Category: Theatre

Theater Review: Dissecting Friendship A Review of Repertory Philippines’ ‘Art’

The multi-awarded French play ‘Art’ by Yasmina Reza, translated into English by Christopher Hampton, has opened in Manila through Repertory Philippines under the direction of Victor Lirio. A comedy that unfolds in one act with no intermission and runs for nearly 90 minutes, the play centers on three friends whose friendship goes under intense scrutiny when one buys an odd, very expensive piece of artwork.

Serge (played by Martin Sarreal), Marc (Freddy Sawyer), and Yvan (Brian Sy) have been friends for 15 years. Trouble begins when Serge buys an “Antrios painting” for 200,000 francs, a white painting with some shades of off-white, which Marc considers a complete waste of money. Marc and Serge argue about the purchase, buttons are pushed, and sharp words are exchanged. Both friends turn to Yvan, hoping he will mediate, but Yvan prefers to take a softer approach, telling each one what they want to hear. After all, Yvan is about to get married and he’s got troubles of his own that’s brewing.

Yvan (played by Brian Sy) and Serge (played by Martin Sarreal) | Photo by: Joel H. Garcia

Without an intermission, the play runs through several scenes: duets, monologues, and a final extended gathering of the three characters, where they finally confront each other head-on. At first, the conflict seems to be about the painting, a debate over classicism versus post-modernism but beneath the surface, it’s way more than that. In order to truly address the issue, their relationship is placed under a microscope. What we witness is a friendship being renegotiated. Fifteen years is a long time. They’ve changed. Dynamics have shifted, but they haven’t been honest with themselves about it.

Written by French playwright Yasmina Reza and translated by British playwright Christopher Hampton, this witty and sharp one-act play features three long-time friends Marc (Sawyer), Yvan (Sy), and Serge (Sarreal)
| Photo by: Joel H. Garcia

The play in itself is funny. There’s a lot of use of repetition – characters repeating what the other is saying as a means to heighten tension and humour – and the three friends can be very catty, using their personal history to make barbed remarks at the other’s expense. I don’t know why I want to say it’s very French, even though I’ve only seen three French plays (translated into English) but it has that appeal and charm.

Yvan (played by Brian Sy) and Marc (played by Freddy Sawyer) | Photo by: Joel H. Garcia

But watching the opening night of the show, I was having a hard time connecting with the piece. Martin Sarreal, a Filipino British actor who is living in Britain, and the Brit actor Freddy Sawyer have a very English attack on the characters. Their accents are on full display while Brian Sy speaks naturally without an English inflection. The delivery of Sarreal and Sawyer are razor-sharp but dry. It’s cold while Sy has the Filipino warmth to his Yvan. Because of these tonal differences, I had such a hard-time seeing the three as friends for 15-years.

Yvan (played by Brian Sy) and Serge (played by Martin Sarreal) | Photo by: Joel H. Garcia

Because of the brutality of each one’s verbal attack, and the coldness to which the two more active characters take their offensive, it felt like they hadn’t been friends for a long while now and this approach feels like it loses some of the play’s charm. It’s so vicious that I wonder how they even made it to this point. When I imagine it as French – I’ve never been to France and have only spoken to very few French people, but I am basing it on a lot of French cinema I’ve seen and the caricatures that are presented on comedy shows – and I imagine that the snobbish and aloof stereotype of the French could get away with such stinging remarks of a friend. But Sy has so much warmth that it amplifies the cold British dry humour of Sarrel and Sawyer that I felt the play’s exploration of friendship wasn’t hitting the right cues.

Freddy Sawyer plays Marc | Photo by: Joel H. Garcia

There are other aspects of the show that confused me, like how the play begins with a movement piece between the three friends that interpret as an imagery of their friendship over time. It’s such a strange place to start when the play in itself is so verbose and articulate. Most of the time, the characters stay on set, and listen to each other’s monologues, which removes the privacy and intimacy of some of what is being said.

I really love Sarreal’s laser-sharp focus and Sawyer’s ability to portray Marc’s posturing. I’ve also always been a fan of everything Sy has done, both on stage and in film. However, I didn’t really see the connection on the opening night. The play in itself is funny and surprising, and I’m hoping that later shows will flesh out their relationship more.

My Rating:

See this acclaimed production brought to life by a powerhouse cast and a globally seasoned creative team. Art runs exclusively at REP’s Eastwood Theater until June 29. Catch it before the final curtain call. Buy tickets at Ticketworld or Ticketmelon.

June 23, 2025
Theater Review: Virgin Labfest XX: ‘Set E: Panghimagas’ Is Truly a Standout Set of Plays

I got to watch the revisited plays of the Virgin Labfest XX: Hinog this year, specifically Set E, which is entitled ‘Panghimagas.’ As someone who has always wanted to go but never seemed to catch the annual festival of brand-new one-act plays, it was a nice way to finally catch a set as this set features standout works from previous years. Held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines‘ Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, each play runs about 30 minutes, with a 15-minute intermission between plays to allow for stage designs and props adjustments for the for the next play.

Not having seen a Virgin Labfest in over five years, I had forgotten how magical it is to witness new work being presented, even if Set E features plays that are a year or two old. These pieces still speak powerfully to the contemporary mindset. As these are standout productions, there was no question that each one hit hard, whether it was comic or tragic in theme.

