If Mabini were alive, he’d be exposing flood control corruption

‘Mabining Mandirigma’ the musical is on its final weekend, until March 29, at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, CCP Complex, Pasay.

Mabining Mandirigma the musical opens with composer-musical arranger Joed Balsamo, dressed in a James Reyes-and-Daniel Gregorio-designed long steampunk suit, with coattails and kilt,  walking to the upright piano. He sits at the piano to play the Overture, his untied shoulder-length hair covering half his face. We feel like we’re in the time of Mozart and Beethoven. 

It’s the fifth installment of the steampunk musical on the life and role of Apolinario Mabini in Philippine history. Written by playwright Nicanor Tiongson and directed by Chris Millado, the story exposes the same problems that have beset our nation since the time of our founding fathers. There are so-called leaders who prioritize self-interest and ambitions, motivated by greed, the traitors and turncoats. And there are a few like Mabini, whose main purpose in life is to lead for the betterment of our country, to achieve freedom for his countrymen, not only from foreign rule, but also from poverty and ignorance, “to rise above class, region, and self-interest in order to build a nation.”

Since its debut in 2015 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Little Theater, Emilio Aguinaldo’s role has been entrusted to two of the finest musical theater actors—heartthrob tenors David Ezra and Arman Ferrer, who by now must have the musical in their DNA. (We believe they can sing the songs even in their sleep.) 

Watching the two during the first and second weekend run, we can say they’ve perfected their act.  

Mabini’s role was originated by Delphine Buencamino in the debut run in July, 2015. Liesl Batucan took over the role in the two stagings in 2016, first during its run from February to March and the rerun in December when Hazel Maranan joined as understudy. Maranan has blood lineage to Mabini. (In a feature story we wrote for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, she told us her grandfather, the late Pablo Maranan, “traces his roots to Mabini’s mother, Dionisia Maranan.”)

Maranan was alternate to Monique Wilson in the 2019 run.

In the 2026 edition, Shaira Opsimar plays Mabini, with Anya Evangelista as understudy. 

Opsimar’s theatrical credits include lead roles in hit musicals like the PETA’s (Philippine Educational Theater Association) Rak of Aegis and Walang Aray. Her interpretation of the role of Marga, the lady love of Faust in Nelsito Gomez-Basti Artadi’s rock opera adaptation of Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s Faust, Part 1 at the Arete, has been praised by critics. 

This soprano’s vocal range makes the difference, and her overall performance has been one of the major highlights in the ongoing Mabining Mandirigma. 

Millado also makes good use of AI, like when we see the projected image of Mark Twain on stage speaking his lines. 

Millado told The Diarist.ph the stage at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez is smaller than the CCP Little Theater which is still under renovation.  This benefits the audiences, because the new set design by Toym Imao creates a more intimate experience. The same adjustment was made in the choreography by Denisa Reyes who’s now US-based, effectively executed by co-choreographer Richardson Yadao. 

Balsamo would like to clear some misconceptions since the first run. Some people say the musical score borrows a lot from Hamilton. He told TheDiarist.ph: “Many think na ginaya namin ang (copied) Hamilton. But Hamilton opened off-Broadway in February 2015 before it moved to the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway in August 2015 for their official premiere.  At that time, di pa ganun ka-high tech ang internet (no high-tech internet) where we could get to hear some of the songs kasi di pa na-release ang (haven’t been released) official soundtrack. So, the only way was to actually fly to New York City and watch the show.  But the world premiere of Mabining Mandirigma was on July 3, 2015 at CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.  We had our official world premiere before Hamilton did, and this should quash speculations na ginaya (copied) ng Mabini ang Hamilton.

‘We had our official world premiere first before Hamilton did, and this should quash speculations na ginaya ng Mabini ang Hamilton,’ said composer-musical arranger Joed Balsamo

“This was mentioned to me during the development of the Mabini material in early 2015, and I purposely avoided anything that would lead me to listen to Hamilton kasi siguradong ma-influence ako nun,” he added. “Instead, I decided to listen to several steampunk-inspired musicals, and I only took ideas in terms of instrumentation/orchestration and arrangement. As for the melody, I just relied on my research about the musical styles from the 1890s until Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera.” 

“Eventually, I was able to listen to Hamilton. Iba pa rin ang (different) approach, although the procedure in execution may have been similar. Then again, I had no access to that material while I was creating Mabining Mandirigma between February and June 2015,” Balsamo continued. 

