Review of Dulaang UP's ANG HULING LAGDA NI APOLINARIO MABINI: Picking the Brain of the Revolution

October 11, 2014

Apolinario Mabini is a  revolutionary hero whom most of us unfortunately only know by his name and by his monikers "The Sublime Paralytic" or the "Brains of the Revolution." We cannot really say anything more about him or his heroism beyond these nominal details. This latest musical play by Dulaang UP tackles the final days of Mabini and gives us a deep insight into the patriotism of this man and his forgotten legacy which remains relevant even up to the present time.

In April 1901 Mabini was exiled by the Americans in Guam with his brother Prudencio and other revolutionaries led by General Artemio Ricarte. They are disappointed and angry when President Emilio Aguinaldo agreed to sign the pledge of allegiance to the United States government. In 1903, Mabini (with Prudencio) and Ricarte were brought back to Manila by ship. However, before they can disembark, they too had to sign the pledge in front of no less than Gov. General William Howard Taft himself. Ricarte is firm on his resolve not to sign, but will Mabini give in to his homesickness?

The cast in this one-act (no intermission), 1-1/2 hour play were all very accomplished actors and talented singers. Not only were there very difficult dramatic moments to essay, the songs also had very challenging high notes to hit. 

Now on 27th year as a performer, Roeder Camanag first made a name in the local entertainment scene as a pop singer. He has also been in various plays and musicals by Tanghalang Pilipino and PETA. The last time I saw him in action was in Lav Diaz latest 5-1/2 epic film, "Mula Sa Kung Ano ang Noon." I believe this is the first time I have seen him playing lead in a theater play. His face had to tell the story very well since this hero is confined to a wheelchair. 

He opens the show with a solo number, "Hindi Ito ang Bayan Ko". Then through the play he would regale us with solid duets with Aguinaldo (Kung Naroon Ka Lang"), Ricarte (Ito ba ang Bayan Ko?"), and the nurse Salud ("Sapat Na Ito"). These songs were suffused with deep pent-up emotions of this weakened and weary man, and Camanag's communicates that so eloquently.

Aside from these poignant sung moments, Camanag was also outstanding in his scenes without songs. His confrontation scene with Leo Rialp (so aptly cast as Taft) was an electrifying and memorably well-written and well-staged big moment of the play. That very last scene of Camanag on stage when Mabini takes his final leave with the audience was truly haunting in its silence.

Poppert Bernadas had the reputation for monster pipes, but I have not seen him in action yet. For his previous musicals like "Lorenzo" and "Rak of Aegis", I had always caught his alternate, not him. Fortunately, not this time. He certainly lives up to his reputation, as Ricarte had the most punishing notes to sing. His was also a hot-headed, angry man and that adds to his vocal stress. However, his vocal instrument was in tiptop shape. Al Gatmaitan alternates in this role.

Jean Judith Javier was a rousing success as Sisa in both the Dulaang UP and the Resorts World productions of "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera." As Salud, the fictitious Filipino nurse who gets to speak with Mabini as he wrestled with the biggest decision he had to make in his life, Javier impresses us again with her beautiful full-bodied soprano here. Banaue Miclat alternates in this role, with Chase Salazar as understudy.

I have seen two other collaborations of playwright Floy Quintos and director Dexter M. Santos before, and these were "Collection" and "Ang Nawalang Kapatid". Both of these were brash and audacious productions. In contrast, "Mabini" is relatively quieter and more contemplative. In a remarkable debut as a composer of a musical play, Krina Cayabyab gave life to Quintos' lyrics eight songs sung in different styles -- traditional musical theater, modern rock opera and classical opera -- transcending boundaries. 

The Manila String Machine provides the live musical accompaniment, with Farley Asuncion on piano. The lighting design of John Batalla was so instrumental especially in those final scenes. The way the lights and shadows framed Camanag's face made us believe we are looking at the real Mabini as we see him in vintage photos. Ohm David's innovative set design had props and platforms coming up through the floor, and interacted very well with the videos designed by Winter David. That important, visually-dramatic scene highlighting Mabini's Decalogue was a successful display of technical cooperation and complementation.