Identite

Written by Jhudiel Clare D. Sosa
Directed by Meann Espinosa
Cast: Ash Nicanor and Kitsi Pagaspas

This surprising comedic play about a mother discovering her daughter’s dildo is a definite crowd-pleaser. The play tackles the generation gap surrounding the attitudes on sex positivity. When the mother finds her daughter’s stash of sex toys, the two go head-to-head about values and morals and social norms. It’s all played for laughs and even the mother becomes almost a caricature of the conservative, traditional Filipina who doesn’t even realise that sex can be pleasurable. Through the play, a discussion is presented; a bridge between the youth’s more liberal attitudes about sex and self-pleasure and the more repressed ideologies about women and their own desires.

The dramatic situation is funny enough, but Meann Espinosa directs Nicanor and Pagaspas to really go for the laughs. It’s played for comedy, and you can hear the whole audience erupting in laughter at every punchline. Pagaspas fully embodies the caricature, even punctuating her provincial accent (I think it’s a Batangueno accent) to really emphasize her rural mindset. It even gets physical as the women chase each other around. I’m wondering, though, how this would play it with a more restrained approach. The play is funny as it is, would it be stronger to not punch the punchlines?

As a progressive person who grew up with liberal, sex-positive parents, I wished the daughter (played by the magnetic Ash Nicanor) stood her ground more and the play didn’t try to find a compromise that coddled the elder woman’s feelings but, tonally and culturally, it is pitch-perfect to the Filipino experience. We always acquiesce to our parents and them taking a tiny step forward to understanding us while the younger generation takes huge steps to accommodate their feelings is part of why the Filipino family bond is so strong.

Pagkapit sa Hangin

Written by Joshua Lim So
Directed by Jose Estralla
Cast: Elora Espano, Wenah Nagales, Tim Mabalot, Gold Villar-Lim

Set at a provincial hospital in the middle of the COVID epidemic, a doctor and two nurses must make a choice on which lives to save when the supply of oxygen tanks run out. Exhausted, drained physically and emotionally, the trio must make an impossible decision as the means for sustaining the lives of their patients have become limited. While they devise a plan, one of the patient’s guardian has taken notice and a debate about who gets to live, and die erupts.

Pagkapit sa Hangin | Photo: Chari Villegas

Dressed in PPE, Espano, Nagales and Mabalot imbibe the tiredness of their characters. They are too tired to hope, to think clearly. You can see it in their gait, their posture, their line delivery. They are running on adrenaline. It’s wonderful if it weren’t so real and even if the pandemic is just two and a half years behind us, it’s still too soon. It immediately grants this production weight. As things start to unravel, the play unfolds the human drama of having to make a decision on who gets to survive. It’s riveting. Estrella’s direction keeps the energy flowing as the tension rises when Villar-Lim’s guardian begins to undermine the medical team’s decisions as it directly affects her father, who is least likely to survive his current condition.

At 30 minutes, the play feels like a lifetime. Joshua Lim So’s script makes no judgment on his characters but manages to show each one at their breaking point. The play doesn’t provide an answer but shows us what we are made of when were forced to make impossible decisions. It felt like I was holding my breath the entire run of the show.

Sa Babaeng Lahat

Written by Elise Santos
Directed by Caisa Borromeo
Cast: Jam Binay, Francesca Dela Cruz, Yanni Lopez

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

A hilarious coming-of-age story set in an all-girl’s Catholic high school, ‘Sa Babaeng Lahat’ is a brilliant exploration of young girl’s navigating their faith and sexuality as they are hit by puberty. The religious, sheltered Marie believes she is pregnant with God’s child, the next Immaculate Conception, while her best friend Regina struggles with her feelings with the school’s resident tomboy, Gab, who actively flirts with her.

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

Wonderfully directed by Borromeo, she allows Binay, Dela Cruz, and Lopez to really explore their characters and embody the highs and lows of young girls turning into young women. Jam Binay’s Marie could easily fall into a trap of the conservative idiot, but she infuses Marie with so much sincerity and charm that we see that she’s a victim of being misinformed or not properly educated at all. She’s not naive for comic’s sake but it’s coming from a deep-seated issue that is still prevalent until now. Yanni Lopez’s Gab is so fully realized that she comes off as authentic and true.

Sa Babaeng Lahat | Photo: Dulcinea Zulueta

And while all three are amazing and show off great chemistry with each other, this play is Francesca Dela Cruz’s through and through. Her Regina is a force of nature. She’s acerbic, mean, prickly but Dela Cruz has so much charisma that we can see that it’s all a facade, hiding something deeper within. While all three show impeccable comedic timing, Dela Cruz takes Regina and runs away with it turning her into a whirlwind that has the whole audience in stitches. It’s a powerful display of a great stage presence without making it look like a performance. Borromeo did a wonderful job at directing them that the comedy flows, the chemistry works, and the issues about shame, faith, youthful desires, and queer acceptance doesn’t get lost amongst the laughs.

My Rating:

VIRGIN LABFEST XX: HINOG is ongoing until June 29, 2025, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). Festival passes are available at the CCP Box Office, or you can get your tickets through TicketWorld and Ticket2Me.

