This year 2010 is an election year. It is a national election which has everyone interested to be involved as the head of the country will finally be changed after nine unsatisfactory years. This election is also special as it is the first automated national polls. So it seems just right that the first musical play I watch this year will be about the elections. It had the long title "Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diyablo at and Limang Milyong Boto." It is the very first play I had seen in the PETA Theater in Quezon City despite its proximity to my workplace.
"Juan Tamad" is a serio-comic satire on the current political state of Philippine politics, set in lively music and dance. The gamut of election-related topics are bravely tackled in the script and the songs. Juan Tamad (or JT) embodies the typical Filipino youth who has become so apathetic about the current mire our nation is in. The play follows JT's political awakening from the registration, the campaigns, the ghost voters, the political harassment, and in the end, self-reliance and community action. Very timely messages indeed, delivered in hilarious skits and funny dances, by actors in campy costumes and make-up -- all in the effort to appealing to the youth in the audience, to get them involved.
Juan Tamad in the 3pm show yesterday was played by Marvin Ong. I have only heard of him one other time, and that was as Toby in Rep's "Sweeney Todd". His singing voice is strong. He connects with his hip acting. He is young, current and earnest, a true representative of today's youth. He was a hit with the many girls in the audience.
Diyablo was played by Vincent de Jesus, who was also responsible for this play's music, libretto and musical direction -- talk about multi-tasking! He was very much into the role of the jaded devil-figure who like to see the squalid status quo continue to oppress the populace. He was not shy to exploit his sharp facial features to maximize the physical comedy. As he obviously knows this material in and out, he seems to adlib liberally to the best overall effect. I cannot imagine Robert Sena (Vincent's more popularly-known alternate) in this role. Vincent's slinky sarcasm is excellent!
Lola Anitan, JT's grandmother and sole guardian since his parents went to work abroad, was played by Joann Co. She was also very effective in her funny, and also emotional moments. The rest of the supporting cast was also unafraid to do their exaggerated best in whatever it takes to make all those funny little jokes work, be it in their voices, their faces or their body movements.
I watched yesterday afternoon in an auditorium filled to the rafters with St. Paul of QC college students. It was a very noisy group, since they all knew each other. A pretty juvenile group as well, as they would still produce a collective gasp when the house lights were turned off right before the show, even when it happened again in the second act!
Anyway, when the play got started, you see these young people getting into the groove of it, laughing at the right times, at the right jokes. This play gets through to its target audience. But the play ends by challenging the audience to pick up where the play ends, and make JT's dreams a reality. Now that still remains to be seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment