National treasure ‘I La Galigo’ to grace Jakartan stage in July

World-class act: I La Galigo premiered in 2004 and has been performed in scores of prestigious venues around the globe, including Singapore’s Esplanade and New York’s Lincoln Center Festival. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

A theater performance of I La Galigo, which is an adaptation of the mythological epic poem Sureq Galigo of the indigenous Bugis people of South Sulawesi, is scheduled to entertain Indonesians at the Ciputra Artpreneur Theater in South Jakarta from July 4 to 7.
Two promoters, Ciputra Artpreneur and the Yayasan Bumi Purnati foundation, are staging the show in a bid to introduce all Indonesians to the archipelago’s art and culture.

Fertility: The Goddess of Rice waits as Batara Guru of the Upper World and We Nyiliq Timoq of the Under World prepare to wed for a union that is to populate the Middle World. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

Since its premiere in Singapore’s Esplanade Theaters on the Bay in 2003, the show continues to garner attention in big cities around the globe, including at New York City’s Lincoln Center Festival – for which it received praise from The New York Times as a "stunningly beautiful music-theater work" -- Amsterdam’s Het Muziektheater, Barcelona’s Fòrum Universal de les Cultures, Rhône-France’s Les Nuits de Fourvière, Italy’s Ravenna Festival, Taipei’s Hall for Taipei Arts Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival and Milan’s Teatro Arcimboldi, before finally returning to Makassar’s Fort Rotterdam. It was recently named a special world-class performance during an annual meeting of the IMF-World Bank Group in 2018 in Bali as well.

The price of love: Sawerigading chops down Welenrennge, the largest and most sacred tree, to build a fleet of ships to use to cross to China, where Princess We Cudaiq is. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

“I La Galigo is a treasure of Indonesian art and culture. The international community has shown its appreciation of this work, hence Indonesian people should also be able to witness this masterpiece, which is just as great as the Mahabharata or Ramayana,” read a statement from Ciputra Artpreneur.
The two-hour performance is to be directed by Robert Wilson and boast spectacular stage and lighting designs.
Tickets to the show are currently available online with prices ranging from Rp 475,000 (US$33.45) to Rp 1.85 million. (JakartaPost)

Ealier: ‘I La Galigo’ returns home