June 21, 2025
Theater Review: What the World Could Be Like: A Review of ‘Come From Away’

Despite its massive success on both Broadway and the West End, I never really took notice of ‘Come From Away’ before. As an old-school musical fan, I’m always cautious and wary of new musicals because I fear I won’t like them. But every new musical I’ve seen has proved me wrong, from ‘Waitress’ to ‘Hamilton’ to ‘Six’. There’s a special kind of joy in stepping into a theater to watch a musical you know nothing about. The whole experience feels amplified, and the emotions hit even harder.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GMG Productions (@gmg.productions)

Coming into the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on the show’s opening night, I saw the floors leading up to the theater filled with background information about the play and realized that ‘Come From Away’ is a play about September 11. I felt a little fear. My anti-West mindset started to get the better of me and I thought this was going to be another story about American resiliency or something equally overplayed. I stopped reading the boards, got to my seat, and psyched myself up for the show, which I knew had a great cast at the very least.

I was immediately taken in from the opening number. ‘Come From Away’ is a 9/11 story, but it tells the story of a Newfoundland town called Gander. It had the largest international airport back when planes didn’t have enough fuel to cross the Atlantic. Airplanes would land there to refuel before continuing their journey, but by the 2000s, it was practically empty. Planes just flew over it. But not on that day. Thirty-eight planes were redirected to land in Gander, bringing over 7,000 passengers to a town with a population of just 9,000. The musical is a retelling of these events, based on interviews with both the passengers and the townsfolk, and it captures the six days when 7,000 people were treated with kindness and generosity in a world that had just been shaken to its core by the horrific events of that day.

The cast of 14 all play dual roles. By putting on a jacket, a hat, or an apron, they shift characters from one of the townsfolk to a passenger, changing accents and internalizing either the stress of being hospitable while the town and its neighbors struggle with limited resources due to the sudden arrival of 7,000 people, or the mindset of someone who suddenly cannot return home, finding themselves in a strange place, surrounded by strangers, with no idea what is going on.

Some characters really stand out on stage, like Carla Guevarra Laforteza’s Hannah, one of the passengers whose son is a first responder in New York, and Garrett Bolden’s Bob, a Black passenger who finds himself suspicious of Newfoundland’s lack of racism. For the first time, he is being treated like everybody else, and this confounds him. Topper Fabregas does an exemplary job playing Kevin, a gay man who is struggling to adjust to his new surroundings, as well as Ali, a Middle Eastern man who everyone is afraid of. As Kevin, Fabregas gets the most laughs, but as Ali, he earns the most sympathy.

Directed by Michael Williams, the cast keeps the stage alive and busy, shifting between characters as they change costumes and weave in and out of the story. We see couples fall apart, others fall in love, a pilot reflect on how the catastrophe has changed everything about the airline industry, two women bond over their shared love for their sons who happen to have the same job, a woman go above and beyond by even thinking of the animals, and so much more.

There is so much happening, but what resonates throughout the show is the depth of humanity in this moment. The way the people of Gander and the neighboring towns come together, setting aside their differences to ensure that their guests feel welcome and cared for, is powerful. It is one of the most human experiences I have ever witnessed while watching a play. The songs, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, can be bold, fun, and energetic, but they also know when to turn quiet and introspective. In one song, several characters ask to pray. Since the guests come from different faiths, they sing all their prayers in a musical blend that reveals a beautiful truth: all prayers share the same essence, and we are as alike as we are different.

The choreography by Delphine Buencamino is vibrant and dynamic, and Kayla Teodoro’s stage design is intriguing, keeping the focus on center stage where the actors make everything come to life. It is such a powerful piece that, for its approximately 90+ minute runtime (with no intermission), you are completely immersed in that world. By the end of the show, I was holding back my tears.

It is incredible how a theatrical performance can make me wish the world were more like this. As the crowds exited after the curtain call, people were talking about how closely this resembles Filipino hospitality. The world is currently a mess, and a show like this, based on actual events and interviews with the people who lived through it, reminds us that it really does not take much to be kind, generous, and grateful for one another. I am so glad I caught this show.

My Rating:

Experience this unforgettable story live on stage. Catch Come From Away before it takes its final bow! The show is now playing at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater until June 29. Book your tickets now on TicketWorld!

June 14, 2025
Theater Review: More a Mood and a Vibe Than a Story, Barefoot’s We Aren’t Kids Anymore Is a Showcase of Our Talented Actors of the Stage

Completely sung-through, ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ by Drew Gasparini is more of a patchwork quilt of a play, exploring the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that comes with growing up. There’s a very loose narrative hare, implied upon by the quiet moments between songs as the five players interact with each other without dialogue, as directed by Rem Zamora. These interactions between the actors suggests relationships and histories that are never quite explored and so it leaves a lot to the imagination. What we get, instead, is a musical that puts to song the hopes and dreams and fears and anxieties of people who are no longer children, who are facing the realities of adulting, and wondering if they are who they wanted to be.

Barefoot Theatre Collaborative puts together five incredible performers – Myke Salomon, Maronne Cruz, Gio Gahol, Luigi Quesada, and the incredible Gab Pangilinan – to play these characters that can be us or people we know. They sing songs of heartbreak, of living on the edge, of reaching rock bottom, or of reconciling one’s youth to try and make sense with where they are going. Written by Drew Gasparini and featuring a poem by Keith White, ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ is less a story than it is a mood, a moment of interrogation, and sometimes, it’s a declaration.

Photo by CJ Ochoa

The stage is set in the round, with the audience on all four corners of the PowerMac Center Spotlight Blackbox theater. At the center is an elevated stage with a pit in the middle for the band. The stage is cordoned off by a bench that surrounds all sides. Each player comes up, does their quiet interactions hinting at connections, before jumping into songs. The lack of a clear narrative can be jarring, especially if you are unaware of the play’s structure like I was, and you are looking for hints of a story and it wasn’t until the third song that I realized there wasn’t one.