“Of course, hindi nawala ang (didn’t lose) snippets from the Philippine National Anthem, which is clearly heard in the first two songs in Act 1. But of course, there’s the usual Dok Nic (Tiongson) trademark in the use of English songs but with different lyrics, like in Battle Hymn of the Republic, which used the anti-imperial texts of Mark Twain. I also included the famous Hallelujah motif of Handel (from his oratorio The Messiah) pero naka-tweak para mag-swak sa (in sync with) ‘Glory, glory hallelujah’ segment,” he said. 

“Lastly, yung sa Guam nightmare that featured an excerpt from the opera Sangdugong Panaginip with original Spanish libretto by Pedro Paterno and music by Ladislao Bonus, totoong opera yun (really opera).  Baka akala ng marami ay imbento lang yan (Some might think it was invented). It’s actually a one-act opera with five scenes, and what was presented in Mabining Mandirigma was the fifth scene.  It was the first Philippine opera in Tagalog,translated by Roman G. Reyes.  It may be possible na ginawa muna ni (could have composed) Ladisalo Bonus ang music from Paterno’s Spanish text, tapos nilapat na lang ang Tagalog translation, which may explain kung bakit may works na hindi ‘correct’ ang syllabication or pronunciation.  So, yung mash-up ng Philippine and American national anthems, kagagawan yan ni (done by) Ladislao Bonus,” Balsamo concluded. 

We asked him, why use an upright piano, not baby grand?

“The reason why we chose that, that’s prominent instrument at the turn of the 20th century,” Balsamo said. “We chose the upright piano because the audiences would see the inner workings in the instrument, like striking the hammer strings or plucking the strings.  If we use a baby grand piano, people won’t see those inner workings. With a live piano, the over-all arrangement had to be adjusted so as to highlight the piano, but the steampunk feel is still there.”

While we’re on it, we would also like to clear some well-meaning misconception that there’s an unwritten rule in Tanghalang Pilipino that no male lead is more goodlooking than associate artistic director Marco Viaña, who plays the Ilustrado and member of the ensemble. This question was asked during the launch of TP’s 39th season at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez several months ago.

First to answer in jest was Vic Robinson, who played Emilio Jacinto in TP’s season opener, the rerun of Pingkian, which tackles the life of Emilio Jacinto.  

“Oo nga no? Bakit parang gini-gatekeep ni Marco ang looks department ng TP (Yes, why is Marco gatekeeping the looks department)?” Robinson told TheDiarist.ph. “Kailangan na ng rebolusyon (We need a revolution)!” he joked, mimicking Emilio Jacinto. 

Fernando “Tata Nanding” Josef, TP’s longest-serving artistic director, told us: “That is fake news. Our guideline in looking for actors in the Actors’ Company is, get those who can play lead and supporting actor. One should have a wide range in terms of character actor capabilities. And during our last auditions, TP’s decision was to look for intelligent actors who can really act, dance, and sing. Not arrogant, not so full of themselves, and someone who can teach in workshops.

‘During our last auditions, TP’s decision was to look for intelligent actors who can really act, dance, and sing. Not arrogant, not so full of themselves, and someone who can teach in workshops,’ said TP artistic director Nanding Josef

“Marco is not conscious of his good looks. What’s important to him and to us is the attitude, how one deals with people, more than physical appearance,” Josef added.

Case closed. 

The musical also gave us the heart-wrenching Mahalin Ang Pilipinas, I believe one of the greatest compositions in contemporary original Pilipino musical. The lyrics are intelligent, the music memorable, like a Lennon-McCartney song. It’s almost a national anthem for me. It’s been weeks since we last saw the musical and once in a while, we still experience the last-song syndrome:

“Mahalin mo ang Pilipinas/Nang higit sa ‘yong sarili./Pamana siya ni Bathala,/Pag-asa nang ‘yong lahi…”

Before singing the reprise of Mahalin Ang Pilipinas during curtain call, the actors expounded on several “what-ifs.” If Mabini lived in our time, they said, he would never stop exposing corruption in government, like in the flood-control scheme. He would fight to make them pay for their crimes. They also said Mabini would be a staunch critic of the proliferation of fake news and historical revisionism that benefit shady politicians. He would continue standing up for our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. 

These statements never failed to make audiences applaud and cheer. 

The musical is on its final weekend, until March 29, at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, and all shows are nearly sold out. 

Millado told The Diarist.ph that Mabining Mandirigma will have a special one-day only performance, with two shows, on April 29, 2026, at the University of San Agustin Auditorium in Iloilo City.

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