Jekyll and Hyde

One of my much-awaited musicals to watch this year is Jekyll & Hyde and I couldn't contain my excitement when preview time finally arrived. I was looking forward to watching veteran thespian and director Michael Williams and famous singer and stage actor Jett Pangan, who both alternate as Jekyll/Hyde.

The classic tale of the epic battle between good and evil, Robert Louis Stevenson's Jekyll & Hyde is about Henry Jekyll, a brilliant doctor whose experiments on human personality, in the hopes of finding a cure for his father's illness, led him to create his murderous alter ego Edward Hyde.

The dimly-lit stage and the clever play lights immediately set the tone of the play -- light and shadow, good and evil. The Victorian operating theater, which served as the stage itself for the characters, and the Greek chorus were innovations that Repertory Philippines' associate artistic director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo brought onto the production and this she shared in the press preview, "The show was not written like that but I have an amazing cast. I took a lot of risks and had lots of sleepless night because I am answerable to the board for the outcome of the production." Ms. Yulo couldn't help but cry when the audience applauded her brilliance and efforts that she had to go backstage for a few seconds to calm herself.

The "amazing cast" with director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo

(middle, standing behind Jett Pangan) and

assistant director Rem Zamora (extreme left, standing)

An overwhelmed and teary-eyed Yulo

at the press conference after the preview

The "amazing cast" that Ms. Yulo refered to are: Michael Williams and Jett Pangan who alternates as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Mr. Edward Hyde; Kalila Aguilos as Lucy Harris; Cris Villonco as Emma Carew; Junix Inocian as lawyer Gabriel John Utterson; Steve Cadd as Sir Danvers Carew; Jack Salud as Simon Stride; Red Nuestro as Bishop of Basingstoke; Mayen Bustamante-Cadd as Lady Beaconsfield; Oliver Usison as General Lord Glossop; Reuben Uy as Lord Savage; Jamie Inocian as Sir Archibald Proops; Jamie Wilson as Spider; James Stacey as Poole; Natalie Everett as Nellie; Hans Eckstein as Bisset; and the awesome Ensemble are Cara Barredo, Teenee Chan, Tricia Amper-Jimenez (who is understudy for Emma Crew), Liza Infante-Robinson, Giannina Ocampo, Edu Briones, Topper Fabregas, David Fabros and Gary Junsay.

Jett Pangan's Jekyll to Hyde moment while singing

"This Is The Moment"

I watched Jett Pangan in last year's run of Next to Normal (where he played opposite Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and from which he garnered a Best Actor nomination) and I must say that he was indeed very good in theater. But his role here as Jekyll/Hyde is a real revelation. He performed with such passion and energy that the audience felt it from start to finish, not to mention the highlight scene where he sang "This Is The Moment" before transforming himself from the gentle doctor Jekyll to the monstrous Hyde. There may be no costume or make-up change to mark the transition (they intentionally veered away from that) but the great lighting effects sure did the job very well. I must say, Mr. Pangan looked really sinister and menacing when bathed with the red and blue lights.

Cris Villonco and Michael Williams:

Emma Carew and Henry Jekyll's tender scene

I have yet to watch Michael Williams essay the role but I'm sure his version will be totally different but equally effective. I saw him do the Jekyll role with Cris Villonco for one brief number at the press call and they do have the chemistry. Met him for the first time after the press preview and he was such a warm person. He even gladly took a photo of me and some friends on the set's risers as a souvenir.

Cris Villonco is really a good match for sweet roles and her singing is consistently par excellence with the other plays she has done the past years which I was able to watch.

Kalila Aguilos shone bright as ill-fated Lucy Harris

Another great performance was delivered by Kalila Aguilos as the prostitute Lucy who fell in love with Jekyll but was desired by Hyde. Her acting and singing prowess are impeccable so much so that I felt the emotions that her character was conveying, be it love, pain or fear. I last saw her as Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux (villain to Eula Valdez' heroine role) in Zsazsa Zaturnnah last year and even then, her brilliance was evident.

Junix Inocian as Utterson, friend to Pangan's Dr. Jekyll

The respectable Junix Inocian was meant to give life to the role of Utterson, Dr. Jekyll's trusted and loyal friend. He has long been in theater and was a part of the original cast of London's Miss Saigon and played the coveted role of the Engineer. But I must say, my most vivid memory of him was his role as Kuya Mario in Batibot, a children's television show that I used to watch when I was younger.

