Review of ZSAZSA ZATURNNAH THE MUSICAL... 'YUN LANG: Effeminate Empowerment

March 17, 2023

Ada (Phi Palmos, Adrian Lindayag, Shaun Ocrisma) was a serious gay guy who lived in a small province town. He earned a living by running his own beauty salon. His loyal best friend was his very gay, very gregarious assistant Didi (Almond Bolante, Joshua Cabiladas, Robert Bradley Hao). The two friends were used to being the butt of jokes in their community but they boldly charge on being themselves. Ada's crush was the strapping guy at the vulcanizing shop, Dodong (Juan Carlos Galano, Jude Matthew Servilla, Elian Dominguez).

One night, a glowing pink rock fell into the bathroom where Ada was taking a bath. Didi convinced Ada to go ahead and swallow it to gain superpowers. When Ada shouted the word "Zaturnnah" which was written on the rock, he was transformed into a sexy woman with red hair and a healthy bosom, whom they would christen Zsazsa Zaturnnah (Kim Molina). They would soon discover that while Zsazsa possessed powers of super-strength and super-speed, she did not possess Ada's skills for cutting hair and doing makeup.

This comic homage to Filipino super-heroine Darna originated from the pages of a 2002 graphic novel written by Carlo Vergara. In 2006, Tanghalang Pilipino staged an adaptation of this cult-favorite into a musical with book by Chris Martinez, music by Vincent de Jesus and direction by Chris Millado. The original cast was led by Eula Valdez as the titular heroine, with Tuxqs Rutaquio as Ada, Ricci Chan as Didi and Arnold Reyes as Dodong. This show would have seven runs up to 2011, TP's longest-running musical show. 

In this press show, all the lead actors had powerful belting singing voices which matched de Jesus's soulful arrangements perfectly. Body-wise and voice-wise, Kim Molina, much missed on the musical stage after memorable lead roles in "Rak of Aegis" and "Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady," is a perfect choice to play Zsazsa. Phi Palmos has been playing all the major gay characters in recent musicals like "Ang Huling El Bimbo" and "Mula sa Buwan," making his casting as Ada an inspired choice as well. 

The role of Didi was written for an effortless scene-stealer. The actor who played him needed a strong stage presence, precise comic timing and Jennifer Hudson-like vocals -- and fortunately, they were able to find this rare combination of talent in the incredible Almond Bolante. Juan Carlos Galano had the handsome face and chiseled body to play the neighborhood dreamboat Dodong. The vocal demands of his first song may have been a bit beyond his range, but by his final song, he has proved his worth as singer as well. 

Kakki Teodoro seemed born to play the silver-clad and formidable alien dominatrix, Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux. Her excellent command of complex English dialogue and fluidly dynamic speaking and singing voice more than made up for her diminutive stature. Her four minions, the Amazonistas, were hilarious parodies of local movie queens, Nora A, Sharon C, Dina B and Vilma S. During their featured song number, Carlin Maximo, Jelena Evangelista, Dani Tan, and Heart Romeo all showed off their remarkably distinctive vocals.

This latest revival, presented by Rizal Library, co-presented by Areté Ateneo, and #Ateneo Blue Repertory, had updated the original script with various pop references of events and trends which had transpired since the last staging and the present. Some story elements about how badly gays are treated may seem dated at first. However, after a while, you'd eventually realize that, SOGIE Bill and all, perhaps not much had actually changed and they still feel persecuted, not only by society, but also within their families. 

I was seated in one of the two mosh pits on both sides of the catwalk. While they give a very close-up view of the actors, it was not easy for me to keep track of everything happening on different parts of the stage, especially the end of the catwalk which was behind me. I imagine it might actually be better to sit in the bleachers at the back in order to see the whole stage. During press night, there were sound and mic glitches, damaged props and a number of gags which did not fly -- nothing too serious that can't be corrected in the next shows.  

Director Missy Maramara had a talented team working with her, with musical director Vincent de Jesus, lighting designer D Cortezano and sound engineer John Robert “Ago” Yam. The most challenging technicals should be the production and costume designs by Tata Tuviera. He had to create the illusion of the giant frog attacking the town and how to show that Zsazsa could uproot a big tree and throw it into the sky. His eye-catching costumes for Zsazsa, Femina, the Amazonistas, as well as the zombies, all deserve commendation.   

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"ZSA ZSA ZATURNNAH THE MUSICAL...'YUN LANG !!!!" plays from March 17 to April 2, 2023 at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box Theater, Arete, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. 

