Review of DOC ANNA ... LET'S KILL THIS LAB!: Political Pressure, Scientific Snags

 August 1, 2022

Dr. Anna de los Santos (Jana Isabel La Victoria) was a chemist who heads the nanotechnology laboratory in the Colegio de Salvados. She gained prominence by developing a evaporation suppressant chemical (which townspeople erroneously called a "fertilizer") which enabled the farmers of her town to save their crops from the yearly drought.  

However, Dr. Anna owed her present position to two politicians. One is the current Mayor Tito Reyes (Jorge Matba), who was the one who released the funds for her to be able to develop her "miracle" chemical. The other is Vicky Ramos (Lauren Antonio), who owns the factory which mass produces her invention, now currently running for mayor against Tito.

At the height of election fever, Salvados was stricken by an epidemic of cancer. Dr. Anna was being pressured by Tito and Vicky to find the cause and the solution for this alarming disease. Dr. Anna thinks it could be arsenic in the water. Anna and her lab assistant Boy-C (Miggy Lagazon) scramble to find the source of this toxic contaminant. 

Dr. Anna also faced pressing issues at home. Her very religious mother Amparing (Kiana Aaliyah Cervantes) wanted her to accept the position of "hermana mayor" for the upcoming fiesta of Virgen de Salvados. Meanwhile, her niece and adopted daughter Girlie (Anika Licudan) was becoming increasingly depressed from traumatic experiences. 

Playwright Layeta Bucoy was able to write this and two more full-length plays ("Dance of the Foolies" and "Orgullo Compound") stemming from research on arsenic and nanosilica from rice hull ash of the University of the Philippines Los Baños nanoscience and technology facility and analytical and instrumentation science laboratory. This dissertation of hers for a doctorate degree in Literature in De La Salle University was published last year. 

This complex, multi-layered play explored the political ramifications of a scientific discovery that which benefited a town greatly at first, but later may be implicated in its destruction. With her acclaimed writing skills, Bucoy seamlessly merged very disparate elements of nano-chemistry, politics, religion, rape and mental health in a emotionally-heavy, intellectually-disturbing script, yet still managed to be very engaging for its audience. 

The young cast of actors was led by Jana Isabel La Victoria in the central role of Doc Anna. La Victoria had to keep up the cold pragmatic veneer of a scientist for most of the play's run time, but the frustration that was boiling up inside of her eventually had to explode in a couple of remarkable breakdown scenes. Her navigation of the jargonish scientific terminology which had to roll off her tongue naturally was particularly convincing. 

Standing out among the supporting actors was Kiana Aaliyah Cervantes, whose portrayal of Doc Anna's old fanatical mother became more impressive when you see how she actually looked like without her aging makeup. The Greek chorus of four dancers / townspeople (Alyssa Torres, Sari Labrador, plus Matba and Lagazon doing double duties) was quite entertaining as they trade gossip and speculations and chants. 

This production was directed for an online presentation by Tuxqs Rutaquio, who also designed the sets. Jaydee Jasa multi-tasked as cinematographer, editor and camera operator. There were a couple of scenes depicting corpses in coffins which would be difficult to imagine being staged live on stage. The hair and makeup by Carlos Siongco effectively transformed young actors like Cervantes and Matba into convincing senior characters. 

Maiba 18 Productions is a production house founded and led by the students of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Theater Arts Batch 118, aiming to empower marginalized communities by staging productions from the diverse perspectives of the youth. This stage production of "Doc Anna ... Let's Kill this Lab," their final academic requirement for their Theater Production 2 class, streams on Ticket2me.net from July 29 to August 12, 2022.

Ticket2Me: Mini-Reviews of VIRGIN LABFEST 17 Sets A-D: Breathing Better

July 5, 2022

The Virgin Labfest is an annual festival of "untried, untested, and unstaged" one-act plays by Filipino playwrights that started since 2005. It had always been held at the CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute, until it was forced to shift online in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out where the selected plays were performed online via Zoom. There were no new plays in 2021, only archived and educational content.  

This year, VLF17 went hybrid with the theme "HINGA!", led by two new festival directors, Marco Viana and Tess Jamias. There were live performances at the CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute from June 16-26, 2022, which were fully sold out even before opening day. In addition, there are now ongoing high definition recordings of the live performances streamed online at Ticket2Me which started last June 30 and runs up to July 10, 2022.

Because of schedule conflicts, I could not go to CCP to watch live stagings. Instead I bought an Online Festival Pass to be able to watch them anyway at home. A festival pass ticket cost P825 (P750 + P75 service fee). The links to all 4 sets were emailed to me a day before the date of my ticket. That day, I can access the plays for 48 hours, beginning 10 am. Each set lasts about 2-1/2 hours each, so be ready to spend 10 hours to watch.

Unlike the archived contest we watched last year which had poor video and audio quality as they were not really meant for commercial release, these new recordings were very clear, and used different cameras so the action was captured from several angles. Of course, this had an advantage of being able to rewind -- to rewatch memorable scenes, or to review lines you did not get the first time. Like before, there were four sets, with three plays in each set. 

SET A: LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES

Ma. Cecilia dela Rosa's "Mga Balo" (directed by Adrienne Vergara) told the story of playwright (Alon Segarra) who was writing a play about Widow 1 (Pau Benitez) who lost her husband Benjie in a drug raid and Widow 2 (Skyzx Labastilla) who lost her husband Amboy in a military encounter. This meta play tackled the play writing process in an interesting manner, and was able to send a strong message against wanton extrajudicial killings. 3/5

Bibeth Orteza's "Bituing Marikit" (directed by Carlos Siguion-Reyna) told the story of three brothers Peping (JV Ibesate), Bok (Earle Figuarcion) and Butching (Joshua Tayco) who got back together with their father Allan (Gie Onida) because their mother passed away. Peping revealed a scandalous secret he knew about their mother, and confronted his father about it, as they all argue whether she should still have a wake or not. 2/5

Eljay Castro Deldoc's "Walang Bago sa Dulang Ito” (directed by J. William Hubert Sigmund Go and Tess Jamias) was about a female graduate student (Claudia Enriquez) who had been sexual abused while she was doing her studies on millipedes. The disturbing story was told with four other actresses (Marj Lorico, Wenah Nagales, Kath Castillo and Ji-ann Lachica) playing the various people in the life of the girl her professor demeaningly called Hija. 3/5

SET B: LIFE IS STRANGE FICTION

Jerry O'Hara's "Liberation" (directed by Dennis Marasigan) was about three Japanese soldiers arguing among themselves on what was the final day of World War 2 -- strict officer Danki (Bong Cabrera), sex maniac Haruto (Chrome Cosio) and young conflicted private Jiro (Karlo Erfe). The concept of this play of focusing on the behavior and ethics of enemy soldiers was very interesting. Haruto's intolerably vulgar language will get on your nerves. 3/5

BJ Crisostomo's “Absurdo: Events Day” (directed by Mara Agleham) was about a couple of disgruntled project coordinators, Alyssa (Charm Aranton) and Rain (Io Balanon), ranting about the crazy difficulties of their job as they prepare for a yearend concert. The chatterbox Gen Z lingo used throughout this play seemed to be a big hit for the young audience, even if it rendered the first 50% of the play unintelligible for a Boomer like me. 2/5

Juan Ekis' "Nay, May Dala Akong Pansit" (directed by Karl Alexis Jingco) was about Kuya (Lian Silverio) and Bunso (Manok Nella-Bagadiong) trying to prevent their mother's death by NOT giving her pansit for her birthday.  Silverio and Nella-Bagadiong were totally committed to their very exhausting roles of siblings caught in a perpetual loop. Mia Bolanos was hilarious as the repeatedly dying Nanay. Tommy Alejandrino played all the other side characters. 4/5

