The new musical Pilato officially opened April 4 at the PETA Theater in Quezon City. Audience reaction was promising. A veteran theater artist told me that he liked it—even if he felt the production looked too colorful for its subject matter. As the title clearly implies, the musical is about Pontius Pilate.
Eldrin Veloso and the cast and crew of Pilato during curtain call (Photo by Erickson dela Cruz)
Pilato uses wall-to-wall music. Lyrics and scenes with straight dialogue are entirely in Tagalog. As written, Tagalog never sounded more exquisite. Credit is due to the actors who make the words sound so lyrical. Songs are clearly sung and enunciation flawless, even during a number that requires rapid-fire delivery. This is a first-rate cast that’s obviously relishing the material they’ve been given to work with.
‘Pilato’ writer/director Eldrin Veloso (right) with actors Noel Rayos (as Jesus) and Jerome Ferguson during the show’s press launch
(Photo by Erickson dela Cruz)
The material was authored by Eldrin Veloso, who also directed the show. His name may not be that familiar yet, but Pilato should put him on the theatrical map. His day job is running a thriving digital company. In writing Pilato, he divided his time between the digital and theatrical worlds. What’s impressive is, the musical debuted last week—just a year after Eldrin came up with the idea of producing, writing, and directing it.
It was last year during Holy Week when Eldrin went to see a senakulo. The play was perhaps a religious experience for him. He wasn’t reborn, but he got fixated on Pontius Pilate. He began thinking: Little else is known about this villainous biblical figure. Did he actually wash his hands, or was he just a pawn? Was he misunderstood and pressured to accomplish certain acts? Or was he a victim of fake news?
Eldrin’s fixation may be called an obsession by some. But friends and associates believed in his talent and ability to mount a musical that when seen on paper, could be literally and figuratively biblical in proportions. He convinced business partners and investors to take the plunge with him. Thus, his company Corner Studio broadened its scope to include theater production.
I met Eldrin Thursday morning in the empty PETA Theater Center ,which he was renting for the show. He was supervising the stagehands and getting ready for one more rehearsal before Pilato went on the next evening. As theater directors go, Eldrin is hardly what you call theatrical. He’s Mr. Congeniality personified, free of diva behavior that seemed characteristic of the directors of yore. He was even on hand to assist at the ticket desk prior to the first performance.
He mentioned the senakulo that gave rise to all this. “It actually started as a germ of idea. In the senakulo I noticed Pontius Pilate had a large role and I asked my friend, ‘Is he really guilty?’ If you analyze it, if the crucifixion didn’t happen, there might not have been Christianity. That’s when I started doing research. Then more questions popped up. Pontius Pilato is even mentioned in the Apostle’s Creed. Where are Peter or Abraham and the others who figure more prominently in the Holy Bible? Pontius Pilate was a dictator. He squashed a rebellion that killed many.”
The playwright reveals how the ‘senakulo’ gave rise to all this. ‘Pontius Pilate had a large role…Is he really guilty? If the crucifixion didn’t happen, there might not have been Christianity’
Eldrin was intrigued by the juxtaposition. The sharp contrast, he felt, would make an ideal subject for a musical. It would focus entirely on Pontius Pilate. It begins with his marriage to Procla and continues on to his appointment as governor of Judaea. Jesus doesn’t appear until the second act.
Eldrin’s research is so thorough he even published a map of the Roman Empire and the province of Judaea in the show’s souvenir program. A glossary of the terms mentioned in the play occupies an entire page. A detailed timeline of Pontius Pilate’s life is also featured in a two-page spread. He also used creative license for several scenes. For instance, Pontius Pilate’s wedding to Procla was never recorded in history books, but Eldrin wrote a wedding scene since it did happen anyway. “Many of the lines in the play were lifted from the Bible. For me, the passages in the Bible are poetic,” he said.
Theater and writing have always been Eldrin’s two biggest passions. He honed his writing skills during high school when he was a campus journalist. He credits his skill in Tagalog writing to his high school teachers. In college, he took up Business Administration at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. He did quench his thirst for theater by joining UP Repertory and Dulaang UP. He acted in plays directed by Behn Cervantes and Floy Quintos. He was also tasked with various chores like stage managing,
After graduation, he focused on a career that offers financial stability and makes good use of what he learned from his college course. As he puts it, he had a 12-year hiatus from theater, though his work sometimes had him writing scripts for certain projects. He never forgot the lessons he learned from his theater mentors.