Taking a bow to the applause and standing ovation

Suffice to say, I loved Repertory Philippines' production of Jekyll & Hyde. It had the same feel as their previous staging of Sweeney Todd and I'm a sucker for the dark and strange. Enough said.

(l-r) Cris Villonco, Kalila Aguilos and Jett Pangan

are all smiles during the Q&A

(l-r) Michael Williams, Junix Inocian and Steve Cadd

Directed by Mechu Lauchengco-Yulo, the rest of the artistic and production team behind the second offering of Repertory Philippines' 75th season are: Baby Barredo, artistic director; Rem Zamora, assistant director; Onyl Torres, musical director; Natalie Everett, choreographer; John Batalla, lighting designer; Joey Gonzalez-Mendoza, set designer; Raven Ong, costume designer; Rosa Lumagbas, assistant to the costume designer; Gidget Tolentino, production manager and sound engineer; Ayam Barredo, company manager; Perky Parong, stage manager; Pol Roxas, sound technician; Pablito Salvador, lighting technician; and Adul Lasin, set execution and scenic artist.

The cast on the operating theater set

at the Jekyll & Hyde preview's press conference

Jekyll & Hyde will be shown at Onstage Greenbelt until April 22 with the following show schedules: 8 pm shows on Fridays and Saturdays on March 30 & 31, April 13, 14, 20, 21 & 22; 3:30 pm shows on Saturdays and Sundays on March 31, April 1, 14, 15, 21 & 22. Tickets at P1,500 (Orchestra Center), P1,000 (Orchestra Side) and P800 (Balcony). Call 571-6926 or log on to Ticketworld to inquire and reserve tickets.

Filed under SHOWS

Loveable Leading Ladies

I expected a comedy but I watched a riot! Repertory Philippines' "Leading Ladies" had me laughing from start to end when I watched the press preview a day before opening night.

"Leading Ladies" by Ken Ludwig is a comedy which will show the answer of two very unfortunate English Shakespearean actors to the question "How far would you go for three million dollars?" Jack and Leo will do whatever it takes to hatch a plot to pass themselves off as two English women to scam an elderly woman of her fortune.

Leading the cast are Topper Fabregas as Jack and James Stacey as Leo; supported by Cris Villonco as Meg; with Giannina Ocampo, Jamie Wilson, Juno Henares, Hans Eckstein, and Oliver Usison.

Directed by Michael Williams, the rest of the artistic and production team behind the second offering of Repertory Philippines' 75th season are: Baby Barredo, artistic director; Menchu Launchengco-Yulo, associate artistic director; John Batalla, lighting designer; Denis Lagdameo, set designer; Gidget Tolentino, production manager; Ayam Barredo, company manager; Dingdong Rosales, stage manager; Pol Roxas, sound technician; Pablito Salvador, lighting technician; and Adul Lasin, set execution and scenic artist.

Shows will run until March 4 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, on the following schedule: 8 pm shows on February 24 and 25; March 2 and 3; with 3:30 pm matinee shows on February 19, 25 and 26; March 3 and 4. For tickets, call 571-6926 or logon to Ticketworld.

Filed under SHOWS

Next Fall: Believe in the Power of Love

"Next Fall" by Geoffrey Nauffts is a beautiful and heartwarming story of modern romance -- a gay couple who, five years into their relationship, is still agonizing over differences in religion. Headlining the play are Bart Guingona and David Bianco, two very professional and passionate actors who gave justice to their roles, under the direction of stage veteran Audie Gemora.

I first met Bart Guingona almost a decade ago and have worked with him for events, and although I know he is a brilliant theater actor, it was my first time to watch him on stage. He is indeed brilliant beyond words -- even if his role as Adam, the candle salesman-turned-teacher and love of Luke's life, was like stepping on thin ice (in a predominantly Catholic/Christian country), Bart was able to communicate his role in a way that felt light as a feather.

