9 Works: Review of RENT (2024): Bohemian Buddies on the Block

April 20, 2024

It was Christmas Eve in Manhattan's East Village. Musician Roger David and filmmaker Mark Cohen were living together in an old apartment owned by their former roommate Benny Coffin. Roger met a flirtatious club dancer Mimi, who was also a drug addict. Mark's ex, performance artist Maureen, was now hooking up with a lesbian lawyer Joanne. Their professor friend Tom Collins was mugged and nursed back to health by a drag queen Angel. 

This rock musical by Jonathan Larson debuted on Broadway in November 1996, on the 100th anniversary of Puccini's "La Boheme" on which it was based. It ran for the next 12 years up to September 2008, making it one of the longest-running shows on the Great White Way.  It won 4 Tony Awards, for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Book of a Musical for Larson, and Best Actor in a Featured Role for Wilson Jermaine Heredia (as Angel). 

In Manila, "Rent" was first staged in1999 by New Voice Company at the Music Museum, directed by Bobby Garcia. It starred Calvin Millado as Roger, JM Rodriguez as Mark, Michael de Mesa as Tom Collins, Ricci Chan as Angel, Ampy Sietereales as Mimi and Monique Wilson as Maureen. Bituin Escalante was the female soloist in "Seasons of Love." This was named by Gibbs Cadiz as one of the 32 landmark stage productions in Philippine theater history.

"Rent" had been staged by 9 Works Theatrical back in February 2010, also at the RCBC Theater, with Robbie Guevara as director. That version starred Gian Magdangal as Roger and Fredison Lo as Mark. It was so successful that it was restaged it two more times, in December 2010 and February to March 2011. 13 years later, 9 Works (now celebrating its 15th anniversary) brings the iconic show back to RCBC Theater, again with Guevara at the helm. 

This current version of Rent featured a young cast, most of whom I had never seen performing live on stage before. Since I did not catch Reb Atadero nor Lance Reblando in the Saturday matinee show I watched, Markki Stroem (who played Benny) is already the best-known veteran of the cast I saw. Jasmine Fitzgerald, whom I've seen in "Passion" before as the glamorous Clara, channeled Idina Menzel here as brazen Maureen.  

As Roger, Anthony Rosaldo possessed the look and vocals of a rock band frontman and romantic leading man to Molly Langley's vulnerable Mimi. Their voices, the raspy and the kittenish, blended very well in their duet numbers "Light My Candle" and "Without You".  As Mark, Ian Pangilinan was quirky and funny as he held the camera that documented their ordeals as poor struggling artists in the big city grappling with the dreaded HIV. 

Garrett Bolden's Tom Collins was strong and dignified, with "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" as his vocal highlight. Angel has always been the most scene-stealing role, and Adrian Lindayag rose to that challenge with his cute drag ensembles while twirling around, one-hand cartwheels and jumping onto tables, all the way to her breath-taking, death-defying final scene stunt, which you really have got to see to believe. 

Mio Infante's set was huge and sturdy, three storeys up, so audiences have to look up (or slouch down) to see scenes set up there. The lighting design of Shakira Villa-Symes was especially frenetic in that mesmerizing strobe light show for the song "Contact." The live band does not overpower the singing. There were a number of mic issues, which is understandably difficult to manage perfectly with fifteen actors moving all around, plus a live band.

******

RENT is showing from April 19 to June 1, 2024 at the RCBC Plaza Makati. For tickets, head on to Ticket2Me HERE. 

The cast I watched: Anthony Rosaldo as Roger, Ian Pangilinan as Mark, Garrett Bolden as Tom Collins, Markki Stroem as Benny, Adrian Lindayag as Angel, Molly Langley as Mimi, Jasmine Fitzgerald as Maureen, Mica Fajardo as Joanne, Guji Lorenzana as Mr. Jefferson, Chesko Rodriguez as Steve, Jordan Andrews as Gordon, Vyen Villanueva as Paul, Misha Fabian as Ally, Kai Banson as Alexi Darling and Abi Sulit as Pam (the awesome "Seasons of Love" female soloist).

The alternate cast members are: Reb Atadero as Mark, Lance Reblando as Angel, Thea Astley as Mimi, Justine Pena as Maureen, Fay Castro as Joanne, Antonio Valdez as Steve.

******

UPDATE; May 17, 2024

Luckily, the cast my daughter and I watched tonight were composed of exactly the alternate actors I did not get to see the first time I watched the show on opening weekend.

