Noli Me Tangere, the Opera: posing a challenge from page to stage

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 60^th 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.