For tickets, click ateneobluerep.com/zz-ticket-reservations (the form is strictly open from 11:00AM-7:00PM only daily).

PETA: Review of WALANG ARAY: Riotous Rollicking Revolutionary Romance

February 18, 2023

First performed in 1902, Severino Reyes' Tagalog zarzuela "Walang Sugat" told about the love story between Tenyong and Julia set during the Philippine Revolution of 1896, with music by Fulgencio Tolentino. The play was revived in 1971 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Mike Velarde Jr. and Constancio de Guzman composed new music to augment Tolentino's original music which got lost. This music is still used in revivals since then.

PETA's "Walang Aray," written by Rody Vera with music and songs by Vince Lim, is a musical-comedy spoof of "Walang Sugat." Julia was a famous sarsuela performer and Tenyong was her love. Julia kept their affair a secret from her demanding mother Juana, who wanted her to marry Miguel, the son of Don Tadeo. When the abuse of clergy led by Padre Alfaro led to his parents deaths, a furious Tenyong decided to leave town and join the rebels.

Despite the play being set during the Philippine Revolution, the libretto used mostly Tagalog, English, Taglish and a smattering of Spanish. Vera's script was also peppered with several anachronistic pop culture references from today, from gayspeak lingo to Tiktok dance steps to political jargon to "Maria Clara at Ibarra". The styles of Lim's eclectic music and songs went from the kundiman to rock to rap to current pop. These modern touches updated the story and humor of "Walang Aray" especially for Gen Z audiences it wants to attract. 

Director Ian Segarra had put together a solid show. The technical crew -- Julio Garcia's production design, David Esguerra's lights, Happy Constantino's sounds, Gio Gahol's choreography -- all  contributed majorly to the slapstick fun and the romantic atmosphere of the show. However, the most visually-striking work has to be Jaylo Conanan's collection of costumes for this show, which consisted of fancy brightly-colored formal wear for rich folk, glittering stage wear for the theater performers and peasant chic for the poor folk.  

The PETA stable of actors -- Jarred Jaicten (as Julia's rich suitor Miguel), Kiki Baento and Carlon Matobato (as Julia's househelp Monica and Lucas), the gloriously funny Neomi Gonzales (as Julia's mother Juana), Gie Onida (as Miguel's father Tadeo), Johnnie Moran (as the slimy Fr. Alfaro), the hardworking ensemble playing multiple roles (with Gerard Dy and Tom Bienvenida as the comic standouts) -- were all engaging all-around entertainers, fully reveling in the outlandish, over-the-top comedic spirit this play possessed. 

Today's show was the opening night gala. However, I was also able to watch a sneak preview staged for the press last November. So, by now I have seen two out of the three sets of actors who had been cast to play the lead roles of Julia and Tenyong. They are: TV and movie stars Alexa Ilacad and KD Estrada on Opening Night, and theater veterans Marynor Madamesila and Gio Gahol during the Preview. Hoping to still get the chance to watch the third pair in action -- Shaira Opsimar and Jon Abella.

The pair of Gahol and Madamesila were very good individually, as actors and singers. The ever-consistent Gahol in particular was an excellent Tenyong. Madamesila shone in her first lead role in a major theater production. However, their chemistry as a couple was not instant, and only gelled later in the first act as they spent more time together onstage. But again, this was only their very first show together on a sneak preview that I watched last year, so there is more time during this run for them to work on this partnership.

Playing leads right off the bat in their theater debuts, Estada and Ilacad had clear and effortless chemistry. Barely out of his teens, Estrada had strong stage presence and cut a dashing leading man figure. His singing style now may be more suited for pop than for theater, but that can still develop with more experience. With her patrician beauty and unmistakable star quality, Ilacad was a radiant natural as the feisty Julia. Her ability to sing the challenging variety of Julia's songs which ranged from ballads to rap was an impressive revelation. 

This new partnership between PETA and ABS-CBN Star Magic was a stroke of genius, both in terms of artist talent development and for the marketing of theater as mass entertainment. Not to diminish the quirky charms of our theater actors, but it cannot be denied that there was something more thrilling about watching younger, popular TV and film actors and love teams, especially for the Gen Z market who are may just be watching their very first theater show. Let these film stars draw them in to discover the many wonders the world of theater holds. 

*******

"Walang Aray" runs  from February 17 - May 14, 2023, LIVE at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Book your tickets now at Ticketworld or the PETA website. 