Everyone gave the characters a different feel, so it would be natural to have preferences as to whose interpretation of the character a viewer liked more. Here are my preferences:

Mark: Ian Pangilinan (A more grounded take. Reb's voice more robust, but tended to be over-the-top)

Mimi: Molly Langley (Sweeter, sexier chemistry with Anthony's Roger)

Maureen: Jasmine Fitzgerald (Better interpretation of Over the Moon, channeled Idina Menzel)

Tom Collins: Markki Stroem (Garrett's voice is better, but Markki had better emotional connection)

Angel: Adrian Lindayag (More feminine, sweeter to her Benny, more graceful dancing and aerial work)

Joanne: Mica Fajardo (Better singing performance and chemistry with her Maureen)

Benny: Markki Stroem (Does not really fit him, but it was still better than Guji's dry portrayal)

Dulaang UP: Review of ROSANG TABA: A Chubby Champion

April 13, 2024

In the town of Katao, there were three sisters who owned a restaurant called "Mama Rosas." The eldest sister was Rosanna (Peewee O'Hara). The middle sister was Rosa Mia (Meann Espinosa). The youngest sister was Rosanna (Kiki Baento). During the fiesta, the sisters, together with their cook and local musicians (Cumbancheros), dramatized the story of how Mama Rosas came about, splitting the roles among themselves.

They told the story of Rosang Taba (Baento), who worked as a servant in the house of the Governor General (Jojo Cayabyab) and his wife Andrea (Espinosa).  One day, Rosa dared to stand up and speak against a rich Spanish aristocrat Pietrado (Victor Sy), who had been hurling invectives against the poor Filipino folk. In everyone's amazement, the obese and unfit Rosa actually challenged the trim and limber Pietrado to a race.

A triumphant Kiki Baento

This fun  and heartwarming play, adapted from a 2012 children's book by Dean Francis Alfar by Rody Vera and Maynard Manansala, was first staged by Dulaang UP in March 2023 at the UP Theater Main Hall Stage, under the joint direction of José Estrella, Issa Manalo Lopez and Mark Daniel Dalacat . It earned a number of citations for its production, direction, lead actress and ensemble work, from various theater award-giving bodies in various year-end lists.

As we knew from her previous shows like the recent "Walang Aray," Kiki Baento is a such powerhouse actress, emanating so much infectious energy throughout this show. Rosang Taba is a very physically-demanding role, more so for a performer of her heft. Yet here she was running and jumping around all around the quadrangular floor stage, seemingly without any sign of fatigue. That smile on her face was just so open and sincere.

Victor Sy and Jojo Cayabyab

As the condescending antagonist  Pietrado, Victor Sy was a character audiences will get annoyed at. However, Sy had that high level of physical fitness and manly grace, for him to be able to perform some athletic stunts and make them look effortlessly good. As the haughty governor, Jojo Cayabyab projected dictatorial authority, yet his characterization still managed to make him come across as delightful in his comic parody scenes.

Meann Espinosa was such a joy to watch. Her Rosa Mia felt like improv the whole time as she did the play-by-play during the race, and every one of her jokes landed. In contrast, her Andrea was kind and dignified. In her dual role as Rosalinda and Rosa's mother, Peewee O'Hara was a ball of kinetic maternal energy. As the lead Cumbanchero, the riotous Aldo Vencilao opened with some pretty corny jokes, but somehow he still pulled it off. 

Peewee O'Hara and Meann Espinosa

The execution of the crucial race scene was exciting to watch with innovative lighting design using strobe lights. It was both funny and exhilarating to watch, a testament to Baento and Sy's skills in physical comedy and comic timing. The climactic moment of empowerment and redemption was moving and powerful. The over-the-top performances, witty pop culture references, snippets of viral pop songs ('Gento,' 'Selos'), lively dance numbers, and the colorful costumes all propel the entertainment value through the roof.

******

The re-staging of "Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba" runs from April 19 to May 5, 2024, with shows 7:30 pm on Fridays, 3:30 pm & 7:30 pm on Saturdays, and 10:30 am & 03:30 pm on Sundays. The venue is at the IBG-KAL Theater at University of the Philippines Diliman. P1000 for regular tickets, P800 for PWD/Senior Citizens. 

PETA: Review of ONE MORE CHANCE: THE MUSICAL: Bound for a Breakup

 April 12, 2024

Engineer Popoy Gonzales and Architect Basha Eugenio had been going seriously steady for five years, and they were already planning to get married in a year's time. Recently, Basha had not been happy about how she wasn't given any creative freedom at work and was felt trapped by Popoy's tendency to dictate what was "good" for her and their relationship.  After a series of escalating arguments, Basha finally decided to breakup with Popoy.

In the following months, Basha met a fellow architect Mark, who invited her to join his firm, whose boss welcomed and appreciated her work. Meanwhile, Popoy wallowed in misery even as he had a new girlfriend Trisha, a nightclub singer. One day, Popoy's aunt Edith and her husband-to-be Willy insisted on hiring Popoy and Basha to work together on her dream house, as they promised before. Can the estranged couple work well together again? 

