Review of Rep's RAPUNZEL! RAPUNZEL!: Hairy But Happy

October 24, 2018

Rapunzel is one of the more popular fairy tales published by the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century. The story about a long-haired girl trapped in a tower had origins from earlier centuries from various cultures. More recently she had been brought back into the consciousness of the younger generation by animated feature "Tangled" (2010), where Disney put its own spin to the fairy tale.

For their annual offering for kids this year, Repertory Philippines chose to produce a 2013 musical theater interpretation of the Rapunzel's story for children with book, music and lyrics by constant writing partners Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. This show is being directed by no less than the founder and artistic director of the Repertory Theater for Younger Audiences herself, Ms. Joy Virata.

Oliver Roxas-Green's Matisse-inspired set

Rapunzel is a princess who had been locked away by her aunt Lady Zaza in a high tower located at the edge of a deep, dark, dismal forest since she was a child. A gallant knight Sir Roderick and his best friend, the flashy hair-stylist Edgar, embark on a quest to find and rescue Rapunzel before she turned 18 the next day. Will they succeed to restore her on the throne? Or will the evil Lady Zaza will achieve her ulterior motive to become queen?

In the show that I caught, Rapunzel was played by a teenager Alyssa Rosa, in her professional theater debut. Despite being only 18, her performance was sweet and confident in both areas of acting and singing. I believe further vocal training can make her higher range more solid. More stage experience can hone her comedy improvisation skills, prerequisites for actors who perform for children. (Cara Barredo, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Justine Narciso and Ani Pearl Aquino alternate as Rapunzel.)

Everett, Borromeo, Rosa and Isidoro meet the kids after the show

Lady Zaza was played by the always fabulous Carla Guevara-Laforteza. The character had the big head of hair, a bombastic personality reminiscent of pop diva Lady Gaga as well as a beautiful magical jewel she wore as a pendant. Laforteza was a natural comedian and the kids loved her hilariously ruthless portrayal of the antagonist. In fact, she was the one who received the loudest cheers and applause from the kids during the curtain call. (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante and Christine Flores alternate as Lady Zaza.)

Sir Roderick was played by Andres Borromeo, also in his first project with Rep. He gave the character an awkward dorkiness that the kids enjoyed. (Hans Eckstein and Jef Flores alternate as Roderick.) Edgar was played by Kenny Isidoro, only in his second Rep show after "Hair." He had the requisite flamboyance expected of someone who wore an elaborately coiffed red wig. (Steven Hotchkiss and Chino Veguillas alternate as Edgar.)

To keep watch over Rapunzel, Lady Zaza enchanted a dragon named Socrates by dousing his fire and cropping his wings. Arnel Carrion gave Socrates a friendly delightful demeanor, making him a most engaging narrator. (Jamie Wilson and Raymund Concepcion alternate as Socrates.) Lady Zaza gained her magical powers from a precious item she stole from a Gypsy Woman. This gypsy was played with quirky lovable-ness by Nathalie Everett. (Bituin Escalante and Cara Barredo alternate as the Gypsy Woman.)

Socrates leads the other forest creatures to greet the kids after the show

The highlight of the set (inspired by Henri Matisse) by Oliver Roxas-Green is Rapunzel's tower which had to be constructed in a way that actors could climb up it using her very thick and very very long blonde tresses. The sense of danger and mystery of the deep dark dismal forest was created by the lights by John Batalla. The fancy fantastic rainbow-colored costumes were designed by Raven Ong. His most remarkable piece was the very cute dragon costume worn by Socrates. The ballet spot numbers, purposely integrated into the story by Ms. Virata, was choreographed by PJ Rebullida.

The 25 years experience of Joy Virata in directing plays for children make her a beloved and respected local authority on the subject. Her actors did not only stay on stage, but had to go into the aisles among the kids in the audience to make them more excited and engaged in the story. There were several points when actors broke the fourth wall to ask help from the children about the predicaments their characters faced, which of course the kids were more than willing to do so. It was so much fun to see the children having fun.

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"Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale" runs at the Onstage Greenbelt One, Makati from September 15, 2018 to January 27, 2019, an incredible five month run. Check out show schedules on Ticketworld via this LINK. Tickets sold at P800 (Orchestra Center), P600 (Orchestra Sides) and P500 (Balcony). 