Photo by CJ Ochoa

This is actually a tricky play to perform because each player has got to sing each song and create a character for that song and imbue it with history and a future in the span of the opening verse to the end note. It was extremely difficult for Luigi Quesada who sang the hell out of his solo, but the song is a torch song about love and it felt like a song that would be sung after a lot of stories has already happened. We don’t have access to that story so Quesada is singing his heart out, but the story was missing. But Quesada gets to recite the poem by Keith White that helps frame the whole play and sings the stirring showstopper.

Photo by CJ Ochoa

Myke Salomon had the role where his character was singing songs about other people – mostly family – and so it was in the storytelling form. He was creating the story for us to follow. Cruz had the character with the most radio friendly songs, in my opinion. She has so much personality and verve as an actress that these were easily some of my favorite parts. But that ones who really managed to instill a story in their moments were Gio Gahol, who has a stirring song about hitting rock bottom, and Gab Pangilinan, who filled up the whole PowerMac Center Spotlight that evening but made each song feel like the stand-alone story that it is.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Barefoot Theatre Collaborative (@barefootcollab)

We have such incredible and talented actors in the theater world and these five are wonderful examples of that. With barely a narrative to hold things together, their interactions are authentic and honest, though opaque, and the way that they harmonize through the songs creates a complete picture.

Photo by Kyle Venturillo

As a person who comes into a play looking for a story to chew on, I feel like I’m wanting more, but I was very much full of the incredible performances of these hard-hitting songs. As someone who is going through something right now, on a personal level, this show is a bit of a big group hug that tells us we aren’t alone. If you’re feeling lost, unsure of your path, unsure of the choices you’ve made leading up to the today, Barefoot’s ‘We Aren’t Kids Anymore’ will help you feel like you’re not alone.

My Rating:

Experience the emotional journey of We Aren’t Kids Anymore at the PMCS Blackbox Theater until May 25, 2025. Buy tickets now at Barefoot Theatre Collaborative.

May 4, 2025
Theatre Review — Ibsen Made Familiar with ‘In The Eyes of the People’

I’m not that familiar with the Norwegian playwright and “the father of modern drama” other than having read ‘A Doll’s House’ back in college. So coming into CAST’s staging of an adaptation of his ‘An Enemy of the People’ was refreshing as I had nothing to compare it with. The adaptation, written and directed for the stage by Nelsito Gomez takes on the title ‘In the Eyes of the People’ and Gomez brings a heart serving of Filipino-ness in his reworking of the play. Set in modern times in the fictional Visayan town of Sta Christina, the play is a battleground for truth, politics, science, and the good of the people.

The play opens with a press conference about the grand opening of a hot spring resort in the town of Sta Christina. It is the project of Mayor Peter Lopez (Ron Capinding), who hopes the resort will make the town a tourist destination that would “rival Boracay” and brings thousands of jobs and tourism money to his small town. He invites his sister, Dr. Tricia Lopez-Ramos (Jenny Jamora), to talk about the benefits of the hot springs as she is the head scientist in charge of the project. From the get-go, we can see that the mayor is charming and has a way with words while Tricia isn’t comfortable in the spotlight but the brother-sister tandem is resolute that this project would be good for the town until Tricia discovers there’s an unknown bacteria growing in the waters and as she calls on her brother to delay the opening to ensure the safety of the people, Peter weights in on the loss of income and jobs that a delay would cause. Complicating the issue is Triccia’s daughter, Pauline (Jam Binay), who works in a local paper with her boyfriend Enzo (Zoe De Ocampo), who are deadset in revealing the truth. Rounding up the cast are Nor Domingo as Triccia’s husband Alvin and Katskie Flores as Ruby Ganpon, Peter’s competition for mayor in the upcoming election.

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua

The play is practically a face-off between brother and sister as they weight in on what is truly good for the people. The jobs and economic security versus their health over a bacteria that may or may not be the cause of the sickness a young girl has caught after swimming in the hot springs. The younger members of the play, Pauline and Enzo, represent a tug-of-war between the ethics of responsible journalism while Alvin is the bystander who wants none of the trouble.

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua

What’s amazing about this staging and the writing of the adaptation is how real this whole play feels. The relationship of brother and sister complicates the arguments and the filial ties being torn up by this debate is what makes this show so remarkable. There’s an added layer of the Visayan-ness of the characters. At some point, the dialogue shifts for a brief moment to Bisaya when Ruby and Triccia share some words about the issue and it strikes home. The way the play figures in politics, greed, and ignorance plays so close to the hilt in some real-world issues that are troubling us today.

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua

As someone whose family is from the Visayas, there’s aspects of the characterizations that feels so real to me. The stars of the show, Jamora and Capinding, are what sells this fiction and presents it as a relevant allegory for our time. Jamora’s Triccia is such a great example of an educated Visayan woman (in the play, she’s finished her PhD in Harvard), learned and unaware of her own power. This is amplified by the way she deals with her brother. Capinding’s Peter is a pitch perfect portrayal of the grounded, jolly Visayan man who grew up with money but downplays it as he tries to portray himself as an everyman. There’s a posture and a sway about him that reminds me a lot of people that I know from Bacolod. Jamora and Capinding’s performances are so visceral and authentic that they completely take full command of that stage. It’s electrifying to see them at work and because the Mirror Studios is such small, intimate performance space, you see everything up close. The two never miss a beat.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @togethermanila (@togethermanila)

The play teeters into the milieu of upper class problems, with all the characters so highly educated and sophisticated, but it is completely tempered by the arrival of Ruby Ganpon. Katskie Flores is a force of nature as she delivers a powerful take down that grounds the play and reminds us about the people who are not so privileged and who are the ones whose lives are really at stake. This exchange can sometimes feel pedantic and a little on-the-nose but the message is so necessary, especially in these times when everyone is out just for themselves and not thinking about society as a whole.

