The musical film adaptation of the classic folktale “Lutung Kasarung”, from West Java’s Sundanese culture, closed #MusikalDiRumahAja (musicals at home), Indonesia Kaya’s six-week online series on Aug. 27.

Often referred to as the Indonesian equivalent of “The Beauty and The Beast”, the Sundanese folktale is about a mythical monkey that becomes involved in a conflict between two princesses of the royal family: Purbasari and Purbararang.

“The story of ‘Lutung Kasarung’ teaches us that love is the answer [to all conflict],”, said Ara Ajisiwi, who portrayed the older sister, Purbararang.

While Purbasari is the younger sister, the king decides to give her the throne because of her character, much to the dismay of Purbararang.

Evil princess: Ara Ajisiwi delivers a breathtaking performance as Purbararang, the antagonist of director Nia Dinata’s “Lutung Kasarung”. (Image Dynamics/-)

The disgruntled Purbararang (played by Nala Amyrtha in the series) usurps the throne by casting a spell on Purbasari and exiling her to the jungle. This is the home of Lutung Kasarung (Beyon Destiani), who is actually a godly prince (Gusty Pratama) disguised as a monkey.

This online, musical adaptation of “Lutung Kasarung” takes a comedic bent, told through a narration that breaks the fourth wall at times to convey a relatable, culturally relevant story that captured the hearts of viewers of all ages.

Transforming classics: Nala Amyrtha performs a dance with traditional elements as Purbasari. (Image Dynamics/-)

Famed director Nia Dinata directed the show, while choreographer Rusdy Rukmarata created the movements and the blocking.

Nia explained that the process involved her mapping Rusdy’s stage direction and “translating” it to fit the audiovisual production of a film.

‘Prince Charming’: The mythical monkey Lutung Kasarung transforms into the handsome god, Prince Guruminda (Gusty Pratama). (Image Dynamics/-)

With its set of minimal props and a cast costumed in  West Javanese traditional clothing, the production presented a classy, modern take on the folktale.

Nia said she wanted to make sure that each scene was esthetically pleasing for the virtual audience.  

“On a stage, the wardrobe must stand out, but in [my] films, I like a monochromatic, calm tone, because the screen is already lit up,”, she said.

The score was also impressive. The director was inspired by the internationally acclaimed musical Hamilton, which infused the score with neo-rap.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, I had just returned from seeing Hamilton on Broadway,” recounted Nia. “I [told the composer] that we should include rap, because we could make something classic and legendary through rap.”

Composer Oni Krisnerwinto rose to the task and included elements of modern pop and rap music, intertwining them with the age-old narrative of “Lutung Kasarung” to create a series of catchy tunes.

Even more impressive was that the whole project was coordinated and directed via video calls. In bringing a ray of hope to performing arts in the “new normal” era, the production proved that creating high-quality theatrical performances was still possible, even with the COVID-19 physical restrictions.

“Lutung Kasarung” was the sixth and final production in Indonesia Kaya’s weekly #MusikalDiRumahAja series. As will all productions in the series, “Lutung Kasarung” will be available to view on YouTube for a week following its online premiere, or until Sept. 3.

Indonesia Kaya collaborated with livestreaming platform BOOW Live to bring the film versions of the six Indonesian folktales to the digital screen. The series involved six theater directors, six film directors, seven composers or songwriters, and 44 actors and dancers.

Indonesia Kaya program director Renitasari Adrian said that the virtual musical series was a huge success, with the channel’s viewership rising “well above our estimation of 1 million viewers”.

“So we are very happy,” she said.

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