"EJ" ROCK MUSICAL OPENS FEBRUARY 15

The rock musical “EJ: ANG PINAGDAANANG BUHAY NINA EVELIO JAVIER AT EDGAR JOPSON” opens on February 15, 2008, at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater).Cultural Center of the Philippines.
Written by Palanca Hall of Famer Ed Maranan with songs and music by The Dawn, EJ stars Ricky Davao as Evelio Javier and Jett Pangan as Edgar “Edjop” Jopson, two men who rocked a nation during the turbulent years of the Marcos regime.

Described by its director Chris Millado as a “rock memoriam, ” EJ outlines the beginnings of social consciousness in the early lives of Evelio and Edjop Jopson, to their contrasting reactions to the turmoil in Philippine society, and their eventual violent deaths. Edjop blazed into the headlines as the President of the National Union of Students of the Philippines at the time when Martial Law was declared, while Evelio is best known as the crusading governor of the province of Antique who refused to be co-opted by the ruling party and its minions.

Though Evelio and Edjop never met in real life, EJ puts them face to face with each other in an imagined debate, with Evelio taking the side of gradualist and enlightened reformist politics as the way forward for the country, and Edjop believing in violent struggle due to the futility of reforms in the political culture and class structure of Filipino society.

“Evelio and Edjop can be likened to rock stars of their time, and what better way to present their lives to contemporary audiences than through rock music”, says Chris Millado.

The Dawn, one of the most enduring bands in the country, was tapped to provide the music component of EJ, a challenge the band members took up willingly. Aside from hearing original music composed specifically for the play, audiences can look forward to some of the band’s more popular tunes in EJ, including “Talaga Naman”, “Alam Ko, Alam Niyo”, “Abot Kamay”, “Dreams” and other favorites. The band will perform live in selected performances.

Others in the cast of EJ ; ANG PINAGDAANANG BUHAY NINA EVELIO JAVIER AT EDGAR JOPSON are Rody Vera, Juliene Mendoza, Stella Cañete, Tex Ordoñez, Mayen Estañero, Wenah Nagales, Bong Cabrera, Nar Cabico and the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company. It will run for four weekends from February 15 to March 9, with 8 PM shows on Fridays to Sundays and 3 PM matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets at P300 and P600 are available at the Tanghalang Pilipino (832-3661), CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Ticketworld (891-9999). Website: http://www.tanghalangpilipino.com/; email: ccptanghalan@yahoo.com.

EJ ; ANG PINAGDAANANG BUHAY NINA EVELIO JAVIER AT EDGAR JOPSON completes Tanghalang Pilipino 21st Theater Season and is presented in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts with the support of the Evelio B. Javier Foundation.

LAST WEEKEND FOR KUDETA!

A coup has toppled the government and the President is held captive in an undisclosed location. Young military officers consolidate their position by trying to get the President to sign a document confessing to crimes he has committed against the nation. To regain power, the President must use everything in his possession.

Futuristic news headlines from the Philippines?

It’s an independent Trinidad and Tobago, the setting for Tanghalang Pilipino’s 2008 opening salvo, KUDETA! (The Coup), a “wickedly funny play” written by Mustapha Matura and directed by Floy Quintos from the Filipino translation by George de Jesus III.

Celebrated actor/writer/director Mario O’ Hara returns to the stage to star as President Eddie Jones, now facing the very same officers he sent for training in the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy. The Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company comprise the ensemble that play the coup plotters as well as the characters from past and present that inhabit the President’s life and dreams.

Playwright Mustapha Matura was born in Trinidad in 1939 and moved to London in 1961. In 1974, he was named The Most Promising Playwright by the Evening Standard and is now considered as one of the leading theater figures in Britain.

“The Coup” was commissioned by the Royal National Theater of Great Britain in 1991, enjoying great acclaim, with critics calling it an “untidy and intermittently very funny play about an evidently untidy and intermittently funny country,” making for a “knowing, affirmative and fun evening.”

KUDETA! (The Coup), written by Mustapha Matura with Filipino translation by George de Jesus III, will have its final weekend run with 8pm performances on Friday(February 1) and Saturday(February 2) and 3pm matinees on Saturday(February 2) and Sunday(February 3). The cast is headed by Mario O’Hara as President Eddie Jones, with the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors’ Company. Production Design by Tuxqs Rutaquio, Lighting Design by Dennis Marasigan, Sound Design by Janice Dee, and Direction by Floy Quintos.

Tickets at P500 (regular) and P250(student) are available at Ticketworld (891-9999), CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Tanghalang Pilipino (832-3661/832-1125 locals 1620 and 1621.) Visit the Tanghalang Pilipino website www.tanghalangpilipino.com.

