Recap of SJCS CLASS 1983 HOMECOMING DAY (October 4, 2008)

October 5, 2008

It all started as a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon that October 4, 2008.

To begin the day's homecoming celebration, we batch mates all gathered first in St. Jude Church for Holy Mass.  Our beloved Prefect of Discipline Fr. Charles Tchou (now Monsignor) was already there. There were already initial interaction right there with some teachers who also chose to attend the Mass with us. 

Our concelebrated homecoming mass was officiated by Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, SVD. He was a former SJCS Principal, and now bishop of Abra. And then, midway through the Mass, the clouds in the sky turned threateningly gray. 

Suddenly, we heard a loud splashing sounds from outside. The rain had started to fall in strong torrents, or as our batch would call it "cats and dogs."  Inside, the Mass still went on smoothly.  Afterwards, the obligatory group photo was taken.

But then, as feared, the trek from the church to the school after the Mass would not be easy.

Yes folks, that driveway was flooded!

Once you get inside though, you would immediately feel that the atmosphere was already picking up the festive air. 

Drummers were playing their familiarly loud fiesta music routines, in keeping with the Street Party theme. Classmates and guests began to get their snacks from the food stalls, and mingling and chatting with each other.

The stage and tables were all set.  Luckily the rain had stopped pouring and the housekeeping staff were hurriedly doing last minute clean-up of the party venue. 

We hardly minded though. 

We were all already in the thick of reunion fever!

The mood was very festive as classmates gathered together among themselves and among the teachers whom they recognized (and those who recognized them!). 

Everybody was exchanging stories, catching up, taking pictures, digging up and sharing old memories.  The organizers were able to gather teachers from our High School all the way back to our Nursery days.  Kudos to Jackson Lee and his assistants!

There were impersonators, mimes, and street magicians doing the rounds of the tables to provide some diversionary entertainment.  There was a roving female emcee (in her HS uniform) who went around interviewing people (classmates and teachers) about what their thoughts are re the homecoming.

Because of the clean-up operations, the programme of events was already delayed by about an hour.  At around  7pm, the Doxology ("The Prayer" originally by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli) was sung by Iric Chua, Lilibeth Tan and Fred Hawson.  You can watch this opening song in this VIDEO LINK

. 

After that opening prayer, the dinner buffet was opened.  As promised, food was aplenty  There was roast beef, garlic prawns, barbecued chicken, among the viand choices.  Sumptuous!  Soda and beer were also overflowing.

As dinner went on, the ongoing entertainment consistent of impersonators giving life to 80s icons like Boy George, Michael Jackson, Cher, etc. For more exotic excitement, there were also Fire Dancers who displayed their skills onstage. 

After these dinner-time show, the formal program began with Opening Remarks from the Caesar Peter Sy and the Empress Irene Ngo, who delivered their speeches in English and Mandarin Chinese respectively.  The current Father Rector Fr. Jerome Marquez gave the Welcome Remarks for the school.

After this, they showed the most-awaited, months-in-the-making Audio-Visual Presentation of our Batch.  The organizers had been shooting clips for this from the First Photo Shoot in May, all the way to the song and dance rehearsals we had 2 days before the actual event. There were lots of revealing information in it, like Janet del Mundo's

list of male and female heartthrobs of our batch, or that unexpected confession by the Tanya twins of their secret switcheroo during one Chinese oral exam. 

That whole video is classic!  There were lots of laugh-out-loud moments in there, as well as sentimental moments too.  Based on the appreciative audience reaction, everyone loved it. If you like to watch it, click on this VIDEO LINK.

The first big production number of the night (and I mean BIG, probably even exceeding anything we have seen on TV) was presented by our batch mates in the Dance Group.  This very exciting number featured songs from back in our 80s days, brought to life in most exhilarating steps and colorful costumes (was that 5 rapid changes or more?). 

