Khalisa Mutalib lights up The InfluencHER stage
The crowd is buzzing at the Jerudong International School Arts Centre. It’s the second night for musical The InfluencHER and 22-year-old Khalisa Mutalib is playing the lead.
Throughout her performance, she is gleaming, delivering every number with relentless pizzazz and with a wardrobe that is equally as vibrant.
In one scene, we see her donning a yellow blazer over a satin blouse, tied together with a pair of chic cream-coloured palazzo pants. In another, she is almost head to toe in deep reds and pinks, a dazzling sight to behold when she moves on stage.
In real life, however, Khalisa Mutalib – or Lisa for short – is a soft-spoken accounting officer working in the private sector, who has managed to dance her way from the sidelines to centrestage, making her big debut as a lead role in a musical through playing the character, Aisha Ali.
Performed over two consecutive weekends, The InfluencHER centres around Aisha Ali, an aspiring social media influencer as she navigates the perils of balancing her love life, a career and her true passion, shopping. According to the lead actress, Aisha is a recent graduate, and like many of them is still finding her place in life, having to also juggle adult priorities like relationships and personal finance.
“She is pretty much of a curious girl, but at the same time (she is also) confident and very optimistic about life.
“She has big dreams and hopes that her wants are achieved in her life,” explained Lisa, noting that understanding and embodying the character was an essential part of her preparations before opening night.
“Once I am up there (on stage), I am no longer Lisa. Even while backstage, I am Aisha,” shared the 22-year-old.
Asked about the overall experience, Lisa described how heartening everything has been since opening night; from the talent, the hardworking crew and especially, the audience’s positive reception which she described as phenomenal.
She admitted that there was an immense pressure to perform well throughout the whole process. It was a pressure of being the lead role – the sense of responsibility to meet audience’s as well as friends’ and family’s expectations.
Add to that more than a month-long training and rehearsals, Lisa described having moments of feeling overwhelmed.
But being the professionals that they are, Lisa and her cast mates soldiered on as they polished their acts. Days and nights were filled with choreography and vocal practice, but there was an energy brewing between all the performers; instead of fear, they felt exhilaration.
This mirrored Lisa’s initial reaction to being chosen as the lead role in the musical show and fortunately for her, the feeling stuck throughout, culminating in a stage environment that was very nurturing.
With this in mind, Lisa expressed gratefulness for being part of the smashing success that is The InfluencHER and Relentless Entertainment co-founders Mardi Hedus and Amy Cheong, for providing guidance to the cast and crew.
“Thank you to all those behind the scenes especially the Relentless Entertainment team including Mardi Hedus and Amy Cheong for being great motivators, giving us endless support, and the opportunities and advices (as well as) being very patient in guiding and coaching us to become what we are today,” she added.
Ultimately for Lisa, the highlight of the whole musical production is the people she met along the way, from the mentors to fellow cast and the dancers. She felt thankful for their support since it was her first time in a lead role in a musical.
Lisa’s first venture into musicals began in 2018, when she was cast as Penny Pingleton in The Corny Collins Show.
This foray into the performance arts continued after completing her degree in accounting and finance in September 2022. Here, Lisa joined the Musical Mania 4, which launched her odyssey with Relentless Entertainment.
For more than a decade, Relentless has worked closely with local talents to further develop and nurture passion for the creative and performative arts among youth.
The company’s first musical Enchanted Forest was staged in 2013. Since then, Relentless has produced 10 musicals with their most recent being Musical Mania 4 in September 2022.
“I feel very blessed to have even crossed paths with them, and it has been such an emotional (journey),” Lisa said.
With 30 talented cast members, The InfluencHER promises to be a fun, entertaining and colourful family event taking the audience on a journey of emotions.
The musical show is collaborative venture between the Brunei Darussalam Central Bank (BDCB) with Relentless Entertainment and Academy of Performing Arts.
The production was organised in conjunction with National Savings Day (NSD) that is observed every May 28.
The musical production aims to both entertain and educate the public pertaining to financial literacy through song and dance.
With the slogan ‘Financially Literate Generation’, NSD aims to promote a savings culture and prudent money management, enhance financial literacy in Brunei and increase awareness on financial products and services available in the country. – Rokiah Mahmud
