Quick Review: Once On This Island

-

Have heard this musical a long time ago and how it takes off from Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid but on dry ground. Well, not really dry as the musical begins on a stormy night when the village storytellers try to calm a frightened child by telling the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a rich kid, and whose sacrifice has, uhm, supposedly united the social classes (the "black as night" natives and the light-skinned descendants of the island's French colonizers). But hey, it's very Disney (announced in 2020 as being developed by Disney into a live-action musical film adaptation), what with the exotic backdrop of the Caribbean and just the right blend of Latino music, ballads, and energetic dance numbers to tell the tale of the star-crossed lovers.

So when I watched Once On This Island as staged by 9 Works Theatrical, I was awed by the talented cast, their energy was so affecting that I was tapping my feet during fast numbers. I found myself invested in the story that was unravelling in front of me. Thea Astley as Ti Moune showed her singing, dancing, and acting chops as her character goes through a series of pleasant and unpleasant experiences. You can feel her heartbreak when she realizes that she and Daniel (Jef Flores) will never be. He was already arranged to be married to Andrea (fabulously portrayed by Krystal Kane).

The gods were fun to watch! Love Shiela Valderrama-Martinez (Erzulie) as always, Radha (Asaka) was the perfect representation of Mother Earth, Garrett Bolden (Agwe) is remarkable as the God of Water, and Lorenz Martinez (Papa Ge)--you inhabited the role of The Demon of Death with all the slyness and deception brilliantly. Panalo! 

Of course, the whole thing will fall apart if not for the ensemble! This is one musical where the ensemble plays a vital role in the narrative. As the village storytellers and the grands hommes, they were all dynamic and were in the moment, brimming with energy and awareness. Ang galing nilang lahat, especially in their dances. Kudos to JM Cabling. The Latin flavor of the dance moves was awesome! The stage design by Mio Infante was magical, guiding the audience easily through every transition, from the village to the dreams of Ti Moune, to the ball at the hotel. The costumes, the lights, the sounds, and the music...they were all a feast for the senses! 

Thank you, Direk Robbie Guevarra! I immensely enjoyed the musical!

Once On This Island will run until September 29, 2024 at the Carlos P Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Stripped-down "Sunset Blvd" Shines

-
Image
DIRECTOR Jamie Lloyd's version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Blvd" breathes new life to the legendary 30-year-old musical by stripping it down to the basics. Without lavish sets and costumes, the outstanding cast led by Nicole Scherzinger as the former and forgotten silent movie star Norma Desmond heavily relies on their sheer acting, singing, and dancing prowess sans the usual spectacle associated with this production. Chairs, lights, and a video projection screen fill the stage and replace the floating mansion of the original staging. From start to end of the musical, the audience is treated to something akin to experimental theatre. For those familiar with the movie or who have seen Patti LuPone on the West End staging or Glenn Close on Broadway, Lloyd's version is a total departure from them. No lavish sets, no vintage car on set — just a big, 23-foot LCD screen. 'Sunset Boulevard' tells the story of Joe Gillis (Tom Francis), a down-on-his-luck writ...
Read more

Quick Review: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change

-
Image
quick review habang fresh pa LOL (btw, thanks, Jeremy)! i was floored by this production of Repertory Philippines because i was trying hard to envision what was happening onstage while listening to the 1996 cast recording of the musical a couple of weeks ago. but thanks to repertory phils., they got THE Menchu Lauchengco Yulo to direct this musical revue. ang galing ng execution! her casting of 4 actors that can effectively essay 40 different characters was inspired. it was a treat watching all of them onstage! i believe repertory used the 2018 updated material with some tweaks from director menchu to make it more NOW (the projection design featured social media elements); she really pulled out all the stops for this one as there were so many things going on (scrims moving, the choreographed setting-up for the next scene, quick costume changes, etc.) and they were seamless. the actors were all terrific! loved the lullaby of Gian Magdangal (the baby song), the drama of rose ritz’ “very ...
Read more

Preparing for the Big Send Off, Part 1

-
Image
March 11. Wednesday. I got to the Center Gate of ABS CBN around 5.30pm.  I was the second invited winner to arrive.  The family of Jhaphet Flordeliza was already there.  His mom, Babes, was quite a character.  She asked me if I had company and when I said no, she talked me into "adopting" her two friends (Tess and Nel Yap) as my "kapamilya." We asked an event marshall where all the winners would be seated and he pointed us to another event marshall who would entertain questions from us.  But said event marshall was busy giving directions to Jodie Sta. Maria's kapamilya who will play with her.  (Note on Jodie:  She is a snob.  Or maybe, she was just ignoring Babes who kept calling her Judy?) Finally, the event marshall herded us all in the cafeteria.  On our way to the cafeteria, I saw Maria Ressa, head of ABS-CBN's Current Affairs.  She had a ready smile for everyone.  Inside the cafeteria, a nother "relative" ...
Read more