SET C: SCHOOL OF LIFE 

Anthony Kim Vergara's "Student's Handbook" (directed by Erika Estacio) was about the disciplinary meeting Fr. Oks (Jojo Cayabyab) called to reprimand students who had violated rules in their student handbook, namely Benjamin (Jerom Canlas), Claire (Marynor Madamesila), Pepito (Gabo Tolentino), Rick (Earvin Estioco). This angry play boldly tackled student activism, and even managed to throw shade against Covid-deniers. 2/5

Mikaela Regis' “Unica Hijas” (directed by Pat Valera) was about two senior high school girls -- Nikki (Joy delos Santos) and Mitch (Ash Nicanor) -- who were caught kissing and were trying to come to grips with their sexuality, their parents and their school. The winsome and very realistic portrayals of Nicanor and especially delos Santos make this play sweet and engaging, despite the sensitive LGBTQ topic that it tackles. 3/5

Andrew Bonifacio Clete's "Punks Not Dead" (directed by Roobak Valle) was about a stressful afternoon for teacher Apple (Martha Comia) who was confronted by a concerned mother Bireng (Mosang) and a paranoid policeman Artur (Paulo Cabanero). This hysterical play began by ribbing about faulty questions in school modules. Later it took a darker turn to suspected drug dealing, leading all the way up to a gasp-inducing ending. 3/5

SET D: LIFE CHOICES

Ryan Machado's "Huling Haraya nina Ischia at Emeteria" (directed by Regina de Vera) was about the conversations Emeteria (Kiki Baento) had with her daughter Ischia (Jovy Vieja) the night before the latter was to leave to study in Manila. There was a sudden shift in tone at the end, with creepy music and wind blowing, but I am not entirely sure what that was about. The Onhan language and accent of Romblon was a point of interest. 2/5

George Vail Kabrisante's "Bienvenuta Al Lido de Venezia" (directed by Nanding Josef and Antonette Go) was about a middle-aged domestic helper in Venice named Viola (Tex Ordonez de Leon) being interviewed by a researcher Charice (Lhorvie Nuevo) about her ordeal with the border patrols and her current life with partner Maximo (Jonathan Tadioan). Ordonez-de Leon dominates this dark play with her passionate monologues and opera singing. 3/5

Dustin Celestino's "Fermata" (directed by Guelan Luarca) was about Ben (Xander Soriano) being wracked with guilt from sordid rumors about his deceased father sexually abusing his male students. Basti Artadi was riveting as Alex, a former student of Ben's dad who had long repressed the trauma, now being dug up again by his friend. The title refers to an indefinite prolongation of a musical note, a metaphor for the lingering effects of sexual abuse.  4/5

Ticket2Me: Review of TP's DOC RESURECCION, GAGAMUTIN NG BAYAN: Noxious Nuisance

April 18, 2022

Because of his intelligence and perseverance, Jess Resureccion (Marco Viana) has overcome extreme poverty to become a doctor. He now wants to run as mayor in their poor fishing village, in a sincere desire to bring real change and progress to the place where he grew up as a child. However, Dr. Jess's boorish, barely educated cousin, Boy Pogi Resureccion (Jonathan Tadioan), was running against him, obviously as a nuisance candidate in order to confuse voters because of their similar surnames.

The play followed the events of one fateful day when Dr. Jess went out of the way of his campaign trail to visit the seaside hovel where Boy Pogi lived with his parents the drunkard Papang (Nanding Josef) and patis-maker Mamang (Sherry Lara), and his wife Elsa (Llorvie Nuevo), a former prostitute Boy and Jess knew (in the biblical sense) since their teens. Dr. Jess wanted to convince Boy to willingly withdraw his candidacy, so he, Jess, would have a better chance to win against the current incompetent mayor. 

The one-act play "Doc Resureccion, Gagamutin ang Bayan" by Layeta Bucoy first hit the stage in Virgin Labfest 2009. The next year, it was one of those selected in the Revisited category of the same theater festival. In 2012, the play was re-staged once again by Tanghalang Pilipino as part of their “Eyeball” production, which featured four of the best short plays from previous Virgin Labfests. Unfortunately, I had never seen any of these previous productions of this famous play, until now. 