Rep: Review of CAROUSEL: Baleful and Bizarre

December 5, 2022

Billy Bigelow (Gian Magdangal) worked as the barker of a carousel in a small town in Maine. One night, two young millworkers, Julie Jordan (Karylle Tatlonghari) and Carrie Pipperidge (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante), took a ride on the carousel. Billy and Julie developed an obvious attraction for each other, much to the annoyance of the carousel owner, the widow Mrs. Mullin (Roxy Aldiosa). She banned Julie from her carousel and fired Billy for taking Julie's side.

After Billy and Julie were married, things were not going too smoothly with the couple. Word even got out around town that Billy beat Julie. He also got involved with a notorious man named Jigger Craigin (Noel Rayos) who was trying to convince the jobless Billy to join him to rob Julie's former employer Mr. Bascombe (Red Nuestro) during the town's yearly clambake picnic. When Billy learned that Julie was pregnant, he reluctantly accepted Jigger's plan.

"Carousel" (1945) was the second musical created by legendary theater-meisters Richard Rodgers (for music) and Oscar Hammerstein (for book and lyrics) after their smash debut "Oklahoma" (1943). This was based on a much older Hungarian play entitled "Liliom" by Ferenc Molnar with the same dark plot and flawed characters. However, its name lives on mainly because of its two immortal songs -- "If I Loved You" and "You'll Never Walk Alone). 

For people who only know Rodgers and Hammerstein from their big hits like "Sound and Music" and "The King and I," they may be in for a surprise with "Carousel." The story about toxic men and submissive women was not bright and cheery at all. There were casual depictions of lecherous men making sexualized moves on women in several scenes, all very uncomfortable to watch, which may be the intention of director Toff De Venecia. Aside from this, the afterlife scenes with the Starkeepers may also come off as too bizarre.  

Dance was an integral part of this musical. As choreographed by Stephen Vinas, they were contemporary balletic interpretations of the plight of Billy and Julie's daughter Louise (ballerina Gia Gequinto in her Rep debut) with anachronistic props like cellphones and a ring light. These dance interludes have a very serious mood to them, danced to instrumental music only, not to songs with lyrics. If one is not fond of this type of dance, he might find these parts tedious and too long. I still do not know what those two silver blocks really represented. 

However, the acting and singing prowess of its lead actors cannot be denied. Karylle's soprano was more brilliant and stronger than I've heard her before. Too bad she only had "If I Loved You" as her main solo showcase. Gian Magdangal really captured Billy Bigelow's handsome but brutish character. Aside from "If I Loved You," his powerful renditions of "Soliloquy" and "The Highest Judge of All" were riveting in emotional substance. 

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante always had that delightful, scene-stealing stage presence, and her turn as Carrie was no different, with her cheery renditions of "You're a Queer One, Julie Jordan" and "(When I Marry) Mr. Snow." Senior actress Mia Bolanos really stood out when her Nettie Fowler led the ensemble in the ebullient "June is Busting Out All Over" and then sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" heart-rending exquisiteness -- not just once, but twice. 

Lorenz Martinez played Carrie's husband Enoch Snow in a comic style. Among the ensemble, Cara Barredo and Steven Hotchkiss play various roles, Julio Laforteza made his mark with his dance moves, as Roby Malubay also did with his deep baritone. Playing live dueling piano accompaniment were musical director Ejay Yatco and Joed Balsamo. Notable among the  technicals were the lighting by Barbie Tan-Tiongco and the costumes by Jodinand Aguillon. Hoping the microphones could still be improved so that the lyrics won't sound garbled.

***

Watch Repertory Philippines’ Carousel at the #CCPBlackBoxTheater from November 26 to December 18, 2022. Tickets are available through TicketWorld and the CCP Box Office: 8832-3704 | 8832-1125.

DUP: Review of THE RECONCILIATION DINNER: Unhinged by "Unity"

November 19, 2022

Dina (Stella Canete-Mendoza) and Susan (Frances Makil-Ignacio) had been the best of friends since their college days. When they had their respective families, they remained close. Dina married Bert Mendoza (Randy Medel Villarama) and had a daughter Mica (Hariette Mozelle), who is now married to Ely (Reb Atadero). Susan married Fred Valderama (Jojo Cayabyab), and had one gay son Norby (Phi Palmos). 

One night, in November 2016, Dina invited Susan and Fred for dinner at their home. However, Susan was distracted because of the news that the body of a past president had been buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani by the current president, and Dina can't see why it bothered her so much. It turned that both women supported different presidential candidates in the last elections which caused their friendship to chill.

