Review of VIRGIN LABFEST 18- SET C (Y.O.L.O.): Monsters, Machismo, Mush

June 15, 2023

For the first time since the pandemic, the Virgin Labfest is completely face to face at the new Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez, with the theme "Hitik." The initial reviews for these 12 new one-act plays have been circulating in social media since they premiered last week, and they were all generally glowing. It had always been difficult for me to catch all four sets because of my day job. This year, this Set C might actually be the only set I could catch. (But I hope not.)

1. MGA HALIMAW RIN KAMI

Writer: Jules Pamisa

Director: Tats Soriano

A centuries-old Aswang (Chrome Cosio) encountered a Manananggal (Skyzx Labastilla) who landed on the same rooftop as him. They tell each other their life stories, and compare their killings to the killings going on among the humans in the streets below them. 

This was basically an amusing two-hander (with veterans Cosio and Labastilla at their most over-the-top) about the misadventures of two traditional monsters of Philippine myth. Pamisa juxtaposed the monsters' stories of killing human victims alongside the extra-judicial killings done with impunity during the drug wars. However, since it has been more than a couple of years after the height of these EJKs, this play concluded with an oddly dated feel. 

2. ROOM 209

Writer: Zheg Arban

Director: Delphine Buencamino

Since he was a child, Cadet 4th class Perez (Jao Catarus) was prepared by his late father and his older brother (Gino Ramirez) to enter the Philippine Military Academy, where they both graduated from. However, Perez became the target of bullying by his upperclassmen. 

Arban's script was powerful, but it was the dynamic direction of Buencamino that gave this play such a galvanizing effect. The ensemble of new young actors (CJ Barinaga, Denmark Brinces,  Raphne Catorce, Earvin Estioco & James Lanante) was solid in their performances as the cadets, especially Jao Catarus in the vulnerable central role. However, I wish they also mentioned what happened to the perpetrators of the unforgivable crime. 

3. HUKAY

Writer: Ophalain Margaux Serrano

Director: Melvin Lee

When Noel (Andoy Ranay) was burying his dead horse in a field, his policeman friend Rico (Floyd Tena) came by to help. The two middle-aged men talked about their friendship began, and how they think this friendship will proceed in the future.

The way this play began with Noel digging a hole, you would never really see where the play would be going. However, along the way, several hints, both subtle and frank, were already being dropped to clarify the plot direction. This two-hander worked so well because the rapport and chemistry between Ranay and Tena was simply so realistic and actually quite sweet. If there was any significance about the horse being buried, I do not recognize it. 

Theatre Titas: Review of TWENTY QUESTIONS: Intimate Interviews

May 13, 2023

Jigs (Diego Aranda) and Yumi (Isabelle Prado) were members of one gang of friends. They had a yearly tradition to lock one boy and one girl, supposedly randomly picked, to spend 24 hours together in one hotel room. So far, those who had been locked together before all went on to have successful romantic lives as couples. At the start, Jigs and Yumi were determined to be the first couple not to end up together when they get out of the room. 

As an ice breaker, Jigs suggested that they play a game of "Twenty Questions" to be able to get to know each other better. Each one gets to ask any question on any topic about the other one. They would go alternatingly one after the other. One cannot ask the same question once it had been asked of him already.  The questions started off easy, but each subsequent question got more and more uncomfortable to answer, even with the wine.

"Twenty Questions" was the very first play written by playwright Juan Ekis in 2003. It won Ekis second place in the one-act play category in the Carlos Palanca Awards. This year, 20 years later, the play was chosen by the Theater Titas to be their fourth project, their first since the pandemic and since their membership in Philstage. Their first show "What's in the Dark?" was staged Halloween 2017, which I was able to watch back then (MY REVIEW).  

The twenty questions started with mundane questions like biggest frustrations or future plans. However, they soon went on to discuss more private matters, mostly about their past relationships. At first their conversations were light and jovial. However, as the questions become more challenging (and the wine they kept drinking loosened their tongues and inhibitions), the mood turned darker as more serious secrets were revealed.

Because of Yumi's more colorful love life and long list of past lovers, it was Isabelle Prado who had the more exciting and provocative stories to confess. This being her professional theatrical debut, Prado nailed her tough role, shifting seamlessly from wacky comedy to painful drama. Because Jigs was the conservative guy with a rigid-as-an-arrow sense of morality, Diego Aranda played him as the dorky yet charming straight-man in this two hander.  

I have not seen the original "Twenty Questions" so I could not comment on how director Cheese Mendez (one of the founding Theater Titas) had adapted the script to the present Gen Z milieu. The issues about virginity, living-in, sex and its attendant problems among the youth probably did not change that much in 20 years. However, there still wasn't much mention about social media and the major effect it had on relationships these days. 

In any case, the material still held up very well even twenty years after Juan Ekis wrote it -- a testament of its timeless appeal of Ekis's words and how they could make viewers reflect on their own attitudes about sex and relationships. It was a full-house when I watched, and the audience of mostly Gen Z and millennials lapped it up heartily, laughing and swooning in all the right places (probably also aided by the wine sold on their merch table).

*********

The Theater Titas' production of Juan Ekis's "Twenty Questions" opened last May 12, 2023 and will run up to May 28, 2023, weekends only. The play is staged at the Mirror Studio Theater, an intimate venue located on the 5th floor of the SJG Centre, along Kalayaan Ave., in Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City. It plays for one hour, without intermission, in Taglish. 

SJG Centre has no parking slots for private cars. They suggest parking in Century City Mall (approximately a 10 minute walk away) or Power Plant Mall (approximately a 15 minute walk away). They do not recommend Kalayaan Ave. street parking as it is a clamping zone, but there were cars parked along the road that Saturday night I watched.

