The best of the best will always have reasons to stay, these well-written, exceptionally staged original Filipino musicals that simply stand out and have extended shows and reruns.
Perfect examples are Barefoot Theater Collaborative’s original musicals Mula Sa Buwan, which ended its run at the jampacked 1,500-seat Samsung Performing Arts Theater last September 14, and Bar Boys, which will have its second run from Oct. 4 to Nov. 3, 2024 at the 300-seat Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, also at Circuit Makati.
Gab Pangilinan as Roxane, MC Dela Cruz as Christian, Brian Sy as Maximo, Myke Salomon as Cyrano (Photo by Kyle Venturillo)
I am thankful to have seen some of the earlier versions of Mula Sa Buwan. Inspired by Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac and Soc Rodrigo’s Filipino translation, this is one of the masterpieces of Philippine contemporary theater, created by playwright-director Pat Valera and composer-musician William Elvin Manzano.
Besides unrequited love, Mula Sa Buwan is a story of defiance. (Photo by Kris Rocha)
In literature classics, the story about Cyrano’s unrequited love for Roxane, his devotion to her to his dying days, is one of the greatest love stories of all time, unlike that of the juvenile rogues Romeo and Juliet.
Oh yes, at a drop of a hat, we say the “M” word nowadays. Masterpiece this, masterpiece that. We come across reviews peppered with this much-abused modifier, as if the only thing lacking these days is a production titled Masterpiece the Musical. Or something pretentiously migraine-inducing like “better than the original Broadway production,” even if the writer wasn’t even born yet when that show had its Broadway debut.
But the post-pandemic theater scene is having its share of well-written works, even revised material for restaging.
In this final version of Mula Sa Buwan, musical director and composer Myke Salomon, who also played lead Cyrano, worked with Valera’s co-director Mikko Angeles. Valera told TheDiarist.ph earlier he gave Angeles a free hand to direct the musical, to get a fresh approach. And it turned out to be magic on stage.
Why I deem the last version to be the best
Valera said it will take a long time before Barefoot Theater Collaborative re-stages Mula Sa Buwan.
I can only reminisce on the first time I experienced it, and probably give an opinion on why the last version was deemed the best.
Valera would stage the musical every now and then, sometimes for a limited two-week run. And each show has always been a gem. The change of cast, especially the leads, and Valera’s revisions to perfect the dialogues, the scenes, the music, through the years made this diamond of a musical worth watching again and again.
Among the earlier versions, I saw the one staged at Henry Lee Irwin Theater at Ateneo de Manila University in February 2017.
The second time was in the newly opened 840-seat proscenium theater Hyundai Hall at Arete in 2018. I remember the first day of performance; there was still the smell of fresh paint. The Arete was inaugurated as a performance venue with Mula Sa Buwan.
In those earlier versions, to watch Nicco Manalo and Boo Gabunada playing Cyrano was an experience. Gabunada did justice to the role, but it was Manalo’s version that stuck with me. He was so good in playing a lovestruck poet and comedian that for a long while, Cyrano seemed like a living person to me. Even when Manalo had already moved on to other roles in films or plays, I continue to imagine as Cyrano bursting into song or reciting a poem.
If I remember it clearly, those versions had the petite, innocent beauty KL Dizon and later on, Cris Go, playing Roxane. It was only later that Gab Pangilinan took over and played it all the way to the final eighth staging.
Christian, the very good-looking but inarticulate lover of Roxane, was played by breathing mannequins Fred Lo, Edward Benosa, and Markki Stroem. Eventually, Myke Salomon was given the role, with Manalo playing what would be his last stint as Cyrano.
For this eighth and “semi-final” version, Valera said he gave the directing duties to Angeles. The final cast members were Pangilinan, Salomon, this time as Cyrano, and MC dela Cruz as Christian.
The tour de force performance of Phi Palmos as Rosanna, the LGBTQ character who always brings the delicious “ulam,” among others, has been a highlight of the musical.
And like some others who were able to catch one of the shows, I strongly believe that the current staging was the definitive version, the best of all.
I saw the Saturday matinee on the first weekend, with Paw Castillo as the standby for Cyrano. He had a hoarse voice, struggling to get the notes right. I was told Salomon wasn’t available, so he opened that weekend by also doing the Friday night performance.
Surprisingly, the raspy voice fit the lovestruck, lonesome character of a Cyrano trying to hide his intense affection for a Roxane now in love with Christian. It’s like blues music, and the singer had the raspy, husky voice. Cyrano suddenly sounded like someone who cried the whole night and cursed the heavens. Castillo, I learned, played Cyrano in the Saturday night show. Whatever happened, it added a different dimension; it showed a humane Cyrano, not a mere fictional character.
I learned that Salomon took over the next two shows on the first Sunday, and that everything went well.
