The APO Hiking Society joins Sugarfree,
Aegis, Francis Magalona, and yes, even that most iconic 90’s Pinoy band as some
of the local acts whose vast music catalog has contributed to the recent boom
of the Filipino jukebox musical.
 |
| Mark Bautista |
Long overdue, the music of the
APO will be now heard on stage with Eto
Na! Musikal nAPO!, the first ever new material presentation of Globe Live
and 9 Works Theatrical happening this August 3-26, 2018 at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
 |
| Rita Daniela |
Formed in 1969 and retired as a
group in 2010, the APO Hiking Society, made up of Danny Javier, and Jim Paredes,
and Boboy Garrovillo, is considered as one of the pioneers in the Philippine
music industry releasing records back in the 1970’s that used the local
language and had Filipino sensibilities. Prior to that, records released by
local artists were heavily influenced by Western music. So with APO’s undeniable
contribution to the Philippine music history in their illustrious four decade
career, it’s about time for their songs to be given new life on the theater
stage.
 |
| Jobim Javier and Sab Jose |
And the wheels for this new
musical were set into motion by Robbie Guevara, librettist and director of Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! and a proud fan
of the APO. Guevara recalls that the seeds for this production was planted
through Garrovillo, who suggested creating a musical using their songs while
the two worked together in Grease
back in 2013. And when it came to the point when Globe Live and 9 Works
Theatrical were ready to mount their first ever original Filipino musical after
a string of hits with licensed shows like Green Day's American
Idiot, A Christmas Carol, and Disney's Newsies, this baby of Guevara was
already past the conception stage.
 |
| Jon Philippe Go |
The musical, very loosely based
on the origins of the APO, follows a group of seven college friends during the
1970’s working on to win a songwriting and singing competition. Along the way,
they experience the ups and downs of life, falling in and out of love, all in
the midst of the harsh reality of that time which is the Martial Law.
 |
| Alfritz Blanche and Marika Sasaki |
Leading the cast is Mark Bautista, who has already a handful of musicals in his belt, most notably Here Lies Love that was staged at the West
End and at the Seattle Repertory. The rest of the septet are Jon Philippe Go,
Jobim Javier, Alfritz Blanche, Jef Flores, Jon Abella, and Vyen Villanueva.
Joining them as the people in their lives are Rita Daniela, Marika Sasaki, Sab
Jose, Raul Montesa and Neomi Gonzales. Gian Gloria, Shalee, Peachy
Atilano-Guevara, Anton Posadas, Jourdan Bartolome, and Derrick Gozos complete
the cast.
 |
| The cast of Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! |
Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is a brand new musical featuring the music is
of Danny Javier, Jim Paredes, and Boboy Garrovillo with musical arrangement and
orchestration by Daniel Bartolome and Orly dela Cruz. The creative team is led
by librettist and director Robbie Guevara, along with Jonjon Martin as
dramaturg, Dingdong Rosales as assistant director, Daniel Bartolome as musical
director, PJ Rebullida as choreographer, Shakira Villa Symes as lighting
designer, Joey Mendoza as set designer, Eric Pineda as costume designer, Dong
Calingacion as technical director, Rards Corpus as sound designer Myrene Santos
as hair and makeup designer, Ronan Ferrer as vocal supervisor, and Cathy
Azanza-Dy as stage coach.
 |
| Mark Bautista |
The musical runs from August 3-26
at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, located at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig
with evening performances at 8:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays and matinee
performances at 3:00 PM on Saturdays and Sundays.
