As of this writing, I’m in Bangkok, Thailand with two of my best friends. My watch is still on Manila time and it reads half past midnight. It’s only 11:30pm in Bangkok. We’re watching downloaded episodes of Boston Legal (Season 2); drinking three different kinds of local beers, Singha, Tiger and Chang; and trying to figure out how to order seafood pizza from Pizza Company. We’ve picked up some useful words and phrases, but “medium, x-pan, Dancing Shrimp pizza” and directions to our 8th floor Bangkok address aren’t part of them.
But maybe the shrimp-laden pizza can wait, no matter how juicy the idea of having it with good beer is. It’s just our first day, and already, we’ve had our taste of Bangkok magic in the dazzling cultural show called Siam Niramit. With a Guinness record holder as venue—apparently, the Siamit Niramit theater has the tallest proscenium arch in the whole world; meaning the part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra very, very high—the cultural presentation traces seven centuries of Thailand’s diverse culture and history. It starts with a beautiful scene from the Ancient Kingdom of Lanna, where, to express their religious faith, the King and Queen go to worship at the old temple of the Lord Buddha. The next scene goes to the era of the Kingdom of Sri-Wichai up to the Kingdom of Sri-Tammarat, where the Thai Buddhist and Muslim cultures mix peacefully, and Chinese merchants arrive for trade.The following scene then shows people from the Khmer Civilization taking part in a festival called Boon Paweht in front of a temple when, suddenly, a stone castle appears before their eyes and carved stone angels magically come to life. At this point, the costumes, stage props, and backdrops are already a feast for the senses—think of all the majestic temples and colorful history and legends that make Thailand a top tourist destination, and imagine them represented on stage—but they were just building up for the best!
The next scene is my favorite. It shows both the simple beauty and the old grandeur of the Ayutthaya Kingdom—and the first inkling of exactly how magnificent the Siamit Niramit theater is. The scene opens with just a spotlight open. A man, wrapped in a cloth from waist down, is taking a bath and he dips his hand on what was once solid ground (or, stage floor!) where in earlier scenes the Queen’s maidens paraded their lanterns and the King’s armies displayed their swordsmanship and the Thai Buddhist and Muslim traders exchanged goods with Chinese merchants—and it’s suddenly a body of water! I thought the ripples were special effects, when he suddenly splashed some H2O on his face... and then leaped into the water! Then boats came out, on them smiling pretty young women peddling flowers. Yes, boats!
The water is a stage mainstay from this point on, and it even becomes sort of the star again at the final scene of the show, which portrays the candlelit ceremony of Loy Krathong, where Thais release small rafts decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks to thank the Lord Buddha; to let go symbolically of grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh; and to create good luck by honoring and thanking the Goddess of Water. What is touching about this scene is that part of the cast goes around and offers small rafts or krathongs to audience members, who then have to go up to the stage and set them afloat.
Another wonderful scene that makes this show a must-see for travelers to Bangkok is the third scene of the Second Act, which brings the audience to, Daow-wa-dueng, the second level of heaven and home of the greatest deity Indra. This scene makes full use of “invisible” cables to portray the dieties and the angels serenading them. One of the heavenly creatures makes an appearance at the end of the show, when the cast had taken its final bow, to make a kind of sparkling finish you only see in dreams.
It just might be a mere bonus for you, but part of the slightly expensive ticket price includes an all-you-can-eat buffet of Thai food, a quick trip around a traditional Bangkok village (with free 15-minute massage and tiny samples of traditional snacks), and the chance to have your picture taken with cast members and two friendly elephants who would do anything for sugarcanes.
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