They started from "Always There To Remind Me," then segued to Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".  There was  to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"; Madonna's "Material Girl", Kenny Loggin's "Footloose"  and Industry's "State of the Nation".  In the middle there was this innovative sub-number by the girls using flashlights (was the music by Eurythmics?) featuring Leslie Wong and Irene Tan showcasing their flexible moves.

This dance number was a true showstopper!  Words fail to fully describe the grandness and electricity of this number. You can watch this spectacular number at this VIDEO LINK. 

The next big number was the very cute Modern Dance number presented by the kids of our batch mates. The first part with the younger kids with songs like Christina Aguilera's "Candy Man" and Kat DeLuna's "Whine Up". The second part was with the older kids who danced to more hiphop type songs like Flo Rida's "Low".  The last part danced to the tune of Pitbull's "Boom Boom Shake Shake Now Drop" brought all the kids together, along with our batch mates who are their parents! Watch this fun number at this VIDEO LINK. 

Other jubilarian batches also presented their numbers to join in the celebration. The most impressive was that of Batch 78 who gave a very energetic and well-choreographed disco dance number. Penthouse Live levels! Batch 73 (the very first SJCS graduates) and Batch 98 both had song numbers.

Next up, all our past teachers and administrators were gathered up and presented onstage. And then they were serenaded by what I think was a most inspired choice for balladeer for this occasion, no less than Jose Mari Chan!  He sang Petula Clark's 1969 song "You and I" and some teachers were singing along to the familiar tune. You can watch his performance on this VIDEO LINK.

Our class representative, the "Emperor" Constantine Kohchet-Chua then went up the stage to present our mentors with our individual gifts to them, Round-trip Air Philippines tickets for 2 to any domestic destination!

After the teachers left the stage, Mr. Chan sang a couple of more songs.  Then, he was followed by another pop singer from way back, Janet Basco, who still looked very good in her shimmering costume.

After the series of love songs, our tireless Batch dancers took to the stage again, this time with The Manoeuvres!  Yes these are the original Manoeuvres with the infusion of some new blood. We saw our classmates Wilson Chan, Jonathan de Guzman, Jackson Lee & Cons Kohchet Chua go step to step with them in some intricate dance moves.  And wow, Francis Pua had a spot number by himself and two Manoeuvres! You have to watch this exciting dance at this VIDEO LINK. 

After this number, our batch ceremonially presented the symbolic key as homecoming hosts over to the representative from Batch 84 (who had the guts to say that they will come up with something better than what we had!  LOL!)  The next ceremony involved our batch reps presenting the school with our gift to help the school -- a check worth P2.5 Million to serve as our batch scholarship fund.

Then, it was time for the Batch Song Medley, beginning with Cats & Dogs staple, Florante's immortal hit song "Handog." After an a capella solo intro, the rest of the choir came in together with the music. This was followed by another timeless inspirational song, Lea Salonga's "Journey." Lilibeth Tan then addressed the school and our mentors with a short but moving message of thanks, as our pictures were being flashed on screen.  I could have sworn Lilayh's voice was cracking with emotions already, as indeed the moment was very dramatic.

Then we sang Nikki Gil's "Glowing Inside" which is basically a song of "thank you's".  After that, we came back to "Handog," concluding with an a capella solo once again. After this, all our other batch mates in attendance took their place on stage behind the choir and joined in to sing the upbeat Mandarin song of hope "Ming Tien Hui Geng Hau"! 

Witness and listen to our signature sentimental Batch 83 style of serenading our teachers on this VIDEO LINK. 

With that, Cons Kohchet-Chua went center stage to thank everyone for attending and joining in our celebrations.  He called SJCS "the best school in the Philippines", which was of course greeted with wild applause by everyone.  

It was not yet over as the Grand Raffle Draw for the big prizes was still held.  The only batch mate I know who won a major prize was Rosana Fuentes who won a Sony Ericsson cellphone (4th Prize).  The First Prize was a trip to Singapore for 2 w/ US$500 pocket money, and I think it went to someone from a younger batch.  With that, the formal program came to a close.  By then it was already 12 midnight.