Photos Courtesy of Nicole Chua

The stage design is simple, with the characters coming in to change the set and furniture to move into a new scene but the narrative is supported by the backdrop turning into a full on projector screen. The projection designs by GA Fallarme helps situate us in each moment – the press conference, a public debate, and the outside world in the form of social media content – the simplicity of the set allows for the projections to fill in the gaps to amplify the spectacle of this battle of wits.

It’s fast-paced and funny but ‘In the Eyes of the People’ is also through-provoking and leads us into a call to action. I’m mostly amazed at how Fiipino this production is originating from an Ibsen play.

‘In the Eyes of the People’ is down to its last weekend at the Mirror Studios.

My Rating:

In The Eyes of the People will run until May 4, 2025 at The Mirror Theatre Studio. Get your tickets here.

May 3, 2025
Come From Away to Mark GMG Productions’ First Filipino-Led Production

The remarkable true story that has touched the hearts of audiences worldwide is finally opening in Manila. GMG Productions and Stages have confirmed today that they will be staging their own fresh take on the multi-award-winning hit musical, Come From Away. Showcasing a new creative vision for the production and the talents of a Filipino-led cast and creatives, this production is a milestone in GMG Production’s dedication to celebrating and elevating the Philippine theatre industry. Come From Away will be staged at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT) for a strictly limited season from June 6 to 29, 2025.

“With Come From Away, GMG Productions is proud to embark on this exciting new chapter, working with a Filipino-led cast and crew for the first time,” shares Carlos Candal, CEO of GMG Productions. “This production is a celebration of the incredible talent in the Philippines, and we cannot wait to share this powerful story with audiences.”

Audie Gemora founder of Stages Productions adds “I along with Butch Jimenez and Jaeger Tanco have had the privilege to work with GMG in the past. We’re thrilled to reveal that Stages will be co-producing Come From Away with GMG. Our collective desire has always been to produce a show championing Filipino talent with them. We all believe this is the perfect show to do just that!”

A Musical That Inspires in Challenging Times

Set in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 airline passengers unexpectedly grounded in Gander, Newfoundland. The extraordinary generosity of the town’s residents highlights the power of kindness and unity in times of crisis. Premiering on Broadway in 2013, the musical garnered widespread acclaim for its heartfelt storytelling, powerful music, and its portrayal of the human spirit. The Chicago Tribune called it “a show you should see right now, for the benefit of your own spirit,” while Time Out described it as “a totally, soul-feedingly wonderful musical.” The Daily Beast hailed the show as “a celebration of the best of humankind and an uplifting piece of art for our times.”

Come From Away has received well-deserved recognition in the industry, including winning the Tony Award for Best Direction and being nominated for Best Musical. It has also won multiple Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Theatre Choreography, Best Sound Design, Outstanding Achievement in Music, and the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Book of a Musical.

“This show offers more than just a night at the theatre; it’s an inspiring celebration of humanity and people coming together,” says Candal. “It’s a story that Manila audiences will not only relate to but will also find profoundly uplifting, especially in today’s unpredictable times.”

A Legendary Ensemble and Visionary Creatives

Come From Away brings together an all-star cast of Philippine theatre legends, whose collective achievements have left a mark on the local and international stages. The cast of 15 performers includes Cathy Azanza-Dy, Caisa Borromeo, Garrett Bolden, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante, Becca Coates, Steven Cadd, Mayen Cadd, Rycharde Everly, Topper Fabregas, Sheila Francisco, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Gian Magdangal, George Schulze, and Chino Veguillas.

“Come From Away is the perfect vehicle to showcase home-grown talent as the musical requires versatile actors to play different characters,” says Gemora. “Let me tell you, we have assembled the best of the best Philippine theater has to offer. The energy surrounding this production is through the roof! This is going to be epic.”

Michael Williams is set to direct Come From Away, with Rony Fortich as musical director. “This show is a testament to the power of community—how kindness, resilience, and human connection bring hope even in the darkest times. I’m thrilled to work with some of the most talented artists in Philippine theater to bring our passion and storytelling to this incredible production,” says Williams.

They are joined by Delphine Buencamino (Choreography), Harry Tabner (Lighting Designer), Luke Swaffield (Sound Designer), Kayla Teodoro (Production Designer), Myrene Santos (Hair and Makeup Designer), Hershee Tatiado (Costume Designer), and Joel Goldes the dialect coach from the original Broadway production of Come From Away. Together, this world-class creative team blends Filipino and West End talents, staying true to the show’s spirit while highlighting Filipino artistry.

Be Part of the Journey

Come From Away will run from June 6 to 29 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater (S-PAT), with tickets officially available on February 22 through TicketWorld, starting at PHP900. Theatre fans can also enjoy early access through UnionBank of the Philippines, GMG Productions’ official 2025 season bank sponsor and pre-sale partner, or join the GMG Come From Away waitlist at www.gmg-productions.com. The pre-sale period runs from February 18 to 21.

