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| The cast and creative team of Noli Me Tangere, the Opera |
Two thoughts lingered on my mind
once the curtains came down on the opening night gala performance of 60th
Anniversary production of Noli MeTangere, the Opera by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, J&S
Productions, Inc. in cooperation with the Ayala First Foundation. First was
that it must have been a Herculean task undertaken by composer Felipe de Leon
and librettist Guillermo Tolentino in adapting the source novel written by Jose
Rizal into an opera. And second, boy was I glad to have reread the novel prior
to this!
With a story that is more complex
and far reaching compared to other operas that I’ve seen before, Noli Me
Tangere demands a lot from the audience and dutifully rewards those who are
familiar with the novel. More than just the doomed love story of Crisostomo
Ibarra and Maria Clara, the opera also features a handful of major and minor
characters, subplots weaving in and out, and an abundance of symbolisms while
many details from the novel are left implied. Staging this must’ve been equally
staggering for first time director Jerry Sibal who also handled scenic and
costume design duties.
Much has been said about the
scenic design of this new staging even before the opera started its run. Boasting
of 16 set changes, front and rear projections, and considered the grandest that
the CCP has ever had for an opera, my expectations were set high. And I wasn’t
disappointed. Noli’s sets were a vast improvement over the drab and uninspired
sets from Tosca in 2015, the last opera that was staged at the CCP prior to
this. But with such numerous changes, some set pieces like Sisa’s hut, was
underutilized that it was almost extraneous.
But this is opera and the sets,
no matter how impressive they are, should take a back seat to the real stars of
the show: the next generation singers. Leading the cast was tenor Ronan Ferrer who was able to
meet the vocal demands as Crisostomo Ibarra but was rather stiff in the acting
department. Soprano Jade Riccio easily fit the role of Maria Clara with
her exquisite looks and pleasant timbre. making up for what she lacks in
projection especially with her mid and lower registers. Baritone John-Andrew
Fernandez was a menacing Padre Damaso, ruthless towards Ibarra but surprisingly
affectionate towards Maria Clara.
Stealing the show nonetheless was
Stephanie Aguilar as the beleaguered mother Sisa. Her aria Awit ng Gabi ni Sisa showcased her agile coloratura that brought
the house down. She was a hard act to follow but up to the task was Noel Comia,
Jr., playing Sisa’s son Basilio, who continued to grip the audience with his
solo. Noel was a late addition to the cast for the original Basilio, Mari
Yapjoco got ill days before opening night. One of the few veterans among the
cast, Greg de Leon as Elias, capped with passion the plight of the oppressed in
the opera. And it was during this part towards the end of the opera, focusing
on those belonging to the lower echelons of society, when the emotions ran high
that had the audience very much affected.
Seeing and hearing something for
the first time is always a challenge for me and Noli Me Tangere, the Opera was no exception. Only familiar with
just two arias, Maria Clara’s Kay Tamis
ng Buhay and Sisa’s Awit ng Gabi ni
Sisa, it was tough listening to the rest of the music while keeping tabs of
what’s going on stage. It would’ve helped me a lot had I’ve seen the 2014
Resorts World production or had there been a recording of the entire opera. I
envy the members of the newly formed Noli Symphony Orchestra, conducted by
Herminigildo Ranera to have been immersed with the music during the course of
this production.
The opera resumes its run this
week until February 3, 2017. Finally, Mari Yapjoco takes to the stage as
Basilio. I also hope that the opening night’s technical issues and miscues will
be sorted out then. If not for an already packed schedule, I would’ve loved to
catch the opera again, see and hear a different set of leads and sink my teeth
further into the material.
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