Review of ALL OUT OF LOVE THE MUSICAL: Binging on Ballads

October 21, 2018

Air Supply is a band from Australia composed of Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell, whose entire discography was a treasure trove of soft rock love songs.  With the trend successfully set by "Mamma Mia," it was inevitable that their songs would also be mined to create a jukebox musical of their own. Australian director Darren Yap merged the beloved songs with the book written by Jim Millan to come up with "All Out of Love, the Musical".

As romantics who love to sing, the Philippines as a whole was a big fan of Air Supply music. They had held many concerts in Manila and other Philippine cities several times over the years, the first of which was back in 1983 at the Folk Arts Theater. Therefore it was only logical that the world premiere of "All Out of Love, the Musical" would be held here in Manila, with an all-Filipino cast. 

The setting was New York, sometime in the 1980s. Jamie Crimson was a pop star who was about to launch his second album under the label of his very strict manager Tommy King. However, Jaime was distraught about his breakup with his last girlfriend Rayne, so much that he wanted to abandon his career right there and then. King's Harvard-educated daughter Stacie decided to help salvage the disastrous business situation by helping Jamie get Rayne back.

Since the writer set the story in the pop music industry, it did not need too much innovative ideas on how to incorporate the Air Supply hits into the story. "Sweet Dreams" and "All Out of Love" were simply previous hits or new songs recorded by Jaime Crimson. "Lost in Love" was sung with an upbeat twist by Rayne as a singer at a nightclub. "Now and Forever" and "Even the Nights are Better" were also sung in a concert situation. The writer did not need to come up with some extraordinary scenario to fit these songs in.

Of course, there were also songs which had a neat contextual fit into the main love story narrative. "Lonely is the Night" was sung while riding a neon-lit yellow taxi into the city for a romantic quest. "Keeping the Love Alive" became a rousing bouncy serenade to try to get a lost love back. "The One that You Love" and "Two Less Lonely People in the World" were the songs sung while lovers were trying to sort out their differences and figuring out whether their love was worth fighting for. 

Fil-Australian singer MiG Ayesa had certainly gone a long way since I first knew him as a contestant in a televised search for a new lead vocalist for the band INXS. He did not win that TV competition, but Ayesa went onto bigger things in the West End and Broadway as a theater artist. I had previously seen him onstage locally as Stacee Jaxx in "Rock of Ages" and as Robert Kincaid in "Bridges of Madison County, " both musical produced by Atlantis. This role of pop rock singing idol Jaime Crimson was definitely right down Ayesa's comfort zone, and he could definitely knock those high notes out of the park. (His understudy is Carlos Canlas.)

Rachel Alejandro's character Rayne is a strong woman with pride in her talent as a musician. I've been a fan of her stage career since her memorable turn as Lucy Monster on "Avenue Q." As Rayne, Alejandro'voice had such a rich timbre with an irresistible smoky character that projected strength of character and maturity. (Her understudy is Gold Villar-Lim.) 

Tanya Manalang played Stacie, the perky and plucky new graduate who sought to prove to her father that she belonged in the family business. Manalang is a rising star whose strong belting voice is way bigger than her petite stature. I had seen her standout performances as Susan in "Tick Tick Boom" and more recently, as Joy in "Ang Huling El Bimbo". (Her understudy is Helen Enriquez.) 


The first song that actually grabbed my attention in the show (and the first number to earn a major ovation in Act 1) was "Here I Am". This song was sung with sincere paternal support and concern by Raymond Concepcion, as Tommy King. One of the best sung songs in the whole show, this was unfortunately Concepcion's only featured solo. (His understudy is Juliene Mendoza.) 

Jaime Wilson played Tommy King's slimy rival Kurt Swinghammer. Based on his previous musicals, we know Wilson can wail a rock song, but too bad his character did not have any solo. Red Nuestro stood out from the rest of the talented 14-man ensemble by having a sweet solo part in the song "Chances" as the taxi driver.

