‘Liwanag sa Dilim,’ a production by 9Works Theatrical, runs every weekend until April 13 at Carlos P. Romulo auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Weekend performances are Fridays, 8p.m., Saturdays and Sundays, 3 p.m., 8 p.m. Tickets via ticket2me.net/LiwanagSaDilimMusical or show buyers
If you’re amused by the sight and sound of Crisostomo Ibarra—the hero of Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere —angrily blurting out the F-word onstage, you’ll probably enjoy the new musical Liwanag sa Dilim.
Written and directed by Robbie Guevara, this musical uses the songs of revered rock star Rico Blanco. It’s a new sub-genre in Philippine theater, called the jukebox musical. It seems that every year the songbook of a popular Filipino band is given the honor of being showcased in a stage musical.
Seeing Ibarra sing like a rock star and curse in English or Spanish is most welcome. For once, he isn’t depicted like somebody whose image has to be preserved in stained glass. People did use expletives back in the 19th century. So it’s annoying to hear them speak as if they were in Father Peyton’s Lenten season films—like they do in most productions of Tanghalang Filipino.
Guevara wrote a musical meant to impart a social message, an irreverent introductory course to Noli, and a heartrending drama about Elisi, a student activist. The result is an awkward mix of history, drama, science fiction adventure, and farce. By covering those genres, audiences get too little from each.
Anthony Rosaldo at curtain call (Photo by Edmund Dennis Ladaw)
The plot had been kept secret from the media up until the show’s first public performance last March 6 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in Makati. Even at curtain call, Guevara implored the audience to avoid discussing the plot with anyone else. I’m not one to make a vow of silence when it comes to silly, self-serving secrets, so here’s how the plot goes: Our student activist Elesi (played alternately by Khalil Ramos and Anthony Rosaldo) is an orphan raised by foster parents. His key to finding his real parents is a pendant. He soon discovers that the pendant can make him travel back in time. And so he finds himself rubbing elbows with Maria Clara and her 19th century cohorts. If that doesn’t sound familiar to you, then welcome back from another galaxy.
It turns out that Guevara was hoping to avoid comparisons with the landmark series Maria Clara at Ibarra. Produced and aired two years ago, the TV show had the same premise. Lest he be accused of unoriginality, Guevara in a media conference said he started writing Liwanag sa Dilim in 2018. But like all of us, he was sidelined by the pandemic, and then other projects were given priority. Alright then, the musical may not have been a rip-off, but it also does borrow from Oliver!, Annie, and Back to the Future.
CJ Navato, Anthony Rosaldo, and Khalil Ramos (he alternates with Rosaldo as Elesi) call on Rico Blanco to join them onstage to take his bows. (Photo by Edmund Dennis Ladaw)
The first performance of Liwanag sa Dilim featured Anthony Rosaldo as Elesi. He and his alternate lead star, Khalil Ramos, have been tasked to make us forget Dennis Trillo and Barbi Forteza, the stars of Maria Clara and Ibarra. Fortunately, Rosaldo has charisma and charm in spades. He uses these attributes to keep the audience on his side.
The story begins in 2025 when Elesi is at his darkest hour. His foster mother has just passed away when he’s still mourning the violent death of his foster father, a political activist. Rosaldo is poignant in those scenes, but when he travels back in time, he’s cocky and eager to teach Maria Clara the modern English and Tagalog slang words. He also gets into Back to the Future mode by rewinding scenes, so he can alter a situation and spare the Noli protagonists from further tragedy and grief.
Despite the sudden mood shifts, Rosaldo remains effortless in his acting, and contrary to what he claimed in an interview with me, his comedic timing is excellent. He’s also an impressive singer, his high notes so delicate. He makes Rico Blanco’s poetry sound tender and moving.
Anthony Rosaldo, CJ Navato, Rico Blanco, and Khalil Ramos.
As Ibarra, CJ Navato has strong stage presence, and conquers the stage the moment he makes an entrance. He has the gravitas to bring Ibarra to life. He and the rest of the cast sing beautifully and they add a new emotional dimension to the songs. They do make the show entertaining enough even if the songs don’t add depth to any of the characters.
Creating a story around a set of existing tunes will always present missed or limited opportunities. An amusing musical number showcasing Elisi as a fish out of water in Noli could have been a crowd-pleasing romp. Or perhaps a song about the differences between 19th and 21st century customs. Sadly, the Rico Blanco library doesn’t have anything to make the numbers possible.
The show does make good use of a rousing song performed by none other than Padre Damaso. It’s Rico Blanco’s amusing indictment of a favorite Filipino past time, Tsismis. Yet it seems out of place, since it closely follows a bloody confrontation that results in the demise of a few characters.
Guevara created some inventive touches and spectacular lighting to make the show look more appealing. But he has to cut the show by an hour. A less cluttered story should make it more watch-able to its target audience, composed of a generation of theater-goers who go gaga at the sight of the show’s popular stars.
Rico Blanco was a special guest during the preview, and the rocker said he liked the show. Asked to join the cast at curtain call, the famous rocker looked like a lost little Alice at the Mad Hatter’s tea party.