Congratulations once again to the cast and crew of Dulaang UP for another successful and meaningful project. UP is truly the best venue for this nationalistic theatrical masterpiece. 

Hurry and get your tickets,as these are selling out fast. These are the remaining performances left: October 12 / 10 am, October 15 / 7 pm, October 16 / 7 pm, October 18 / 3 pm. There are additional shows opened on October 22 / 7 pm and October 23 / 7 pm. For tickets, please contact Dulaang UP Office at 926-1349 or Samanta Clarin (09277406124). 

There is an another show on October 19 / 3 pm, with tickets care of Vincent Pajara (09363033879), and yet another show on Oct 24 / 8pm, with tickets care of Poppert Bernadas (09178466352) / Nazer Degayo Salcedo (09277328754) / Arion Sanchez (09359668769). Ticket price only at 500php/350php,

Review of Atlantis' SHREK THE MUSICAL: Ogre-Rrrrific Show!

October 5, 2014

At first I was not so sure that I wanted to watch the musical version of the Dreamworks hit animated film "Shrek". I thought for sure the magic of the film cannot be adequately translated onto the live stage. The initial posters that came out did not seem to be too interesting as well. However when the show opened a couple of weekends ago and glowing reviews came out on how good it was, I was convinced of its quality and bought tickets for the whole family to watch.

Before the show started it was announced that Shrek will not be played by Rycharde Everley, who was the actor cited in all the publicity. I have seen Everley play in "Spelling Bee" before and had no doubt he can pull off being Shrek.  However this replacement Franz Imperial was an unknown actor to me. When I asked one of the staff, it turned out that Everley had been taken ill, so Imperial was promoted from the Ensemble to play the lead role Shrek for this weekend's performances.

The musical, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, tells the basic story of the first Shrek film. The swamp home of the grumpy green ogre Shrek was overrun by fairy tale characters who were exiled there by Lord Farquaad of Duloc. Shrek with his new friend Donkey accepts the challenge set by Farquaad to save the Princess Fiona from her imprisonment in a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. However, Fiona has a dark secret of her own that needs true love's first kiss to solve. Who will set her free from her nightly curse? Will it be Farquaad? Or can it be Shrek?

Despite initial apprehensions, it turns out that there was no need to worry because Franz Imperial was actually very good as Shrek!  His singing voice was full and very solid. He had Shrek's Scottish accent down. He had excellent buddy chemistry with the Donkey and romantic chemistry with Fiona, such that he did not feel like a short-notice replacement at all. He actually looked better and more lovable in the Shrek get-up than Everley did in the publicity photos. Imperial was able to project the inner goodness of the gruff ogre from under all of that green rubbery make-up. This pinch-hitter hit a home run!

As Princess Fiona, Shiela Valderrama performed like I had never seen her perform before. Her songs were the most vocally challenging of all. Her first song "I Know It's Today," which she sang with two other younger actresses (Arriana Everley and Katie Bradshaw) playing Fionas in younger ages, had very vocally punishing notes. Valderrama nails them amazingly.  She had two other great numbers in Act 2, "Morning Person" and "I Think I Got You Beat" (with its glorious belching and farting), both of which showed off her comic flair on top of her flawless strong vocals. She knew this role was for her and she brought it home.

Three Atlantis stalwarts star in major supporting roles. Nyoy Volante was practically unrecognizable as Donkey. He has got the Eddie Murphy-style smart-aleck personality and speed talking like it was second nature.  Jett Pangan is a riot as bad power-hungry midget, Lord Farquaad. The way he was able to make the fake short legs he wore in front of him seem alive as he performed kneeling the whole time was very impressive in its difficult physicality. Carla Guevara-Laforteza stars as lady personification of the Dragon. The giant Dragon puppet was the single most extravagantly beautiful prop I had seen in local theater. Laforteza gives it the sassy but lonely character it required. They are all really very versatile actors and their singing skills never missed their marks, as always.

