Seducing the audience with music and theatrics

CHENNAI: Blending the theatrics of an orchestra, tunes from the sands of Rajasthan and a set-up like the Hawa Mahal and Amsterdam’s red light district, this concert has the drama of a play and melody of a soulful rendition. The Manganiyar Seduction, a mystical musical journey with 36 artists, will be making a stop in the city this Saturday at Phoenix MarketCity.
Brainchild of theatre director Roysten Abel, it is a spectacle which makes for one of the most sensory experiences.With the vision of a dramatist and ear of a music connoisseur, Abel had first brought this production to the stage a decade ago, marking one of the most novel theatrical musicals which was applauded the world over. “The intrinsically deep, painful, yet joyful, strains speak a language which is universal. The musical and visual combination complement each other,” says Abel, adding that the main piece, weaved in with a few other Sufi couplets, is a kalam by the saint Bulleh Shah which talks about love.
Abel, who began his career with Shakespearean productions, made a switch to a more musical presentation with this production after being “seduced” by two Manganiyar singers during a previous production. “The folk forms in the country have a lot of potential and I am trying to find a new language through their music,” he says.
Though there is no ‘acting’, the way the music is arranged and the visual is choreographed makes for a proper theatre production, points out Abel. The performers from the Manganiyar community, who carry with them stories of conquests, empires and teachings of saints dating back centuries, leave a lasting impression. The performance opens with the drone of the oldest Rajasthani bow and string instrument kamaicha and as the rest of the artists join in, the checkered room-like set lights up slowly to reveal the ensemble as the music peaks to reach a crescendo.
Tickets are available at bookmyshow.com