This year, 10 years later, during a most heated presidential election period, Tanghalang Pilipino has decided to revive this play yet another time, in its advocacy for voters education. It hopes to push its dark, hard-hitting story about underhanded political machinations during elections which will shock Gen Z first-time voters, as well as jaded veteran voters alike. This new iteration of the play was filmed as it was performed live on the stage of the CCP Main Theater directed by Dennis Marasigan, and is being presented online via Ticket2Me.

The opening conversations between Jess and Boy may seem like playful banter about the stark contrast between their two lives. However, you can already hear the underlying bitterness and contempt beneath all of Boy's brutally profane anecdotes about his father's shaking hand or his wife's fishy privates. While Viana played his idealistic clueless straight man wearing his sincerity out on his sleeve, Tadioan skillfully delivered his lines with a jolly face and demeanor, and yet still have them drip with an unmistakable sense of danger. 

The significance of this play in the current election season cannot be denied, and its precautionary message about the election process is sobering. Having it premiere yesterday morning because of the parallelism between the name Resureccion and Easter Sunday was already a nice touch. However, the sheer coincidence of having the premiere of a play about a toxic nuisance candidate to coincide with one illogical nuisance of a press conference, could not have been timed more perfectly. 

*****

Artistic Crew: Layeta Bucoy (Playwright), Dennis Marasigan (Stage Direction and Lighting Design), Pong Ignacio (Cinematography), TJ Ramos (Musical and Sound Design), Ohm David (Set Design), Daniel Gregorio (Costume Design), Antonette Go (Assistant Director).

The filmed play will be streamed on the Ticket2Me platform from April 17 hanggang April 30, 2022. Buy your tickets on this Ticket2Me link: https://ticket2me.net/e/34853

KTX: Review of Areté and TA's ²BAYANI: Bullet Becomes Bonifacio

 April 13, 2022

The controversial story of Andres Bonifacio versus Emilio Aguinaldo had been told and retold in various films. There had been movies that took Bonifacio's side, like "Ang Paglilitis ni Andres Bonifacio’ (2010), ‘Supremo’ (2012) and “Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo“ (2014). There was also one, “El Presidente” (2012), that took Aguinaldo's side of the story. 

There had also been a number of theater productions which tackled Bonifacio's life story. Several had actually been musicals that I had personally seen within the past decade, including "Teatro Porvenir" by Dulaang UP, "San Andres B" by Tanghalang Pilipino, "Bonifacio: Isang Sarswela" and its reinterpretation "Supremo Redux" by the Philippine Stagers. 

Before all of these was "²Bayani" with music and lyrics of Zosimo Quibilan, Jr. and Khavn de la Cruz, which was first staged in 1996 by Tanghalang Ateneo. This year, Areté in partnership with Tanghalang Ateneo took on this historical musical again, mounted as an online theatrical production through ktx.ph. As it was 26 years ago, the director is Ricardo G. Abad.

After a month of he filmed live stage performance took place in November 2021 at the stage of Arete's Hyundai Hall, with the cast and crew gathered in a 10-day lock-in arrangement as per quarantine protocols. This was the first theatrical performance on that stage after 18 months of closure following the outbreak of the pandemic.

The subtitle of "²Bayani" is "Isang Rock Operang Alay Kay Andres Bonifacio," but it did not exactly show Bonifacio as a faultless hero. However, one cannot help but feel a strong vibe of Andrew Lloyd Webber's epic "Jesus Christ Superstar" in its rock operatic musical score, the wailing rock vocals it demanded from its singer-actors, and the lyrics of the songs extolling Bonifacio as Messiah (something which he himself dismissed). 

The whole musical, told in 2 acts, ran for about 2-1/2 hours. It was bookended by stormy scenes of an elderly Emilio Aguinaldo (Nanding Josef) writing a testimonial to reverse a previous ruling convicting Bonifacio of sedition for which he was imprisoned and put to death. The rest of the play told Bonifacio's whole story -- from the founding of the Katipunan, through the contentious Tejeros Convention to his treacherous execution in Mt. Buntis. 