The music of the show is generally upbeat and catchy. However, things get a little bogged down towards the end of the second act with a series of serious ballads. Fortunately, the cast would additionally sing their own version of The Monkees' hit "I'm a Believer" to liven things up at the very end.  Imperial and Valderrama were both in perfect voice in this number as they led the whole cast in their bouncy finale number. The stage set up with the green-lit giant "S" and confetti shower made for a memorable lasting impression as audiences go home with smiles on their faces.

Congratulations again to Director Bobby Garcia and the rest of the Atlantis cast and crew for another big success in translating another challenging stage production to life. 

"Shrek" will run for just one more weekend this week, up to October 12, 2014. If you loved the film, then you will also enjoy seeing these beloved characters come to life. The whole family will enjoy this show. Do not miss it!

Recap of GOLD: Ageless Lisa Macuja at 50

October 5, 2014

Lisa Macuja, the eternal prima ballerina of Ballet Manila (and the whole country), is celebrating two important life milestones with this classical ballet concert called "Gold." She turned 50 years old last October 3, and it is her 30th year in the profession of the most difficult dance form. I do not really watch ballet, or dance in general, for that matter. However, when an invitation to attend this one-night only special, I knew this rare event should not be missed. She did call this show the last time she would headline a full classical concert. 

Unfortunately, we got caught in intense traffic jams within the City of Manila last night, and reached the Aliw Theater almost one hour into the show already. When we got into our seats, we saw the Philippine Madrigal Singers performing "D' Coconut Nut" in a most delightfully fun style, with the soloist doing funky dance moves. This was followed by their version of the ubiquitous hit by Pharell Williams, "Happy." I never thought the Madz performed current pop music and they got the audience clapping along! The last song in their set is a diva-driven "Queen of the Night" by Whitney Houston, headlined by three sopranos in their lineup. During the intermission that followed, I found out from the souvenir program that we had only caught three out of eight songs the Madz sang that night.

The programme also told me that we had missed the entire opening suite starring the celebrant Ms. Lisa Macuja. It was her performance as Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet", with music by Peter Tchaikovsky and choreography by Sergey Vilukov. Ms. Macuja had chosen this ballet to be included because of this was the version from the first year of Ballet Manila, 20 years ago. She calls Juliet a favorite role of hers, so too bad we did not get to see her dance that part.

When the curtains went up after the break and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (under the baton of Gerard Salonga) began to play, twelve pairs of young men and women in white came out to dance a waltz to music incorporating some familiar tunes from the "Sleeping Beauty" Disney film. This was the opening number of Divertissement from "The Sleeping Beauty," with music also by Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa. This was re-staged tonight by Natalia Raldugina (guest Ballet Mistress for Ballet Manila from Russia) and Osias Barroso, Jr. (Ballet Manila's Co-Artistic Director and Ballet Master).

Of course, 50-year old Ms. Lisa Macuja danced the role of Princess Aurora during her 16th birthday party. Anyhow, her delicate facial features, winning smile and sprightly dancing totally belied that age discrepancy. As she danced with four male partners, playing princes who wanted to win her favor, she nailed those difficult on pointe spinning moves over and over. The audience would erupt in applause spontaneously. 

We see a hooded monster called the Caraboose give the Princess a bouquet of flowers which unfortunately had a hidden needle which pricked her. A Lilac Fairy (Dawna Mangahas) puts the entire court to sleep and covered the palace with thorns.

Guest dancer Mikhail Martynyuk, Principal Dancer of the Kremlim Ballet Theater, came out to loud applause from the audience, dancing the role of Prince Desire. His athletic dance moves with spinning jumps and serial high leaps really make him stand out from the other male dancers onstage. The pas de deux of Macuja and Martynyuk after the Prince kissed and woke Aurora up was simply exhilarating to watch.

A wedding banquet ensues.  At this part, a parade of fairy tale characters took to the stage and danced their spot numbers, like Little Red Riding Hood (Nicole Barroso) and Wolf (John De Dios), a couple of Cats (Missy Elizalde and Jamil Montibon), a couple of Bluebirds (Mylene Aggabao-Salgado and Elpidio Magat) and more fairies.

