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Weekly 5: Five city venues for performing arts, music
Theatre, musical dramas, orchestra and Broadway shows are not Jakartaâs strongest suit; indeed, many Jakartans travel to Singapore for such entertainment
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em>Theatre, musical dramas, orchestra and Broadway shows are not Jakarta's strongest suit; indeed, many Jakartans travel to Singapore for such entertainment. However, this situation is changing, with more and more theatrical shows catering to increasing demand. Well-known Broadway show Stomp is to be performed at Teater Jakarta at Taman Ismail Marzuki in Cikini, Central Jakarta. The city also has many of its own internationally acclaimed performing arts groups. Aside from the well-known public theaters like Jakarta Playhouse (GKJ) and Graha Bhakti Budaya theater, both in Central Jakarta, the city has seen a rise in privately-built theatres. Here are five of them:
Aula Simfonia Jakarta
Courtesy of Aula Simfonia Jakarta
Aula Simfonia Jakarta is a concert hall located in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Opened in 2009, the concert hall was designed by musician Stephen Tong, who has also conducted a number of performances at the symphony hall.
As well as hosting classical music concerts, the venue produces its own events, including the upcoming Mendelssohn Night to honor German composer Felix Mendelssohn.
Aula Simfonia Jakarta's orchestra, Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra, regularly conducts concerts in the hall; the audiences numbers are always in the thousands.
The concert hall is beloved by classical music aficionados for its sharp, beautiful architecture as much as for its grand and international-scaled shows.
Ciputra Theater
Ciputra Artpreneur Theater is located in the Ciputra World building in Kuningan, South Jakarta, occupying the building's whole 13th floor.
The brand new theater, which opened on Aug. 16 to a limited public, has already been booked for Disney musical Beauty and the Beast next year, according to Ciputra corporate public relations head Eky Mery.
'We've registered Jakartans' growing interest in Broadway shows. We want to help develop the art of theater in this city,' Eky said.
She added that Ciputra hoped to host international Broadway shows and musicals.
'We're hopeful we can help theater become one of Jakarta's main forms of entertainment,' Eky said.
Teater Salihara
Salihara Theater in Pasar Ming-gu, South Jakarta, hosts regular performing arts shows curated by Komunitas Salihara.
The community holds the biannual Festival Salihara, which is currently running until Oct. 22. This year's festival main events are 11 dance, music and theatrical performances by artists from Australia, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Georgia, Indonesia and the Netherlands.
For the rest of the year, Komunitas Salihara holds regular shows performed by various artists, from within and from outside the community.
Balai Sarbini
Balai Sarbini is a concert hall located on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta, adjacent to the Plaza Semanggi mall.
Famous in recent times for hosting the Indonesian Idol reality show and one round of this year's presidential debates, the concert hall has a history stretching back to the 1960s.
Balai Sarbini was named after Lt. Gen. (ret.) HM Sarbini, whose idea it was to construct a concert hall. The nation's first president, Sukarno, officiated at the beginning of the construction of the groundbreaking venue in 1965. The concert hall was officially opened in 1973 by then president Soeharto.
Balai Sarbini was redeveloped in the early 2000s and reinaugurated in 2004 by then president Megawati.
Titan Theater
Titan Theater, located in Bintaro, South Tangerang, Banten, is the only theater in all of Jakarta's satellite municipalities, and one of very few theater venues in Greater Jakarta with downward slope audience seating, according to Titan marketing and sales staffer Lily Rosmalia.
Titan, which opened in 2010, has held a number of classical concerts, including by pianist Ananda Sukarlan and violinist Iskandar Widjaja. Many nearby schools have also put on musical dramas in the theater, attracting thousands of enthusiasts. ' JP