The formidable lead role of Andres Bonifacio was played by 36-year old indie folk rock singer Bullet Dumas, in his theater debut. His signature "raw" vocals connected with the conflicting passions boiling within Bonifacio in those tumultuous times of his life. No neophyte nerves were showing at all as Dumas belted out his technically-difficult, emotionally-punishing songs with the confidence and verve of a stage veteran. 

Playing his wife Oryang was Alyana Cabral, whose crystal clear vocals and calm demeanor were comforting amidst the all the hot-headed masculine protestations. Angelo Galang (as the loyal Katipunero Santiago Alvarez) and Norvin delos Santos (as the informant Pedro Giron in full Judas mode) both got to show off soaring rock vocals. Ali Figueroa played Santiago's father Mariano as a duplicitous man, against how he was described in history.

Matt Gador (as the young Emilio Aguinaldo) and MC dela Cruz (as the contemptuous Daniel Tirona) were practically painted as one-dimensional villains. Quite controversially, it was even suggested here that it was a lecherous Aguinaldo himself who committed sexual assault on Oryang. The way they were portrayed was eerily suggestive of current day "villains" as they spread fake news, sowed discontent and undermined and usurped authority. 

There was a symbolic female figure called Inangbayan as was commonly done in historical dramas like this. Here she was powerful performed by Larissa Buendia, who sang her heart out to express the suffering of the country. The color of Tata Tuviera's costumes delineate who among the characters were Magdiwang (striped white) and Magdalo (dark blue). The lighting effects by D Cortezano lent dramatic depth to Adriane Mark E. Ungriano's sets. 

Having English subtitles makes it easier to follow the flow of the story and the depth of the lyrics. The cinematography with its close-ups certainly helped focus audience attention on smaller details in the intimate scenes. However, this filmic treatment makes us miss the immersive experience of actually watching a complex and epic stage production like this unfold with all the simultaneous things happening all over the big stage.   

*****

"²Bayani: Isang Rock Operang Alay Kay Andres Bonifacio" is streaming from April 9 to 23 via KTX.ph. For tickets visit go.ateneo.edu/2BayaniTickets. For student discounts fill out the form at go.ateneo.edu/2BayaniStudent. 

REP: Review of THE GREAT CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF!: Delectable and Delightful

November 16, 2021

This year, the Repertory Philippines (REP) Theatre for Young Audiences (RTYA) comes back after a year-long hiatus secondary to the Covid pandemic with a holiday musical "The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!". To make this occasion even more special, it is also the first Filipino production to be made available on the Broadway On Demand streaming platform. This is the first Filipino theatrical musical production that had been specially filmed to be streamed on n international online streaming site. 

Eight kids have been chosen to join the Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off to be televised on the Kitchen Network for a chance to win P50,000 cash and a cookie cookbook deal. They were: Disney addict Amy (Justine Narciso), over-achieving perfectionist Ana (Jillian Ita-as), rich bratty Gabe (Jep Go), insecure video gamer Javi (Tim Pavino), nerdy science whiz Josh (Stephen Hotchkiss), confident culinary student Julian (Luigi Quesada), homey Granny's girl Patty (Becca Coates) and pretty in purple Samantha (Rachel Coates). 

The over-the-top celebrity panel judges include: notoriously mean desert chef Michael Holmes (Arnel Carrion), the fabulous Kitchen Runway hostess Isabel Guevara (Carla Guevara Laforteza), and flamboyant Mohawked pop star Del Ray (Jamie Wilson). The show's bespectacled master of ceremonies is Larry (Hans Eckstein). Some family members of the contestants would also show up to give their support: Gabe's father (also played by Carrion), Ana's mother and Patty's grandmother (both also played by Laforteza). 