During the curtain call, Ms. Macuja came out on stage in a glittery golden long gown. She was visibly overwhelmed with emotion at the warm response of the audience. She did not get to speak, but the smile and tears on her face said it all. The orchestra played the Birthday Song and everybody sang along to greet the celebrant. Fountains of fireworks downstage provided a festive end to the event.

No matter how many other much younger dancers there are on the stage, it is impossible to cast any shadow on the brilliance of Ms. Lisa Macuja as a performer. Even a lay person like me with very little knowledge about ballet cannot deny the graceful combination of artistry and athleticism that she possesses, plus that X-factor that makes her stand out among the crowd. Even at 50, she is ageless in action! Even though she had been announcing her retirement since last year with her Swan Song series of shows, I do not see her career ending anytime soon.

Review of TP's PAHIMAKAS SA ISANG AHENTE: Timeless Tragedy of Pride

September 27, 2014

I have long heard of "Death of a Salesman" but I have not read the play, seen a stage performance nor even a film version of this classic by Arthur Miller. When I got wind of the news that Tanghalang Pilipino was staging it this year, I knew had to see it, even it were in a Filipino version translated by Rolando Tinio entitled "Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente". When they released their cast list last month, this play simply became a must-see.

I liked the Filipino title. Instead of a literal translation like "Pagkamatay" for "Death", Tinio used the word "Pahimakas" which means "Final Farewell," which makes it a decidedly poetic. Then instead of the preposition "Ng" meaning "Of", Tinio chose to use "Sa" to mean "For". For me, it gives a sense that this play was written FOR the titular salesman, instead of being only ABOUT him. Changing that one small word gives the Filipino title a more romantic dimension.

The play is about Willy Loman, a travelling salesman and also family man happily married to Linda, with two grown sons, Biff and Happy. As he gets older though, his boss takes him out of the company payroll and makes his earnings per commission-basis. With this demotion at work, his own sanity begins to unravel. Willy's stubborn pride makes him resist help from his family and friends. Ghosts from his past, like his elder brother Ben and the mysterious woman from Boston, insidiously creep into Willy's present dementia, throwing his family into a major turmoil.

Nanding Josef, who is concurrently the Artistic Director of Tanghalang Pilipino, played Willy Loman. Being the central character, everything about this play hangs on his performance and Mr. Josef nails it. He has the physical look of Willy down pat, with the sad face and the drooped shoulders, further emphasized by loose-fitting clothes and suspenders which can't stay up, all fully embodying this troubled and down-and-out character, tortured by his own forced retirement, the nightmare of a materialistic society. Josef shines in those big confrontation scenes he had where he was most real, like he was not only acting at all.

Gina Pareno played Willy's supportive wife Linda. At the start of the play, Ms. Pareno was rather tentative in her performance. There were several scenes when I could not make out anything she was saying because she was not projecting her voice loud enough. However, by the end of the first act, Linda had her biggest moment when she reveals to her two sons that she thought their father was trying to kill himself. Fortunately at this point, Pareno fully realized her character in a most riveting manner. Linda's real self finally bloomed for all of us to see and we will then understand her role in this family's fractured dynamics.

Yul Servo played Biff Loman, Willy's slacker 34 -year old eldest son who never realized his potential, a failed jock. I only knew Servo from some of his films that I have seen, and his screen performances tended to be uneven. For this play though, he had the perfect look for the character It was in the second act where his character finally explodes. Servo's climactic confrontation scene with his father is worth the price of admission in itself. That scene is sure to nab him Best Supporting Actor nominations and wins come awards season.

Ricardo Magno played the youngest son, Happy Loman. This young actor had his work cut out for him with all the award-winning senior stars he had to work with, and he more than passes muster. Dido de la Paz played the Loman's next-door neighbor and Willy's only friend Charley. This guy is really has a natural comic flair, consistent from the other plays I have seen him in. The imposing heft and grand mustache of Ding Navasero contrasts so strikingly with Willy's stooped posture, making him a good choice to play the ghost of Willy's successful brother Ben.

This performance I caught featured the Senior cast. Some other performances will feature a Junior cast (Jonathan Tadioan, Racquel Pareno and Marco Viana) in the main roles.

"Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente" is no doubt a formidable play. It runs for about three and a half hours long. The main characters all have lengthy soliloquys, made more difficult by being in delivered Filipino. Some lines can be awkward to say in Filipino because they possessed a distinct American flavor in the words. The innate complexity of this play automatically makes the actors who take on this big challenge a notch above other actors. 

For audiences, this is the type of play that will make you think about your own family relationships. You will be able to see yourself as a parent, or as the children, or both. The characters of this play, despite being set in the 1940s, remain to be very real to this day. This play is a timeless mirror for the audience to reflect on, hence its successful longevity.

Kudos to director Chris Millado and the cast and crew of Tanghalang Pilipino for once again bringing an essential theater masterpiece back to life again. Special mention goes to Leo Abaya for the two-tiered set with details (like the refrigerator, the telephone, the lamp) that evoked the nostalgia of 1940s suburban America.

"Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente" will be running at the CCP Studio Theater (Tanghalang Huseng Batute) from Sept. 26 to October 19, 2014. Shows are at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. You can get your tickets for only P 800 each at the CCP Box Office (832-3704) or on TicketWorld (891-9999). For further inquiries, please call Tanghalang Pilipino at 832-1125, local 1620-21.

Review of NOLI ME TANGERE: THE OPERA (RWM): Soaring Nartional Masterpiece

September 28, 2014

Honestly, at first I was not planning to watch "Noli Me Tangere, The Opera," which was being re-staged in the Newport Performing Arts Theater in far-off (for me) Resorts World Manila.  Furthermore, I already watched this same opera when it was performed by Dulaang UP (MY REVIEW) in Diliman fairly recently, in November 2011. However, because of a generous invitation and my curiosity on how this opera will be staged in a much bigger venue got the better of me.

The Noli Me Tangere of course is a masterpiece of Philippine literature, an immortal novel by Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal. This opera also carries a prestigious pedigree, being composed by Felipe de Leon and written by Guillermo Tolentino, National Artists both. This particular production of Noli the Opera is under the direction of Freddie Santos. It is being performed by a cast of more than 30 Filipino opera singers from both New York and Manila. The accompanying music is played by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Rodel Colmenar. The stage & costume design was by Jerry Sibal.

It just so happened that the main cast I caught this afternoon playing the four main characters are the very same people which I caught three years ago in UP. 

Crisostomo Ibarra was played by Ivan Niccolo Nery. Maria Clara was played by Myramae Meneses. I will call this the junior cast, as they alternate with more senior and bigger name opera artists Sal Malaki and Rachel Gerodias in these roles. But I imagine that Nery and Meneses would match the ages of the characters more accurately. 

Nery's voice quality was over and above all the male singers in the show.  His tenor was flawless even as he was hitting punishingly high notes, much fuller and more mature than I saw him in UP. He may not really look like the Ibarra we imagine from the novel, but in this opera, he definitely nails the role. Meneses was radiant as Maria Clara with her smiling eyes and sparkling soprano voice. She too has improved in her acting and vocal technique since I last saw her.

Sisa was played by Jean Judith Javier. Her highlight is Sisa's poignant soliloquy of madness and Javier does all of the required difficult trilling perfectly. She received the loudest ovation during the curtain call. 

Padre Damaso was played by Jonathan Velasco.  This character is so hateful in the whole show, especially in that scene where Damaso was laughing at Ibarra's plan for a school. The way Velasco performed there, you'd want to jump the stage as take a dagger to his neck yourself.

I have to say their voices were sounded much better here, more rounded and solid, no doubt thanks to the ultra-modern sound system of the Newport Theater. I do not see any microphones on them at all. That said, there are also sound hitches noted, like failed mics for some minor characters.  I did not expect since this was already the second to the last day of performance that I watched. 

When you compare this big-budget Resorts World production with the more austere UP production, there were pros and cons. The RW stage is huge, so it is more difficult to fill it up. They rely on the video screen backdrop to create a more three-dimensional illusion of depth. Those scenes inside Kapitan Tiago's house are specially beautiful. But there were times when the huge stage looked too empty. Those intimate scenes of Crisostomo and Maria Clara, as well as the scene of Sisa's headlong descent into madness, worked much better on the smaller stage of UP. 

