sharifah is of Malay-Chinese-Arab-Bengali parentage and speaks fluent English, Malay and some Hindi...
, Ramli Ibrahim, Ahmad Zamil
Ahmad Zamil
Ahmad Zamil bin Mohd Idris, or Zamil Idris is best known as one of the Season 1 finalists in the popular Malaysian reality talent show, Malaysian Idol in 2004.-Malaysian Idol:...
, Joanna Bessey
Joanna Bessey
Joanna Bessey is an Asian film and television actress from Malaysia. Her father is British and her mother is Malaysian. She is best known for her role as Marie Tan in the situation comedy Kopitiam which ran for 7 seasons....
, Mano Maniam, Datuk Syed Alwi, David Knight
David Knight (musician)
David Lloyd Knight is an American singer-songwriter, composer and music producer from San Jose, California. His music is a fusion of acoustic and electronic elements, blending self-produced live and sampled music with multiple instruments...
, Gavin Yap, and Colin Kirton
Colin Kirton
Colin Kirton is a Malaysian stage and television actor who trained in professional theatre at Rosebud School of the Arts and Rosebud Theatre in Canada....
, among many others have graced the stages of KLPac and The Actor's Studio. Notable Shows include Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
, Cinderella, Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
, Going North, Broken Bridges - The Musical, Electric Beckett, Bottom Top, The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Passion
Passion (play)
Passion Play is a 1981 play by British playwright Peter Nichols dealing with adultery and betrayal. It was originally intended to open the Royal Shakespeare Company's new Barbican Theatre but was produced by them at the London's Aldwych Theatre in 1981...
, The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
, Let’s Go Mamak, Tunku The Musical, ISMAIL The Last Days, Kaki Blue.
In addition, shows such as Kudan Project Production
Kudan Project Production
Kudan Project Production is a theatrical company for whom Tengai Amano writes and directs. They are only 2 actors, Hideji Oguma and Satoru Jitsunashi.- History :...
, The Moon Speaks to my Heart, Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
, have been performed by touring theater companies on KLPac stages.
Events
KLPac has also played a major role in events such as the HSBC Classics music festival, French Art Festival, Malaysian Dance festival, SHORT+SWEET festival and Urbanscapes.Academy & Education
The KLPac academy has served more than 1500 students who have participated in its classes, a number which includes students from a community outreach program to members of underprivileged communities. The academy believes that performing arts training "aids creative thinking and helps build confidence, listening skills, discipline and respect for others and for oneself." Education Programs include Theatre for Young People (T4YP) as well as many classes on music, dance and drama and related concepts.Orchestra
Main Article: KLPac SinfoniettaKLPac Sinfonietta
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Sinfonietta is a symphony orchestra located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It presents performances at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre which fosters creative excellence and develops and nurtures performing arts culture in Malaysia...
The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre Sinfonietta (KLPac Sinfonietta) is a symphony orchestra created by the Joe Hasham and Dato' Faridah Merican. It presents performances within the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center. A growing number of classically trained music students within Kuala Lumpur means that there is little shortage of volunteer musicians.