The production crew behind directors Darren Yap and Jacinta John is an international group. Many are Australians, such as Musical Supervisor Stephen Amos, Choreographer Yvette Lee, Set Designer Robert Brunton, Costume Designer Wendy Findlater and Lighting Designer Trudy Dagleish. Sound Designer Christo Davis is from South Africa. The resident Musical Director is Filipino musician Joseph Tolentino.

The triumphant curtain call graced by no less than Air Supply themselves! 

(Photo credit: Toots Tolentino) 

The story is admittedly unremarkable and unoriginal, even corny and cliche at several points. But overall, the show was still very entertaining because of the karaoke familiarity of the songs (you will have to stop yourself from singing along) and the show stopping performances of the triple-threat Filipino cast.

For an additional bonus for us opening night audiences, Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell joined the cast during the curtain call, perfectly capping off this night of 80s nostalgia. 

Videos: DAY6 #YOUTH in Manila CONCERT 18-10-07

October 7, 2018

Review of GUADALUPE THE MUSICAL: Miraculous Memento

October 6, 2018

The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a rare miraculous reminder of one of the most famous Marian apparitions in history. The colors of this image which appeared on the apron of Aztec peasant Juan Diego never faded, remaining as brilliant as they were when Our Lady was first seen in the year 1531. It is an iconic picture that was produced by no means which was humanly possible back then, and even now. 

The play began with a tour guide was narrating to her group about the history of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Then we were brought back to the year 1531 in Mexico, then called New Spain. It had only been ten years since the Spanish conquerors converted the native Aztecs into Catholicism. The middle-aged peasant Juan Diego reported to the Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga that he had seen Our Lady appear to him on the Hill of Tepeyac, and she had ordered him to build her a church on that site. 

Meanwhile, the Archbishop had his own conflicts with the ruthless Governor Nuno Beltran de Guzman, who flagrantly used violent means to keep the Aztecs in check. Furthermore, the niece of the Archbishop Clara had fallen in love with his Aztec aide Luis, a forbidden love affair that needed to be kept secret. One night, Halley's comet crossed the sky, and everyone who saw it interpreted the celestial event in their own personal way.

I know how the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe looked like but I confess that I did not know much about its back story. While the main story of visionary Juan Diego was interesting, I guess it may have been too simple or bare to carry a whole two-act musical. Hence, there seemed to have been more time spent on telling the side stories -- namely, the rivalry story of the Archbishop and the Governor, and the love story of Clara and Luis -- and weaving them in to enrich the narrative. 

The role of Juan Diego was played by a long-missed actor of Philippine theater, Cocoy Laurel. The last time I had seen him act in a musical play was when he portrayed the challenging role of Jean Valjean in Rep's "Les Miserables" back in the 1990s. To see him back on stage performing again was one of the biggest reasons why I wanted to watch this play.  Sir Cocoy may already be too old and infirm in stature for the role. However, he has not lost his sparkling and youthful speaking and singing voice that made him the ideal Pippin, Charlie Brown or Joseph in years past. His best song for me was "I am No One."

The lady tour guide was played by Shiela Valderrama-Martinez. Later she would also take on the role of Our Lady of Guadalupe herself. Her singing highlight was the song "Am I Not Here" in Act 2 where the tour guide was speaking on behalf of Our Lady, reassuring us that she will always be here with us. For me, this was the best song of the whole play. Later, seeing Shiela radiantly dressed in the icon's pink vestment and blue mantle made the audience gasp in awe. 

The role of Archbishop Juan de Zumarraga was played by Lorenz Martinez. This character was made to sing very challenging songs  which Martinez breezed through, though he obviously had most difficulty with the song "Believe." His brave niece Clara was played by the very pretty Chaye Mogg, while her Aztec consort was played by Arman Ferrer. Their love duet "Hush" showcased their rich vocals. The role of Juan Diego's ill old uncle Juan Bernardino was played by Onyl Torres, unrecognizable with his white disheveled wig.

The antagonist role of Gov. Nuno de Guzman was played by a true-blue Spaniard Kuya Manzano. He clearly played this evil role with relish. Tagging along with the Governor was his equally vicious "lapdog" Vargas, played by Miguel Vargas, who looking like a bald Khal Drogo. This surprised me because the last time I saw Vargas on stage was back in the 1990s when he played Paris in "Paris and Alexander" with Bart Guingona. These two bad guys had a featured song of their own entitled "Burn."