MIRACLE IN SHANGHAI

By Dennis N. Marasigan

Printed in the Philippine Daily Inquirer 01/07/2008

“Why are Filipinos very good performers, especially in music?”

“Maybe because we are blessed with it.”

This was the answer given by choreographer Jose Jay Cruz to a question from a Chinese member of the audience at the talkback following the last performance of Tanghalang Pilipino’s production of “Himala, The Musical” at the 2007 Asian Contemporary Festival in Shanghai, China.

Afterwards, some other audience members shyly admitted they were moved to tears by the performance. Others were more openly ecstatic.

The Festival, which originated in Osaka, Japan but has been organized by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center for the last three years, finally got a Filipino theater group to participate, thanks in a large part to the efforts of the Philippine Consulate in Shanghai headed by Consul General Ma. Rowena Sanchez and Consul Aileen Mendiola-Rau.

After submitting several plays for consideration, Tanghalang Pilipino’s production of the musical based on the landmark film by National Artist Ishmael Bernal was selected.

Downsized production
Getting the production to Shanghai was in itself almost a miracle. After its premiere at the 200-seater Tanghalang Batute (CCP Studio Theater) in 2003, “Himala, The Musical” moved to the 421-seat Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) in 2004. For the Shanghai festival, the organizers could only accommodate a 12-man touring company. The venue would be a flexible space configured for a maximum of 180 viewers.

The challenge at the outset was how to downsize the production. Director Soxie Topacio, composer and lyricist Vince de Jesus, and choreographer Cruz went about the task, mindful of maintaining the integrity of the original production’s vision. Production designer Gino Gonzales also modified his design to fit the festival venue.

The result was a running time reduced from its original two-and-a-half hours to one hour and 45 minutes, with a cast of 11 actors and one technical person. The minimalist set consisted of a fiberglass tree and some twigs.

Original cast members May Bayot, who played Elsa, plus Isay Alvarez (Nimia), Cynthia Culig Guico (Chayong), Mia Bolanos (Aling Saling), and Bong Embile (Igme) all signed up for the Shanghai performances. Lionel Guico, who originated the role of the priest, stepped up to play Orly, the filmmaker.

Jay Cruz was prevailed upon to do double duty as Pilo. Similarly, stage manager Chynna Roxas was assigned several roles. They were joined by Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company members Marj Lorico, Bong Cabrera and Jonathan Tadioan, each of whom had also been in the last staging. I was the Tour Manager and Technical Director.

During the preview at the CCP before the company’s departure for China, audience members who had seen previous stagings noted that the tour version seemed more compact, yet was still gripping. Despite the good feedback, the company still continued to fine-tune the performance right up to departure date.

In Shanghai, with only 12 hours allotted for setup, stage adjustment and rehearsals, the company was in mixed spirits at curtain time, more so since there were more native Chinese than Filipinos in the audience. Would the non-Filipino speakers catch on through the projected Chinese subtitles?

Overwhelming response
The audience response at the end of the opening night performance was overwhelming. As if reserving their applause till the very end, the mixed audience rose to their feet, a scenario that did not come often, we were told. The Chinese who watched that evening were as lavish in their praises as the Filipinos who came.

The organizers themselves expressed their thanks to the company for a splendid performance by extending an invitation to next year’s festival right there and then.

Not completely satisfied with the performance, the company went back to the theater the following afternoon for additional rehearsals, and their efforts were rewarded by the warm response of a more diverse audience on the second performance.

Gauging from the questions and comments from the audience during the talkback portion, all except one of which came from non-Filipinos, the language barrier seemed non-existent. The Filipinos in the audience, most of whom were conversant in Chinese, shared not only their comments but also the positive comments from the Chinese that they had overheard.

They added that “Himala, The Musical” not only made them proud of being Filipino, but added spice to their otherwise customary and uneventful daily routines. And, as if in chorus, they said they looked forward to more performances by Filipino groups in Shanghai and watching Filipino plays when they get back to the Philippines.

“Himala, The Musical,” by Ricky Lee (libretto and lyrics) and Vince de Jesus (lyrics and music), with direction by Soxie Topacio, was performed by Tanghalang Pilipino at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center Drama Salon on Nov. 22 and 23 as part of the 2007 Asian Contemporary Theater Festival. Billed as “The Creative Asia” but not limited to Asian theater groups, the festival ran from Nov. 8 to 30 and featured 55 performances from 21 groups coming from 11 countries and territories.

Aside from the Philippines and China, other countries represented included Korea, Singapore, Turkey, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, Spain and Hungary.