The mechanics of the bake-off involved the kids coming up with original cookie creations based on the special secret ingredient to be revealed only right before the baking time of 40 minutes begins.  There would be three rounds, with only three cookie chefs left in the final round to vie for the big prize. There were breaks after each round when the audience get hints who will most probably be making it to the final three. Some awkward tentative transitions were felt during these breaks in this video version. 

This musical with music, book and lyrics by Broadway-based American composer, lyricist and musical supervisor Rick Hip-Flores, who also worked on acclaimed shows like 2017's Tony favorite "Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812." The music was generally cheerful and Christmassy, just right for its juvenile target audience. A classic Christmas carol "We Three Kings" used as the music for one song by the three judges. For this local adaptation, the names of characters and places were changed to give a more Filipino flavor.

Like most cooking programs on TV, we were treated with mouth-watering close-ups of the various cookies the kids came up with, all with descriptive names which whet our sweet tooth even more. How we wish Rep could share the actual recipes of these scrumptious cookies, especially the winning cookies, with their audience. I am sure many kids will want to take up baking after this show, and more importantly, they will also learn the valuable lessons of love for family, gaining confidence, learning from mistakes and playing it fair. 

Veteran RTYA Creative Director Joy Virata directed the play for the stage, with "Master Chef"-inspired sets by Ed Lacson and colorful costumes by Bonsai Cielo to complete her vision. The lighting was designed by John Batalla. After a month of Zoom rehearsals, the final video was shot by movie director Treb Monteras and his Silver Media crew on the final day of a 4-day bubble period at Rep's home stage at OnStage Theater in Greenbelt 1. I wish there had been subtitles since we have gotten used to this convenience on most streaming sites. 

Ticket prices are P700 (Regular) and P1,000 (Family) available directed from Broadway on Demand (LINK), or from local outlets Ticketworld (LINK) and Ticket2Me (LINK). Each ticket gives 24-hour access (for Regular) or 48-hour access (for Family) to the musical, which can be accessed via computer or mobile device via the Broadway On Demand app on App Store and Google Play. Broadway On Demand is also available on AppleTV and Roku. 

For updates, log on to www.repertoryphilippines.ph,like and follow Repertory Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.Educators and school representatives who are interested in the show can email sales@repphil.org.

Review of LAPULAPU, ANG DATU NG MACTAN: Heroism in Harmony

October 24, 2021

After being closed down 25 years ago, the Metropolitan Theater was restored, renovated and reopened this year. Its first major stage production is "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan" with book and lyrics written by Nicolas Pichay, Jr, with music and arrangements by Krina Cayabyab, and directed by Dexter Santos. This special show was produced by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines for the Quincentennial Celebration of the Philippines and the Year of the Filipino Pre-colonial Ancestors. It was streamed for free on FB Live today October 24, 2021 at 6 pm.

Even if they tackled the same events in Philippine history and employed the fusion of similar musical genres, it is important to note that this is NOT the same show as the “LapuLapu: The Neo-Classic-Ethno-Rock Opera” with music by Jose “Toto” Gentica V and libretto by Victor Henry Tejero staged at the CCP in 1997 directed by the late Behn Cervantes with sets designed by National Artist Salvador Bernal, which was recently streamed for free on YouTube last Independence Day, 2021.

After the National Anthem and Invocation by His Excellency Most Reverend Jose S. Palma, D.D., Archbishop of Cebu, there were messages delivered by NCCA Chairman Arsenio J. Lizaso, NHCP Chairman Dr. Rene R. Escalante, Mayor Junard Q. Chan of Lapulapu City, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea and the President himself Rodrigo Roa Duterte (in his denim jacket). There was a breath of glamour when NCCA Arts Ambassador Ms. Catriona Gray strode out in her elegant white one-shoulder terno to present the show proper. 

The musical begins with the Babaylan (Natasha Cabrera) chanting the story of two local leaders, Humabon (Red Nuestro) and Lapulapu (Arman Ferrer). Their villages were already prosperous and productive even before the ships of weary white foreigners led by Ferdinand Magellan (Andre Tiangco) arrived at their shores. Among his crew were his navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano (Matthew Barbers), chronicler Antonio Pigafetta (Al Gatmaitan) and a Malay slave Enrique (Paw Castillo) who served as their interpreter. 