Adam (Bart) and Luke (David) in a tender scene

(l-r) David Bianco and Bart Guingona

On the other hand, young thespian David Bianco attacked the role with the ease of a veteran, acting "cute" and romantic when the scene calls for it. I guess the thrust his lovely wife gives him makes it easy for him to do sensitive roles such as Luke, an aspiring actor-cum-cater waiter, who has been hiding his true nature from his parents.

(l-r) Miguel Faustman and Juno Henares

Providing more depth and color to the play are supporting roles essayed by actors Liesl Batucan as Holly, Miguel Faustman asButch, Juno Henares as Arlene, and Niccolo Manahan as Brandon.

(l-r) Liesl Batucan and Niccolo Manahan

I won't be a spoiler and tell the whole story but I just want to share that I loved Audie Gemora's frame of mind and heart when he took on the role of the director -- clear of any judgment. Yes, the main characters are gay and the story involves religion but he wanted to deliver the message just as the play intended and that is to show that love can overcome religious differences between persons and that love can make one believe in God. "What drew me to the piece is its honesty. Luke is such an honest portrayal of Christians who struggle with sexual identity but find redemption in God's love and grace," Audie shares, "In the end, Adam, the staunch atheist can only acknowledge the transforming power of Luke's love."

The cast of Next Fall with (extreme left) Rep. Phils.

associate artistic director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo

and (extreme right) director Audie Gemora

I highly recommend that you watch "Next Fall" at Onstage Greenbelt while you can: 8 pm shows on January 20, 21, 27 and 28; February 3 and 4; with 3:30 pm matinee shows on January 21, 22, 28 and 29; February 4 and 5. But before you watch, please leave all judgment out the door.

"Next Fall" won the 2010 John Gassner Award and, in the same year, was nominated for the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Play; Tony Awards for Best Play; Outer Critics Circle Awards for Outstanding New Broadway Play.

Filed under SHOWS

Seussical Equals Magical

If there is one childhood memory that I still vividly remember, it is that of reading books of Dr. Seuss, the Cat in the Hat, as early as kindergarten. Maybe its because of the red and white striped top hat or the whimsical creatures in the stories that got my attention early on.

I have been waiting for Repertory Philippines' staging of Seussical when I learned about it as early as last year and after watching the press preview a few weeks ago and the full production this morning, I can say that the long wait is so worth it. Because Seussical is under Repertory Philippines' Children's Theater, the shows are done in the morning and early afternoon -- my ticket was for the first show this morning at 10:30 so I had to wake up earlier than my normal weekend wake-up call and for the love of theater and Repertory Philippines, I made it on time (for the show proper but missed the press call before that so am using photos I took during the press preview).

Opening scene with Cat in the Hat and Jojo

From the first scene where the Cat in the Hat magically appeared, I was instantly glued, watching everything on stage intently, my eyes only removed from the play every time the young girl beside me would hit me with her elbow whenever she moves to fix her ponytail. I was transported into dreamland, witnessing the story of a young boy's wild imagination which led to the creation of a place called Jungle of Nool, the Circus McGurkus and the invisible world of the Whos, and the colorful characters that live there.

Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!

Seussical is an amazing musical extravaganza! Tony winners Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime," "Once On This Island") have magically brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, among them being the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird and Jojo, the little boy with a big imagination.

Arnel Carrion as Cat in the Hat

Repertory's Associate Artistic Director, Ms. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, shared that since Seussical will run from August to December each actor had to master and play 2-3 characters each so that in the eventuality that one cast member is not available on any day, another one can stand-in. Kudos to the great talents for such hard work, dedication and love for theater, I can just imagine how confusing juggling roles can sometimes be. And because they have a long list of cast members per character, am just going to mention the notable roles and the actors who played them today:

Cat in the Hat - Arnel Carrion

Jojo - Noah Ramos

Horton the Elephant - Oliver Usison

Sour Kangaroo - Bituin Escalante

Gertrude McFuzz - Charity Grace Walthrop

Mayzie La Bird - Liesl Batucan

Bird Girls - Cara Barredo, Ayam Barredo & Janine Tolentino

Wickersham Brothers - Rem Zamora, Hans Eckstein & Gabs Santos

Bituin Escalante (right) as Sour Kangaroo

Everyone gave a performance worth the loud applause of the audience but most excellent were Bituin Escalante's belting Sour Kangaroo (she also did a great job as a ventriloquist for the baby kangaroo on her pouch), Charity Grace Walthrop's lovable antics and facial expressions as Gertrude and Liesl Batucan's energetic Mayzie.

