Indonesia Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: The Explosive Duality of Double-Casting in Jakarta Art House's Catch Me If You Can
by Rakaputra Paputungan - December 24, 2024

Just recently, Jakarta Art House hosted its latest stage production, Catch Me If You Can the Musical. This was an adaptation of the 2002 movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio, following the same storyline: the alleged true story of Frank Abagnale Jr., a convicted felon who committed plen...

Review: MUSIKAL DANGDUT: KUKEJAR KAU SAYANG is a Jubilant Union of Dangdut and Musical Theater
by Rakaputra Paputungan - December 11, 2024

When it was first announced back in May, Musikal Dangdut: Kukejar Kau Sayang (lit. Dangdut Musical: I’ll Chase You My Love) made waves throughout the Indonesian musical theater community. It was a provocative, intriguing proposition: dangdut AND musical theater? It’s unheard of....

Review: The Political Epic POLARISASI Returns with Renewed Artistic Direction
by Rakaputra Paputungan - December 06, 2024

Polarisasi – the original musical about Indonesian politics by Da Lopez Brothers – returned to the stage of Graha Bhakti Budaya on October 10-13, following its initial run in February. This rerun (also called Leg 2) brought new direction, new artistic design, and few new cast members, while telling ...

Review: Idealita Analogi Elegi Brings Relatable Story, Jazzy Score, and Compelling Direction
by Rakaputra Paputungan - October 15, 2024

On Sunday, October 12, the musical theater community Svatuhari put on their 13th production: Idealita Analogi Elegi at Teater Salihara. This show is a retooling of Idealita, which ran in June of 2023. The musical still observes the power of idealism and reality set in a contemporary setting, but is ...

Review: Cantalevia's DON'T STOP BELIEVIN' Brings Spectacular Nostal-glee-a
by Rakaputra Paputungan - October 11, 2024

On October 4 and 5, 2024, the community choir Cantalevia staged Don’t Stop Believin’: A Tribute to Glee Concert at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. As the title suggests, the concert presentation is a tribute to the modern classic American TV show that ran from 2009 to 2015 and introduced a lot of Indonesia...

Review: IDCO X Jakarta Art House Brought Wilderness to Life in THE JUNGLE BOOK IN BALLET
by Rakaputra Paputungan - October 06, 2024

What did our critic think of THE JUNGLE BOOK IN BALLET at TEATER BESAR?...

Review: Creangers' MY WAY Platforms Budding Talents
by Rakaputra Paputungan - October 05, 2024

What did our critic think of MY WAY at Balai Latihan Kesenian?...

Review: A Brilliant Tribute to Indonesian Literature in GPU's MISTERI PEMBACA TERAKHIR
by Rakaputra Paputungan - September 23, 2024

As part of Pesta Literasi Indonesia (Indonesia’s Literation Party), Gramedia Pustaka Utama hosted a theatre performance titled Misteri Pembaca Terakhir (Mystery of the Last Reader) from August 30th to September 1st, 2024. ...

Review: Waka Waka Production's 2AM Parades a Midnight Spectacle
by Rakaputra Paputungan - September 17, 2024

What did our critic think of 2AM at TEATER BESAROn August 24th 2024, LSPR Institute’s Performing Arts Communication Batch 25 “Waka Waka Production” brought 2AM: The Musical to the stage of TIM’s Teater Besar. Directed by Amelia Angeliqa with the assistance of Excel Yeremia, bringing forth four main ...

Review: SILVER'S TOUR: THE MUSICAL – An Unfocused Take on a Good Concept
by Rakaputra Paputungan - September 04, 2024

What did our critic think of SILVER'S TOUR: THE MUSICAL at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta?...

Review: The Vibrance of Interactive Theatre in Jakarta Movin's “Interaksi”
by Rakaputra Paputungan - August 22, 2024

On August 16th, 2024, in collaboration with Tiga Dua Satu and Indonesia Kaya, Jakarta Movin performed the media preview of the musical Interaksi (“Interaction”), adapted from the lyrics of the most-streamed musician of Indonesia, Tulus. Directed by the founder of Jakarta Movin, Interaksi brought for...

Review: IMC's Zeventien Attempts to Harmonize Musical and Realist Theatre
by Rakaputra Paputungan - August 11, 2024

What did our critic think of ZEVENTIEN at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta?...

