PETALING JAYA, July 10 — Three months after the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) temporarily shut its door to comply with the movement control order (MCO), the stage is set for the performing space to open once again.

To mark its reopening, KLPac will be staging its first live show with a golden oldies concert, “Yesterday Once More 3”, from July 22 to July 26.

And yes, audiences are allowed.

Following two sold-out editions, “Yesterday Once More 3” is set to take music lovers back in time with nostalgic tunes from the 40s right up to the 60s, an era known for swing, big band and jazz music movements.

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Previous editions of the popular concert featured hits from the 50s to the 70s.

Audiences can expect tunes from music legends such as Nat King Cole, Elvis Presley, The Drifters and Dean Martin at the upcoming performance which was initially slated to open on March 18, the day the MCO came into effect.

“We were in Pentas 2 having our technical rehearsal when we received news that the MCO would be enforced,” director Ian Chow said.

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“The past three months have been very trying, not only for the arts industry but also for everyone else.”

Chow added that KLPac will need to pick up the pieces now that the performance venue has reopened with SOPs in place.

He said the arts have never been more essential during these trying times.

The upcoming golden oldies concert was initially slated to open on March 18, the day the MCO came into effect. — Picture courtesy of KLPac
The upcoming golden oldies concert was initially slated to open on March 18, the day the MCO came into effect. — Picture courtesy of KLPac

“People are wary and anxious from months of uncertainty and we want to lift people’s spirits again.

“Nothing heals better than music and live music at that, it has been eight months since we started preparing for ‘Yesterday Once More 3’ and we are definitely ready.

“When we finally have the singers and musicians on stage with audiences in the house, it will be magical,” Chow said.

The songs will be performed by six singers — Joel Wong, Lai Suk Yin, Omar Ali, Rachel Liu and Serene Chng and Vale Wong — and a five-piece band under Chow’s direction.

The band is made up of music director and pianist Jing Xiuan, keyboardist Lee Hui Yin, lead guitarist Coebar Abel, percussionist Alex and bassist Iqbal R.

In line with the National Security Council’s SOPs, KLPac has taken comprehensive measures to curb the spread of the virus which includes health screening, physical distancing measures, sanitisation and disinfection, visitor education, contactless experience and staff training.

In preparation for the upcoming show, KLPac underwent thorough disinfection by an external contractor and the arts centre will also be sanitised before each use.

Ticket buyers must wear a mask before the premises and will undergo a health screening.

For now, only audiences aged between 13 and 60 are allowed entry for live shows.

In order to ease traffic flow, “Yesterday Once More 3” will be presented in a compact 75-minute show without intermission where audiences will be ushered in and out of the theatre in an orderly fashion.

The arts centre has also adopted e-ticketing which not only minimises contact but lets the audience skip queues at the box office.

The upcoming “Yesterday Once More” concert is part of KLPac’s Cabaret Series.

The arts centre will be running a show under the Cabaret Series every month from now until October as part of its Covid-19 relief fundraising campaign.

KLPac which lost almost RM1.4 million during the pandemic hopes to raise another RM300,000 by December 2020.

Its other ongoing initiatives to raise funds include the Barang Best @ klpac shop and the #SaveYourSeat programme which lets you adopt a seat.

In other developments, submissions for KLPac’s Short+Sweet Malaysia 2020 is open until July 31 with a revamped format for post-MCO conditions, scheduled to be staged in October.

For ticket pricing and details, visit here.