Review: JOURNEY THROUGH TIME 4 REWIND's Hopeful and Bittersweet Message

Musical community Jaksical's annual birthday concert is back - this time in virtual space, due to the ongoing pandemic. JOURNEY THROUGH TIME 4 REWIND showcases showtunes from Jaksical's previous three concerts, sung by both returning and new performers.

After last year's exciting concert that refreshingly featured Indonesian showtunes, there was some initial uncertainty about whether or not the concert would take place, and what form it would take. Last month, the Jakarta-based community finally confirmed that Journey Through Time 4 Rewind - or JTT4 for sure - would return as a virtual concert.

The concert took place on October 3rd through the ticketing and broadcasting platform kiostix. As previously mentioned, the setlist drew from Jaksical's three previous birthday concerts, starting from their inaugural one back in 2017.

The whole show took place in a modestly-sized recording studio. The singers (directed by vocal director Vanessa Tunggal) were live accompanied by a mini-orchestra (led by conductor and music director Aziz Soulisa). Cindy Tamara Tarigan and Albertus Raynaldi served as co-directors, while Gianca Devina and Olivia Dwiyanti assumed the role of co-producers.

The seven featured performers were Amelia Anjani, Cherryl Natasha, Dasrizal, Devina Salmania, Jason Lie, Resa Kawatu, and Shana Arabella. Cherryl and Shana were both newcomers to JTT, while the rest of the roster had previously performed on the concert series.

JTT4 was presented as a taped concert performance of eight showtunes. Each song had previously been featured on a previous JTT.

An overture, an original composition derived from the songs to be performed (as overtures tend to be),opened the one-hour concert. It was not only a great way to build excitement for the oncoming performances, but a showcase of the musicians' exquisite skill - not only in playing the instruments, but in coming up satisfyingly arrangements using only

Tiga Dara - a song from the Indonesian musical movie of the same name - followed, introducing the first set of singers (Amelia, Devina, and Shana). The fun and energetic little number set the mood high for the evening, although the choreography was stilted at parts (perhaps also due to the limited room).

It was followed by a medley from Les Miserables (namely, consisting of On My Own and I Dreamed A Dream) sung by a duet of Resa and Shana. Both women had mesmerizingly beautiful voices as they sang the heartbreaking songs with polish. Though, as their voices shared similar qualities, and both songs were originally one-woman songs, the harmonies were not as satisfying as the solo parts.

The first solo song of the evening went to Dasrizal with West Side Story's Somewhere. His performance was impeccable, gentle and full of longing at parts, but also defiant and strikingly powerful near the climax.

The whole cast came together for a medley of Another Day of Sun and Someone in the Crowd from the 2016's hit movie La La Land. The performance made for a very upbeat, crowd-pleasing moment with impressive harmonies. The choreography was much more lively, although the performance of the choreography itself could have been tighter (then again, it was a concert first). And, visually, outfits with bold colors (taking inspiration from the movie) would have been a better fit for the energetic songs instead of the subtle, vaguely pastel tones.

Jason and Resa came together for the next song - It's My Life from &Juliet. Jason Lie once again impressed with his powerful voice that was perfectly well-suited for the rebellious yet catchy song. Resa's similarly strong yet velvety voice was an exquisite pair to Jason's, creating perhaps the best duet performance of the night.

And of course, no post-2016 musical concert would be complete without a Hamilton song. The one that made it here was Schuyler Sisters, with Cherryl, Resa, and Shana (with director Albertus filling in for the male roles). It proved to be another hit; not only was the number pitch-perfect, but also thoroughly entertaining, with all singers having so much fun that it could be felt across the screen.

The Lion King Medley was another returning number from JTT3, this time performed by Amelia, Dasrizal, Devina, Jason, and Resa. This penultimate song could be considered the climax of the evening; it was complex, it was an astounding display of the singers' vocal prowess, and it was thoroughly beautiful. It brought all the majesty of the original musical in a four-minute package.

Before the final song, a birthday cake was brought out and the whole cast sang happy birthday, celebrating Jaksical's fourth birthday (needless to say, the happy birthday song sounded much better than most).

The concert came to a close with Dear Evan Hansen's You Will Be Found, performed by all 7 singers. The emotional song brought the show together to a slightly melancholic yet hopeful note, fitting for Jaksical's resiliency in face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite minor imperfections and its truncated runtime compared to its predecessors, Journey Through Time 4 Rewind was a truly delectable experience. The format worked quite well, though the meager physical space meant larger choreography was out, and some songs could have used more varied camera shots (or just better-framed ones, as some shots were awkwardly cut off at the height of the performers' heads).

But the heart of the show - the talents involved, were as excellent as ever, if not even more so (being a taped show meant there was room for retakes). Although there's nothing quite like live performance, Jaksical might consider adding further recorded performances as part of their repertoire.

And, more importantly, the show was a celebration of all the goodness that Jaksical had done since their foundation. It was made all the more poignant by the circumstances around the show. Seeing familiar - and new - faces performing, not on the stage but on the screen, made for a nostalgic and bittersweet feeling. The Jaksical community members and fans might feel lost at the moment, but the concert was there to remind everyone that they will be found.

To post a comment, you must register and login.