The ensemble of 20 Aztecs, Soldiers and Priests sang so beautifully behind the leads. Their vocals blanketed the stage with a carnival-like atmosphere for the festive scenes, and cathedral-like atmosphere during the divine scenes. A distinct group of four singers,namely Roxy Aldiosa, Mikee Baskinas, Paula Paguio and Ian Hermogenes, were had funny moments as the friendly neighborhood Gossipers.

The Cast at Curtain Call

(Vasquez, Ferrer, Martinez, Valderrama-Martinez, Laurel, Manzano)

The colorful Aztec tribal costumes, as well as Gov. Nuno's glittering finery, were designed by another revered veteran in the field, Ms. Celia Diaz Laurel. The armor and helmets of the Spanish soldiers, which looked very good, were designed by Ogie Reonal. Dance choreography was by Julie and Rose Borromeo, with fight choreography (including fencing!) by Miguel Vasquez. The geometric Aztec-inspired multi-tiered set, with the skeletal cathedral on the right side, were designed by Mio Infante. Lights by John Batalla and sound by Rards Corpus complete the essential stage elements. 

The book and the lyrics of this musical were written by Joel Trinidad. The music was composed by musical director Ejay Yatco. The music was very diverse with different moods, more traditional than Yatco's usual edgy tunes, merging exuberant Mexican beats with solemn church music, while influenced by Broadway showtunes  They got no less than Repertory Philippines grand dame Ms. Baby Barredo to be the overall director, and that is as veteran as you can get to stage an original English-language musical play like this. 

This is a wholesome, religious-themed musical complete with political intrigue and a love story, highly recommended for the whole family. No matter what your religion may be, that beautiful moment of the miracle of the Castillan roses and the image in Juan Diego's tilma will definitely move you, possibly to tears.


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The Julie Borromeo's Performing Arts Foundation Inc. production of "Guadalupe the Musical" runs from September 28 to October 14, 2018 at the Meralco Theater. Showtimes at 8 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Ticket prices are: PHP3,000.00 Orchestra Center, PHP2,500.00 Orchestra Sides, PHP2,000.00 Loge Center, PHP1,500.00 Loge Sides, and PHP1,000.00 Balcony. Watch out for discounts on certain show dates. 

Review of Sandbox and 9Works' LUNGS: Conversations of a Confused Couple

September 22, 2018

The Sandbox Collective, along with their partners 9 Works Theatrical, started the year with Vincent de Jesus' "Himala," an epic musical with a big cast of 40 actors. For their second offering for the year, they chose something on the other end of the theater spectrum, a intimate straight play with only two actors -- Duncan McMillan's "Lungs." 

The stage (original design by Jodinand Aguillon) of "Lungs" is very simple yet mesmerizing -- a huge cube lined by white fluorescent lights set in the middle of the auditorium. (Before the show, Sandbox artistic director Toff de Venecia called the cube the "Ribcage" of their "Lungs".) There were no other props. There were only two actors performing within the cube upon whom all our attention is drawn. They wore regular daily clothes, nothing fancy. There were no costume changes even if their story spanned years. It was 90 minutes (no intermission) of just listening to a couple and their conversations about their relationship.

The play all started with one innocent yet loaded question - - Man asks Woman if she wanted to have a baby with him. This question triggered the Woman to launch into a whole flight of ideas about her worthiness (or not) to become a mother in a world they currently live in, and the Man assuring her that she was. They would go on and discuss (friendly to heated) about various child-related topics from practical (the color of the nursery) to theoretical (the environmental impact of a child's carbon imprint).

The Initial Faceoff in the Cube

The twists and turns of their conversation would make the couple laugh and cry together as they shared their thoughts and apprehensions about various fearful issues and possibilities, and such as smoking, marriage, miscarriage, or adoption, or the child growing up to hate them. This Woman (a grad student) was really very thorough in her reflection, very neurotically so, but the Man (a struggling musician) stood by her as patiently as he could bear her quirky idiosyncrasies.