The set was simple, just a single elevated ramp coming from the right side of the stage going horizontally towards the left, then curving forward to end at center stage. Behind it were three giant LED video screens upon which were projecting the backdrops designed by GA Fallarme. The dramatic lighting was designed by Dennis Marasigan. The elaborate costumes for the characters (both natives and Spaniards) were supplied by Gino Gonzales, with Norman Penaflorida completing the whole look with his hair, makeup and tattoo designs.

While we know the story of Lapulapu's continued defiant resistance to welcome the foreigners and be converted into their religion, like Humabon was, this show also had a couple of scene I never learned of in school. Magellan was shown trying to convince Humabon to intercede by offering him the position of overall sultan of all the local villages. When Humabon did approach Lapulapu to convince him to accept the foreigners, this resulted in a confrontation where both men were aiming their bows and arrows at each other. 

The final face-off between Lapulapu and Magellan was not a direct one-on-one sword duel. The way the historic moment was staged was with both personalities away from each other. While Lapulapu on the ramp wielding his sword with heroic fervor, Magellan was suddenly seen to begin writhing to death on cue downstage among the villagers. Some may be expecting a more definitive hacking or beheading scene, but the graphic violence or even the exact identity of the killer was not really the point. It was a collective effort by Filipinos. 

After Lapulapu sang his unexpected valedictory kundiman "Bituing Marikit," Elcano and Enrique related how they completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. Three babaylans (Cabrera, Cara Barredo and Marynor Madamesila) prophesied about the country's future, as photos of heroes from Bonifacio and Mabini to current Covid-19 frontliners flashed on the screens. As the finale, the scene shifted to the present times, cast members led by Ferrer (as pedicab driver) and Cabrera (as nurse) to sing an anthem of heroism by regular citizens. 

Ms. Gray came out again to announce the grand inauguration of the MET on Dec.10, 2021. Then we see the cast again in their historical costumes to reprise the final song about "Bayaning Pilipino sa Makabagong Panahon." The final message was delivered by Prof. Michael Charleston "Xiao" Chua shot in three different picturesque areas of the restored MET. He discussed the significance of the Quincentennial as the celebration of the Flipinos' humanity, but also our victory against foreign invaders. 

I had some difficulty getting into the show at first because I had difficulty understanding the lyrics being sung by the Babaylan in her opening scene, not even recognizing if she was chanting in Filipino. It was also not too easy to comprehend all the words being sung or spoken at certain parts of the show because of the sound quality via FB Live, so I had to use context to get the point of the scene. It would have helped if this stream also had subtitles. 

That point aside, the singing vocals of cast, particularly the powerful tenor voices of Ferrer, Gatmaitan and Ivan Nery (as the Pope Alexander XI) were strong and stellar. Furthermore, the Herculean effort for being able to stage this major musical production that fused opera and musical theater with ethnic music and kundiman within only two weeks of locked-in general rehearsals deserves utmost commendation to the cast and crew.

KTX: Review of I WILL: THE MUSICAL: The Spark to Serve

 October 18, 2021

"I Will: The Musical" is a new inspirational musical theater production with 24 original songs based on the life and times of doctor of the masses and aspiring politician Dr. Willie Ong. It was written, composed and directed by Antonino Rommel Ramilo. Ramilo began his theater career in 2012 with his first musical about the second Filipino saint, San Pedro Calungsod, which had earned its share of awards. 

The show was filmed as live on July 23, 2021 at the Music Museum without an audience, just a few days before a strict ECQ was imposed on Metro Manila. Staging a musical during the pandemic had been very challenging because of the required locked-in cast and crew with swab testing pre and post-shoot. They only had two months online rehearsals and just one week of face to face rehearsals.

