Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin Tan welcomes guests at the Rep opening: ‘We want to create a district that will be able to really put the Philippines on the performing arts map.’ (Photo by Francine Marquez)
At the start of 2024, Repertory Philippines suddenly had no venue to stage its productions after Greenbelt 1, its home for the past 20 years, closed for renovation.
Repertory Philippines president Mindy Perez-Rubio (right) and Repertory Theater for Young Audience founder and head Joy Virata welcome the audience. (Photo by Francine Marquez)
Repertory Philippines artistic director Jeremy Domingo
Last Saturday night, however, Repertory found a new home when its Eastwood Theater opened to the public in a well-attended event in the vast Eastwood City in Quezon City. The theater venue is Rep’s partnership with Megaworld Lifestyle Malls.
“If someone told me last March that Repertory would be moving to Eastwood in October, I would never have believed that person,” said Repertory Philippines president Mindy Perez-Rubio in the opening remarks.
“In March, we had no idea where Rep was going to move. We had no home. We were taking it one day at a time. But then, I guess God answered my prayers. Through a stroke of luck, one of my Rep staff is a good friend of one of the Eastwood staff.
“They communicated and it came to pass, Eastwood actually knocked on our doors and offered us to build this theater.”
Perez-Rubio was simply amazed and could hardly believe what Megaworld offered Repertory. She could not say no.
“On top of that, they were so nice, accommodating, so professional, so gracious, so patient. Everything just went so seamlessly and flawlessly. Repertory looks forward to partnering with you in the next 10 years, who knows longer, more than that.”
Repertory spent 20 years at Greenbelt 1. Before that, the pioneering theater institution in the country was based for 15 years in the cinema complez of Shangri-La EDSA. More than 50 years ago, the newly founded Repertory opened at Insular Life auditorium in Makati, which became its home for 15 years.
Perez-Rubio thanked particularly Kevin Tan, the CEO (chief executive officer) of Alliance Global Group, Inc., parent company of Megaworld, as well as Graham Coates, its first vice president and head of lifestyle malls.
“This partnership is truly a wonderful opportunity for all of us, so thank you for choosing this facility to be your next home,” said Tan, who came with his young family to watch the gala of Jepoy and The Magic Circle that night.
Tan reiterated that their company really believes in presenting theater productions to entertain the public. Hence, Megaworld makes a “serious investment in facilities” to develop this art form.
“We believe this is really the future of Philippine entertainment,” Tan said. “We think the Filipino actors are very versatile in the way they act and the way they sing. What is needed really is construction to be able to develop this art form more.”
Tan announced that among the major projects that Megaworld envisions in the next five years is to build the next Broadway of Asia.
“We are actually building a place called West Side City in the Bay Area,” Tan revealed the project in the reclamation development along Roxas Blvd. “We are putting the Grand Opera House, which is 2,100-seat theater that will present musicals and host different kinds of performing arts.
“The venue will also have the capacity of three other theaters—two are 800-seaters and another is a 500-seater.
“We want to create a district that will be able to really put the Philippines on the map in terms of performing arts, musicals, and theater. We look forward to working more with Repertory.
“We believe our partnership (with Repertory) is the start of many more partnerships to come. We think that we can eventually go to the theater district to develop something together.
“This partnership is just that kind. We are committed to this art form and we are very happy that we are here.”
Tan acknowledged the Megaworld management led by Coates, and mentioned the latter’s two daughters, Rachel and Becca, who are “alumni” of Repertory.
“This is the fastest that he has ever done a project for me,” Tan proudly said of Coates. “He (Coates) literally came up with this idea early this year and he kept telling me to open (the theater) October 5. I never believed him. But here we are now.”
Cast of ‘Jepoy and The Magic Circle’ at curtain call (Photo by Francine Marquez)
Repertory Philippines has created such a great legacy for the past 57 years, honing the talent of the Filipino theater artist. Many artists who started and performed with Repertory the past decades have conquered Broadway and the West End, led by Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, and the late Junix Inocian, who all topbilled Miss Saigon.
“We want to continue to create and develop the young talents and develop the future of performing arts,” Tan said.
