Monday, November 07, 2011

The CCP Gala

I’ve had a busy night at the Cultural Center of the Philippines to witness two events that showcased the talent and ingenuity of the Filipino people. One event featured the resident performing companies of the CCP in a show called the CCP Gala. But before this showcase of talent, I first went to an event that highlighted the creativity and craftsmanship of the residents of Pampanga through their Christmas lanterns that were lit to signal the start of the holiday season at the CCP.

Ceremonial Lighting of the Parul Sampernandu on the CCP Façade


The Christmas season at the CCP got off to a rainy start during the SULÛ: The Lanterns of San Fernando, Pampanga, the ceremonial lighting of the lanterns adorning the CCP Façade. The outpour of rain didn’t dampen the festive atmosphere at the CCP Front Lawn with music courtesy of the Magsilbi Tamu Brass Band 919 and the City of San Fernando Choir.

Magsilbi Tamu Brass Band 919

The crowd, a huge number of them coming all the way from Pampanga, braved the rains and huddled under umbrellas during the proceedings. Gracing the ceremony were Raul Sunico (CCP President), Chris Millado (CCP Vice President-Artistic Director) and Hon. Oscar S. Rodriguez (Mayor of San Fernando, Pampanga) and they kept their remarks and messages short due to the weather.

City of San Fernando Choir

But this event was really all about the lanterns that were finally lit during this ceremony. Prior to the lighting, the lights at the Main Lobby and surrounding areas weren’t turned on making the area look bleak and dreary. But once the switch was turned on and the eight foot lanterns adorning the building were lit, everything turned bright and cheery despite the rains. And that signaled me to climb up the ramp and head over to the Main Theater Lobby for the CCP Gala.

The CCP Gala

Featuring:
Ballet Philippines
Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company
National Music Competitions for Young Artists
Philippine Ballet Theatre
Philippine Madrigal Singers
Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra
Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group
Tanghalang Pilipino
University of Santo Tomas Symphony Orchestra

As I climbed the ramp and reached the entrance to the Main Theater Lobby, the delegates of the Federation for Asian Cultural Promotion Annual Conference were also getting inside as well. And they were greeted by the splendidly lit lanterns outside which set the mood perfectly for the CCP Gala at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). I almost knew next to nothing as to what the nine resident companies had in store for this evening so my interest in this show was really high. All I knew was that this show was in line with the FACP Conference and would also serve as the launch of the CCP Membership Program. Right before the show started, a small rondalla group entertained the audience at the lobby.

The audience and I soon found out what this show was all about once it started with a wedding of sorts. Hosts Riki Benedicto and Jonathan Tadioan of Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company said that in the course of the show, a wedding took place between the arts and the public and that the members of the audience are the Godparents who are expected to show their support to the newlyweds via the CCP Membership Program.

The first number for the evening was a very interesting presentation by the DepEd Bulacan Performing Arts Group conducted by Marquez Cartel. This group was one of the national winners in the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Traditional Music Ensemble competition and they performed a piece called Desposoryo which is a traditional wedding ritual in Bulacan performed immediately right after the wedding. The number had it all: music (performed by singers and the rondalla who played at the lobby before), dancing and oratory (balagtasan). I admit that I wasn’t able to fully comprehend what was being said but it was really interesting to see this kind of production.

Then it was the UST Symphony Orchestra’s turn as they played a mash up of Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika and Anak by Ryan Cayabyab and Freddie Aguilar respectively. Since this show featured multiple performers, the orchestra conducted by Herminigildo Ranera performed at the pit floor area while the stage curtain was down in preparation for the next numbers. Despite my reservations with this orchestra in previous performances, they met my expectations this evening and their hard work showed.

The next company to perform was the Philippine Ballet Theatre and they did some excerpts from Ang Buhay which was a crowd pleaser. Set to the tune of OPM songs played by a piano, the excerpts featured dances by a solo ballerina (Sayaw ni Tina), a solo danseur (Sayaw ni Pedro), a duet (Sayaw ng Mag-Syota) and the whole company (Sayaw ng Barkada). The combination of popular tunes with a not so strictly classical style made this number very popular among the audience.