It was not surprising that the role of the Woman was the wordier one and showier one. Despite being in her first straight play, Sab Jose grabbed the horns of this bull of a role and impressively stayed on track the whole way as she rode the Woman's dramatic roller coaster of physical stress and emotional upheavals. She was so funny (and never missed a beat) in her excitable breathless mile-a-minute tirades about anything and everything, gratuitously peppered with the F word. On the other end, she made us feel her deep pain during her darker moments of guilt and misery.

Sab Jose and Jake Cuenca

I'm sure the bigger pressure was on her co-actor Jake Cuenca. Because he is a big name movie and TV star, people will be coming to watch this show mainly to see him act in his theater debut. While the Man started the ball rolling with his innocuous question, his role for the rest of the play was mostly reacting to the Woman's insecurities and doldrums. He did get to drop a number of surprise zinger punchlines of his own. There were some obvious first-day jitters in the performance and some unclear delivery of his tongue-twisting lines, but on the whole, Cuenca more than proved his worth as an actor. He nailed it, and he knew it. His relief was evident from his jubilant curtain call bows and smiles.

There would be several scene changes as time passed between the couple. The way the script was written, along with imaginative subtle changes in the blocking or the lights (by Miguel Panganiban), you would realize that the scene was already being reset to events of another day. The way to transition these shifts of scenes seamlessly was a great challenge to the director of this material. Certainly in this production, director Andrei Nikolai Pamintuan (and assistant director Caisa Borromeo) pulled it off to make the potentially rambling nature of the script stay focused and engaging.

Jose and Cuenca at their Curtain Call

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"LUNGS" will run from September 22 to October 7, 2018 with only 10 shows at the Power Mac Center Spotlight, Level 2 Circuit Lane, Circuit Makati. Showtime is at 8 pm on Sept. 22 and 29, Oct. 5 to 7; and 3 pm matinees on Sept. 22, 29 and 30, Oct. 6 and 7. Ticket prices are P1,200 and P1,000. In the Sept. 29 shows, the role of the Man will be performed by Gabs Santos. 

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UPDATE: JULY 15, 2023

As the first show of the Sandbox Collective after the pandemic, they decided to stage their last two successful plays, both one-act plays written by Duncan McMillan -- "Lungs" and "Every Brilliant Thing" as a twin-bill dubbed "Sandboxfest 2023."

"Lungs" was about the up and downs of a relationship of a couple which started when the topic of a possible baby together was brought up. The first time "Lungs" was staged in 2018, both actors were in their theater debuts -- Sab Jose and movie actor Jay Cuenca -- whose performances were met with critical acclaim. This time around, Sab Jose is back, but her partner this time around is Reb Atadero. The other cast is composed of Justine Pena and Brian Sy. 

The show I watched this afternoon was with Sab Jose and Red Atadero. This time, director Caisa Borromeo did away with the huge cube onstage inside which Jose and Cuenca did their version of the play before. This time, Jose and Atadero played in the central stage of a theater on the round. The effect was more electric than before, so you can feel the tension of their troubling conversations more. Sab Jose has matured since last I saw her in this role, the feelings and insecurities felt so real. Red Atadero was just so at ease with his character, so natural in his confusion and frustrations.

Review of Red Turnips' A DOLL'S HOUSE PART 2: Fiery Feminist Frankness

September 16, 2018

The last time the Red Turnips produced a play was March of 2017 with the disturbing "The Nether," a thought-provoking, even disturbing, play that the Turnips aimed to tell us. Since then however, they took a self-imposed hiatus of more than a year, before announcing their latest production, "A Doll's House Part 2." This play marked the debut performance of Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo in a Red Turnip production, as well as the debut of Cris Villonco to direct a play, the last Turnip to do so.

Henrik Ibsen's classic 1879 play "A Doll's House," Torvald and Nora Helman were a middle-class couple who lived in Norway during the 19th century, contemporary at that time. He was a banker and she was a housewife. They had three kids, namely Ivar. Bobby and Emmy. At the end of the play, Nora realized she had had enough of Torvald's narcissism and condescencion towards her, and decided to leave her family behind and find herself.

