Neomi Gonzales and Lorenz Martinez portray Josie and Arnie.
Going Home To Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical runs until Dec. 15, 2024, with two shows at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theater), Makati City.
Having a Christmas musical is a “dream come true” for multi-awarded singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan. So when Going Home To Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical premiered last week of November, he was undoubtedly honored and overwhelmed.
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- Repertory Philippines president Mindy Perez-Rubio and Jose Mari Chan oopen the company’s first jukebox musical.
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- Repertory Philippines’ ‘Going Home to Christmas’ musical follows different people as they come home for the holidays.
“I’m speechless and the whole time, there were tears in my eyes,” said Chan after the musical’s curtain call at RCBC Theater.
Not a few in the audience were also teary eyed. “You gave wings to my songs. You brought life to my songs,” said Chan, who joined the cast onstage.
The heartwarming musical follows different characters as they come home for the holidays. Through unexpected encounters, unfolding through Chan’s timeless and beloved melodies, they discover that Christmas isn’t just a place. It’s found in the love we share and which we carry within our hearts.
Chan, a businessman who turned to songwriting, considers it a “crowning glory” to have a musical featuring 22 of the songs he composed.
Apart from such hits as Beautiful Girl, Please Be Careful With My Heart, Constant Change, Can We Just Stop and Talk Awhile, Tell Me Your Name, the musical includes the beloved holiday tunes that Chan is known for—Christmas In Our Hearts, A Perfect Christmas and Going Home To Christmas.
“When I was writing all those songs, I never dreamed that one day, Repertory Philippines, a prestigious theater group, would come up with a production like Going Home to Christmas,” Chan granted.
“It’s a dream come true. To me, it’s like a crowning glory after a career that spans six decades. The ones that I heard, the tip of the iceberg, are already golden. It’s an exciting day for me. It’s an exciting year for me and I hope that you will share that excitement with me.
“Some of the songs you grew up with. Some of the songs, you grew up courting girls with those songs. But there’s a new dimension to those songs. So come and watch Going Home To Christmas: The Musical and you will come out of that theater with a golden glow.”
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- Roxy Aldiosa, Julia Serad, Johann Enriquez and Zid Yarcia make up the quartet of carolers.
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- Justine Narciso and Neo Rivera return to the REP stage as best friends who fall in love.
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- Noel Rayos and Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Richard and Pat.
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- Davy Narciso and Neo Rivera belting out Chan’s romantic hit, Beautiful Girl.
For Chan, Christmas has always been a magical time of the year— “from the time I was a bright-eyed kid in my hometown of Iloilo,” he told TheDiarist.ph.
“I recall the nostalgic songs of the carolers. My parents and my maternal grandmother always made Christmas very special for me and my younger sisters and brother.”
Chan is aware his extremely popular Yuletide song, Christmas In Our Hearts, has become the icon of the season for Filipinos here and especially abroad. It brings them the warmth and nostalgia of home.
“My song was able to capture the imagination of young people through a simple, catchy melody,” he said.
“Going Home to Christmas, the song itself, I wrote with our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) in mind,” Chan said. “If you listen to the lyrics of the song, every word and every note, I composed with them in mind.”
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- Mayen Bustamante-Cadd and Floyd Tena play Em and JR.
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- The scene portraying past and present Arnie and Josie, featuring Neomi Gonzales, Lorenz Martinez, Juancho Gabriel and Pappel.
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- Featuring 22 of Mr. Chan’s most celebrated songs, the musical offers audiences heartwarming moments filled with laughter, love, and a touch of nostalgia.
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- Pinoy Christmas isn’t complete without the grandparents. Gary Junsay and Carla Martinez play Lolo and Lola to young actor Basti Santos’ character Kevin.
Christmas In Our Hearts and A Perfect Christmas were written 34 years ago. “So in 2012, I decided to come up with another Yuletide album, Going Home To Christmas, with 22 songs.
“God has blessed me with the gift of music and in collaboration with Rina Cañiza, we have produced a simple yet classic song for the season that hopefully will live on long after we are gone.”
The musical was written by Repertory stalwarts Robbie Guevarra, Luna Griño-Inocian and Joel Trinidad. Ejay Yatco is arranger and musical director.
The cast of Going Home To Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical, is led by Carla Guevarra Laforteza and Lorenz Martinez, with Carla Martinez, Floyd Tena, Gary Junsay, Noel Rayos, Noemi Gonzales, Mayen Bustamante-Cadd, Neo Rivera, Justine Narciso and Alfritz.
The musical is the directorial debut of Repertory Philippines artistic director Jeremy Domingo.
Repertory Philippines’ first jukebox musical, Going Home To Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical runs until Dec. 15, 2024, with two shows at 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium (RCBC Theater), Makati City.