Philippine Ballet Theatre

The USTSO performed once again and this time, they did a medley of tunes from the musical Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I admit that this number felt out of place since this broke the all Filipino repertoire that the show had until this came along. But still, the orchestra, composed mainly with students from the University of Sto. Tomas with some reinforcements from the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra really stepped up for this evening.

After this was the turn of Tanghalang Pilipino and they presented an excerpt from their recent hit Noli Me Tangere. Riki Benedicto and Gian Magdangal reprised their roles as Elias and Crisostomo Ibarra with the number Ang Paglalamay sa Lawa. Some members of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company joined them as they played the part of the chorus. It was very interesting to see even just a small portion of Noli performed at the Main Theater and I was glad to see Gian perform this role as well.

Ending the first half of the show was the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group. Performing Kailihan: Echoes from the Mountain Range, the company provided much information regarding the people from the northern regions of the Philippines through their costumes, music and dances. I haven’t seen any performances by this company before and I was glad that I’ve had the opportunity to do so during this gala. I was very much impressed by the variety and diversity of the culture of the communities up north and I felt a bit bad when I realized that it took this long for me to be aware of them.

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Herminigildo Ranera once again, opened the second act by playing Dance of the Comedians from The Bartered Bride by Bedřich Smetana. Again, I found it an odd choice since it was another departure from the predominantly all Filipino repertoire. I guess that they needed to play a short piece with an upbeat mood to start the second half and this was it.

Ballet Philippines was the next company to perform and award winning BP dancing couple Candice Adea and Jean Marc Cordero gave a teaser of the company’s upcoming production of Sleeping Beauty. I had to set aside my reservations about this number not being Filipino in nature since I simply adore Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s music and I was interested in watching the pas de deux from this ballet. I initially wondered if the two would go on and dance the variations and the coda and thankfully they did. But it wasn’t enough for me and I now want to watch the whole production coming this December. And right after that, Earl John Arisola, Emmanuelle Guillermo, Timothy Cabrera and Lester Reguindin danced Moriones which was one of the most applauded numbers of the gala.

Ballet Philippines' Moriones

Finally, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra played something by a local composer as they played the Igorot Rhapsody by Angel Peña. They played this piece during their last concert and thankfully, the orchestra was at the pit floor so I had a better view of all the various percussion instruments used in this piece. And hearing this unfamiliar piece the second time around in such a short span of time made me notice the themes more and I appreciated the piece more as well.

And then it was time for some singing courtesy of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, considered as one of the best choirs in the world. They sang three songs: Caritas Et Amor by Z. Randall Stroope, Koyu No Te Bulul by Eudenice Palaruan and Imagine by John Lennon. Some members of the audience starting to applaud the Madz even before the last note ended. I would normally raise my eyebrows with this but the mood for this evening was different, more joyous and more celebratory that a breach of concert etiquette didn’t seem like a huge deal.

The last resident company that performed was the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company. They did a Fiesta Extravaganza presentation that highlighted the colors and rhythms of the Philippine Islands. I admit that what I saw was not the typical folk dance that I would normally expect. The costumes, dance movements and props had modern touches in it and I think that this goes to show that folk dances do evolve over the years and do not remain stagnant. A standout among the dancers was actress Ina Feleo who surprised many since her dance background is relatively unknown.

Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company

The next two numbers were a collaboration of the various companies. The first was Siyudad, composed by Von de Guzman and played by the PPO while all the dance companies performed on stage. The finale was the Philippine Madrigal Singers singing Kulturang Pilipino, Alay sa Mundo (CCP Hymn) accompanied by the PPO again with all the performers on stage.

The CCP Gala was successful in showcasing the immense talent of the CCP resident companies. And the mood right after the show was that of a celebration which made me look back a few months ago when everything was uncertain and most of these companies were asking for support in the midst of the controversy surrounding CCP and the threats of budget cuts. But this time around, the performers were all smiles at the lobby as they met and greeted the members of the audience after the show. I do hope that the CCP Membership Program also got to a good start with this event since the performing arts really need the support of everyone. Many claim that the Filipinos are world class, then it’s time to give them world class support as well.

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