On March 16, my family and I went to Istana Budaya to watch Kampung Boy the Musical for the opening night. The show opened with a montage of Lat's cartoons followed by the story of Lat as a boy, which is a reflection of his graphic novel Kampung Boy.
Later in the show, the young Lat exited the stage and introduced the audience to the adult Lat played by Awie.
When Awie entered the stage, he was greeted by thunderous applause. I couldn't help smiling and laughing at his hairdo, which was identical to my father's. His attire was also similar to my father's style.
Awie, as Lat, then started talking and ranting about city life. He puts one hand in his pocket and the other to occasionally scratch his hair, just the way my father used to do.
He also stood and carried the attitude like a typical kampung rocker. It felt as if I was looking at my father's photograph as a young man coming to life.
Faezah, my mother, was in the spotlight for the first time. Her character was played by songstress Atilia, who carried out a remarkable performance.
And for the first time, we were told the story of how Lat met Faezah. It was a very awkward moment for me as my parents never discussed their love life with us. But watching it on stage was a treat.
I enjoyed every bit of awkwardness that I felt as I watched the projection of how my father fell in love with my mother.
The musical focused on Lat's dilemma and the sacrifices he had to make to fulfil his dream as a professional cartoonist.
To achieve his dream, he had to leave his kampung and focus on his career. It showed how he faced his problems living in the city and his complications with my mother.
My father would've never told anyone about his problems, but the musical revealed them. It showed his emotional struggles, which he never would have shared with anyone other than his family.
The audience of Kampung Boy the Musical were lucky enough to experience and see the other side of Lat that was previously kept close to himself.
The musical was not as grand as the critically-acclaimed P. Ramlee the Musical or Puteri Gunung Ledang, but we all know that my father wouldn't want it that way.
The musical stayed true to his personality and that of his work, which is humble and down-to-earth.
At the end of the show, me, my brother Haris, sister Nur Ain, and my parents went back to our hotel rooms. We talked about the musical and laughed at the funny details.
When my brother, Haris, and I were about to leave the room, we congratulated our father.
Not because the musical was a success and we enjoyed it, but for the fact that he was bold enough to reveal his fragility through the musical. Kampung Boy truly is about the other side of Lat
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