From "Collection" (2013, REVIEW) to "Ang Nawalang Kapatid" (2014, REVIEW), "Angry Christ" (2017, REVIEW) to "The Kundiman Party" (2018, REVIEW), plays written by Floy Quintos and directed by Dexter M. Santos had been the most exhilarating, most memorable plays produced by Dulaang UP that I had ever seen. Dealing with larger-than-life personalities and staged with elaborate sets, they were bombastic shows that hit you hard with their thought-provoking stories.

In contrast with these previous plays, Quinto's 20th play "The Reconciliation Dinner" is about regular middle-class people going through an experience we are all probably going through ourselves in our own circle of friends. We've had plenty of elections before and we do not always choose the same candidate, but never had these differences in vote been so dramatic, and even traumatic, than the elections of 2016 and then again in 2022.

Every member of the ensemble cast got their moments to shine. Stella Canete-Mendoza and Frances Makil-Ignacio clicked as old BFFs, so we all feel the strain in their friendship and the stress it caused both women. Jojo Cayabyab's Fred may seem mild-mannered, but he can speak his mind when it mattered. Harriet Mozelle's Mica was a product of her parents' influence, while Reb Atadero's Ely kept a critical secret from his in-laws and his wife.

While the friendship of Dina and Susan was the heart of the story, they were not really the characters who made the biggest impact. Passionately pink was Phi Palmos's Norby, so defiantly progressive that he criticized his own parents as "old-school Pinklawans." On the other extreme, Randy Medel Villarama's Bert, the rabid loyalist, a joker who can't take a joke, a character you hate so much, you will cheer when he gets his comeuppance.

With skill and eloquence that he is known for as a playwright, Quintos had practically summarized the uneasy experience of Philippine society in the past 6 years into this 1-1/2 hour-long one-act play. This divisive drama had been played out on social media, made even worse by revisionist memes by troll farms. We have heard all of the triggering issues Quintos referenced, and they will raise the same emotions in us all over again.

*****

"The Reconciliation Dinner" runs from November 18 - 20 (10:30am, 3:00pm and 7:30pm) at the UP Theater Main Hall Stage, UP Diliman, QC. Buy tickets from Ticket2Me via this link. 

TP: Review of ANAK DATU: Fresh, Frank and Fearless

September 17, 2022

It all started with a short story written for young readers by National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao in 1968. It was only about a kidnapping incident that happened in pre-colonial Mindanao. However, the fertile imagination of playwright Rody Vera was able to spin from it a complex multi-layered script that also involved the Imao family during the 1970s, as well as key events in the history of the Muslim conflict in the Philippines.

We meet Abdulmari Imao (Marco Viana) as a painter busy at work at his easel in their home, with his muse, his supportive Christian wife Grace de Leon (Antonette Go), by his side. They had a spirited young son Toym (Carlos Dala) who was obsessed with watching Japanese robot shows on TV, particularly "Voltes V" and was constantly engaged in imaginative game play inspired by his anime action heroes. 

We meet Jibin Arula, both as an eager Tausug teenager (Mark Lorenz) excited to be training with his friends, and as an old man (Nanding Josef) telling his story about how their adventure in Corregidor went wrong. The trainees found out that they were going to be used for a sinister purpose different from what they were told so they sent in their objection. Arula was the sole survivor of this massacre, an event that sparked the Muslim insurgency in the country. 

We meet Datu Karim (Hassanain Magarang) and his wife Putli Loling (Lhorvie Nuevo) who were ambushed at sea by pirates, led by the notorious plunderer Jikiran (Earle Figuracion). Putli Loling's son Karim (also played by Carlos Dala) grew up recognizing Jikiran as his father. Jikiran would later confess his crimes to young Karim while showing him all his cache of treasures he had collected over the years, and apologize for them. 

There was a narrator in the person of Tex Ordonez-de Leon. We first meet her as the storyteller who would sing the ballads about Putli Loling. Later on, we will see her as well as an English-speaking Rita Gaddi-Baltazar type pro-Martial Law TV spokesperson, extolling the Folk Arts Theater, the Miss Universe Pageant 1974 and the Thrilla in Manila 1975. Unfortunately, the live playing of percussion rendered some of her words unclear. 

In Act 1, it might take a bit of time for the audiences to settle into the groove of these multiple threads before they could be woven into the complicated patterns of its ambitious fabric of epic design. The changing scenes, with various characters being played by the versatile ensemble, can be confusing for those who have not read background information about this play. The pace of the storytelling was still slow, so it may be difficult to focus.