"One More Chance" was a Star Cinema movie directed by Cathy Molina, written by Vanessa R. Valdez and Carmi Raymundo, and starring John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo. It was released on November 14, 2007, and grossed over ₱152.7 million nationwide.  The film and its characters remained very popular well after its commercial run. It even spawned a sequel, "A Second Chance" (2015), an even bigger box-office hit. "One More Chance" is conveniently streaming on Netflix currently. But whether you have seen it already, or especially if you have not,  it might be a good idea to watch the play first, without prior expectations. 

Popoy (Sam Concepcion) and Basha (Anna Luna)

As directed by Maribel Legarda and adapted for the stage by Michelle Ngu-Nario, this stage musical version of "One More Chance" was very faithful to the original movie, practically recreating all of its scenes in order.  In addition, they told backstories of Popoy and Basha's friends, more than what we saw in the movie. This resulted into a rather longish 3-hour show, with one 15-minute intermission. Perhaps there could be some judicious streamlining that could be done to pick up the pace, but I get that fans know the film by heart and may come expecting certain scenes and lines to be there. Some scene changes did not go smoothly in the preview, but will surely be ironed out during the course of its run.

Designed by Ohm David, the stage had a big rotating lazy Susan in the middle which was used extensively. It had a big framing structure around it where graphics can be projected to place the scene in the restaurant, office, house or the street during a rainstorm. The main set piece was a metal scaffolding which can be split in two, with stairs on both sides, which can look precarious in some scenes when actors were on the second level. Because several key scenes were set in cars, they devised a skeletal car that can actually move, which looked cool, but malfunctioned a couple of times, which caused unintentional humor and delays.

I watched this show during the Press Preview night, and it was Sam Concepcion and Anna Luna playing Popoy and Basha. Concepcion uncannily channeled JLC in the way he looked, and the way he delivered Popoy's acerbic lines echoed. In the film, Bea Alonzo made sure her Basha was clearly fed up with Popoy's controlling nature. However, onstage, it looked difficult for Luna to project the same exasperation because of certain limitations in staging. The chicken skin scene was only shown as a projection, with a distracting Max's Chicken product placement. Those who did not watch the film may not get the importance of that scene.

Choreography by Michael Barry Que

Among the supporting cast, two actresses really stood out. One was Via Antonio, who played Basha's friend Anj (Bea Saw in the film). She certainly livened up the show with her talent in delivering killer witty one-liners with perfect comic timing. The second was Neomi Gonzales, who played two roles -- Basha's mom Rose (Shamaine Buencamino in the film), and Popoy's irascible aunt Edith (Nanette Inventor in the film). It was with the second character that we saw Gonzales' gift for comedy (which we last saw in "Walang Aray" where she played Julia's mother). Edith had cute Korean drama lines, which had the audience tittering with laughter when Gonzales let them fly. 

The roles of Jon Abella (as JP, Ahron Villena in the film) and Johnie Moran (as Chinno, Janus del Prado in the film) were expanded beyond what we saw in the film. They also had prominent song solos to boot -- JP in "Pagtingin" and Chinno in "Leaves" -- even more than Poppert Bernadas (as blind pal Kenneth, James Blanco in the film) or Jay Gonzaga (as hunky rival Mark, Derek Ramsey in the film). Aside from playing Edith's fiance Tito Willie (Al Tantay in the film), Raul Montesa also played minor characters on the periphery of the main story, but he still managed to steal attention in every scene he was in, like when he played Sir Bert (Bodjie Pascua in the film) as a floridly gay boss, or that barely-awake drunk man in the next table. 

Sheena Belarmino made the most of a most thankless role, that of Popoy's rebound girlfriend Tricia (Maja Salvador in the film). Anyhow, she got to sing her own new original song "Tricia's Song," composed by Paolo Benjamin Guico, with lyrics from the original screenplay writers Valdez and Raymundo. Rica Laguardia played the role of Krizzy (Dimples Romana in the film), Kenneth's wife and organizer of their gang get-togethers. Krizzy may have been given an extra subplot at one point, but overall, the role seemed diminished in favor of Anj, JP and Chinno. 

23 songs by Ben&Ben were integrated into the storytelling here. It was amazing how these songs felt like were written specifically for the scenes where they were used.  Unlike in "Ang Huling El Bimbo" which was an original story, musical director Myke Salomon had to fit the Ben&Ben songs within a previously existing story, which I felt was a more limiting scenario. However, Ben&Ben had songs like "Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin" or "Masyado Pang Maaga" which already seemed to have been written with the plot of "One More Chance" in mind. It makes me want to review the lyrics of the other songs and see how well everything fit in. 

The Final Curtain Call

*****

 "One More Chance" runs from April 12 - June 30, 2024 at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City.  The whole run is already sold out well before the premiere tonight. Break legs to the entire cast and crew!