One thing that helped in the appreciation of the show are the meticulous simultaneous English translation of the libretto overhead in the main stage, and on the big screens on both sides. Even if you can understand most of the Tagalog words, you can still miss some details when these words are sung in opera style, so the subtitles were much appreciated.

It was admirable that a generous sponsor had made it possible for public high school kids to have a rare chance of watching a world-class show. They filled up the whole balcony and side orchestra sections it seems. However, maybe they should have been better briefed on proper theater etiquette. During the first act everything was OK. In the second half after the intermission, probably they were restless already, their chatting became disturbingly audible. They would also applaud in the wrong moments, sometimes even before the songs were finished. They were actually laughing during the Sisa scene. Anyway, I am happy that these children were able to see an opera, and hope it would inspire some of them to go into the performing arts themselves.

Review of JOHN LEGEND "All of Me Tour" in Manila 2014: Intensely Passionate Soul

September 26, 2014

This is already the second time that John Legend has been to Manila for a concert. I had been a fan since hearing his impassioned voice interpreting the extraordinary song "Ordinary People." I do not know why, but it had been a last minute decision to watch this concert. But coming out of it after the show, I don't know why I had doubt about watching this at all. This was the best concert I have been to for a very long time. 

The concert started almost an hour later than the time indicated on the ticket which was 8 pm. By 8 pm, the Patron area downstairs, as well as the Lower Box were still quite empty. However, by 9 pm, when the lights finally dimmed down, all the seats were already fully packed and the audience was all ready to hear the main act. Like a few other recent concerts I attended, there had been no front act anymore. I don't know if that is still done nowadays or that is already a passe concert practice. 




The spotlight was first trained on stage right, where a string quartet began to play. Then suddenly, spotlight moved to centerstage. A dapper John Legend stepped out dressed nattily in a white suit. After his bows, he sat at his grand piano and began to sing his first song, "Made to Love." With that first song alone, we already knew how great and unique his vocals were as well as his mad piano playing skills. It was a beautiful opening number, which was followed by a new hit "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)". The audience was already singing along at this point.

Before his next song, Legend recounted how he had a lucky break playing piano on one of the songs in classic album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1997. After that though, he claimed to have been rejected by all the record companies, until Kanye West took a chance on him. He had been given backing piano or vocals for bigger acts like Jay-Z or Alicia Keys. Kanye gave John one featured song to sing on the former's concerts. That was "Used to Love U" (VIDEO), which became his first single in 2004. This was also the next song he sang, with the audience made to sing the catchy "holla holla holla" chorus, which was fun.




He sang and played some more songs which were not too familiar with me, but were so awesome to hear for the first time, like "Save the Night" and "Maxine." He gave us a glimpse about his songwriting process via one of the songs from his second album "Again." But a lot of times, he pleasantly surprised me with songs that I already forgot were in his discography, like "PDA" and "Save Room" (VIDEO). These are both wonderful catchy tunes.

He made everyone get up to dance when he sang "Green Light" (VIDEO) one of the rare times he left his piano. He knows his limits as dancer so he does not make any wild moves, just kept everything pretty cool. He followed this up by a great cover version of Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." It felt great to get up and groove to these upbeat songs.




He returned to his piano to sing "Who Do We Think We Are". Then he began to talk about his origins in Ohio, his Pentocostal church upbringing and his musical family. He especially dedicated the next song to his grandmother who taught him to play gospel piano. The song turned out to be his cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and his intense soulful delivery definitely raised not a few goosebumps.

He sang his latest single next "You & I (Nobody in the World)" followed by "Caught Up", as he talked about how he is setting up the perfect date for every couple in there that night with his songs, and we know he is right. The next song was a big one, "Ordinary People" and the audience greeted the first note with pandemonium. This song is simply excellent is all aspects, and hearing it sung live by John Legend, with the audience beautifully singing backup this night was already worth the ticket price. He sang one more anthemic song entitled "So High" before finally bidding the audience goodbye.




