{"id":646815,"date":"2026-10-31T10:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T10:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/646815\/"},"modified":"2026-10-31T10:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T10:52:13","slug":"bringing-legends-to-life-meet-the-new-generation-of-cast-for-the-acclaimed-pgl-the-musical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/646815\/","title":{"rendered":"Bringing legends to life: Meet the new generation of cast for the acclaimed PGL The Musical\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KUALA LUMPUR, October 31\u00a0\u00a0\u2014 The stage is almost set for the return of Malaysia\u2019s highly acclaimed theatre production Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical (PGL).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seventeen years since its last full theatrical run, PGL will once again mesmerise audiences from October 31 to November 15 with 19 shows scheduled for the 15-day run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adding to its appeal this time around, the musical will depart from its flagship home at Istana Budaya to take up residency at the newly opened, state-of-the-art Jeffrey Cheah Performing Arts Centre (JCPAC) Grand Theatre in Sunway Square.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the leap into modern projection mapping, immersive soundscapes, and advanced stagecraft, director Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina is adamant about one principle: technology will never override the human core of the story.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to be low-tech and people already loved it and this time, with new technology, we want to see how much further we can elevate PGL but we will never, ever let technology lead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf audiences walk out talking only about lights and projections, we\u2019ve failed. For me, the acting and storytelling must come first,\u201d Tiara said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That commitment to storytelling is felt across every layer of the 2026 staging\u2014from its 50-strong ensemble, where every single member has been assigned a specific name, backstory, and social stance within the Melaka court, down to its newly minted lead cast charged with honoring an iconic legacy.<\/p>\n

The weight of legacy<\/p>\n

**NP_IMAGE_BODY[371576]**<\/p>\n

\"Actor <\/p>\n

Actor and competitive jujitsu athlete Mila Mohsin sees Gusti Puteri as a huge feminist icon. \u2014 Picture by Raymond Manuel\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the center of this revival is the formidable role of Gusti Puteri Retno Dumilah, famously originated by Tiara herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For actor and competitive jujitsu athlete Mila Mohsin, stepping into her mother\u2019s footsteps carries both immense weight and a profound sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s never easy doing reruns where the character was previously defined by one person\u2014what more when it\u2019s your own mother,\u201d Mila shares candidly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course I feel the pressure, but I believe pressure makes diamonds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom young, I\u2019ve always leaned into challenges. I want to be pushed to grow as an artist and as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

To portray the Javanese princess, Mila spent time in Solo, Indonesia, along with some other cast and creative team, immersing themselves in ancient tata krama (royal customs) and Javanese philosophy.<\/p>\n

Dissecting the character through a psychological lens rather than treating her as a mere folklore figure, Mila views Gusti Puteri through a distinctly modern framework.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, Gusti Puteri is a huge feminist icon.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe isn\u2019t just a dancer or a young girl chasing romance\u2014she is fighting for her freedom. That is her ultimate struggle, and that is where I connect with her most,\u201d Mila said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mila approaches the physical demands of the role not through conventional musical dance, but as an embodied athletic and spiritual practice.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Working under Javanese master Mak Galo, she learned to lower her center of gravity to align with traditional Javanese posture (doyok).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJavanese movement is about being closer to the earth\u2014everything is lower, more humble, and set to a slower frequency.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not standard dance; it\u2019s like a practice blending martial elements and yoga. As Mak Galo told us: \u2018Sakitnya harus dinikmati\u2019\u2014you have to enjoy the painful process,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also draws a strict distinction between off-stage identity and performance, focusing exclusively on how Gusti Puteri would authentically think and act rather than imitating her mother\u2019s established stage habits or relying on her own personality.<\/p>\n

Two visionaries, one princess\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"This <\/p>\n

This will mark award-winning singer Aisha Retno first time involving with theatre production. \u2014 Picture by Raymond Manuel\u00a0<\/p>\n

