Review: Cantalevia Co. Brings Joyful Nostalgia with ECHOES OF INNOCENCE
On 29-30 August 2026, the show choir group Cantalevia Co. returned to Usmar Ismail Hall with ECHOES OF INNOCENCE
On 29-30 August 2026, the show choir group Cantalevia Co. returned to Usmar Ismail Hall with ECHOES OF INNOCENCE. Departing from the Glee theme of the last two years, their 2026 show features iconic songs of childhood. And this time, they’re also collaborating with Nada Swara Gembira, Creangers, and Tirtamarta Children Choir.
The show’s general director is Gispanita Justitia. Maruf Andi and Gina Dewi are co-vocal directors with Paramitha Putri Nirmala as assistant vocal director; Gaby Fefes serves as the choreographer; and music director Nico Gea rounds out the directorial team.
This review is based on the evening performance on Saturday, August 29.
ECHOES OF INNOCENCE is split into four main segments: Big Little Thoughts, Melody of Memory, Fun Time Tunes, and Let the Dreams Grow. Between the second and third segments, there’s an additional segment featuring a mini-musical by Creangers titled Mimpi Dari Hati. These segments are further interspersed with videos of interviews with the cast and creatives regarding childhood memories and dreams.
Big Little Thoughts invites us to see the world through the eyes of children: innocent, imaginative, and full of hope. Melody of Memory taps into the nostalgia of Gen X, Millennial, and Gen Z, including a medley of anime openings that played on local channels back in the 2000s. Fun Time Tunes focuses on playtime songs, and Let the Dreams Grow features tunes about the future.
These numbers are performed by different configurations of the performers – sometimes featuring only the children performers, only the adult ones, or a combination of both. The vocal performance is solidly polished, as excellent as one could expect from a community show choir. Everyone’s voices and the live music come through cleanly, making for an enjoyable experience with only very rare and minor balancing issues.
But the most outstanding aspect of ECHOES OF INNOCENCE is its charm; the vocals only serve as a foundation on which the creative team layered song choices, musical arrangement, artistic design, choreography, bits of acting, and even audience interaction. Everything goes together to create a simply delightful evening of entertainment. And with the different moods and themes, every member of the audience will surely find at least one segment truly dear to their heart.
Some of the stand-out moments for me include the anime medley – not only due to the nostalgia, but also the different musical tradition bringing some variety; the kitschy “Jangan Marah” that brings the catchiness of hit children songs; the “Do-Re-Mi” segment that invites the audience to sing the song together; and a medley of traditional playtime songs that spotlights Indonesia’s timeless heritage of playground games.
It’s also a pleasant surprise that there’s significant variation in the music arrangement. While most arrangements retain a similar vibe to the original tune, a few songs are more creatively arranged, bringing in synth instruments for a more modern sound.
However, a few arrangements run overly long. Although songs for children are cute and can be enjoyable, once they’re performed for long enough, their simpler structure and lyrics become apparent, making for a diminishing return on enjoyment. Furthermore, due to the song list being a mishmash of different eras of childhood, a song choice that’s iconic for someone might be baffling to another – for example, despite the rousing performance, “Helo Dangdut” is not a song I associate with my childhood.
Meanwhile, Creangers’ Mimpi Dari Hati tells the story of dreamers and how the demands of the real world might get in the way. It’s told through the eyes of several characters, including an employee at a PR agency, a teacher and her students, and a member of a burlesque-looking group. The mini-musical contains mostly pre-existing showtunes, with two original songs by Creangers.
The message of chasing one’s dream is an increasingly common one in the contemporary Indonesian musical scene. But Mimpi Dari Hati, importantly, handles it in a gentler and more realistic way by declaring that it’s okay to take a break, or even to not have one’s dream figured out just yet. This message is surprisingly nuanced for a show with such a limited runtime.
That being said, the plot itself stands on shaky grounds. There are enough characters and subplots to sow the seeds of a story, yet not enough characterization and specificity to nurture it into full bloom. It’s more understandable when one considers that Mimpi Dari Hati also serves as a recital of sorts of Creangers’ musical training course and thus, like other similar shows, it concerns itself largely with providing considerable roles for its students to showcase the results of their training. And, to its credit, while the overarching story is rather messy, each musical number is pulled off well.
ECHOES OF INNOCENCE marks an exciting new chapter for Cantalevia Co. The new theme opens the door for other, creative thematic shows. And the collaboration with other performing art communities – especially with young performers in the mix – serves a wonderful foundation for a more united arts scene. Most of all, the show is still just as enjoyable as ever, proving that their artistic capability is not reliant on any specific show about an Ohio-based show choir club.
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