American playright Lucas Hnath wrote a sequel to "A Doll's House" in 2016. It debuted on Broadway in 2017, running from March to September.  The play had eight nominations at the 2017 Tony Award namely: Best Play, Best Director (Sam Gold), Best Lead Actor (Chris Cooper), Best Lead Actress (Laurie Metcalf), Best Actress in a Featured Role (Jayne Houdyshell and Condola Rashād), and Best Costume Design (David Zinn), with Metcalf bringing home the Tony.

Nora suddenly showed up at her former house 15 years after she left. Apparently, she had done very well for herself during all that time as a successful book author, writing about her own experiences and thoughts about married life as a woman. However a serious legal issue came up as a result of her writing. This forced her to return to request Torvald to settle something she thought he had been done years ago. Her visit also gave her opportunity to catch up with their old housekeeper Anne Marie and her grown-up daughter, Emmy.

Director Cris Villonco on the set of #ADHP2

(photo from the Red Turnips FB page)

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo was so dominating as the new and improved Nora, brimming with self-confidence and feministic pride. She got to deliver some of the most audaciously defiant lines of the play about women and marriage, which would be even more controversial during the time the play was set during the early 1900s. Lauchengco-Yulo's conviction in Nora's incendiary mutinous beliefs was so powerful that she sounded so scarily convincing. This is not an easy play for husbands to watch with their wives together.

Carlitos Siguion-Reyna played Torvald as an emotional mess of man seemingly still unable to move on from their separation. I only knew Siguion-Reyna as a director of films and plays, but this was the first time I had seen him onstage as an actor. His Torvald's fragile ego was out there for all of us to witness, and it can be painful. As a husband myself, I can actually see his points and where he is coming from. Haha! This is another reason why it may be risky for a couple to watch this play together, as post-play discussions could escalate into arguments. Be warned, it is that provocative.

Shiela Francisco was a delight as Anne Marie. She was initially so excited and welcoming to see Nora back as she was her ward first before Nora's kids. However, when Nora revealed her real reason for coming, Anne Marie began to squirm with discomfort. This later turns into disgust as Nora tried to further manipulate Anne Marie's own beliefs about marriage and leaving children behind. Nora was ruthless with Anne Marie, and Ms. Francisco's seemingly comically reactive facial expressions actually reflected our own bewilderment in Nora's pronouncements.

Rachel Coates played Emmy, the only character in this sequel completely of Hnath's creation since this character was still a small child in Ibsen's play. Emmy was self-assured in the presence of her mother's suprise visit, as relative newcomer Coates was unfazed to trade intense lines with the Queen of Philippine Theater herself. Emmy was not averse to do something under the table to settle the legal kinks, a direct reference to a similar illegal act Nora was involved in in the first play, in a sly bit of saying "like mother, like daughter." 

Siguion-Reyna, Lauchengco-Yulo, Francisco and Coates

during their curtain call

The set of the play (by Joey Mendoza) was not fancy, just a couple of chairs in a living room, a high ceiling with a chandelier and a couple of walls to indicate a doorway on one side and a hallway on the other. The actors would just move the chairs around to change things around a little once in a while, with the lights (by John Batalla) casting some dramatic shadows.

Basically, director Cris Villonco made sure that it was just the actors and those sharp dialogue they were delivering on that stage that riveted our attention. These were words that, beneath their seemingly humorous nature, will definitely shake our own perspectives about the hallowed sacrament of matrimony between men and women.



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"A Doll’s House, Part 2’ premiered last September 15, 2018 at the 70-seater Zobel De Ayala Recital Hall, on the second floor of the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City. It will run up to October 7, 2018. Showtimes at 8 pm on Fridays to Sundays, with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets at P1,500 and P1,200. 

Where your seat is located matters because the chairs are only on one level in each section. Therefore if you are seated at the back, your view will be partially obstructed as mine was by the tall guys in front of me. So do try to get your front row tickets early! And no, you do not really need to (re-)read Ibsen's "A Doll House" to fully appreciate this play.

Review of M. BUTTERFLY: Cross-Cultural Collisions

September 12, 2018

David Henry Hwang's "M. Butterfly" won the 1988 Tony Award for Best Play (for Hwang), Best Director (for John Dexter) and Best Featured Actor in a Play (for BD Wong in his Broadway debut as Song Liling). I had seen this play before way back 1990 in UP Diliman, when then 18-year old new actor named RS Francisco took on the role of Song Liling and made it his signature role for which he would be remembered up to now. 

