Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Deconstructing a Classic: Romeo and Juliet





Deconstructing classics tend to make me cringe a bit. It is not because I don't appreciate different perspectives, because I do. It actually excites me. It is more the fear that envelopes me as I wait and see if the performance will capture the essence of the masterpiece or reduce it to nothing. Many lose sight of the material and instead concentrate on personal and commercial goals, artistic insecurities and shock factor.

Thankfully, the people behind Manila Shakespeare Company as their chosen name implies, puts Shakespeare in a pedestal. They courageously chose Romeo and Juliet as their first offering to the public. That they did with much respect to the story. The twist was an adaptation of the classic to modern times.  The words of Shakespeare were never compromised throughout the play. It was however peppered with Filipino slang with the intention of making it more relatable to the audience. There were times it worked, and there were times I found it excessive and even distracting. Nonetheless it did not take away anything from the story. With how the story progressed, it was clear that director Nicanor Campos knew the material inside and out. It was obvious that he took the time to dissect each scene with the cast to humanize the brilliant words of Shakespeare.

Nicanor Campos picked the perfect Romeo and Juliet for his debut production. It helped that both leads were picture perfect. But it really was their passionate commitment to their roles that made all the difference. Nelsito Gomez impressed the audience with his boyish charm and intensity. Eyes were glued to him because he created moments of magic in his monologues. Memorable was the death of Tybalt where his struggle was evident with his staring eyes and his ever so slight trembles.

Rachel Coates was a modern Juliet. She did not approach the role with delicate stereotypes in mind. Intead, she was a modern, thinking, even brazen young lady. She was a vision of beauty as the light hit her face in the balcony. Oh the look of love!!!! It was endearing to say the least. She truly embodied the young Juliet who was in love with love.  

Who could forget the multi-tasking Katski Flores who masterfully portrayed both the nanny and Lady Montague. Her gutsy interpretation was what glued everything together. It was she who excellently inserted the Filipino slang appropriately and with ease. Easily the biggest and most important star of the show. She embodied the deconstruction and made it work.  With her every scene she gave a different, relatable take on the play of words. Truly it was a brilliant performance.

The characters all did their part pouring energy in every scene. Transitions and scene support from the ensemble were seamless as they ran all over the place without breaking sweat or causing distractions. A commendable effort overall from the cast.

While it is true that the play had a good solid cast, there were areas that could have been improved. There were crucial misses  in the lighting diminishing the effect of the actor's delivery. The audience had to squint to see Juliet's acting in the dark unlighted staircase. Changes from night and day were not evident. More importantly, some scenes had white washed light. While it is true that resources are compromised, there is reason to believe it is more timing that was the issue rather than  play of colors. There were several scenes.that were beautifully framed with light. The blocking of artists should have also considered the audience vista. In fact the play ended with half the room missing out on Juliet's death.

In a nutshell, Manila Shakespeare's theatrical debut legitimized itself as a theatre group with this production.  This being their first offering, the fitting query would be, "Did they give enough? ". I think they (the whole production) did. The best is yet to come for this neophyte company. I wish them well as they embark on a yet another journey. 





The Good and the Bad : Manhid the Musical



People will never see one thing exactly the same way. I believe it's because identities,personal history and taste level and social class affect what a person chooses to see.  That's the beauty of art, there's an element of uncertainty whether  what was created was a masterpiece or not. The artist waits with bated breath for either the applause or the indifferent silence after a product is presented for scrutiny. That being said, I think it is important to voice out the reactions of the audience to give constructive encouragement. Sometimes an opinion of one pushes the artist to make an unpolished rock a sparkling diamond.

That being said, here is what I thought about Manhid the Musical.


Being the brainchild of radical  artists of the 90s, there was a risk that the story would not translate well on stage. The history of its staging being raw and real type of theatre made it a challenge as well as they bring the story to a larger audience in the Main Theatre of the CCP. There was also the issue of the music capturing a new crowd of listeners.Will a complex story with commercial appeal  be appreciated  by the high nosed  people of CCP ? Staging this production was a big risk. While it's last staging was a hit, with new collaborators at work the question marks will float in the air.




Superheroes, rock music, ballet and bands sounded iffy to me. I hoped for the best but I was worried that it would stray and be a caricature of baduy. Thankfully, it was not. While the story was that of pinoy avengers, heroes, ex men journeys and kalikasan personified,  the talent was about refined artistry. The amount of talent on stage was astounding. The music was played and sung with soul. The dancing was performed with passion. Paul Morales casted the perfect people for the role. The heroines were mostly played by the actors and the villains were interpreted by the modern ballet dancers.


Dilim was played by the striking singer Jean Judith Javier. Definitely she was my favorite singer in the group. Not only did she have the gift of stage presence, her silvery voice filled the air with mystery. After two songs, I decided she was google worthy. Each of her appearances made me want to get to know her better. Her acting was refreshing as she did not go overboard portraying a character attached to multiple stereotypes. She did everything




Worthy of mention was Gold Villar who entertained everyone with her impeccable comedic timing. Her performance was fresh. I could be wrong but  I sense  that adlib and random improvisations are her magic. Hearing her speaking voice, i was surprised that she was pitch perfect with every song she performed. She captured the hearts of many with her belting voice and her crisp cussing.


Sandino Martin took the lead as Bantugan,  the leader of the good guys. Stop,look and listen is probably the best way the describe the experience. One must stop because almost all the scenes has him in it. Then you will probably take a second look because he is eye-candy. Lastly you will listen and swoon as he sings as if he were straight out of an acoustic concert. True, he could have made a few of his many scenes more memorable but as the main symbol of goodness in the land filled with manhid people, I grew a liking to him.