Horton Hears a Who

Ms. Joy Virata, artistic & stage director/executive producer of Rep's Children's Theatre wanted to make the visual extra special for the song Solla Sollew, where instead of flashing pictures of beautiful spots on a screen during the song, a slide show of children's drawings of their own concept of a beautiful spot full of love, peace and joy will be displayed. She espoused the idea in the hopes that children today will continue the art of drawing, if not to become professional artists, at least to grow up having an appreciation for the visual arts.

Amayzing Mayzie (that's how 'amazing' was spelled)

Joining Ms. Virata and Ms. Yulo in Seussical's artistic team are: Baby Barredo, artistic director; Rem Zamora, assistant director; Edna Vida-Froilan, choreographer; John Batalla, lighting designer; Onyl Torres, musical director; Gidget Tolentino, sound engineer; Adul Lasin, scenic artist; Raven Ong, costume supervisor; Ayam Barredo, company manager; Jojo Amboy, stage manager; Ronnie Cruz, assistant stage manager; and Deana Aquino, assistant stage manager/dance captain.

The stage design was inspired by the art of Vincent Van Gogh and was crafted through coordination using various technologies between New York, where set designer Oliver Roxas-Green is currently based, and Manila, where Ms. Virata closely supervised the design implementation.

Seussical cast at the press con

Seussical is showing at Onstage, 2/F Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City from August 13 to December 18, 2011. Call (632)571-6926 to inquire about the show's time and ticket prices. For tickets, call (632) 571-6926 or log on to Ticketworld.

Following the Trail to The 39 Steps

I am a fan of spy novels and movies and Alfred Hitchcock films since I was little and so the news of Repertory Philippines staging The 39 Steps thrilled me to no end. Luckily, I caught it on the second to the last play date as I have been busy with work.

Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the World War 1 spy novel of John Buchan and from the movie of Alfred Hitchcock, the fast-paced whodunit play is a two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning comedy-thriller treat, featuring over 150 zany characters -- played by a extraordinarily talented cast of four!

(L-R) Rem Zamora as Mr. Memory; Juliene Mendoza as stagehand; Michael Williams as Richard Hannay; and Liza Infante as spy Annabella Schmidt

It centers on a man with a boring life, Richard Hannay (Michael Williams), who meets a mysterious foreign woman in a theater who says she's a spy (Liza Infante). When he takes her home for shelter and protection, she is murdered. Soon, a mysterious organization called "The 39 Steps" is hot on Richard's trail in a manhunt that goes back to the very same theater where it started and climaxes in a death-defying finale!

(L-R) Juliene Mendoza and Rem Zamora as husband and wife Inn Keepers; Michael Williams as Richard Hannay; and Liza Infante as Pamela

What’s interesting and exciting to see were the multiple roles that actors Rem Zamora and Juliene Mendoza played – the buzz is that they were more than a hundred roles split between them – from being Mr. Memory (Zamora) and stagehand (Mendoza) at the start, they went on to play henchmen of the 39 Steps organization, to being policemen, traveling undergarment salesmen Hannay meets on the train, to old men at a political rally, husband and wife inn keepers, among others. Imagine the quick costume changes from full gear to just a flip of hats, which surprisingly adds to the laugh factor of the show.

Ana Abad Santos, a self confessed Hitchcock fan and a theater actress as well, directed the show.

The 39 Steps held my attention from start to end and made me laugh my heart out and watching the audience reactions added to the thrill and comedy of one of the happiest nights of my life.

Photos from Repertory Philippines

Of Mothers and Daughters

I saw the film way back and have yet to read the book so I was excited to watch Repertory Philippines’ staging of Amy Tan’s best-selling novel The Joy Luck Club when I first learned about it early last month in a partnership meeting with Rep. I know that it was an intricate story of four Chinese women who migrated to the United States and their relationship with their four American-born daughters but I wondered how the play would unfold their individual stories complete with flashbacks of their lives in China.