Stay updated on upcoming productions by visiting www.gmg-productions.com or following @gmg.productions on social media.

*Come From Away is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), New York, NU, USA. All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

May 1, 2025
Repertory Philippines Reveals Cast for Tony-Winning Comedy ART, Directed by Victor Lirio

Repertory Philippines (REP) announces the full cast and creative team for its 88^th season offering of Yasmina Reza’s Olivier & Tony award-winning comedy, ART, with a translation by Christopher Hampton and directed by Victor Lirio.

The anticipated production will open on June 13 and run until June 21, with regular performances scheduled from Friday to Saturday at 8PM, and matinee performances on Saturday at 3:30PM. All performances will be at REP’s recently inaugurated REP Eastwood Theater in Quezon City.

REP’s production of ART will be comprised of New York, London, and Manila-based creatives. The international cast features London-based Filipino-British actor Martin Sarreal, who appeared in Season 3 of the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton; award-winning Manila-based actor Brian Sy, who was recently seen in The Sandbox Collective’s Tiny Beautiful Things and is currently in Company of Actors in Streamlined Theatre (CAST) PH’s Othello as Cassio; and British stage, film, and television actor Freddy Sawyer, a Bristol Old Vic alum and who appeared in Apple TV’s hit series, Trying.

Directed by Victor Lirio, ART’s creative and production teams include Miguel Urbino (scenic and costume design), Miriam Crowe(lighting design), Fabian Obispo (original music and sound design), Maisie Carter (fight director), Zoe Littleton (voice coach), Uriel Villar (assistant director), Julia Pacificador (associate scenic designer), Patricia Gregorio (production manager), and Jayvee Carreon (production stage manager).

Written by French playwright Yasmina Reza and translated by British playwright Christopher Hampton, the comedy raises questions about art and friendship and concerns three long-time friends—Serge (Sarreal), Marc (Sawyer), and Yvan (Sy). Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes “art.” Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.

West End’s Lirio is back at the helm

Lirio directed REP’s critically acclaimed production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal last season, recipient of several Gawad Buhay citations including Outstanding Production and Direction; the London premiere of Adam Rapp’s Pulitzer Prize nominated Red Light Winter; and in Bristol, UK, the double bill production of Edward Allan Baker’s North of Providence and Dolores, and Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain. In New York, he directed Cassandra Medley’s award-winning Noon Day Sun (starring Emmy Award winner Ron Cephas Jones, Time Out New York Critic’s Choice); Warren Bodow’s Race Music (New York Times Critic’s Pick); and Medley’s plays, Coming Up for Air (starring Tony Award winner Tonya Pinkins) and Cell (starring Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad). Trained at London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art as a classical actor with a Master’s degree in Drama Directing from the Bristol Old Vic, Victor was Resident Director on Dr Semmelweis by Stephen Brown at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End starring Oscar winner Mark Rylance.

Sanreal’s REP debut, Sy and Sawyer round out Art’s international cast

British-Filipino actor Martin Sarreal appeared in the world premiere of the Elton John and Jake Shears musical, Tammy Faye, at the Almeida Theatre in London. Since graduating from Drama Centre London, he has gone on to star in numerous productions across stage, TV and film. Theatre credits include the Evening Standard Award-winning and Olivier nominated London production of Here Lies Love (Royal National Theatre), Forty Years On (Chichester Festival Theatre), Read Not Dead: The Duke of Milan(Shakespeare’s Globe), Corrina Corrina (Headlong Theatre/Everyman Liverpool). Martin can currently be seen as Lord Barnell in Season 3 of Bridgerton on Netflix.

Award-winning Manila-based actor Brian Sy is the recipient of the Gawad Buhay Award for his portrayal of Aufidius in Tanghalang Pilipino’s Coriolano, for which he also garnered an Aliw Award nomination for Best Featured Actor. He recently appeared in Nia Vardalos’ adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things (The Sandbox Collective, 2024), and as Maximo in Pat Valera’s Mula sa Buwan (Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, 2024). His recent notable works for the stage include: M in Duncan Mcmillan’s Lungs, Kooriyama Tatsuya in Suzue Toshiro’s If He Doesn’t See Your Face, Ronildo ‘Ka Roy’ Ibanag in Guelan Luarca’s theatrical adaptation of Lualhati Bautista’s novel entitled Desaparesidos, Ferdinand in PETA’s adaptation of The Tempest Reimagined, Edmund in both the English and Filipino versions of Dulaang UP’s King Lear/Haring Lear (dir. by Tony Mabesa, 2015). Brian has performed in international theatre festivals in Spain, Taiwan, Malaysia, Belarus, Vietnam, and China. He’s currently appearing in CAST PH’s 2025 run of Othello as Michael Cassio.

Freddy is a London-based actor and writer, who trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School after reading Education with Drama & English at the University of Cambridge. Freddy is thrilled to be working with Victor again, having the played the role of Davis in his production of Red Light Winter (by Adam Rapp) at London’s Turbine Theatre in 2021. UK television credits include Life After Life (BBC), Alice & Jack (Channel 4) and Trying (Apple TV). UK/USA screen credits include the role of Derek in the feature film Fair Play (dir. Chloe Domont), which screened at Sundance Film Festival 2023 (currently streaming on Netflix). Freddy’s short film Twenty (co-authored with director Jason Hogan) was featured in numerous international film festivals and received over fourteen awards.

