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A ride to past: Take a nostalgic trip back with KopiSusu cast members Yudi Yap (right) and Tay Cher Siang (left) as well as director James Lee.

A new musical hopes to share memories of the golden Nanyang era.

MORE than 70 years ago, during the pre-World War II era, hordes of mainland Chinese left their impoverished homelands in search of better fortunes.

Thousands flocked southwards to South-East Asia, also known as the Nanyang, where the poor worked in plantations, tin mines or nightclubs.

Some made it and became successful, but others, who were not so lucky, barely scraped through. That was the reality of lives toiled, of grittiness and perseverance, of failures even, among these commonpeople.

But how many of us have heard of these yesteryear stories? Director James Lee hopes to provide a glimpse into the world of Chinese migrants by weaving a story concept into an upcoming musical called KopiSusu.

It is produced by renowned local oldie singer Yudi Yap, who will also be the main performer.

The production seeks to reintroduce and reintepret songs of our parents’ time, during what Lee terms as a colourful period in the 1950s, a time when the Chinese settled and formed their own communities (in the region).

“There was a lot of cross-cultural reference and borrowing going on in South-East Asia at that time. Some popular Chinese numbers were originally Malay, so we found the scene to be rather happening as we were not just absorbing cultures like we do now,” said Lee.

“KopiSusu was initially conceptualised as a concert, but when Yudi roped me in to direct, I thought it would be more meaningful to experiment having dramatic elements and light subplots laced into it.

“This was how I came up with the story idea of using three Chinese migrant characters who, as singers, try to make it big as stars.

“Their struggles are not often chronicled, as what audiences usually see is the glamorous side of the stage and costumes, not their lives behind the scenes. When these three characters are shown rehearsing in a small apartment, older audiences might relate and appreciate a typical scenario of those who came to seek greener pastures here,” explained Lee.

Besides Yap, the two other roles will be played by Tay Cher Siang, who is also the production’s music director, and guest performer Evan Siau.

The story goes that Tay had received a call for a last-minute gig in a nightclub in Kuala Lumpur, and brought Yap together to rehearse.

Siau plays the role of Tay’s brother, who decides to leave (the then) Malaya soon after to try his luck overseas. Then Tay gets a call saying that his gig has since been replaced – which caused great disappointment to himself and Yap.

The choice is for them to leave or to stay on – and they are likely to stick with the latter option.

Lee hopes the message that ultimately comes through is that Chinese immigrants, as he had discovered, were not keen to remain but to return eventually to China once they had earned enough.

“They have always yearned to go back and be buried along with their ancestors. Yet it’s the circumstances that forced them to assimilate into a new country,” he added.

Meanwhile, Yap says the name KopiSusu is actually derived from a 1960s song, which has been covered in different versions, including one by the late Malaysian legend Saloma.

“The lyrics are funny and silly, which I liked. ‘Kopi susu’ also refers to a very Malaysian beverage, where by adding sugar and milk, it becomes ‘mixed’, which is what we wanted to do for this production.

“It’s a very modern Nanyang showcase, where we hope to capture the vibrancy of Malaya in the 1950s-60s. The culture was so open, while theatre at that time was very much influenced by Hong Kong.

“People took movie outings seriously by dressing up. It was also a time where many harboured dreams and ambitions, yet these are mostly average and not materially rich people,” described Yap.

She says audiences can expect surprises with KopiSusu, which she hints is stylised with charming old-fashioned jazz, but with funky infusions. There will be 20-plus songs performed (although the number is still being finalised) over a one-and-a-half-hour duration.

As for Siau, he first met Yap while working on the Princess Wen Cheng musical, and she asked him to collaborate together for another production after that, but his schedule did not permit it.

“When she asked me again this time around for KopiSusu, I could say yes since my role is small, which meant it could fit into my other filming commitments.

“I will be singing a few songs and there is a humorous twist to my character, too,” said Siau.

KopiSusu runs from June 20 to 23; showtime is at 8.30pm (with additional 3pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday). The show will be held at Damansara Performing Art Centre, H-01, DPAC, Empire Damansara, Jalan PJU 8/8, Damansara Perdana, Selangor. Ticket prices are from RM48-RM88, with a 15% discount for senior citizens aged 56 years and above. For enquiries, call 03-2054 0960 / 016-715 4345.