Of course, we all know the night is not yet over. How could it be when he had not yet sung the title song of his concert tour, which just so happened to be his first and only Number One song to date. He only played one encore song, and this was the song we were all waiting for: "All Of Me." Words could not describe the depth of emotion we hear in his voice as he was singing this song. Again the audience participation was amazingly perfectly in tune, even making the song sound more beautiful than it did on the CD version.

This concert was all about the incredible singing voice and piano playing of John Legend -- no costume changes, no gimmicks, no elaborate dance numbers. He was breathtaking to hear perform live. He gave his songs an additional edginess we do not hear in the recordings. Now this is what a concert performance should be. I am so glad we were there to imbibe John Legend's passionate soul. This is one of the best pop concerts I ever attended in terms of vocal virtuosity, right up there with Stevie Wonder, Sting and Andrea Bocelli.

.

Recap of MUSIKAL! Day 2: Celebrating Original Filipino Musical Theater

September 7, 2014

Because of some domestic circumstances, I thought I would not be able to watch either of the two nights of this special show set on Sept. 5 and 6, 2014.  However, at the last minute on the second day, tempted by the photos and rave reviews I saw on the social media, I found a way to go to the CCP to catch this first-ever revue of original Filipino musical theater shows. No way I will miss this.

Surveying the twenty or so titles on the poster, I have actually watched and written about 15 of them. The other shows on the line up like "Magsimula Ka" or "Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal" I have heard about, but never got the chance to watch yet. Of course, there are also other Filipino musicals (mostly by PETA) I have seen but are not included, "William", "D'Wonder Twins of Boac"  or personal favorite "Juan Tamad" come to mind. "Ang Nawalang Kapatid" by Dulaang UP was also not on the list. Saving them for a future revue? Maybe.

After the National Anthem, the show opened with a speech by Dr. Raul Sunico, the current president of the CCP, which is celebrating its 45th year of existence this year.  He introduced a surprise second speaker (whom I did not read about for the first night), none other than Ms. Lea Salonga! Frank as she was, Ms. Salonga immediately squashed with a smile from the get-go all expectations that she would sing. She talked about how she started her theater career with a performance on that very CCP stage as a 7-year old girl in a production of "The King and I".

The show began with Sheila Francisco introducing, then performing, a funny excerpt from the zarzuela "Walang Sugat" with Red Nuestro entitled "Makikiliti Kang Totoo." This was quite the strong opening number especially with the clear booming voice of Nuestro. This is the first time I've heard Francisco sing operatically, though too bad her lapel mic did not seem to be working well. 

This microphone problem would haunt many other singers throughout the show, like Ebe Dancel during the "Rock Supremo" number "Lakambini" and Athena Tibi during the "Rivalry" number "Boy from La Salle". The orchestra and the louder mics of the backup singers would sometimes drown the lead vocals.

The best numbers of the revue for me are those for the Ryan Cayabyab musicals.  A medley of songs from the rock musical "Lorenzo" was performed by the excellent Ryan Cayabyab Singers. Their voices effortlessly soared up to reach those punishing notes they were made to reach.  A suite of songs from "Noli Me Tangere, the Musical" was performed by the ever-perfect Philippine Madrigal Singers, who were a league of their own in terms of musical elegance.  The penultimate number before the grand finale was "Rama Hari" with OJ Mariano and Karylle with Robert Sena, with dancers from Ballet Philippines so gracefully athletic in interpreting the songs.

The most popular numbers among the audiences based on the loudness of spontaneous applause were those numbers by the PETA.  There was a loud ovation already heard even before the "Rak of Aegis" number began, with only the title flashed on the screens onstage. The catchy song form "Batang Rizal" entitled "Pag-asa ng Bayan" was very well-received. The medley from "Himala" was so hauntingly beautiful, with stellar solo performances by May Bayot, Dulce, Isay Alvarez and Cynthia Culig-Guico. Of course, the "Caredivas" brought the house down with their glittery white drag queen ensembles and high heels while singing "Saan Ka Man Dalhin."