REP’s Bridge Project focuses on classical work for 2025 season

Continuing Repertory Philippines’ partnership with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, the Bridge Project 2025 Season will focus on classical work with week-long workshops on Shakespeare Rhetoric, Voice & Alexander Technique, Movement and Stage Combat. It will also offer production arts workshops on scenic design and lighting for theatre performance with visiting tutors from New York and the UK.

Mindy Perez-Rubio, REP’s President & CEO said: “In partnership with Bristol Old Vic Theatre School (“BOVTS”), we are thrilled to be expanding our Bridge Project sessions this year with special focus on stage craft and classical work. In addition to Victor Lirio’s Shakespeare Rhetoric course, we are bringing additional tutors from BOVTS to teach Voice, Movement & Stage Combat.

“We are planning for a major Shakespeare production next year and investing in our local artists here in Manila by providing them with the artistic support, training, and resources. We are grateful for the leadership of REP’s Board of Trustees, support from Fiona Francombe at BOVTS, and the generosity of our donors and sponsors whose support for the Bridge Project is crucial,” she added.

For show-buying and ticket inquiries, contact REP at 0966-905-4013 or 09626918540 send us an email at promotions@repphil.org or sales@repphil.org.

For more information on the Bridge Project 2025 Season and how to register for the workshops, visit www.repertoryphilippines.ph.

For updates and show schedules, visit www.repertoryphilippines.ph, or like and follow repertoryphilippines on Facebook and Instagram.

March 11, 2025
Theater Review – ‘Niyebe: Isang Experimental Na Musikal’ Finds Its Footing with the Strength of Its Two Leads

Dudz Terana’s and Vince Lim’s musical adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story, ‘The Trail of Your Blood in the Snow’ called ‘Niyebe: Isang Experimental Na Musikal’ is running until March 27 at the FEU Center for the Arts Studio. Dubbed as an “experimental musical,” the play is a wonderful showcase for the blossoming talent of the Far Eastern University Theater Guild (FTG) and their incredible range of singers who masterfully bring to life the beautiful songs of the play.

Taking much from the source material, ‘Niyebe: Isang Musikal’ tells the story of the Colombian couple, Billy and Nena, who fall in love, get married, and in their honeymoon, travel to Spain and then to Paris where a tragedy befalls them.

Nena suffers a cut from a thorn of a rose and, very much like the magical realism of Latin American literature, the wound never heals, and Nena is taken to a hospital in Paris where Billy is left outside to wait for news as the visitation hours in the hospital are only once a week. Alone, in Paris, Billy suffers alone while waiting for news of his ailing wife.

As a short story, it’s an easy read, but in a play, Terana (who wrote the book and the lyrics and directed this staging) expands the world to fully detail the couple’s childhood, which include the Colombian conflict in 1964. The play is experimental as the story is told in a non-linear manner. Even with a narrator, the narrative jumps from their childhood to Billy waiting for news in the streets of Paris, jumping again to when Billy and Nena are falling in love while in school and so on and so forth. It goes beyond just a storytelling effect when, in one scene, the younger versions of Nena and Billy have conversations with the older versions of themselves: a four-way conversation between what is essentially just two people. It’s moment like this, in the play, when the brilliance of the material’s theatricality really captures the audience’s interest.

The music, in of itself, is wonderful and melodic. The play is almost completely sung through, with a few parts for dialogue. Luckily, the whole cast are excellent singers – not just the three leads – but an exciting ensemble who enter and exit as various individuals within the story all building a fully-fleshed out world while providing set changes, bringing in and out of props, and creating the clamor needed for certain scenes. There’s a lot of good happening here.

On the other hand, while everyone are such good singers, there’s a need to sharpen their movement quality. A number of them need to learn to finish their extensions, while some need to pin down their timing. Some need to put intention and story behind every movement. There’s quite a number of dancing here, excellent choreography by Carlon Matobato, but some understand the intention while others are just doing steps. And while a lot of them are fully committed to their roles, the fact that the characters and the milieu is Colombian and the themes are in the realm of the existential, there are times when the performers sometimes does not quite capture the nuance of the moment. But this is an issue of maturity. What they can process from their own experience is enough to capture the moment. It’s going to be very interesting to see them grow more as artists when they gain more experience and a larger worldview.

But what really grounds the work and makes it incredibly enjoyable is the power and charisma of its two leads – Dave Bambang and Kesiah Aritao as Billy and Nena, respectively – who are not just magnetic performers but incredibly talented singers. As they navigate the demands of their songs, they infuse with a lot of passion and emotions that the play feels connected by the bond they create for their characters. You might get lost with the non-linear narrative storytelling, but Bambang and Aritao anchors it in their love story. These two have such a strong presence that it keeps you rooted and can stop the play from falling out of orbit.

There’s a roughness to the FTG’s production of ‘Niyebe: Isang Experimental Na Musikal’ that also gives it its charm but what the show really showcases are the gorgeous songs of this musical and the powerful voices of the FEU Theater Guild.

My Rating:

Niyebe: Isang Experimental Na Musikal will run until March 27, 2025 at FEU Center for the Arts(FCA) Studio, Ground Floor, Engineering Bldg., FEU Manila. Get your tickets at here.

March 10, 2025
PILATO – An All-Original Filipino Musical All set to Unveil A New Perspective On The Greatest Story Ever Told

In an era where misinformation spreads faster than light and truth seems to wear many faces, the question asked over 2,000 years ago by one of the most divisive persons in history still reverberates with haunting relevance: “Ano ba ang katotohanan?” This serves as the heartbeat of Pilato, an all-original Filipino musical set to captivate audiences this April at the PETA Theater Center.