To manage the demanding physical, vocal, and cultural demands of the Javanese courtly roles, Tiara implemented a dual-casting strategy for Gusti Puteri, pairing Mila with pop powerhouse and songwriter Aisha Retno.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Contrary to public speculation regarding rivalry, both performers view the arrangement as a collaborative sisterhood of craft.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are completely different performers and people. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother showed one side of Gusti Putri twenty years ago \u2013 The Princess was a historical figure with a million facets.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a two-and-a-half-hour show, Aisha will reveal one side, and I will reveal another. There is zero competition between us,\u201d Mila said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Aisha, a Universiti Malaya economics graduate making her musical theatre debut, the transition from commercial recording artist to stage actor required shedding her pop identity entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know some people might buy tickets expecting to see \u2018Aisha Retno,\u2019 but my goal is to make sure there is no Aisha Retno on that stage,\u201d Aisha explains.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a singer-songwriter, you spend years hiding your pain\u2014even if you\u2019re unwell, you put on a happy face for the audience.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut acting allows you to be vulnerable, raw, and broken, you get to channel real life experiences\u2014like a heartbreak\u2014directly into the dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aisha, whose mother possesses Javanese roots and personal experience in keraton (royal palace) traditions, credits both her family and Assistant Director Sabrina Hassan for helping her navigate the intense psychological demands of stepping into character without bringing the heavy emotional weight home.<\/p>\n

Not just that, Tiara was also fascinated by Aisha\u2019s grounded professionalism, pointing out that despite a punishing schedule of traveling and out-of-state shows, she arrives punctually for rehearsals without pretense\u2014 which Tiara describes as a rare degree of dedication for an established artist.<\/p>\n

Aside from the dual-casting role strategy for Gusti Puteri, Tiara also uses the same approach with Bayan, Gusti Puteri\u2019s loyal lady-in-waiting, which is split between singer Mimifly and actress-singer Nadia Aqilah.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The tormented Laksamana<\/p>\n

\"Potraying <\/p>\n

Potraying the legendary Hang Tuah is a dream come true for actor and singer Aqasha. \u2014 Picture by Raymond Manuel\u00a0<\/p>\n

Opposite the Princess stands the legendary Hang Tuah, portrayed by actor and singer Aqasha.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Aqasha, taking on the legendary warrior is the realisation of a two-decade journey that began when he served as an understudy in the show\u2019s original 2006 run.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent twenty years dreaming of this and I am a fan of this show, its poetic literature, and its score first and foremost.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was an understudy twenty years ago, my younger self focused mostly on the romantic, \u2018lovey-dovey\u2019 aspect of falling in love with the Princess.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut coming back to it today, I see Tuah through a completely different lens,\u201d Aqasha said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rather than playing a romantic hero or an untouchable martial arts archetype, Aqasha grounds his portrayal in internal conflict.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis time, I\u2019m exploring how Tuah serves the Sultan and what his loyalty to Melaka truly costs him \u2013 Is he just another general living off wages, or is he a man bound by an unbreakable oath?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is a deeply tormented man\u2013 torn between his personal desire for love and his unyielding duty to his sovereign,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rather than fearing comparisons, Aqasha encourages audiences to view the production through the lens of musical storytelling\u2014focusing on themes of love, duty, and sacrifice\u2014to fully appreciate the character\u2019s emotional depth.<\/p>\n

The legend returns<\/p>\n

From the royal courts of Majapahit to the mighty Sultanate of Melaka and the mist-shrouded heights of Gunung Ledang, PGL tells an epic tale of love, loyalty, power and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

After months of preparations, PGL will be premiering its first full show today with all 23,000 tickets already sold out since August for its 15-day run.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although there\u2019s no update of any new added dates for its JCPAC run, PGL will be making its way to Singapore next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As confirmed by theatre venue Esplanade Singapore via its social media, PGL is set to arrive at Singapore shores in part of its Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of Arts in April next year with priority bookings set to open starting from November 4 to November 10.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Singapore run will also feature the same lineup of the new generation of cast.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Apart from the cast, PGL also boasts an experienced creative team with visual projections overseen by Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim of KRU Studios, wardrobe creations by Singaporean couturier Fatimah Mohsin, stagecraft by scenic designer Raja Malik, and backstage operations led by Tiara\u2019s long-time technical director, Roslidah \u201cCik Lid\u201d Ali.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KUALA LUMPUR, October 31\u00a0\u00a0\u2014 The stage is almost set for the return of Malaysia\u2019s highly acclaimed theatre production…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":646816,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[37111,6757,18920,430,156,2082,29163,62086,424,9862,9381,117,111,139,69,1118,316997,223,61],"class_list":["post-646815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-acclaimed","tag-bringing","tag-cast","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-for","tag-generation","tag-legends","tag-life","tag-meet","tag-musical","tag-new","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-of","tag-pgl","tag-the","tag-to"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646815"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646815\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/646816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}