Even independently produced shows staged in the PETA Theater also stood out. These were the numbers from "Maxie the Musical" (with Jayvhot Galang and Jojo Riguerra) and that of "Sana Dati" (led by Victor Robinson, Caisa Borromeo and Kyla Rivera -- the three performers I did NOT see in the actual show as I saw their alternates).

Among the Tanghalang Pilipino productions, the best showcase was by "Sandosenang Sapatos" with a stellar solo by young Trixie Esteban singing "Sa Panaginip", with great support work by the rest of the company, including her imaginary friends precariously on roller skates while working the stage.

A chorus came out to sing "Ang Babaeng Malaya", a song from a movie musical I have not exactly heard of before entitled "Ang Kababaihan ng Malolos".  Though it was my first time to hear it, the song was beautiful, as the choral rendition was excellent. The other choral performance of an unknown song that I liked was "Alalahanin, Gunitain" from the musical "Sinta" which I also had no idea about. I am now very curious to watch these two shows.

The song chosen by the "Bluebird of Happiness" crew to perform was the group ballad number. "Christmas Morning". The song chosen to represent "Zsazsa Zaturnnah" was also a ballad "Multo ng Nakaraan" rendered led by Wenah Nagales as Zaturnnah.  I wished these two shows picked more upbeat songs from their respective shows.

The songs "Take Me to the Sky" (by Red Concepcion from "Toilet the Musical")  and "Luksang Pangitain" (by Margarita Roco from "San Andres B.") similarly felt buried under the other songs with production numbers, but the singing was undoubtedly solid.

Representing "Stageshow" is the rather uncomfortably raunchy song and dance number with the naughty title "Titina" featuring Roeder with four skimpily-clad girls. While it may have been funny within the context of its show, it seemed uncomfortably out of place for this grand occasion.

My bird's eye view of the stage during the finale

The most hardworking male singer may be Myke Salomon who appeared and sang solo parts three times. He was one of those who held a mic during the "Rak of Aegis" number as Kenny. Then he opened the second act with strong version of the popular title song from the 80s musical "Magsimula Ka." As the Palestinian guy Faraj, Salomon would also have a duet with Melvin Lee (as the coy Chelsea) in another "Caredivas" song "Mysterious".

The most hardworking female performer was Isay Alvarez-Sena. She sang solos in "Rak of Aegis" ("Munting Pangarap"), "Katy" ("Aba Ba Boogie"), and "Himala" (as Nimia). She introduced and led in the finale song number "Minsan ay Minahal Mo Ako" with Dulce and Aicelle Santos, who were then joined in by the whole ensemble on the stage behind them. This meaningful song from "Katy" provided the perfect ending to the whole night's celebration of local theater talent. 

After the list of composers and writers were acknowledged, Ms. Lea Salonga would join the company onstage to sing the CCP Hymn composed by Ryan Cayabyab, with lyrics by Hermie Beltran.

The vibrant orchestral accompaniment of the evening was care of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Gerard Salonga. The show was directed by Chris Millado. The Musical Director was Jed Balsamo. The stage design with those colorful LED light panels was designed by Ricardo Eric Cruz, with digital video designs by GA Fallarme.

This show proves what a very deep pool of musical stage talent we Filipinos have -- songwriters, musicians, librettists, actors and all the production crew behind them! Mabuhay ang teatrong Pilipino!

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Here are the shows included in MUSIKAL! that I have seen and LINKS  to what I had written about them when I saw them:

PETA's Caredivas: MY REVIEW

TP's Noli Me Tangere, the Musical: MY REVIEW

TP's Walang Sugat: MY REVIEW

Ballet Phil's Rama Hari: MY REVIEW

Rivalry: MY REVIEW

PETA's Himala: MY REVIEW

Sa Wakas: MY REVIEW

TP's Sandosenang Sapatos: MY REVIEW

Katy: MY REVIEW

PETA's Batang Rizal: MY REVIEW

Lorenzo: MY REVIEW

Trumpets' Bluebird of Happiness: MY REVIEW

Maxie the Musical: MY REVIEW

TP's San Andres B: MY REVIEW

PETA's Rak of Aegis: MY REVIEW