The ageless Joey Generoso and the rest of local premiere band Side A band played the night away with old and new favorites.  This band is really good!  They can sing their own material, as well as covers from Aerosmith to Maroon 5 effortlessly. 

While some people hung on to watch the concert, some were already making their way to the exit to claim their generous (meaning very heavy) loot bags.  Everyone was very tired, but obviously very happy. 

The 2008 SJCS Grand Alumni Homecoming sponsored by Batch 83 was an unqualified success!  Kudos to the dedicated and tireless members of the Synod who worked so hard to ensure that everything fell into the right place. Congratulations to all of us, SJCS Batch 83! Onwards, classmates!

Concert Recap and Videos: BASIA LIVE IN MANILA (10-21-2009)

October 22, 2009

I have been thinking of watching this concert since I first saw its ad. Basia, the Polish singer-composer with the unpronounceable surname Trzetrzelewska, had been one of my favorite singers in the late 80s to early 90s. I did not even know she already had a mini-concert in Manila October 1990 at the Folk Arts Theater. I do not know how I could have not heard that one. She retired from the music scene in 1998, but luckily, she is now back and here live in Manila again for a comeback concert.

Her concert started at 9 pm already. Basia came out in a black and white suit and pants ensemble. She opened with her new song: "It's That Girl Again". She seems heftier than how I remember her back then, but that was so long ago. She already 55 now, but her trademark rich vocals and great syncopated singing styles were intact. It sounded so great live. You could just close your eyes and imbibe the warmth of her voice. 

She would then continue singing new and old hits from all her albums for her first set, like "Drunk on Love," "Blame It On Summer,"  my personal favorite "Reward," "Baby You're Mine," "How Dare You Talk to Me Like That," "A Gift" and a slowed down version of "Run for Cover."

Basia then took a break and yielded the spotlight to her twin back-up singers from Mauritius who both sang a Basia song each ("Astrid" for Veronique, and "From Now On" for Annique). I must say they sound very good indeed.

For her second set, Basia changed into a black shiny matronly frock, but that is beside the point. Her singing is the main focus of course, hehe. She launched into "Take Him Back Rachel", her Matt Bianco classic "Half A Minute," "Yearning," (VIDEO), "Cruising for Bruising" (another favorite in a different arrangement), "Miles Away" (which she called "a happy song"), and then the song that put her on the map "Time and Tide." 

She then introduced the members of the band, including her long-time collaborator since the Matt Bianco days, Danny White. She then closed the show with "a song about Poland" -- "Copernicus". After this song, she said her thanks and left the stage.

As expected, since there are obviously hits yet unsung, the audience clamored for more. Of course, Basia and the band took the stage again. For her encores, she sang her two most popular hits which most people sang along with: "New Day for You" and finally "Promises."

I guess because of age, she would sometimes waver on the sustaining of high notes, but I am not complaining. Her talent that brought her to fame is still very much there, so I am glad she had decided to record and tour again. Basia has one voice and singing style that is her own trademark, and tonight she clearly showed that she still fully owns it.

Concert Recap: LADY GAGA LIVE IN MANILA (08-11-2009)

August 11, 2009

The Araneta Coliseum was filled all the way up to the rafters of the General Admissions section tonight. It was standing room only in the upper sections as all seats were sold out. The concert started past 9pm already. The crowd grew wild as the lights dimmed and an introductory movie clip was being projected on the big white sheet covering the stage. The cheers grew louder as Lady GaGa's face appeared onscreen. When she said, "I am Lady GaGa, and this is my house!", the sheet was drawn down, and the real Lady GaGa was seen on stage surrounded by black-colored boards with mirrors glued on them held by her three male dancers. It was an electrifying first appearance of the dance diva, promising an extraordinary night ahead.

