Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela

In line with Andres Bonifacio’s 150^th birth anniversary happening on the November 30, 2013, productions commemorating this milestone are part of several performing companies’ offerings for this season. And the first Bonifacio themed show that I was able to see was Philippine Stagers Foundation’s latest musical entitled Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela.

This new musical boasts the same creative team of Atty. Vincent Tañada (writer and director) and Pipo Cifra (composer) who were also the brains behind PSF’s previous musicals like Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale and Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical. After seeing a performance at the SM City NORTH EDSA, I think that Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela is clearly the best among the three musicals that I’ve seen so far from this theater company.

Unlike their previous two musicals, Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela stuck mostly to the story of the rise and fall of Andres Bonifacio (Vince Tañada), known as the El Supremo of the Katipunan who led the revolution against the Spaniards during the late 19^th century. Gone this time are the fictitious characters whose own stories ran parallel to the main historical character as seen in Cory and Joe. This meant that there were no present day characters to serve as the narrators and also as the audience’s eyes to the historical moments shown in the musical. What is left is a more straightforward and yet gripping narrative littered with historical figures like Gregoria de Jesus (Cindy Liper), Emilio Aguinaldo (Jordan Ladra), Hilaria Aguinaldo (Monique Azerreda), Emilio Jacinto (Patrick Libao), and Macario Sakay (Chin Ortega) that aimed to shed light on how Bonifacio’s demise could possibly had been at the hands of his fellow countrymen.

This doesn’t mean that the signature elements one has learned to expect from a PSF production were no longer there. Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela is still a visual spectacle with energetic choreography, and a dazzling and triumphant finale.

During the performance that I was able to catch, Tañada and Libao did an impromptu scene, much to my surprise, to perk up the audience made up mostly of students. This humorous bit of fluff did liven up the audience but for me, it broke the flow of the story which has already gotten more serious and compelling at that point. I guess that in an ideal world when the theater audience is more mature, this deviation from the original material will not be needed anymore. I do think that the work’s darker mood felt that this musical could no longer qualify as a sarswela which is typically light and comedic. But this dark turn, and the more serious nature of Bonifacio, Isang Sarswela, was definitely a step in the right direction for PSF if you ask me.

Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical

Patrick Libao as Jose Rizal

I’m still at awe at how the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF) and its roster of actors could keep up with such a grueling performance schedule of sometimes having five performances a day. After doing just that for many months during their previous production of Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale all over the country, the company gears for another monumental run with their newest offering, Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical. And I was once again very fortunate to see this musical production during their press preview performance at the St. Cecilia’s Hall at St. Scholastica’s College.

This musical, written and directed by PSF artistic director Atty. Vince Tañada tackles the story of national hero Jose Rizal and explores his human and vulnerable side rarely touched upon by textbooks. Again, Tañada juxtaposed Rizal, played by Patrick Libao with various characters from the current period acting as foils the life of the Philippines’ national hero. The characters in the present day are Vince Tañada as the playwright Joecas, Cindy Liper as the researcher Joanne, Jordan Ladra as the music director Hunter, Kierwin Larena as choreographer Bimbo, Adelle Ibarrientos as the costume designer Julia and Chin Ortega as the set designer Ambo. These characters were high school friends who met up once again after many years to create  a new musical about Jose Rizal upon Joecas and Joanne’s invitation. In the process of brainstorming, researching and conceptualizing for the musical, friendships are tested, unresolved issues resurface and old love rekindled. These scenes were presented alongside scenes of Rizal at the time when his romance with Josephine Bracken and the fate of the Philippines as well were at a major turning point.

The production of the musical in the story encounters a major hurdle when Joecas strives for artistic freedom and expression much to the chagrin of Joanne who is all for historical accuracy. This in turn made for the pivotal message of the entire play on what one is willing to give up in exchange for a higher ideal or principle. During the production of the musical, several points were raised about who Jose Rizal and Josephine Bracken really are. Questions further came to fore on what was really known about these two, about their actual relationship, about what they did and also in what they did not do. The conflict between Joecas and Joanne in the present time somehow paralleled the dilemma faced by Rizal and Josephine as Rizal had to choose between his love for country and his love for his woman.

One thing that Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical succeeded on was sparking interest in Rizal. Normally, people only know of him through what had been taught to them in school. But this knowledge is severely limited depending only on the textbook that was supplied and the teacher in charge of the subject. This production raised a lot of questions and possibly even courted some controversies especially on the depiction of Josephine Bracken.

On the other hand, there were some things in the production that left me cringing in my seat. I do understand that the core audience of PSF’s productions are students in their teens so there are scenes that were catered to them and their sensibilities. The jokes especially the ones laced with sexual innuendos felt juvenile for me. There were also some scenes that were placed to elicit laughter that I felt didn’t serve to move the plot or provide characterization. But these scenes proved to be a hit among the predominantly high school student audience during the performance that I viewed. So I guess that it's a case of me being too old for their sense of humor.

The cast of Joe: A Filipino Rock'sical

The writing process of Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical was also a major eye opener for me. It was only during the press conference after the show that I learned that the songs (lyrics by Tañada, music by Pipo Cifra) making up the production numbers were the first to be written even before the final script was made. I initially thought that this was just another exception in the company's creative process but I was mistaken since the previous production Cory ng EDSA also went through the same thing. With such a demanding performance schedule, coupled with an unconventional way of writing  musicals and still garnering numerous Awit Awards in the end, it’s truly no wonder that I am still at awe with the Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF), truly a David among the Goliaths in the Philippine theater scene.

Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale at SM North EDSA

Glory Ann Nacional as Cory Aquino

I’ve had my second viewing of Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale when the Philippine Stagers Foundation invited me to catch its run over at the SM City North EDSA. I was a bit tentative coming in to the cinema since I knew that I’d be watching among students who might not be the best audience to watch a play. Fortunately, these students were at their best behavior which left me impressed.

This time around, the lead roles of Cory Aquino and Peter were played by the alternates Glory Ann Nacional and Patrick Libao and I was very interested to see how they tackled their respective roles. The first thing that I noticed was that Glory Ann Nacional had a very powerful and dramatic voice. And I was very surprised when she shifted to an operatic voice and a soprano at that during one of the soaring numbers late in the program wherein the whole company sang. I also noticed that her dancing was a bit lethargic and she seemed to be behind a bit with the choreography but then I found out after the show that she was sick and yet the show must go on. Her movement may have been hampered by sickness but her singing was still spot on. It was a bit odd at first to see a Cory with such conviction in her singing but I guess that this was balanced by the more laidback vocals from Patrick Libao. I think that it would be too much vocal power if Nacional was paired with Vincent Tañada, the other Peter who is also the show’s writer and director.

There were some things that I’ve noticed during this run that was different from the performance that I saw before. First, there were some scenes that were cut and the pacing got noticeably faster. I guess that they’ve decided to trim the show down into two hours. But in the process, I felt that pauses and moments of silence had to go in order to quicken the pace. There was a scene when Edsa found the truth about his parents and it was a sad realization. The audience wasn’t given the opportunity to take that moment in and also feel sad for the boy because the next scene came rushing in.

Patrick Libao as Peter

Another thing that I noticed was the reaction of the audience composed mainly of kids. They responded positively to the jokes and the pick up lines delivered by the actors. Personally, I think that I am already too old for these kinds of jokes and I was left cringing on how cheesy they were. But the kids also responded well to the other parts of the play like after the end of each musical number and especially during the finale when a portion of Bayan Ko was sung as Cory’s coffin was being carried. And I agreed with the kids on these parts since they were indeed highlights of the show.

I am grateful to Philippine Stagers Foundation for allowing me to see this musical again. The performance that I saw ran smoothly and I think that they’ve gotten over the bugs and kinks of the production since they’ve been staging this for at least two months already. I still couldn’t get over knowing that they sometimes have up to five shows a day and that having just two shows means a light day for them. 

Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale

Cindy Liper as Cory Aquino

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the ongoing Cinemalaya, I still managed to drop by the St. Cecilia’s Hall at St. Scholastica’s College to catch the press preview of the Philippine Stagers Foundation’s production of Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale. I admit that I was very much surprised when I saw the theater company’s profile. The company, headed by Atty. Vincent Tañada has been around for a decade already with an impressive number of productions already staged. But they’ve remained low key compared to other theater companies out there despite some of their members and productions garnering several Aliw Awards. But now, they are ready to take the limelight as they enter their second decade with their season opening musical about the life of one of the most important figures in recent Philippine history.

Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale, a sequel to the company’s most successful production Ako si Ninoy, stars PSF homegrown talent Cindy Liper who is reprising the role of Cory Aquino. The musical written and directed by Vincent Tañada, with music by Pipo Cifra and choreography by John San Antonio recounts several key moments in the life of the former president starting from the assassination of her husband Ninoy Aquino up to the time of her death. Also starring in this musical is Vince Tañada who plays the role of Peter, a reporter who covers the said events in Cory’s life. Rounding up the main cast are PSF company members Gabby Bautista, Jordan Ladra, Adelle Ibarrientos-Lim, Alex Dorola, Monique Azerreda and Chris Lim who play the various people whose lives were affected, touched and inspired by Cory Aquino. Glory Ann Nacional and Patrick Libao alternate as Cory Aquino and Peter respectively.

The chorus

Cory was very much known for her simple life which may not be an interesting enough material for a musical spectacle such as this. But Tañada remedied this by running her story alongside that of Peter and the rest of the characters whose stories provided the melodrama. Peter getting afflicted with a disease that made him move involuntarily was a nice touch since it further highlighted the stability, calmness and composure of Cory. This juxtaposition was very effective in showing the character of Cory in the play. Even the music remained true and consistent as Liper’s vocal parts were limited to a reassuring alto range while the vocal fireworks were delegated to the strong tenor of Tañada and the impeccable chorus.

The main cast

The musical production numbers were very interesting as almost all of them were extended medleys depicting montage scenes. These numbers showcased various music genres, costume changes and stylized choreography performed with such aplomb by the chorus. And in rare occasions, even Cory joined in the dancing. One notable song in the musical is Naaalala Kita, which is structured like a pop song primed for some radio airplay. The song is indeed catchy and I wouldn’t be surprised if audience members leave the theater humming the melody of this song. Consequently, an original cast recording of the musical will be released by Viva Records and that it will also include a pop version of Naaalala Kita by Nikki Bacolod.

The whole company

Cory ng EDSA, a Filipino Musicale is very much different from the plays that I’ve seen during the recently concluded Virgin Labfest. But productions such as this and the others that have been staged by the Philippine Stagers Foundation provide variety and can further make the theater scene here more vibrant. And the company is poised to do just that as Cory ng EDSA will be staged until March 2012 having runs at SM Centerpoint, SM North EDSA, Tanghalang Pasigueño and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.