Weeks later, I saw the play again, my second time. In the matinee performance, I experienced once again Salomon’s Cyrano—it seemed like a breeze for him.
During one curtain call of ‘Mula Sa Buwan’ in September 2022, Salomon made his marriage proposal to Pangilinan
In case some in the audience teared up and got carried away by the tragic ending, knowing reality gave some relief: Salomon and Pangilinan are real-life husband and wife. No unrequited love there.
In fact, during one curtain call of Mula Sa Buwan in September, 2022, Salomon made his marriage proposal to Pangilinan. The audience members had the biggest surprise. Some thought it was part of an act—imagine Cyrano finally proposing marriage to Roxane.
And now, they are a married couple.
In the recent version, what made me ecstatic was the production, from stage design to costume. Hats off to Ohm David’s set design, Meliton Roxas Jr.’s lighting design, Joyce Garcia’s video projection design, Julio Garcia’s property design and Bonsai Cielo’s costumes.
They’re the perfect melding of colors and props that makes each scene magical, like in a dream sequence. You can freeze a scene and the quality, or the general feeling it evokes, is like looking into a mural, a realist painting of a bygone era.
The arch bridge that evokes romance, the water fountain in the town piazza, the old buildings straight out of the Beaux-arts to Art Deco era, even the lamp post and the tree whose leaves seemingly change color depending on the time of day—they all bring us back to the gentility of the Commonwealth period. It’s like a time machine, and the El Hogar Filipino Building, the old Luneta Hotel, the Andres P. Luna-designed First United Building, the Calvo Building on Escolta Street and other architectural gems have just gotten a much-needed makeover.
Something about the pre-World War II years, the four-year-long devastation that followed, and the post-war new beginnings in the late ‘40s to early ‘50s evoke the same general sentiment nowadays, post-pandemic. That after surviving the three-year-long battle against an invisible enemy, we are thankful we made it this far, albeit with psychological scars. We cope because there’s a lot to be done for ourselves and the country that seemed to be like a plane on a spiral dive.
Which brings us to a story about class struggles and holding on to hope: Bar Boys: A New Musical, which is opening this weekend starting Friday.
The first time Bar Boys was staged in May, shows sold out—during the busiest theater season
We all know Valera is also a marketing genius, and it shouldn’t be long before Barefoot Theater Collaborative announces another sold-out run.
I’ve learned later John Mark Yap and Gab Pangilinan handle marketing, public relations and merchandise. They’re the best in what they do even behind the stage.
The first time Bar Boys was staged in May this year, all 16 shows for the very limited three-weekend run were announced “sold out” even before they opened. Valera, in a recent interview, called it “the workshop run.”
And this happened on one of the busiest weekends in local theater.
I didn’t see the 2017 movie by filmmaker Kip Oebanda that inspired the making of the musical, so everything was new to me. When I saw the musical in May on a Sunday matinee on the first weekend, I didn’t expect it would run for three hours, with the necessary 15-minute intermission.
It’s one of those rare occasions in theater which didn’t feel that long, unlike some two-hour musicals described as “better-than-the-Broadway-original,” but were actually good occasions for a nap.
With Bar Boys, I felt deeply immersed in the story, and the total experience was something I’d want to repeat. There were law students watching that Sunday night and to my surprise, they were mostly teary-eyed. They saw themselves, their struggles, their parents, their triumphs, as if their lives were being played on stage.
Since the setup was a traverse stage, like a ramp, I could easily see how those in front of me reacted. I’m not for this kind of stage setup. I find it distracting sometimes, especially if I know some people on the other side of the stage, like perhaps an ex-partner or ex-boss whose presence equated to trauma. But Bar Boys the musical was so well executed and engaging, these distractions easily vanished.
I do remember when some young audience members, who I presumed were law students, cried
I do remember when some young audience members, who I presumed were law students, cried. In long sleeves and ties, these audience members blended with the scene, like they were classmates of the actors playing student lawyers onstage.
Benedix Ramos as Erik Vicencio, Juliene Mendoza as Paping. (Photo by Kris Rocha)
One scene that made them tear up was when the consistently magnificent Juliene Mendoza emerged onstage for the first time playing the supportive father of Benedix Ramos’ character, Erik.
Mendoza’s character named Paping was a security guard who could barely make both ends meet, yet here he was, assuring his son—who had just broken the good news that he passed the law entrance exam—not to worry about expenses.
I also saw some older members of the audience wiping away tears over this story of struggles, of parents doing their best for their children, of the youth making hard choices. The play was not only for young aspiring lawyers.
Josh Uddin as Josh. (Photo by May Celeste)
Then there’s the happy-go-lucky Josh (played by Omar Uddin), who got disillusioned with law school, and decided to start a new life in Siargao.
Alex Diaz as Chris Carlson (Photo by Kris Rocha)
There was the heartthrob Chris (played by Alex Diaz), whose dad was rich and a crook, Atty. Maurice Carlson (played by Nor Domingo).