Review: Kancatala's Serangkai Harum Harmoni Concert Provides Warmth and Harmony
by Rakaputra Paputungan - August 03, 2024

What did our critic think of SERANGKAI HARUM HARMONI at GOETHEHAUS?...

Review: HJP and Artpreneur's SCHOOL OF ROCK Electrifies with Powerful Performances
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 29, 2024

On July 24, the performing arts training institute Hi Jakarta Production and art foundation Ciputra Artpreneur held a media preview of their upcoming musical, School of Rock the Musical. The show is based on the iconic 2003 movie starring Jack Black and licensed through Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Rea...

Review: D'Artbeat's Rencana Jeng Listy Serves a Casual Sunday Entertainment
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 26, 2024

What did our critic think of RENCANA JENG LISTY at D'Artbeat?...

Review: A Spoonful of Melodies Serves Good Food and Great Performance
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 12, 2024

A Spoonful of Melodies is a musical dinner experience presented by Elysium and Jaksical. The show runs every Saturday evening at 18.30 PM until August 31, 2024 at Copper 30, Lippo Kuningan. After their initial run featuring classic Disney songs, their second set features showtunes from musical movie...

Review: CBHS's Joshua Oh Joshua Entertains, Inspires, and Amazes
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 10, 2024

On July 6 and 7, 2024, the theatre community and social enterprise Cerita Beda Hak Sama (CBHS) ran their newest production, Teater Musikal Joshua Oh Joshua, at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Jakarta. Adapted from a well-beloved family movie of the same name, the musical was CBHS’s most ambitious project yet, ...

Review: Camp Broadway Indonesia's Mainstage Program Breaks Barriers with Papuan Scholarship
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 07, 2024

What did our critic think of SHREK JR. at TEATER SALIHARA?...

Review: Thearapy: The Sequel and The Finale Are Delightfully Unhinged, Original
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 08, 2024

On June 8 and 9, the community theater Censtacom put on the newest iterations of their therapy-themed musical revue Thearapy at Teater Salihara. Titled Thearapy: the Sequel and Thearapy: the Finale, this pair of shows brought back the eccentric story, up-and-coming musical talents, and deep love for...

Review: Musical Monolog AKAR Highlights the Importance of Mental Health
by Rakaputra Paputungan - July 01, 2024

What did our critic think of TEATER MUSIKAL AKAR at KASTARA Production?...

Review: Rooted in Familial Warmth, MUSIKAL KELUARGA CEMARA Blossoms with Spectacle
by Rakaputra Paputungan - June 21, 2024

Musikal Keluarga Cemara (“Cemara Family the Musical”, with Cemara literally meaning pine tree) held its gala night performance on Wednesday, June 19th at Ciputra Artpreneur ahead of its opening night on Friday, June 21st. This musical, by Visinema and Indonesia Kaya in collaboration with TEMAN, adap...

Review: 'Suara Areta' Addresses the Devastating Impact of Sexual Violence
by Rakaputra Paputungan - May 06, 2024

The theatrical performance 'Suara Areta' was succesfully held at Gripa Studio, South Jakarta, on Thursday, May 2, 2024. The performance, a culmination of the final project (non-thesis) by three students of Communication Science with a concentration in Performing Arts Communication from LSPR Jakarta,...

Review: Musikal Masih Ada and the Turbulent Lives of Cancer Patients
by Rakaputra Paputungan - May 01, 2024

On April 23rd 2024, Yayasan Kanker Indonesia (Indonesian Cancer Foundation) produced the original musical Musikal Masih Ada (Still Remains the Musical), in collaboration with Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakpro, and new performing arts company Adpro. The musical ran for two shows at Graha Bhakti Budaya, Ja...

Review: Teater Keliling Celebrates 50th Anniversary with the Psychedelic Musikal Mega Mega
by Rakaputra Paputungan - March 21, 2024

What did our critic think of MUSIKAL MEGA MEGA at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta? On February 24th and 25th, Teater Keliling celebrated their 50th anniversary by putting on a production of Musikal Mega Mega at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. The show is based on the non-musical play Mega-Mega by writer and direct...

Review: OBROG OWOK-OWOK EBREG EWEK-EWEK is a Fascinating and Bewildering Look into the Past
by Rakaputra Paputungan - March 17, 2024

What did our critic think of OBROG OWOK-OWOK EBREG EWEK-EWEK at Teater Kecil?...