The audience immediately recognized the first notes of "Paparazzi", her opening song. She was wearing a gray shiny outfit adorned with a huge triangle on the breast part. She then segued to her second hit "Love Game". She had these really weird almost aimless dance steps that only she can pull off and not look stupid. In her spiel, she revealed that her best friend back in New York was from the Philippines, which of course elicited a lot of cheers of approval. She ended her first set with her breakthrough US club hit "Beautiful Dirty Rich".

She re-entered standing on a motorbike pushed onstage by her dancers, wearing a shiny black outfit. In this second set, she sang "The Fame," then "Money Honey", ending with "Boys Boys Boys". These are all very catchy dance tracks from her debut album which were very well received even though they have not yet hit the radio airwaves.

As she entered for her third set, she was wearing a white outfit with shades. The crowd went ballistic as the intro to her first big Number 1 hit "Just Dance" were played. That was an excellent performance, as expected. This was a followed by a sweet rendition of her reggae-ish track "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)". I liked this set the best, and GaGa herself did not look too strange here.

Her next outfit was greeted by loud cheers when she walked onstage. It was a bizarre coat covered with clear balloons over a nude total body suit. She sat down in front of her clear plastic (?) piano, also bedecked with shiny Christmas balls. She struck several weird piano playing antics as she sang her ballad "Brown Eyes". These antics include squatting on the piano bench or putting her high-heeled feet on the keyboard! Quite funny as it was avant garde, as expected of her. She had a short spiel where she shared that she was just asked a very strange question, "Lady GaGa, do you have a d**k?" referring to the internet story that she was an hermaphrodite! That was a LOL moment! Haha! Too bad her answer was lost in the loud screams.

As we recognized the next ballad to actually be a slowed down version of her second Number 1 hit "Poker Face," she was already thanking the audience and blowing kisses to the crowd. She suddenly shifted gears to sing this song in the dance version that the audience again wildly savored. After an extended coda, this was indeed the last number of the concert. She did not come out anymore even as the crowd clamored for more. The whole concert lasted for more or less an hour only.

So there it was. Have we just seen the next Madonna, as Lady GaGa is usually billed? The thing about GaGa though, for me, without all her props, she is nondescript with a common indistinct face, unrecognizable on the streets. In this concert, her general look with the tousled platinum blond locks made her look like Marilyn Monroe, or Christina Aguilera, or Annie Lennox, or, yes, Madonna. That is why she has the need to create a persona with her outlandish hair and costumes. Her voice is really very strong though despite her very energetic dancing, and her piano playing and composing skills are there. Only the future can tell what her next incarnation will be, but we are very much satisfied with what we had seen in her live concert tonight, no matter how short it was.

Review of PETA's RATED PG (2010)

July 10, 2010

The first show of this year's season of the PETA is a show dedicated to the use of theater as a medium of education. "Rated PG" is a play written by Liza Magtoto, with music by Vincent de Jesus (same award-winning composer who put "Juan Tamad" into music). It is directed by Mae Quesada-Medina. This musical play is about the Filipino family, specifically the tenuous relationship of parents and children. It focused on problems of communication, on discipline and imparting lessons.

The play introduces us to the lower middle class family of enterprising Joselle (May Bayot) who has a "conveniens" (sic) store in the form of a big biyahera's bag, a store she opens at her convenience, selling bras and slippers. She has two kids: a feisty teenager Rosalie (Joan Bugcat) and a hyperactive little boy Tonton (a very cute Arthur Castro). Her hard-working husband Romy (Jack Yabut) is a deliveryman (I think). We also get to meet Joselle's mother as well her colorful neighbors. Also playing a big part is the teen gang of Rosalie (or Ozie), the Jejesters.

One day, Joselle gets an offer to work in Barcelona, Spain, and this situation sets the whole play into motion. As time constraints with her visa and working papers set in, she vents off her frustrations against her kids and husband either in straight dramatic scenes, or in seriously dramatic songs. We effectively see realistic family conflicts portrayed onstage as the script tries to touch on every major issue about family dynamics in our local setting. We see everyone doing their own things, yet these activities can result in much tension when it comes to the homefront.

