The home-grown performance “I Have a Dream” on Saturday, December 16 by the Perak Society of Performing Arts (PSPA) was an evening of many firsts. Besides being the first ever ABBA-themed charity musical, it was a first-time collaboration between PSPA and the Kinta Valley Symphonic Society in a musical production to produce the very first musical with live wind orchestra in Ipoh.
Stroke champions, together with volunteers from NASAM, made a special appearance dressed in various traditional attires to show the world how they are celebrating their colourful lives after stroke.
Held at the auditorium of RTM Perak, it was divided into two acts showcasing ABBA songs from the 70s such as ‘Chiquitita’, ‘Slipping Through My Fingers’, ‘Happy New Year’, ‘The Winner Takes It All’, ‘Money, Money, Money’ and certainly, ‘I Have A Dream’. It reflected a year of hard work and practice of the PSPA Singers, the choral arm of PSPA.
With an impressive stage set complete with stairs, it told the stories of individual struggles and passions in the pursuits of their dreams. One charming character was Mark, played by Tan Tihn Chern, who had a mind of his own and kept the audience in stitches with his sky-high energy level and playful nature. Equally delightful was Ezra Tham, the emcee of the day, who guest-starred as the waiter and doctor.
One of the objectives of the performance was to raise funds for the National Stroke Association of Malaysia (NASAM) where 50% of proceeds from entry passes donation would go to. NASAM was established in 1996 and it is the first non-profit organisation in South East Asia that provides rehabilitation and support to stroke survivors and their families. Then, NASAM Ipoh was started in the year 2004 at No. 9, Lorong Pinji, Off Jalan Pasir Puteh, 31650 Ipoh.
Meanwhile, PSPA is a not-for-profit organisation established in 1996 to encourage and develop a greater knowledge and understanding of the arts in Perak. For more, visit http://www.pspaipoh.org/ or call 05 545 0350.