Alex Diaz as Chris Carlson, Jerom Canlas as Torran Garcia (Photo by Kyle Venturillo)
And there was Torran, played by Jerom Canlas, the student from the middle class.
Sheila Francisco as Justice Hernandez (Photo by Erickson dela Cruz)
In every scene, Sheila Francisco as the “terror” professor, Justice Hernandez, had such command of the stage and the entire theater that we felt like nervous students in an actual class.
Topper Fabregas as Atty. Victor Cruz (Photo by Kris Rocha)
The cast had Topper Fabregas as the stiff, brilliant professor, Atty. Victor Cruz, who later on revealed his softer side.
Valera and Angeles said in earlier interviews they chose to give added twists to the stories of the lead characters. Valera told TheDiarist.ph how, during the writing, in the “workshop run,” Oebanda was helping him. “He helped me shape the play through his valuable comments and insights—(especially) how to end it!” Hence, the jokes were not contrived, never flat, and the tension among characters sustained till the end. The Bar Boys musical has raised the bar for film adaptations.
In this second version, Valera uses the term “reimagined”—he said this is not a “restaging,” hence the title Bar Boys: A New Musical.
The original cast members—Benedix Ramos, Alex Diaz, Jerom Canlas, Omar Uddin, and Sheila Francisco—are reprising their roles. And so are Juliene Mendoza and Lorenz Martinez as Paping, Topper Fabregas as Atty. Victor Cruz, Nor Domingo as Atty. Maurice Carlson, Carlon Matobato as the male professor, and Gimbey dela Cruz as Boss Mama.
Diego Aranda, Ade Valenzona, Edrei Tan, Jannah Baniasia, Uzziel Delamide, and Meg Ruiz are back as members of the ensemble.
Since this is a five-week run, there are new additions in the cast as covers, understudies, and standbys: Katrine Sunga as Female Professor, Chino Veguillas as Paping and cover for Atty. Maurice Carlson. The Ateneo Blue Rep-Tanghalang Ateneo alumnus Jam Binay, who proved her knack for comedy in the recent Virgin Labfest, joins the ensemble.
Also joining are Ian Pangilinan as the cover for Chris, Khalil Tambio as the cover for Erik and Torran, Naths Everett as the cover for Justice Hernandez, Shaun Ocrisma as the cover for Atty. Victor Cruz, Rapah Manalo as the male swing, and Mikaela Regis as the female swing.
The artistic team for this upcoming staging is composed of Jomelle Era for movement direction, D Cortezano for technical direction, Arnold Jallores for sound engineering, Ohm David for set design, Tata Tuviera for costume design, Meliton Roxas Jr. for lighting design, Joyce Garcia for video projection design, and Julio Garcia for property design.
On Sept. 27, or a little more than a week before the musical opens on Oct. 4, Philstage, the umbrella group of Metro Manila-based theater companies, announced the second round of citations for the 15th edition of the annual Gawad Buhay Awards. Bar Boys had 18 citations in 12 categories.
The citations are: Outstanding Book of a Musical for Valera; Outstanding Original Score for Salomon and Valera; Outstanding Musical Direction for Salomon; Outstanding Choreography for Jomelle Era; Outstanding Lighting Design for Meliton Roxas Jr.; Outstanding Set Design for Ohm David; Male Lead Performance in a Musical for Jerom Canlas, Alex Diaz and Benedix Ramos; Female Featured Performance in a Musical for Sheila Francisco and Kakki Teodoro; Male Featured Performance in a Musical for Nor Domingo, Topper Fabregas, Juliene Mendoza, and Omar Uddin; Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical for Barefoot Theater Collaborative; Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical for Angeles and Valera; and Outstanding Musical: Original or Translation/Adaptation for Barefoot Theater Collaborative.
In our earlier interview, TheDiarist.ph asked Salomon what was the biggest challenge in doing his first original musical, since his previous works were jukebox musicals. (His past works were massive hits like Rak of Aegis, Ang Huling El Bimbo featuring the songs of the Eraserheads, Dirty Old Musical and Three Stars and A Sun, featuring the songs of Francis M.)
“Time!” he answered with a laugh emoji. “In every production, we always have to beat time…To be honest, working on jukebox musicals can sometimes make me feel like arranging with a straightjacket because of negotiating with a lot of factors,” he added. “In facing my first original composition for a full-length musical, it felt like a new planet and I enjoyed planting trees,” he said.
Asked if they will release an album, even just for streaming, he said, “Hopefully we can work on it soon.”
