How Viva and RWM reinvented a Pinoy classic

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a buzz going on about the return of this year’s highly-celebrated theater production Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical. The pioneers behind it — Resorts World Manila (RWM) and Viva Communications, Inc. — are now gearing up for the musical’s much-awaited second run on Oct. 8.

With the success of the production’s first run, fans have clamored for more of the innovative stage production, which stemmed from taking a shelved Filipino classic and adapting it into a stage masterpiece.

With Viva having a wealth of material to which they hold the rights to, RWM began to engage in talks with no less than Viva top honcho Vic del Rosario to come up with a worthy production that will truly champion Filipino talent.

RWM president Kingson Sian then sat with Full House Theater Company Entertainment and Productions artistic directors Michael Williams and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who all decided to pick one classic material that is geared up as a musical and is all about performance and after much deliberation, the concept to resurrect Bituing Walang Ningning as a musical was born.

Fortunately, Viva was mutually ecstatic with the idea and from there, another toast of Philippine theater is in the offing.

“Being one of the country’s most prominent entertainment outfits, Viva brings so much to the table in terms of production experience and its talented pool of artists,” said RWM CEO Colin Kerr who was also instrumental in bringing Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical to the stage of the grand Newport Performing Arts Theater.

Bituing Walang Ningning first came out in serialized comics after which it was adapted into a movie, and then remade into a TV series. With the musical’s production, it marks the first time that a contemporary drama has crossed over to Filipino mainstream media.

First Lady of Philippine Theater Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo is ecstatic with the production’s first run as well, noting that because of Bituing Walang Ningning: The Musical’s success, more possibilities of turning classic Filipino movies into musicals are currently being explored.

With a second run in the works, fans are mulling as to what new elements are on offer for the musical’s return.

“It’s pretty much a new show they’re going to see. Based on feedback, we redefined the script and are now presenting pretty much an improved version of it, which is really the way it’s done,” shared Yulo.

For details, visit www.rwmanila.com or call (02) 908-8833.