Repertory at Eastwood is not a first for Megaworld. “We also have the theater at Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT),” Tan pointed out.
“Our partner in developing that is Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, who I believe was part of Repertory, too. She’s done a great part in developing our way of contributing to performing arts.”
Joy Virata acknowledges the cast and production team of ‘Jepoy and The Magic Circle’ (Photo by Francine Marquez)
Perez-Rubio introduced Rep’s latest production that premiered at Eastwood Theater last Saturday, Jepoy and the Magic Circle, an incredible spectacle mounted by the Rep Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA), a company conceived by actress and Repertory stalwart Joy Virata 32 years ago (1992).
“Every year, RTYA becomes bigger and better,” said Perez-Rubio. “True to Joy’s vision, there is always a lesson to be learned at the end of every production.
“Joy also likes to pack every single thing that theater can hold in her production. You will see puppetry, masks, colorful costumes, music, singing, dancing, acting plus a little bit of ballet and audience participation.
“So you will see that Rep is not just a regular theater company that churns out shows every year. No. We go deeper than that. We’d like to give back to the community. We believe in teaching and training.”
Perez-Rubio called Virata, Rep’s creative director, the company’s “backbone, the guiding star, the power light” for the past 50 years.
“She is still here with us and we love her so much,” Perez-Rubio said of the wife of former Prime Minister Cesar Virata.
“Many years ago, two very lovely, young performers Rachel and Becca Coates, who took up a couple of workshops in Rep, were invited to perform Alice in Wonderland, ” recalled Virata in her welcome remarks.
“It so happened that the dad, Graham Coates, was the one who remembered Repertory and brought Repertory to Eastwood.”
Repertory Philippines artistic director Jeremy Domingo welcomed the guests to the Rep Eastwood theater, which solidifies the status of Eastwood as a leading entertainment and lifestyle hub in the country.
“Tonight, we welcome you to our 464th production in 57 years, our 87th season,” Domingo said. “Thank you for providing our actors, our community of theater practitioners, a chance to keep honing their craft, what we love to do, our life blood, our passion and everything that has kept us going throughout the decades.”
Domingo said it is such an honor and privilege for him to become Rep’s new artistic director. In the Wall of Fame outside the theater, the photos of Rep’s founders—the late Zeneida “Bibot” Amador and Baby Barredo—are on display.
“Thank you very much, tita Bibot and tita Baby, for honing and training the majority of people, the hundreds of actors sitting here in this auditorium tonight,” Domingo said. “I would like to respectfully and lovingly tip my hat to our co-founders
“Thank you for creating opportunities, for toughening us, for honing us and giving us something to be striving for and working for.
“For training our mentors, majority of whom are here tonight, and their vision of making theater a habit in Metro Manila is proof positive tonight.”
Domingo summed up today’s vibrant theater scene: “There are now 18 companies of PhilStage and this evening, there are at least six major productions, concerts, and plays happening all over Metro Manila.”
Based on the short story by esteemed writer and culture mover, the late Gilda Cordero Fernando, and directed by RTYA creative director Joy Virata, Jepoy and the Magic Circle is written by Rody Vera, who is making his Rep debut, with music and lyrics by Ejay Yatco.
Choreography is by Stephen Viñas, stage design by John Batalla, and sets are by Mio Infante. Costumes are by Rayven Ong and Richie Cañado, makeup artist is Yohan de la Fuente, projection design by GA Fallarme.
This November, Rep’s season-ender, the jukebox musical, Going Home for Christmas, featuring the music of Jose Mari Chan, will open at RCBC Theater on Ayala Ave. in Makati, “on the other side of town” since Jepoy and the Magic Circle will run at Eastwood Theater until February.
Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin Tan, wife Michelle, children KT and Andrew II at Rep opening and premiere of ‘Jepoy and the Magic Circle’
Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin Tan and wife Michelle welcome Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte at the opening of Rep Eastwood Theater.
Next year, Repertory promises to unveil its 88th season where, Domingo said, audiences can believe in “romance, friendship, chaos, magic, and even in defiance.”
