Sailing to the Musical Stage, Paper Boat is Ready to Invite Audiences to Relive Their Dreams

Trinity Entertainment Network, in collaboration with the Trinity Youth Symphony Orchestra (TRUST) and Indonesia Kaya, presents the Paper Boat Musical, which is set to take audiences on a warm and touching emotional journey. This stage production, adapted from Dee Lestari's legendary novel "Perahu Kertas" (Paper Boats), will run from January 30 to February 15, 2026, at Ciputra Artpreneur, Jakarta, with a total of 21 performances.

With the theme "Reviving Dreams," this performance piece marks Trinity Entertainment Network's debut on the musical stage. As part of a record label company that has produced numerous popular works, Trinity Entertainment Network is now stepping into the world of performing arts with renewed enthusiasm. We have a vision to develop and advance the Indonesian arts and entertainment industry and are committed to continuously adapting amidst a dynamic industry. After the success of the song "Perahu Kertas" as one of the most popular works from our label, bringing "Musikal Perahu Kertas" to life is a tangible realization of our dream to expand our creative horizons and bring our music to life on stage. "And as newcomers to the world of musicals, our courage also grew thanks to the support of Indonesia Kaya, which has long been building the performing arts ecosystem in Indonesia," said Yonathan Nugroho, CEO of Trinity Entertainment Network.

The story of "Perahu Kertas" is considered to be so close to the hearts of many people, especially regarding love, dreams, and the courage to be oneself and is worthy of being brought to the stage. This work also marks a significant milestone for Dee Lestari, the author of the novel "Perahu Kertas," who is seeing one of her works adapted into a musical for the first time.

"Perahu Kertas" is a work that has given me many new beginnings. I first wrote this story in college in 1996, and it was only published 12 years later, in 2008. After becoming a film, I am now realizing my dream of seeing it on the musical stage. "To this day, Paper Boats remains one of my most widely read works, and I hope this musical version can touch more hearts and encourage audiences to dare to revive their dreams," said Dee Lestari.

This musical, "Perahu Kertas," is a collaborative performance that brings together the worlds of music, literature, and theater into a single, emotionally charged and energetic theatrical experience. The entire production process, from the smooth running of the show on the day of the performance, is thanks to the hands of the show's producers: Billy Gamaliel, Eunike Elisaveta, and Chriskevin Adefrid.

We want to create a stage that is not only beautiful to look at, but also touches the hearts of the audience. We hope that the Paper Boat Musical will be an exceptional performance experience, not only because of its legendary story, but also because of the collaborative spirit that involves so many creative individuals who are together bringing its dreams back to life. This performance also provides a platform for young talents from the Cultural Musical Intensive Creative Space participants to showcase their best abilities. "After a long series of successful Indonesian performances, the arrival of the Paper Boat Musical not only brings our dreams to life, the creators involved, but also revives the dream that Indonesian long-form performing arts will once again be presented for the public to watch and enjoy," said Billy Gamaliel, Program Manager of Indonesia Kaya and Producer of the show.

The musical "Perahu Kertas" will depict a journey about the search for identity, acceptance, loss, and the courage to revive dreams. The audience returns to the story of Kugy and Keenan, two young souls born with artistic blood. Kugy, who realizes that reality isn't as beautiful as it seems, chooses to create a fairy tale as her comfort zone. Meanwhile, Keenan, a young and brilliant painter, lives under the shadow of his father's expectations, searching for a way to freely express himself even tho the world demands he be someone else. When the two met among billions of people, it was as if the universe paused. They met on a journey of life filled with choices, dreams, and feelings that aren't always easy to express. But deep down, they believed that one day their stories and works would find each other, just like hearts and dreams destined to meet.

We adapted the story of this performance entirely from the novel "Perahu Kertas." On stage, we not only portray the love story between two characters, but also their journey of self-discovery and acceptance of reality. "The audience will be taken on a journey to see how love, family, friends, and dreams are intertwined in life's path, which sometimes turns but always finds its way back," said Widya Arifianti, the scriptwriter for the musical Perahu Kertas.

Venytha Yoshiantini, the director and choreographer of the musical Perahu Kertas (Paper Boat), will bring Kugy and Keenan's journey to life thru movement, amplifying their emotional waves so that the audience can feel the rhythm of their dreams and the inner dynamics of these two characters. From a musical perspective, the performance is enriched by the renowned composer duo, Ifa Fachir and Simhala Avadana, who collaborated to create original music with the distinctive spirit of Perahu Kertas. The main song from Perahu Kertas, popularized by Maudy Ayunda, will serve as an emotional thread throughout the performance, while other songs like Milyaran Manusia, Dua Manusia, Tahu Diri, and Langit Amat Indah will strengthen the nuances of each character's inner journey. Trinity Entertainment Network's popular work will be enriched with new compositions that depict the nuances of the story, with musical direction from Nathania Karina as Music Director and Ivan Tangkulung as Music Arranger.

Ticket sales for the Perahu Kertas Musical to the public will open on November 19, 2025, at 12 noon thru https://www.loket.com/e/musikalperahukertas, with pre-sale prices starting from Rp 209,000. And don't miss the latest information about the Perahu Kertas Musical, which can be found on the official social media account @musikalperahukertas.