Throughout the play, parents receive tips on how to deal with our kids. Listen to each other. Set and agree on a daily schedule. Discuss and explain plans and problems. Show your love. Set and obey house rules. No spanking. No cursing. No scare tactics. Be ready to say you are sorry. Set a good example. We learn these lessons in nice little song production numbers which the cast does with gusto. In its last song, this play tells us that children are already whole human beings when they were born. While we should give them the freedom to fly on their own, they also need us, our guidance and our love.

The actors who play the central family of Joselle were all pretty solid in their acting. I have heard of May Bayot before, and this is the first time I have seen her in action. She plays a very strong Joselle. I am glad that the dad Romy was not written as a useless bum, like most Filipino shows tended to portray the father character. The teenager Ozie was very realistically written and portrayed, in all her teen angst. The young kid who played Tonton was very cute and malikot. The way Ms. Bayot and company lived the roles onstage, it was like looking into a mirror at certain home situations we are all too familiar with.

The script is very sharp, yet it has the requisite humor and pop references to appeal to the younger audience. The use of a projection screen as backdrop with colorful animated images was also very imaginative. The moving set pieces which was composed of two big wooden boxes and stairs were very well used and re-arranged to represent different venues. The props were very imaginative too, like using rubber bands to represent pansit.

I do have some comment about the songs. The tunes were not really too memorable for me, but they were appropriate to the mood and story. The singing was quite uneven also. The acting was better than the singing. But more importantly, some singers were chewing the lyrics. I felt a lot of vital messages are lost to the audience if the lyrics were not enunciated very clearly, and the cast should take more care in this aspect in future stagings.

Meann Espinosa of PETA's Marketing Office is right, it is encouraged that parents watch this play with their kids. But for me, especially if the kids are already in or nearing their teens. This could effectively serve a springboard for a good family discussion about the issues brought up in the play.

I thought a lot of the play's messages may have been lost to the very young members of the audience that afternoon. The little ones were only reacting when they see the funny antics of the naughty Tonton and his playmate Macmac, as well as various displays of affection seen on stage. But the rest of the play had them quite antsy in my observation. Some were even going around, in and out of the room. The play may be quite long for very young kids (almost two hours), and it had a ten minute intermission! Not generalizing though, depends on the kid, of course.

And so, for yet another timely, educational and socially-relevant stage production, a hearty Congratulations again to PETA!

P.S.: I learned that the kids in the audience this afternoon were from neighboring Barangay Kalusugan and Kristong Hari, as well as from M.H. del Pilar Public School. I wouldn't be surprised if this was all shouldered by PETA and its sponsors, in the spirit of community service and fostering the art of theater in the young. Kudos PETA!

**********************

The show opens on July 9, 6 p.m., at the PETA Theater Center, 5 Eymard Drive New Manila, Quezon City (behind QC Sports Club). Other performance dates are as follows: July 10, 11, 17 and 18 (10 a.m. and 3 p.m.).

For inquiries, contact PETA’s Marketing and Public Relations Office at 7256244, 4100821 to 22 or SMS 0917-8044428, e-mail petampro@yahoo.com.

Concert Recap and Videos: TEARS FOR FEARS Live in Manila (May 2, 2010)

May 3, 2010

Tears for Fears was set to perform in Manila in February 28, 2010.  I was already eagerly awaiting this much-anticipated concert since then.  The date was later moved to May 2, 2010, which was last night.  Seats for this concert were sold out several days before.  My cousin Jerry and I arrived in Cubao around 6 pm and there was already a crowd around the entrances of the Araneta Coliseum.  After a quick dinner at KFC, we immediately went back to enter the venue.

Wow, the "first come first served" areas were already practically full!  The central General Admission area (which was not utilized in the Kelly Clarkson concert the previous night) was also filled with people already.  The last time I saw the Coliseum this full was for the Lady GaGa concert.  This early in the night, it was already fulfilling its promise to be the biggest concert event of this year.