When I arrived at the Greenbelt OnStage theater, I saw a square platform in the center of the stage with several smaller wooden blocks. The platform I recognized as the same one from Equus but the rest of the pieces intrigued me. Soon enough, the platform became a house, then a dinning table then a mah jong table…talk about multitasking. The smaller wooden blocks became chairs that were moved around, depending on the required set and then was later used as the mah jong tiles towards the end. But am already jumping in my story.

When the play started and as the story progressed, I went down memory lane and was refreshed of the tale of these four Chinese women who bonded over playing mah jong thus forming The Joy Luck Club. The portrayals of Rebecca Chuaunsu, Jay Glorioso, Frances Makil Ignacio and Pinky Marquez as the mothers; and Ana Abad Santos, Lily Chu, Jenny Jamora and Cris Villonco as the daughters were equally brilliant and they established the right emotions to depict the complexity of their situations. Each tandem got their spotlight and the flashbacks were smoothly weaved into the storyline, with the mothers portraying their own younger selves. The audience laughed at the light, funny scenes and got teary-eyed at sad and endearing moments.

Each pair of mother and daughter illustrated how we, as children, can sometimes be so engrossed with our own lives that we do not take the time to really know who our mothers were, the women they once were, before we were born. This is the reason why most often than not, mothers and daughters (and sons, too) clash and us children would always think that they just want to push us around and do what they want. This realization got me thinking…even I never took the time to ask my mom how she was when she was little, how she was as a student, and what her hobbies were, among others.

Okay, enough of my musings. Just go and watch The Joy Luck Club, Repertory Philippines’ initial offering for 2011. It doesn’t hurt, too, that it coincides with the Chinese New Year season. Directed by Anton Juan, the show runs from February 4 to 20, 2011 at OnStage, Greenbelt. For ticket inquiries and other information, call Repertory Philippines at 571-6926 and 571-4941 or email info@repertory-philippines.com. Tickets also available at Ticketworld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Photos from Repertory Philippines

ROMEO & BERNADETTE for a Funny Valentine's

In a meeting with Rem Zamora, Repertory actor and marketing guy, last month for a partnership, I thought he made a mistake when he said that they have “Romeo and Bernadette” in their line-up. What? Romeo and Bernadette? Shouldn’t it be Juliet who’s Romeo’s perennial partner as literary history’s star-crossed lovers? Who doesn’t know Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet?

As Rem explained, Repertory Philippines' Valentine offering is Mark Saltzman's musical comedy ROMEO & BERNADETTE which is a creative spin-off of the famous pair’s story brought on by a guy who was trying to seduce his date, who unfortunately felt sad and depressed after watching a “Romeo and Juliet” play. And so the guy starts off by telling the girl that Romeo really didn’t die from the poison he drank and instead slept for 500 years (channeling Sleeping Beauty here). When Romeo wakes up, he found himself in modern day Verona and chanced upon a modern Italian-American girl (yes, Bernadette) who looks exactly like his long-lost love Juliet. The chase brought Romeo to Brooklyn where he was caught in-between warring mafia families on top of the bad fortune that Bernadette was set to marry someone else.

ROMEO & BERNADETTE stars PJ Valerio ("High School Musical On Stage," "Altar Boyz") and Cris Villonco ("Hamlet"). I should say that the young actors filled the roles quiet excellently from the looks department, the acting and the singing parts.

Rem ("Sweeney Todd," "Jesus Christ Superstar") does not only have a role in the play but eight roles to boot! He plays an accordionist in Verona, a famous opera singer, a corrupt immigration officer, a gay florist, a priest, a kick-ass female dance instructor, a female couturier, and an old man (father to Donna).

The musical also features Repertory veterans Red Concepcion (Brooklyn Guy/Dino), Liesl Batucan (Brooklyn Girl/Donna), Dido de la Paz (Sal Penza/Usher), Juno Henares (Camille Penza), Kenneth Keng (Tito Titone), Jim Paoleli (Don Del Canto/Airport Supervisor), and Jamie Wilson (Lips).

ROMEO & BERNADETTE can be seen at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Opened last February 5, the musical will run on February 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28.

Photos from:
1)http://philippines.broadwayworld.com/article/ROMEO_BERNADETTE_Premieres_In_Manila_Show_Runs_2528_20100204

2) http://oliverpublicist.blogspot.com/2010/02/reviews-romeo-bernadette-repertory.html