Pak Tommy is a Balinese, born in Denpasar. While in high
school, he worked as a waiter at several hotels in Nusa Dua
where he gained experience in Bali’s tourism industry.
In 2001, he accepted a job as a trainee manager in a Singapore
fast food restaurant where he was soon appointed the Food
& Beverage Supervisor. Only 18 years old at the time,
he learned how difficult it was to supervise staff who were
far older than himself and who came from different customs
and cultural backgrounds. In 2002, Pak Tommy returned to Bali
and worked for two years as a Marketing Executive in a hotel
in Jimbaran. In 2004, after graduating from Bali’s hospitality
management school (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Triatma Mulya)
with a degree in economic tourism, he joined The Oriental
Theatre first in the Sales & Marketing department, then
was promoted to the position of Operations Manager.
How did you first become interested in the theater?
I have loved theatre since high school, from the very first
time I saw a professional theatrical production. I had won
a few prizes in poetry readings, speech contests and have
acted in several annual competitions of modern and contemporary
dramas. I was one of the founders of my school theatre, an
informal group where I first was smitten with the stage. I
think also that my interest in English had something to do
with my love of the theater. While at university, during my
free time in the evenings, I taught English for high school
students in a private English school in Denpasar where I also
served as an advisor for the English-language meeting club.
Who dreamed up the idea of opening a musical theater on Bali?
Opened in April of 2003, the Oriental Theatre is Bali’s
first and only authentic cabaret theatre. The owner, who is
a German, was first inspired by the live cabaret shows he
saw enjoying such success in Thailand. It was there where
he though of the idea of opening a similar theatre on Bali
using a professional troupe, combining the talents of an international
team from Indonesia, Germany and Italy. At that time no theatrical
venue in Bali was producing traditional, contemporary and
modern arts all on one stage.
What were the difficulties you faced in setting up the theater?
Since there was no theatre similar to ours on Bali, it forced
us to vigorously market and promote the live cabaret concept.
We also struggled to differentiate our type theater from the
many other types of performing arts found on Bali.
What are the main differences between your musical theater
and such traditional Indonesian forms such as ludruk, sandiwara,
joget, perlawak, dangdut?
First, a complete, professional theatrical stage had to be
created for our performance venue. Our productions include
a combination of dance choreography, professional actors,
dancers, stagehands and technicians, costumes, colorful stage
decoration, exciting music, special sound and lighting effects
with fast paced, clever drama. The differences between our
musical theatre and Indonesian traditional forms are only
in style. Each is unique and has its own value.
I understand that you also present films at the theater?
We have screened many famous documentary movies, usually between
August and December. The screenings are often attended by
renowned filmmakers with film discussion afterwards. One of
the most popular films that we’ve presented so far is
Hope in Paradise, voted the Best Documentary at New York Independent
Film Festival. It is a powerful story of the difference one
young woman has made to the lives of so many who suffered
in the wake of the first Bali bombing on October 12th, 2002.
How and where did you recruit your dancers, singers and actors?
Fortunately for us, the Balinese art world itself has witnessed
a rapid growth of traditional and contemporary artists with
extraordinary talent. Still, we hold to a very high standard
in auditioning, selecting and recruiting our dancers, singers
and actors. Most of the dancers are Balinese between 20-30
years old who have graduated from the Indonesian Art Institute
in Denpasar and Yogyakarta. The choreographers are already
well known for their creations since they have contributed
to a number of successful local and international festivals.
Who is your audience?
We have many different programs for different market segments.
The theater is also frequently used for private functions
such as company events when we present both traditional or
contemporary performances, Cabaret and theme shows, and live
music bands. We work with many travel agencies in Indonesia
and overseas to find clients. For our regular performances,
about 60% of our quests are domestic and about 40% are ASEAN.
For special events, 70% of our audiences are from the expatriate
community, 20% are Indonesian, and 10% are tourists.
Which nationalities are most attracted to your musical theater?
Our guests come from all over the world, but German, American
and British are most attracted to our musical theatre, while
contemporary drama performances with spectacular light and
sound effects always draw hundreds of Asians. It’s interesting
the way that guests clap so enthusiastically after our cabaret
shows because of the glamour and spectacle but sometimes guests
don’t clap at all after a contemporary dance performances
because they are struck by the dignity and drama of the presentation.
Has anybody ever complained that your cabaret shows are too
spicy?
No, we’ve never had any complaints about our shows.
All our shows – the cabarets, the theme shows and the
traditional-contemporary performances - are fit for family
viewing.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa
at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