Pat Valera (middle) with marketing co-manager John Mark Yap (standing), co-director Mikko Angeles and and Mula Sa Buwan choreographer JM Cabling. (Photo by Mikko Angeles)
We also asked assistant director Angeles how it is so far working with Valera, Salomon and the rest of the Barefoot Theater team. “Pat, Myke and I first got the chance to work together on the restaging of Mula sa Buwan in 2022. Back then, as their assistant-turned-associate director, I’ve had the opportunity to witness firsthand how Barefoot Theatre Collaborative (as both of them are co-producers too) handles the delicate dance between the artistic vision and commercial viability of their productions,” Angeles said.
“Jotting down notes after long conversations, going through the rehearsal process and having a seat at the room where it happens, what stuck with me is that this company stays true to its name: they are grounded and communal,” he added.
“That’s why when they asked me to be a part of Bar Boys: A New Musical, this time as a co-director, I didn’t miss a beat in saying yes. In terms of creative exploration, Pat and Myke know no bounds. They dream big. They are thrilled to commit mistakes. They value process above anything else. And that’s what excites me the most.
“But of course, working on a new material comes with new challenges. It’s not always a breeze. ‘Where to cut? Is this the song/scene we’re looking for? How do we elevate the stakes? Is this what the story needs?’ And the list goes on. But, they understand that I have something new to offer—that each one of us (together with movement director Jomelle Era) has our strengths and weaknesses.”
He explained: “So the long list turns into: ‘How do we solve it together?’ Because at the end of the day, we know it’s not about us and what feeds our ego as artists. It’s about the narrative we are pushing forward in the hopes of changing the world. ‘Ang mature natin!’, we often joke as we settle the matters at hand.
Barefoot Theater Collaborative has ears that are willing to listen
“And this company champions that: A voice is never just noise. Barefoot Theater Collaborative has ears that are willing to listen. To me, that already checks a lot of boxes. And with Bar Boys: A New Musical, Barefoot Theater Collaborative proves that they know how to take care of their people—not just the company, but the audience as well.”
Bar Boys is Valera’s first adaptation of a film material for the stage. He was also known for creating Dekada 70 the musical, but it was based on Lualhati Bautista’s landmark novel, not the Chito Roño film of the same title.
“Only one scene was informed by the movie. This becomes my first screen-to-stage adaptation,” he told TheDiarist.ph.
“For the direction, because I am the playwright/adapter, most of my work is to ensure that the story is clear. Mikko (Angeles), ever inventive, resourceful, and patient, molded a lot of the scenes. It is great working with Mikko—now as a co-director. He is not afraid to question and interrogate even if it means more work needs to be done,” Valera added.
For those who haven’t seen Bar Boys: A New Musical, Valera’s playwright’s notes may give the proper motivation to see it and we quote some excerpts:
“We have failed as storytellers.
“Iyan ang biggest realization ng mga artists na nagtipon-tipon ilang buwan matapos ang 2022 elections.
“Una kong napanood ang Bar Boys noong 2018. Bilang anak ng abugado at minsang nangarap maging abugado, naka-relate ako. Bilang taga-teatro, na-excite ako dahil may nasilip akong posibilidad. ‘Di ko kilala si Kip pero nagtapang akong i-message siya. Kalauna’y nagkita kami. At parang first time na haharap sa tatay ng nobyo, I stated my intentions: ‘I want to turn Bar Boys into a musical. Hindi ko pa alam kung paano pero paghuhusayan ko dahil mahal ko ang materyal na ‘to.
“Mapalad ako dahil hindi lamang pumayag si Kip, open siya sa anumang creative changes. Alam niya na iba ang pelikula sa entablado. Pero gaano pa man ka radikal ang pagbabago, bilin niya ay ‘Bar Boys should be about class struggle.’ Napangiti ako. Pareho kami ng layunin.
“Ang pinakamalaking change ng Bar Boys bilang musical ay naka-set na siya sa kasalukuyan. In doing so, hindi puwedeng isantabi ang nangyari noong mga nakaraang taon. Sure, ang mga karakter ay laking cellphone at social media. Pero sila din ay dumaan sa drug war at sa kabalintunaan ng ‘Never Again, Never Forget.’
“Sila ay nabubuhay sa post-election divide, snobbery, at apathy, sa mundong literal na nagugunaw sa init, sa continued inequality, relentless corruption and glaring injustice. How to hope that any change can ever happen in this country, right?
“Sa danas naman ng isang law student, while four years and a bar exam more severe, sinasalamin nito ang paghihirap na ating pinagdadaanan ‘di lamang para sa sariling ambisyon o sa pamilya pero aminin ‘man natin o hindi, para sa bayan. More specifically, para sa kapwa. Sa tingin ko, lahat naman tayo nangarap maging mabuting tao.
“Maraming mga tanong at marami pang itatanong. Magtatagumpay ba sina Erik, Chris, Torran, Josh sampu ng kanilang mga kaklase? Kailan sila magkaka-jowa? Mananalo ba tayo? May pag-asa ba?
“Only God and the future know. Sana humakbang tayo.”