Before 8 pm, the first front act Sandwich took the stage with four songs.  This is one of the rare times that the front act already brought fans to mill around in front of the stage. This was especially true when they announced that they will have a guest "classmate" for their last number -- which turned out to be the great Ely Buendia!  He sang "Alapaap" of the Eraserheads.  Fantastic!  Too bad my camera was not ready yet at that time.  Mr. Buendia then took on his other persona as lead singer of the band Pupil, the second front act.  They sang "Disconnection Notice" and three more unfamiliar songs.  But people were definitely riveted to this Filipino rock icon.

During the lull before the concert proper, every possible space in the Coliseum was fully occupied.  The Gen Ad and the Upper Box areas were filled up up to the edges beside the stage.  Standing room already!  The moment the stage light dimmed and strains of "Mad World" started, there was pandemonium!  There they were, Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal in the flesh on stage!  They immediately sang "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" to start things up and everyone was out of their seats, singing along and dancing!

This wild phenomenon would happen every time they would sing a hit, like "Sowing the Seeds of Love", then "Mad World", "Pale Shelter", "Break It Down Again" and the last song of their regular set, "Head Over Heels".  You practically do not hear Curt and Roland sing anymore, only the voices of the Filipino audience heartily singing along with them on these well-loved songs. 

Roland unexpectedly sang an emo-style cover version of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean".  Admittedly, there was a rather long stretch in the middle of the show when they sang about five or even six unfamiliar songs in a row like "Closest Thing to Heaven" (VIDEO), which was a bit boring.  However the energy level of the audience remained on the up as their applause was more than polite even in these numbers.

After "Head Over Heels" and the band left the stage, the audience did not sit down anymore.  They continually clapped and shouted for more, more, more!  After a few minutes of this, they re-entered the stage to thunderous applause and hooting.  Roland was telling us that their next song was "Woman in Chains", but we were puzzled because they had no female backup singer. Turned out that the Oleta Adams part was to be sung by their bald MALE back-up singer Micheal Wainwright, who looked like Phil Collins! 

After that, they finally closed their show with their other Number 1 hit, "Shout", and people were singing along like there's no tomorrow.  And then that was it, the loudest and best-selling concert of the year was over.  People were all stunned and did not file out at once, hoping that they would still come out to play "Change" or "Mothers Talk", but that was not to be.  It was truly over.

Before going out, we looked at the merchandise in the lobby, and they were selling autographed posters of Curt and Roland.  These were at a hefty P1,800 apiece and there were actually people buying them!  Even the tour t-shirts were at P1,800 each, and I thought the P1,000 Kelly Clarkson t-shirts the other night was already exorbitant.  Haha!  This was really a concert to remember.  Talk of a return engagement in response to the massive clamor are already out there.

Review of NEXT TO NORMAL (Broadway)

December 12, 2010

I watched this musical based on good reputation alone (multiple Tony nominations in 2009, 2 wins). I had no idea who the actors were. I had no idea what the music sounded like. I had a very vague idea about the story. I recall reading an article written by Ms. Lea Salonga about how this play tackled some psychological disorder like that, and that was it. Alright in all honesty, and the relatively inexpensive orchestra seats were a big come-on for me.

So finally, on the night of October 5, 2010, after a very full day on the Statue of Liberty (to the crown!), followed by a tour of Brooklyn, my wife and I watched "Next to Normal" at the Booth Theater on West 45th St.

While we were watching the play, I just could not believe how well the story was told. I could not describe it without spoiling it so I wouldn't. Suffice it to say here that this has quite an unusual theme for a musical. It tackles a dysfunctional family in which the mother was in the course of suffering a psychotic meltdown. Its brave book won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama earlier this year.

