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
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| 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.
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| City of |
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
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.
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| 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
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
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