With its daring perspective and poignant relevance, the production revisits the so-called “greatest story ever told”–the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ–through the eyes of Poncio Pilato, a man caught at the crossroads of power, faith, and duty.

The musical traces Pilato’s journey from his early ambitions in Rome to his appointment as prefect of Judea, a province brimming with religious and political unrest. There, Pilato’s every decision is scrutinized by a constellation of figures: the enigmatic historiographer, Josepo; the calculating high priest, Caiaphas; his wise and foreboding wife, Procla; and Hesus, a mysterious and magnetic presence rumored to be the King of the Jews.

In a time when Holy Week invites reflection and as the country approaches the critical 2025 elections, Pilatoemerges as a vital meditation on truth in all its complexity. Through haunting melodies and powerful storytelling, it challenges us to confront the choices we make as individuals and as a society.

“Information comes to us in countless forms and modes. But how do we sift through the chaos to uncover the truth? Would we even recognize the truth if we meet it face-to-face?” shares writer-director Eldrin Veloso. “Essentially, that is what the play hopes to put out there–a journey that dares to unravel the mystery of truth’s many faces. With our society on the brink of a post-truth era, I believe this is a story that demands to be told, now more than ever.”

With a cast of seasoned musical theater artists and gifted newcomers, Pilato offers an emotional and intellectual journey unlike any other. It is a poignant reminder that even after two millennia, the search for truth remains both our greatest burden and our ultimate salvation.

This marks the inaugural theatrical venture of The Corner Studio, a creative agency renowned for weaving compelling narratives through its expertise in branding, production, marketing, and design. Now, it steps boldly onto the stage, bringing its storytelling vision to life in a new dimension.

Don’t miss Pilato on April 4 at 8pm for its world premiere and on April 5, 6, 11, 12 and 13 at 3pm and 8pm, at the PETA Theater Center.

Tickets are now available at pilato.helixpay.com. Follow them on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.

March 6, 2025
Theater Review — ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ While Enjoyable, Ends Up Highlighting the Difference Between Americans and Filipinos in Dating

‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ by Joe DiPietro (book and lyrics) and Jimmy Roberts (music) is light-hearted musical comedy about love and relationships and all the struggles and hurdles that come with it. There’s no overall narrative at work, the play is a series of vignettes between a man and a woman (though there are some quartet work and one couple variant are two married men) that detail some of the inner thoughts that enter our heads when it comes to dating, to our self-worth and self-image (in relationship to relationships), to sex, to being in a relationship, to getting married, and all that happens after marriage. It’s quickly paced, witty and clever and upbeat, and says quite a lot of things that not a lot of people say out loud (but you know they think it) and over-all is quite a fun and amusing play.

Directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change officially opened
REP’s 88th Season at its new home theater in Eastwood. Photo Credit: Noah Del Rosario

Sitting in the new Repertory Theater in Eastwood, I remember laughing and seeing how good the four performers were. I caught the cast that composed of Barbara Jance, Krystal Kane, Marvin Ong, and Gian Magdangal and these four actors are shifting and switching roles per vignette. At one point, he’s a guy who is boring her during their date and in the next scene, they could be a married couple with a new infant wondering what happened to their sex life. Most of the play is sung through, but in the few moments when they engage in dialogue and trade lines, you can see the honesty in their work. They are all fabulous singers, and you can tell they are having fun. And with a fun show like that, it is thrown back to the audience.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change also touches on how friendships and romantic love change
when kids enter the picture. Photo Credit: Noah Del Rosario

But the thing about the play is that I do remember laughing. I remember enjoying myself and having a good time. But the moment I was out of the theater, I don’t remember much. It’s the way that the play is written. It’s making a lot of fun (and in its own way, creating a critique about our world in terms of dating and relationships) at the complex ways with which we think about romance and love. It does say some pretty interesting things in some parts while others take a more traditional stance but, in the end, it wraps everything up very neatly and manages to say much at all. I’m not saying that all plays must be thought-provoking and profound. This is definitely a great time in the theater but what it did was made me think about how different Americans see relationships and dating in comparison to us.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Repertory Philippines (@repertoryphilippines)

There are similarities, sure, and this is wonderfully done by one scene early on about a guy and girl who are attracted to each other but don’t think they are attractive enough to be wanted. Beautifully done and so authentically performed. But the show is primarily done in duets which sort of emphasizes the loneliness and isolation of American culture. These exact same moments, in a Filipino setting, would not be duets, but songs sung and performed in front of their barkada or their one or two closest friends. Filipino culture is so rooted in family and community and the stories that unfold in ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ would play out so differently if it were done with the Filipino mentality in place. This is the disconnect I felt with the material.

But the show itself is so enjoyable and well put together. Director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo utilizes projectors and scrims to really create a vibrant, dynamic backdrop that keeps changing according to the narrative of the vignette. With only two actos on stage, most of the time, and with four at the most, I’m surprised how that stage never feels empty. The movements, that projector and the scrims, it’s a dynamic world that keeps the energy flowing and you don’t get lost from the transitions from moment to moment. Kudos to projection designer GA Fallarme, Set and Costume Designer Joey Mendoza, and Light Designer Meliton Roxas Jr for keeping the world on that stage vibrant and breathing.

My Rating:

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will run until March 9, 2025 at the REP Eastwood Theater. Get your tickets at Ticketworld and Ticket2Me.

February 27, 2025