There is a consciously serious effort to put realism into the medical course and management of psychosis. There is a lot of talk about multiple drug therapy (there's a song called "My Psychotherapist and I"). There is even a 'shocking' scene of electro-convulsive therapy, and its aftermath ("Song of Forgetting"). Who would have thought we would witness a musical that did that! This downbeat topic was buoyed by a driving rock musical score (the score by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey won the Tony), scathingly witty dialog (book by Brian Yorkey), amazing lighting displays and a very imaginative set construction.

The unfortunate mother Diana Goodman was played by Marin Mazzie. She was truly electrifying in her portrayal of the mental and emotional breakdown. Her pivotal scene about preparing sandwiches one morning was amazingly portrayed with heart-breaking impact. She has such a strong solid voice that effectively conveyed the rough psychological roller-coaster that her character was going through. It's hard to believe that Ms. Mazzie was not the actress who originated this complex role. (The original actress Ms. Alice Ripley won the Tony and other accolades for this role.)

Diana's husband Dan was played by Marin Mazzie's real-life husband Jason Danieley. Of course, their chemistry as the troubled couple was very palpable and real. Their son Gabe was portrayed by Kyle Dean Massey. This guy had great stage-presence and a very strong tenor, especially in the song "I'm Alive". Their daughter Natalie was played by pretty Meghann Fahy. She was also very good, but her performance was just ok when compared to the rest of the very talented main cast.

This was an excellent musical and is definitely a must-watch on Broadway. I was thinking if it would be possible to stage this play in Manila. I had no doubts about the acting and musical talent of a Filipino cast. But it might be the stage design that would be the challenge. 

When we came back, I found out that Atlantis would be staging this one next year, with no less than Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Jett Pangan as the doomed Mr. and Mrs. Goodman. Now, that is one play I would be watching for sure! (Next to Normal runs from March 11 to 27, 2011 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. For details, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.)

Review of Repertory Phil's SWEENEY TODD

December 5, 2009

We attended this tale of Sweeney Todd last night at the Onstage in Greenbelt 1, as rendered by the Repertory Philippines. Admittedly, I was there to hear the great music and songs of Stephen Sondheim again (of which I was a fan since the 1980s). I was not really looking forward to a great production. But boy, was I SO WRONG! 

They had succeeded in transporting us to seamy old London where this grisly tale was set. The set of Sweeney's tonsorial parlor cum Mrs. Lovett's meat pie shop were ingeniously created and set up. The costumes were appropriately of the period and fashionably ragged to fit the storyline. The actor ensemble was very well directed and blocked to recreate the somber mood. The fantastically staged "Pirelli's Miracle Elixir" scene when the crowd was pushing poor Toby around WAS SO REALISTIC. 

Another one of my worries was the casting of the lead. When it was first announced, Audie Gemora did not really strike me as the correct actor to play Sweeney Todd. He seemed to project a goody-goody image that did not fit the role of the "Demon Barber of Fleet Street". But again, my fear was unfounded. Mr. Gemora more than did justice to this role. He had struck that delicate balance of dignity and madness. I had never heard his baritone as deep and as rich and as menacing as he sang last night. He was mesmerizing.

I did not also see Menchu Lauchengco as Mrs. Lovett at first. But again, she has exceeded my expectations. Her look and attack on this darkly serio-comic character was very accurate. Her Cockney accent was very natural. Her singing was amazing as usual. Her chemistry with Mr. Gemora was electrifying in their scenes and songs together. 

Minor quibbles include how dull Anthony and Joanna looked like, although that was negated by the excellence of their singing. I think the actor who played Pirelli did not look and fit the role, but he was funny. The actor who played the Judge Turpin did not look evil enough, but his baritone voice was also very rich. (But I have to say, Robbie Guevara as the Beadle was perfect casting!) The guy who played Toby looked a bit older than expected, but his acting was very good.

All in all, this is must-see theater. Repertory Philippines has certainly outdone themselves with this one. This is proof that there is still significance for Philippine theater companies to stage foreign musicals. It is because we can do it very well here. We do not really need to go all the way to the West End or Broadway to see the best theater performances. Filipino musical talent will never cease to amaze me.