The dazzling Betawi spirit of "Ariah"
The National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta has never looked better than it did during the three nights of June 28-30, when the colossal musical Ariah dazzled the audience with a treasure trove of traditional Betawi (native Jakarta) arts.
The five-decade old monument served as the backdrop for the massive stage on which Ariah's 200 dancers performed for around 90 minutes to the vibrant musical score of a 120-strong orchestra under the conductorship of Erwin Gutawa.
It was truly a perfect way to celebrate Jakarta's 486th anniversary. While the storyline might have been a little too simplistic, it was clear from the opening scenes that Ariah aims to entertain with colorful and striking visuals. Thanks to its extravagant stage and costume design, heart-rending songs, beautiful lighting effects and video mapping and the show-stopping dance performances, the musical was a huge success.
Based on the Betawi legend of Ariah, the musical told the story of a local female warrior who stepped up against her Dutch oppressors and led her fellow farmers in a violent revolt against the European imperialists in 1869.
Another version of the folktale, involving a Betawi woman named Mariah or Mariam, is much less glorious. In this version, the woman is sexually assaulted and murdered in Ancol, North Jakarta, and became a ghost.
This is, however, seemingly the more popular version, especially after it was made into a television series called Si Manis Jembatan Ancol (The Sweet Lady of Ancol Bridge) in the 1990s.
In Ariah the musical, Ariah (played by Ida Sunaryono) is a beautiful 16-year-old girl who lives with her mother Mak Emper (Yuyun Arfah) and sister Mpok (Conni Retno Kusumawati). The family is poor and live on a plot of land owned by the powerful and greedy Tuan Mandor (Iyoq Kusdini).
They live during a time of upheaval. The Dutch colonialists are implementing a forced farming policy and violent revolts against tyrannical landlords are breaking out everywhere.
Swept up by the spirit of revolution, Ariah decides to join the fight and she encourages her friends to learn the traditional silat martial arts under silat master Juki (Fajar Satriadi).
Ariah's youthful beauty attracts the attention of Tuan Mandor and wealthy trader Oey Tambah Sia (Anggiyatma P. Mesofanti), who want to get the girl in any way possible.
Tuan Mandor even threatens to evict Mak Emper from his land if she refuses to give Ariah to be one of his wives, while Oey orders his thugs Piun and Sura to abduct Ariah.
Ariah, however, falls for Juki and fights for her honor and dignity against the forces of Tuan Mandor and Oey.
The musical was written and directed by Atilah Soeryadjaya, who won praise for her previous stage production Matah Ati. Artistic director Jay Subiakto and composer Erwin Gutawa, also from Matah Ati's production team, teamed up again with Atilah to create Ariah.
Ariah showcased Betawi local cultures, including local dances and musical instruments, as well as peppering the script with Betawi-style comedy and pantun (rhyming poetic quatrains).
Erwin's musical score masterfully combines Betawi traditional music with an orchestra, producing numerous Betawi-style tunes that were classy without completely forgetting their folk roots.
The 72-meter-wide stage Jay designed was also a sight to behold, with three different levels at 3, 7, and 10 meters and steep slopes of between 15 and 35 degrees. The lighting and pyrotechnics were the final icing on the cake.
According to Atilah, Ariah's strong character was what attracted her to direct the musical.
“Ariah is a strong woman who influenced her community and everyone around her. She refuses to give up her life and her dignity even in poverty,” she said.
Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who watched the first showing of Ariah on June 28, expressed his hope to turn the musical performance into an annual event and that similar musicals in the future be based on various stories and legends in Jakarta.
Here's hoping that the musical on Jakarta's anniversary next year will be even more beautiful.
Read also:
Colossal dance show Ariah to be performed on Jakarta's anniversary