There is an alternate cast for most of the roles. They are: CJ Navato (Popoy), Nicole Omillo (Basha), Kiara Takahashi (Tricia), Paji Arceo (Kenneth), Ada Tayao (Krizzy), Dippy Arceo (Anj), Jef Flores (Mark), Carla Guevara-Laforteza (Edith/Rose), Floyd Tena (Bert/Willie). 

*****

UPDATE: June 8, 2024

CJ Navato and Nicole Omillo take their bows

I was able to watch "One More Chance" again, almost two months after I first watched it. Aside from the efficiency of the scene transitions, it was very evident that there had been edits made to  the script in order to make the show tighter and more streamlined than before. Act 2, in particular, felt very different -- so much better than how it was at the press preview. 

For my show number 2, I was able to catch CJ Navato and Nicole Omillo as Popoy and Basha. I was very pleasantly surprised with how well these two newcomers to musical theater made the roles their own. They were very good as individual performers and had so much chemistry when they were together. While Sam and CJ both portrayed Popoy very well with their own personalities, I daresay I preferred Nicole's attack on Basha. 

With this second watch, I was able to appreciate Sheena Belarmino more as Trisha. Dippy Arceo had a lower key Anj, than the more hyper version of Via Antonio. The role of Kenneth seemed meatier this time with Paji Arceo, as Poppert Bernades felt underused before. Floyd Tena's take on Bert and Willie were loud and hilarious. I still had not seen Kiara Takahashi as Trisha, Jef Flores as Mark, Ada Tayao as Krizzy and Carla Laforteza as Edith/Rose. 

Because I was more familiar with the Ben&Ben songs this time around, there were songs that gained further meaning upon my second watching. These were "Doors" for that awkward meeting of Basha and Trisha in Popoy's car, and "Kathang-Isip" when Trisha decided to leave Popoy. The most amazing was the sheer coincidence of the "apology" lyrics in "The Ones We Once Loved," which felt like it was written with the plot of "One More Chance" in mind. 

The whole cast poses for photos after the curtain call

Review of THE ANCIENT PRODIGAL: Lucifer's Lament

April 6, 2024

At an unspecified time, place and dimension, a risen Jesus Christ met a despondent Lucifer. They engaged in a conversation that detailed the insecurities and frustrations of Lucifer since his fall, as it revealed the compassion and mercy of Jesus since his death and resurrection. Jesus called Lucifer the "first Prodigal Son." Since Lucifer had already fulfilled the role destined for him to do, God the Father is now always ready to receive him back in Heaven. 

Receiving the offer to play Jesus Christ came as a big shock to theater veteran Jamie Wilson, who had been more associated in playing Lucifer-like anti-heroes -- from Banlaoi in "Huling El Bimbo" to Trunchbull in "Matilda." As usual, Wilson completely commanded the stage with his excellent, flawless delivery of his very long lines, in a voice so calming, compassionate and authoritative, just as we would expect from the Son of God.  As early as now, I am already considering this as one of the best acting performances in a one-act play this year.

The big surprise was model Zach Pracale, in his professional stage debut with this formidable role as Lucifer. He certainly kept up with Wilson, delivering kilometric line after line, error-free, never lapsing out of character, truly amazing achievement for this theater neophyte. He had an unusual, unnatural tempo in saying his lines, specially devised for an ethereal character like Lucifer, who had never had a chance to experience being human. His white shirt bore a couple of red marks at the back, representing his severed wings -- very haunting.

Jamie Wilson as Jesus Christ and Zach Pacale as Lucifer

Having Lucifer as a main character in a two-hander play alongside Jesus Christ is a very bold concept. During the Q&A after the show, writer-director Manu Respall revealed that he first conceived of this idea more than two decades ago, but was turned down by a church official when he pitched it. To avoid a repeat of this disappointment, he developed this current script on his own with his cast. No expert on Catholic theology and doctrine was consulted. This show would reflect his extensive research and reflection about these matters of religion.

One of the main legs upon which the plot of this play stood was that Lucifer, the fallen Bearer of Light, was a distinct entity from Satan, the Prince of Darkness. Since my childhood, educated in a Catholic school, I had always thought that Lucifer and Satan were one and the same. Respall's contention really had me re-thinking and re-evaluating my long-held beliefs about this. This 45-minute one-act play is purposefully thought-provoking and faith-challenging, aimed to make us want to read deeper about controversial topics that may catch our attention.  

Wilson and Pacale along with writer-director Manu Respall at the post-show Q&A

**********

"THE ANCIENT PRODIGAL" had its premiere today April 6 at 3pm and 6pm. There will be one last show on April 7,  2024 at 6pm. It runs at the ArtePintura Gallery, Unit 102 Mezzanine 1460, San Marcelino St, corner Escoda St, Ermita, Manila. 

Ticket Prices are at Php 950.00 for Regular, Php 770.00 for Seniors / PWD and Php 700.00 for students.