However, by Act 2, everything settled into place and the engagement factor picked up considerably. Each scene will hold your attention, be it about how Nur Misuari (Ahrjay Babon) established the Moro National Liberation Front, how the youth reacted when Voltes V was pulled out of the TV or how Karim reunited with his father. The grand finale that put all the segments of the story together into one spectacular whole was genius.

Setting up the whole story was a challenge as they had to juggle with the different set pieces (designed by Toym Leon Imao) and colorful costumes (designed by Carlo Pagunaling) for each of these three stories being told. The lighting design by Katsch Catoy, projection design by GA Fallarme completed the visual illusion. The hypnotic original music by Josefino Chino Toledo was played live with Muslim instruments, mixed into the sound design by TJ Ramos. 

The pangalay (the traditional dance of the Tausugs, done with elaborate poses of the body and the wave-like gestures of the arm and hands), as well as the martial arts fighting scenes were choreographed by Hassanain Magarang, and the PWU Indayog Gong Ensemble was very elegant to watch. Carlos Dala in particular was very graceful in both his dancing and fighting movements, quite an auspicious stage debut for this young indie film actor. 

TP Artistic Director Nanding Josef, TP Associate Artistic Director Marco Viana and TP Actor's Company senior members Antonette Go and Lhorvie Nuevo delivered solid performances as would be expected of them. For their debut performance with Tanghalang Pilipino for live theater, new TP Actors Company scholars Arjhay Babon and Earle Figuracion made strong impressions in their prominently featured roles of Misuari and Jikiran respectively.

Director Chris Millado's ideas for the staging of scenes were fresh and innovative. The Imao living room had the easel, the television set and the coffee table were all on their own movable little stages. The scene where Jikiran's body was being wrapped with a white cloth for his funeral was haunting yet beautiful. The AFP soldiers taunted the MNLF rebels with lines delivered in a strange cadence and inflection. 

The show still managed to end on a positive note, with hope of real long-lasting peace among Filipino Muslims and their Christians, conveyed in a closing anthem that amusingly sampled the "Voltes V" theme into it. However, there was a series of slides flashed on the screen at the end that had some ironic information in text form for the audience to read. It is just too bad it was difficult to finish reading some of these slides which had very long paragraphs.

Hearing the familiar introductory notes of the Martial Law anthem "Bagong Lipunan" which opened the play was a grim portent of the dark political themes the play would tackle. Rody Vera certainly minced no words when he described what the ruling government did during those years to cause Muslims to fight back. Vera's social and historical commentary about the events depicted in his play was frank and fearless.

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“Anak Datu” is also the maiden production of the newly built Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from September 16 to October 9, 2022. For tickets, go to bit.ly/AnakDatuTickets and stay tuned to the Tanghalang Pilipino Facebook Page for promos and discounts.

Review of MULA SA BUWAN: A Congenial and Charming Cyrano

 August 27, 2022

"Cyrano de Bergerac" is a classic French play by Edmond Rostand written in 1987. Since then, the play had been translated into and performed in English and other languages, and adapted into stage musical versions as well. There have been a number of film versions, the latest of which was "Cyrano" (Joe Wright, 2021) starring Peter Dinklage; as well as adaptations where the story was transposed to modern times and/or gender-swapped, the latest of which was "The Half of It" (Alice Wu, 2020).

"Mula sa Buwan" is the Filipino musical adaptation of Cyrano's story by Pat Valera (book and lyrics) and William Elvin Manzano (original music and lyrics) based on Soc Rodrigo's Filipino translation of Rostand's original verses. It has itself undergone a number of reworkings since its first staging in 2010 at the University of Asia and the Pacific by the Dulaang Rock Opera Company. These tweaks in the book were done in order to make the material more relevant to the prevailing social climate.

It had gained more popularity when it was staged at the Ateneo de Manila University twice by Black Box Productions. In 2016, it was staged at the Irwin Lee Theater, with Nicco Manalo and Boo Gabunada alternating as Cyrano, KL Dizon as Roxane and Fred Lo and Edward Benosa alternating as Christian. In 2018, it was restaged at the Hyundai Hall of Arete, with Manalo and Gabunada again alternating as Cyrano, Gab Pangilinan and Cris Go alternating as Roxane and Edward Benosa and Myke Salomon alternating as Christian.