TP: Review of NEKROPOLIS: Actualizing Anarchy

April 22, 2023

There were two sections in this city. The rich lived in Mariposa, where the rich residents were called butterflies. The poor lived in the Projects, where the poor residents were derisively called mosquitoes. The authoritarian leader was a man they called the Mayor. The main opposition was a woman they called the Kapitana (Julie Dimayuga). The nights in the city ring with gunshots as drug addicts were shot down without compunction.

One night, Miggs (Marco Viana) was contemplating about an imaginary wormhole where he can come out the other end as his younger self. A nervous young man named Alex (Marc Lorenz) met up with government employee also named Alex (Vince Macapobre) for his first sexual rendezvous. Claire (Lhorvie Nuevo) allowed lesbian drug pusher Karina (Mitzi Comia) into their apartment to hide during a surprise raid. 

This was an experimental project unlike anything I had seen from Tanghalang Pilipino before. It begins with a series of world-building episodes where various characters described their lives in this chaotic city which was on the brink of civil war. Admittedly, it was very confusing at first, I did not know what was going on. Even at the end, I cannot claim to understand everything that transpired, but I definitely felt the urgent unsettling message it was conveying.

The production design of Tata Tuviera was so abstract, beginning with bodies on the floor covered with newspapers, and ending with an explosive shower of waste paper and skulls making a big mess on the stage.  There were ropes crisscrossing from ceiling to floor in all directions, giving the illusion of shattered glass. The projection designs of Joyce Garcia on the floor or the live shots of the actors onstage on the backdrop heightened the mood of tension. 

The whole play felt like a madhouse when it reached that crazy climax when the whole cast was on different parts of the stage, simultaneous doing their own things, while some random characters were running around like headless chickens, I did not know where to look at or whom to listen to. Director Charles Yee wanted to show writer Guelan Luarca's idea of a society descending into anarchy, and that bleak dystopia was exactly what we saw and felt. 

*****

"Nekropolis" runs only for six shows at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenex in one weekend from April 20-23, 2023. 

Upstart: Review of BREAKUPS & BREAKDOWNS: Mercurial Millennial Mindsets

April 15, 2023

One Friday night, playboy commercial model Derek (Nelsito Gomez) was getting prepared for spending a night in a bar to meet up with a new girl. He was trying to convince his roommate and long-single best friend Mark to go out with him so he could meet girls. However, Mark (Reb Atadero) was still struggling to begin writing his new play about finding the perfect girl, so he won't budge from his computer. 

Mark's ex-girlfriend graphic artist Nina (Tanya Manalang), with her boss Felicia (Sarah Facuri), was dealing with difficult clients Howard (Joel Trinidad) and Morgan (Rachel Coates) at work. Sandy (Nicky Trivino) who was seeking advice from her friends Richard (Trinidad) and Pamela (Facuri) on how best to get on Derek's good side. She was leaving for Singapore in a few weeks and wanted to get serious with Derek before that.  

The libretto of the original musical "Breakups and Breakdowns" was Joel Trinidad's first work for theater back in 2005. Its music was composed by Rony Fortich back then and even now as new songs were added to beef up the show. This present edition of the play had been reworked extensively by Trinidad, together with his creative partner and dramaturg Nicky Trivino, along with additional script  suggestions by the cast members themselves. 

Reb Atadero and Tanya Manalang are powerful belters, and, as the lead couple of the show, they both get to sing the best songs in the show. The most vocally- and emotionally-challenging song is "Tired of Goodbyes" sung by Mark and Nina, the most traditional showtune in the list. Both also get show-stopping solo numbers -- "Only Words" for Mark, "Outside the Lines" for Nina -- to highlight their vocal range.

Those who only knew Nelsito Gomez for his iconic roles in "Angry Christ" or "Asher Lev" will be pleasantly shocked with his all-out transformation of persona, as much as they will be shocked by the electric colors of his shirts. The energy of the show tends to sag when his Derek was not onstage. The most attention-getting songs were those naughty ones by Derek, especially "Be Prepared," sung with a small square packet in his hand. 

Rachel Coates, Sarah Facuri and Trinidad himself got to play multiple distinct characters, and their side stories were sometimes wittier than the main love story. I liked the "Clients from Hell" side story best of all. The wishy-washy boss Howard was Trinidad's best character for me. The wig he wore made him look like a totally different person. Coates was so good playing annoying suck-up Morgan, practically echoing everything Howard said. 

The current version of the show now runs for about 2-1/2 hours, with a 15-minute interval between acts. Admittedly, because of the slimness of the plot, I felt the length of this running time, particularly when the momentum and the wit faltered in the second half of both acts. Surely, this pacing issue can still tightened for the regular shows. Anyhow, the vibrant talent and personalities of the actors still kept the show afloat and engaging to the end. 

*****

Upstart's "Breakups & Breakdowns" runs from April 15 (3 p.m.), April 16 (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.), April 22 (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.) and April 23 (3 p.m.) at the Creative Arts Centre, The British School Manila, 38th Street, BGC, Taguig. For ticket inquiries, call or text Upstart at 0917-8116156 or e-mail upstartproductionsinc@gmail.com.  Ticket prices are P2300, 2100, 1800, 800 and 500. 

For those who will be driving their own cars, the nearest parking areas would be in the two malls near the venue -- Market! Market! and Uptown Mall. However, the distance between each mall to the venue will take about a 10-minute walk in each direction. Walking back to the car alone at 10:30 pm after an evening show may not feel safe for nervous types. 

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.