Richardson Yadao was born to play Apolaki. The conyo slang, the swagger and even the comedy he brought to the table was worthy of utmost praise. He leaps with power in his legs and confidence in his eyes.  He raised the bar for the other dancers as he not only stood out for his dancing, he gloriously conquered acting too.

Denise Parungao was picture perfect as Gonongleda easily doing double ala seconde turns  and pose' attitudes with silky balances. She did not disappoint  the audience consistently showing her cirque de soleil flexibility .

With such a big cast of characters. Not all shone but no one underplayed their individual roles. The day I watched not all were pitch perfect but i easily forgave them because emotion was present.  I say the cast did their best with what was given. 


Needless to say. I enjoyed the production as a musical. As a collaboration however there were a few points that  could have been improved. The ensemble choreography was very strong and appropriate. However, when it came to the big numbers where the singers and dancers had to dance and perform together as heroes and villains, it was quite messy. Skillwise and choreography wise, it was as if there was a demarcation line between the two sets of artists. Perhaps a more unified  set of choreography would not have highlighted the singers' inferior (compared to.the classically trained ballet dancers)  skills. As expected in any collaboration between song and dance, there were a handful of scenes where I was conflicted having to choose what part of the show to watch. I would have preferred a subtle blend of arts.


The story ends with an open ending. It was a message of hope for the future generation. However the message sent was like a whisper in the wind drowned by many voices. It was not quite as dramatic not emphatic  as it could have been. The whole show peaked with so much vibrance  only to end a bit dimly for my taste.

Truth be told, I am not a fan of the story but I still salute to this valiant effort. Though I've thrown a few criticisms here and there, I went home proud of the people behind the show. It was after all very entertaining, rich with talent and to a a certain extent patriotic and nationalistic. At the end of the show I screamed "Bravo" to express my appreciation. Now I end the experience by typing the  words "Bravo" to Ballet Philippines for taking a risk for art's sake. Bravo for allowing audiences to witness a collaboration of Filipino talent. All original Filipino musicals deserve to be on the spotlight.




                                                        








Ballet Philippines' Manhid Promotional Materials


Photography: Jojo Mamangun 

Creative Director: Paul Alexander Morales 

Styling: Gelo Arucan

Be You Bravely: La Cage Manila Aux Folles



Along with the rest of the world, I searched for that one resolution that I would attempt to fulfill in 2015. Even before Christmas came, I came across a bible quote that left me frozen. It said "Be you bravely". It was lifted from Romans 12:2  of the bible. I knew then that this was what I needed to do. While not everyone I know is religious , I know that most wish to be brave. I too want to be brave enough to be truly myself in all possible situations. I want to be brave enough to stand up for my beliefs. I want to be brave enough to say no. At the same time I want to be brave enough to love with no limits. I also want to be brave enough to find new things to be passionate about. But this post is not about my very long be brave list.It's about a living breathing musical that positively reminded me about this resolution.

Without saying too much (no spoiler alerts here), La Cage is a story about a non traditional family faced with a challenge. Two gay men are made to face their son's fiance and her ultra conservative family. That alone should be enough to intrigue. The show has a happy ending. How it came to be? I suggest you go get a ticket and find out for yourself.Immerse yourself in the comedy of errors


The story, the script, the music itself is genius in a platter. However, what makes this shows standing ovation worthy is the combustible materials that it is made of.  The cast is led by Audie Gemora who plays Zaza, the ultimate starlet in drag and Michael De Mesa who plays George the show producer. The two are in a lovingly gay relationship. They both hit the ball over the ball park with on point characterization. I have seen Audie Gemora splendidly play gay several times. Chameleon that he is, he always brought something new to the table. With De Mesa's magnetic charm and Gemora's truthfully gay portrayal, it was too good to be true. It was chemistry that made the difference. As good theatre does sometimes, their talent made me feel for them in every scene. I believed them individually and as a couple. I was painfully hurt when it was time to break the bad news to Zaza. I was equally stressed and conflicted when George did not know how to console Zaza. They were indeed brilliant story tellers. 


Michael De Mesa as George  Photography by Erica Jacinto 

Out to steal the limelight was the ensemble (who doubled as minor characters) who set  the stage on fire with their infectious energy. With the very complicated and calorie burning choreography, they managed to blow my mind ( a dancer's mind might I mention). The pieces were not only clean they were as colorful as the rainbow. I saw at least  ten fabulous versions of a sultry face. I think I even saw 5 versions of can can, skank meets giggles. BRAVO to the dancers who sang and the singers who danced. All I saw was a sea of unified madness.
The ensemble Photography by Erica Jacinto 


Rafa Siguion Reyna Photography by Erica Jacinto 


Photography by Erica Jacinto 


Noel Rayos as of the crazies deserves noteworthy mention for being memorable beyond belief. A famous star is only as good as his or her performance. I hurt my hands clapping for him  when I saw him play the the director's side kick  in Producers a while back. Part of me tbought I was gonna see a bit of that in La Cage. I was completely mistaken because he brought a whole different shade or shall I say shades to the words beautiful and gay.  He is simply one of the most brilliant actors of this time. He can  do no wrong in my eyes. Bravo.


Raul Montesa's role  of the conservative Father-in-law to be was short and sweet but we was a perfect touch of contrast to the crazies.   The nuances  that he had injected were hilarious.

Robbie Guevarra outdid himself with this show.  The overall production value of this show was beautifully balanced by well directed actors and actresses. The costumes had just the right touch. The set was cleverly designed. The lights framed every scene lovingly. It's not hard to see that a lot of love was put into this show. All the hard work is now being reciprocated by thunderous applause and standing ovations.


I end by saying, La Cage has a beautiful message. BE YOU BRAVELY. They message is packaged beautifully waiting for another person to unravel it. Go get a ticket and watch the show.
                      
Joni  Galeste as Anne  Photography by Erica Jacinto