“Behn Cervantes said that in theater, there is no star of the show. The show is the star. And a show must be relevant and mirror society. That’s what I told Pilato’s musical director Pauline Arejola. We can’t do the show if we can’t make it relevant to today’s society,” he said.
While studying the Bible, Eldrin came across John 18:38, in which Jesus tells Pontius Pilate: “I have been born to come into the world for this: To witness to the truth.” Pontius Pilate then asks, “What is the truth?”
“This helped us come up with a way to make the show relevant in this age of misinformation and fake news. In the show, we continue to ask the question Pontius Pilate asked. We can claim to know the truth, but we end up having different points of view, or different versions of the truth. Kaya tayo nag-aaway. Nawawala na ang universal definition of what the truth is. This is what convinced me to go on and write and produce Pilato,’ he said.
Pilate asks, ‘What is the truth?’—’This helped us come up with a way to make the show relevant in this age of misinformation and fake news’
Eldrin signed on Yanni Robeniol to compose the music. He asked her to come up with contemporary music that somewhat captures the flavor of the period setting. It’s a practice commonly used by the likes of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. The first draft of Eldrin’s lyrics and libretto was completed in three weeks.
“If Floy Quintos and Behn Cervantes were still with us, they’d be the first persons I’d show my script to,” he said. It would have been nice to get their comments and suggestions. I showed it to a number of priest friends and pastor friends for feedback. They gave their approval. Of course, I sought the advice of the creative team. It was also important to get the approval of my business partners. They’re the financiers!”
Eldrin had no actor in mind when it was time for casting. The actor he eventually chose for the title role is Jerome Ferguson. He plays Pontius with a delicate mix of arrogance and dignity. He has a splendid singing voice and the imperious look of most actors who played Pontius Pilate in Hollywood films. Eldrin said Jerome wasn’t on any shortlist of possible Pontius Pilates because there was no shortlist. Auditions were conducted for every role in the play.
“I may be part of the theater community ,but I’m not yet that deep into it. I don’t know a lot of theater people yet. It was a blessing that veterans like Jerome Ferguson, Onyl Torres, and Noel Rayos actually came to audition. They gave our production legitimacy. And they generously gave guidance to the neophytes in the cast,” he said.
Christy Lagapa plays Procla, wife of Pontius Pilate. (Photo courtesy of Corner Studio)
Eldrin Veloso addresses the preview audience during curtain call. With him are Jeremy Manite who plays Caiaphas and Onyl Torres as Josepo. (Photo by Erickson dela Cruz)
Eldrin has assembled a superlative company, and he puts them to very good use. Noel Rayos plays Jesus, while baritone Onyl Torres plays the historian Josephus who serves as narrator and commentator. Playing Procla is Christy Lagapa, who brings so much emotion to the part as she brings the house down with her beautiful soprano voice. As Caiaphas, Jeremy Manite has magnificent stage presence. This man has got such powerful lungs! He sings effortlessly and nearly upstages everyone. Young Marita Samson provides some comedy relief as Pilate’s gossipy right-hand person. She’s a triple threat who nearly steals each scene she’s in.
Eldrin Veloso flanked by music director Pauline Arejola and music composer Yanni Robeniol (Photo by Erickson dela Cruz)
Musical director Pauline Arejola did an admirable job of arranging the music and directing the chorus. Eldrin explained that the way the chorus performs is based on a creative decision. When they sing in unison, it means the crowd is in agreement with the issue at hand. When there’s variety in the harmony, it denotes a division or disagreement in perspectives.
Pilato could well be a Lenten tradition, much in the way the senakulo and pabasa are. But Eldrin says it’s not just for Lent; it’s for the entire year. “I plan to do this as often as I can,” he said. “I don’t want this to be tied to the Lenten season only. I believe the material can stand alone because it’s also about truths and perspectives.”
Pilato runs at the PETA Theater Center until this weekend, from Friday, April 11 to Palm Sunday, April 13, with shows at 3 pm and 8 pm.