For this current production, the Barefoot Theatre Collaborative brings the beloved work to a much bigger venue -- the new and beautiful Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati, which has a seating capacity almost twice that of Hyundai Hall. The dashing Markki Stroem joins the cast as Christian. The ever-incandescent Gab Pangilinan reprises her role as Roxane. From playing Christian in 2018, musical director Myke Salomon now dons the iconic prosthetic nose to play the lead role of Cyrano. 

The main supporting characters include the fabulous Rosanna (Phi Palmos), the transgender cabaret owner who supported projects to promote equal representation and freedom of expression; the haughty Maximo (MC de la Cruz), the raffish rich young man who dared to challenge Cyrano; the loyal Tato (Jon Abella), Cyrano's best friend, and the sweet Gabriel (Jillian Ita-as), Roxane's best friend and Tato's love interest. 

The cadets under Cyrano were played by Abe Autea, Jep Go, Rapah Manalo, Stephen Viñas and the diminutive Ericka Peralejo. The ensemble of townspeople includes: Miah Canton, Francis Gatmaytan, Mitzie Lao, Deborah Lemuel, Mark Anthony Grantos, Eizel Marcelo, Kinnara Mayari , Ace Polias, Liway Perez, Lance Reblando, Mikaela Regis, Chesko Rodriguez, Keith Sumbi, Shaira Opsimar and Khalil Tambio

Set designer Ohm David transformed the spacious stage of the Samsung Performing Arts Theater into a lively city street corner with a makeshift stage for the first song number "Ang Tanghalang Ito," then he would bring us into Rosanna's cabaret, where she sang her spirited "Manifesto." David's main backdrop was a wall of crumpled white fabric, which conveyed different moods depending on the colors of Meliton Roxas's lights. A full moon and a sky full of twinkling stars would occasionally appear up there to create a most beautiful effect. 

The costumes designed by Bonsai Cielo transported the audience back to 1940s Manila before and after World War II took its toll. As most of the boys were in their khakis, the girls' were in rainbow-colored dresses which flowed as the they spun around in JM Cabling's vibrant choreography. Roxane's dresses were made for standing out in the crowd, with their bright primary colors that reflect her moods. For Rosanna's featured number, Palmos rocked an ensemble of polka-dot sleeveless blouse, purple pants and red shoes.  

The first act on its own took about two hours already, with 10 song numbers that introduced the three main characters and built up the love triangle they will be engaged. the mood of the this act was generally upbeat (the boisterous "Ang Ilong"), with a healthy dose of sweet nothings for romantics to sigh on (the longing of "Ikaw"). The final song of the act, "Malaya," was sung when the war reached the city, as the Philippine flag waved with the red on top, dramatically switched abruptly with the Japanese Rising Sun flag at blackout.  

In stark contrast with the high energy of Act 1, the second act had a more somber atmosphere as themes of war and mortality took over. This hour-long act only had four songs, all with titles that dealt with the misery of war, the loss of loved ones, and hope for a better tomorrow. These are "Awit ng Mga Naiwan," Christian's soaring anthem "Matatapos Din," "Tahan Na," and "Ang Sabi Nila," Roxane's song about her difficulty of moving on from a lost love, the emotional highlight for Gab Pangilinan's sparkling soprano. 

If you are not familiar with Cyrano's story, it may not easy to get into the musical at first with the flowery Tagalog used. However once the main love triangle gets going, you will be hooked. The romantic chemistry of real-life couple Salomon and Pangilinan is undeniable even though their characters were not exactly lovers, as Stroem gamely played third wheel. Abella and Ita-as were delightful as second couple Tato and Gabriel, also eliciting thrilled shrieks from the audience. MC dela Cruz registered strongly as the bad boy Maximo.

I was not able to see any of the Ateneo stagings of this musical, so I would not be able to compare this staging from the previous or if there were any major changes made. Myke Salomon had a light, child-like, and congenial portrayal of Cyrano that kept the story, especially the grim second act, from becoming totally maudlin and depressing. As "Ang Huling El Bimbo" set Salomon apart as musical director par excellence, "Mula sa Buwan finally confirmed Salomon to be a true leading man. This multi-talented man has truly arrived. 

*****

MULA SA BUWAN, a musical about love & defiance by Pat Valera & William Elvin Manzano runs from AUG. 26—SEPT. 11, 2022 for a LIMITED ENGAGEMENT at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater, Circuit Makati. Tickets are now on sale at ticketworld.com.ph or mulasabuwan.com/tickets. 

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.