Act 1 covered the period of Willie's (Gerald Santos) troubled youth, disturbed by voices in his head, feeling empty and aimless. We learn that he did not get along with his parents (Bo Cerrudo and Ima Castro) who considered it weird that he would not choose to go into business like them, even threatening to disown him. He was also an outcast student in school, bullied by cruel classmates. Because of a supportive Uncle Ed (Robert Sena), he was able to pull himself together to go into med school. 

Act 2 covered the period of his career after graduation when Dr. Willie and his new bride Dr. Liza (Paulina Yeung) decided to commit themselves to becoming a doctor for the masses. We see how his married life with his wife Dr. Liza was challenged by Dr. Willie's extreme devotion to his calling, even as she gave birth to their first child. This act also revisited the day when Dr. Willie's father died from his fight with liver cancer and how this affected Dr. Willie into becoming a better version of himself.

In Act 1, the best songs for me were: 1) "Chaos" about the confusion inside young Willie's head as he faced rejection at home and in school. Gerald Santos sang this in harmony with the faces of four more Geralds on the video wall behind him. 2) "Find Your Purpose," his Uncle Ed's song to convince Willie back on track in life. This was the only full solo number for Robert Sena. 3) "I Want to Go Home" was a haunting song by a patient who died under intern Willie's care. The impressive soloist here is Lance Soliman, one of the young men in the ensemble. 

In Act 2, the best songs for me were: 1) "Finally," Will and Liza's love duet when they express their love and commitment to each other. This was the best showcase for Santos and Yeung's vocals together. 2) "Our Father's Love," his father's final message to his son comparing his love to God's love. This was Bo Cerrudo's primary showcase of his range. 3) The title song "I Will," Dr. Willie promises to do his best in everything he does in life in this anthemic song that served as an appropriate and memorable finale number. 

There were some songs which had repetitive messages, like "What Are You Up To?" and "We Can't Stand You" were songs which both depicted the bullying in school. The lyrics of some songs were not entirely specific to Dr. Willie's experience. "Closer to Our Dreams" could apply to any college graduation. "Welcome to Our World" could apply to any med student. "You Fill Me Up" can apply to any profession of love by a suitor. "Am I Competing?" could apply to any wife feeling neglected by a husband immersed in his work. 

The songs featured some entertaining but occasionally distracting rhymes, like how "aptitude" was rhymed with "ineptitude," "beatitude" and "gratitude." The love songs tended to bear ultra-saccharine platitudes. "Your Eyes" was about Liza's thrill at Willie's "gaze which made me feel beautiful," and "how his eyes tell me a million things, sprinkling my life with love." There were sentiments which did not quite ring true or sincere. I was not convinced the realizations in the song "Nobody Like You" could have come from a son estranged from his father all that time. 

The singing prowess of the lead cast was unquestionable. Gerald Santos's tenor vocals soared in all his songs, be it solo, duet or group. Paulina Yeung may be a new name for me, but this young lady had already performed on Broadway as Tuptim in the recent "King and I" revival, and after listening to her crystal clear soprano, I am not surprised why. Bo Cerrudo, Ima Castro and Robert Sena all displayed the distinctive vocal qualities and stage presence that made them institutions in the local musical theater scene.

The girls in the talented ensemble included Roxy Aldiosa, Audrey Mortilla, Ivy Padilla and Alyssa Evangelista, while the boys included Vince Conrad, Jude Matthew Servilla, Lance Soliman and Khalil Tambio. They shifted characters in every scene, as the voices that bothered Dr. Willie's mind, as the classmates who bullied him in high school and abandoned him after med school, and as the poor people whom Dr. Willie served in the community. They also sang the pandemic-themed song "We Heal as One" as the first song in Act 2. 

Drs. Willie and Liza Ong were quite brave to share their personal stories, warts and all. Kudos to the efforts of director Rommel Ramilo, his cast and crew to get this original musical up and running. Some aspects of the staging and the songs may not be perfect yet. There may be benefit in streamlining some parts of the show in order to make it run more smoothly in a more engaging manner . However, this show does deliver its idealistic message across that anyone can recover from his past, pick themselves up and be the best he can be.