This year, two years short of 30 years later, RS Francisco, now 46, takes on the challenge of playing his iconic role of Song Liling again in a new production of "M. Butterfly" produced by Jhett Tolentino (already an established producer on Broadway, USA) and Frontrow Entertainment (a fledgling production outfit venturing in its first theatrical project). Veteran director Kanakan-Balintagos will be handling the directorial chores.

A French diplomat to China named Rene Gallimard had an extra-marital affair to a young attractive Chinese opera singer named Song Liling. Their clandestine affair went on for 30 years both in China, and later on in France. Apparently, despite the intimacy of their relationship, Gallimard never knew the biggest secret of his "perfect woman" until it blew up in his face in a major way -- costing him his career, his love and his freedom.

The Cast at their Curtain Call

(L-R: O'Brien, Nepomuceno, Estanera, Francisco, Borten, Amador and McLeod)

I did not remember how demanding the role of Gallimard was until I saw him performed again last night. The play was practically a monologue for the entire length of the show with Gallimard breaking the fourth wall telling us his story, with small vignettes of his life being portrayed on the side. French teacher / actor Olivier Borten was very authentic as he embodied how the socially-awkward Gallimard was supposed to look and sound. He delivered Gallimard's lengthy lines with a wry dorky sense of dry humor which made him oddly endearing, and his fate sadder.

RS Francisco still had the same androgynous look that made him own this role 28 years ago. Gallimard supposedly met Song as a teenager, so you had to suspend disbelief in a major way to believe that Francisco was one. However, Francisco's obvious age also gave his Song a maturity that gave this whole show a different dynamic and vibe. His gently intoned delivery of Song's lines had the requisite ambiguity required of this role. Without fancy dresses and makeup in Act 2, Francisco even actually looked younger, even if these scenes were set 30 years into their relationship. 

Stage veteran Pinky Amador played Helga, the older woman Gallimard felt pressured to marry. Lee O'Brien played Gallimard's friend Marc as a self-conscious male chauvinist pig. Norman McLeod played Gallimard's superior Ambassador Toulon with a balance of authority and naughtiness. Mayen Estanero was a vicious Comrade Chen, with her cartoonish Chinese accent. Vivacious and attractive Maya Encila was bold and perky as the liberated party girl Renee. Rica Nepomuceno and her crystalline soprano was a dominant presence on stage as the Opera Singer.

Press Premiere Photo Op of the cast 

with director Kanakan Balintagos and producer Jhett Tolentino

The stage design was designed by Ohm David was striking in its Oriental theme, using several giant Japanese fans with different patterns moving all over the stage for various purposes. The highlight of Eric Pineda's costume designs were the spectacularly rich and ornate Chinese opera costumes and evening gowns of Song Liling. Very active in various productions all over town these days, John Batalla, Jethro Joaquin and Joed Balsamo efficiently took care of the lighting, sound and musical score, respectively, to create the atmosphere of deceit and drama that pervaded the story. 

Running at almost three hours long (with a 15-minute interval), "M. Butterfly" is a lengthy play and it can feel its length at times. The story in the first act unfolded at a languid pace as the various characters were being introduced one by one. While some viewers may find the dialogue old-fashioned and melodramatic, more patient audiences will be able appreciate the nostalgia factor and the implied wit within David Henry Hwang's script about the conflicts between genders and between cultures. The pace of the story-telling picked up in the second act and director Kanakan Balintagos kept it riveting one intense scene after the other, up to that heart-rending ending. 


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"M. Butterfly" runs from September 13 to 30, 2018 at the GLOBE AUDITORIUM of the MAYBANK PERFORMING ARTS THEATER, BGC Arts Center, 26th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City. Showtimes are at 8 pm on Thursdays to Sundays (and some additional weekdays), with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Ticket prices at ₱2,000, ₱1,750, ₱1,500, ₱1,250 and ₱1,000. 

Each show is said to be 100% non-profit. All proceeds from ticket sales go to charity. Each night, during the curtain call, they give a symbolic check to the beneficiary of the performance.