East Meets West: A convergence of hearts

"Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet." – Rudyard Kipling

East and West, black and white, yin and yang – two opposing yet complementary forces that merge into a cohesive whole. It’s a strange brew that makes the world go round. It could even turn total strangers into the best of friends or lovers.

This interracial synergy comes to fore in ML Artistics International BV’s East Meets West, a story-telling musical that revolves around the intricate relationships among two European friends and their Asian counterparts.

Touted as a rousing year-starter, the two-act concert had its opening gala last night at the Main Theatre of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and will have two more runs today (3 p.m. and 8 p.m.) at the same venue.

Unlike other musicals with storylines subsequently defined by the ensuing dialogue, East Meets West relies solely on music to "narrate" its theme. A hodgepodge of various musical genres, the program draws from a rich tapestry of Broadway, classical, pop, rock and even features some original compositions.

Maurice Littikhuis, one of Europe’s most sought-after arrangers, producers and composers, and East and West’s musical director, explains the theme. "Having worked extensively with Miss Saigon for the past several years, I’ve met a lot of Asians and realized the glaring differences between our respective cultures."

The shaggy-haired maestro continues, "For instance, religion and church are two very serious things among your people here, unlike in Holland. On the other hand, back home, people are a lot freer to talk about sex or other seemingly ‘taboo’ topics."

"Basically, the inspiration for East Meets West revolves around the dynamic interplay between those cultural differences, especially as it relates to a love story," he adds.

"So, what we did was to make up a storyline, BUT… to tell the story, we wanted to rely solely on music and song. Then came the harder task of choosing the right songs, the right lyrics that could ‘suggest’ the ensuing dialogue," Maurice elaborates.

In effect, East Meets West comes out as a concert-of-sorts – with no dialogue, and no intermittent breaks between songs.

Now, imagine a line-up of songs that include well-loved Broadway staples such as I’ve Never Been In Love Before (from Guys and Dolls), Someone Like You (from Jeckyll and Hyde), Don’t Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl), I Will Never Leave You (Side Show) and movie themes (The Lion King), (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).

There’s also a smattering of pop songs such as Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror, Eric Carmen’s All By Myself and Michel Legrand’s How Do You Keep The Music Playing?, as well as excerpts from some of Ryan Cayabyab’s reharmonized folk melodies.

Providing the musical backdrop is the Rhythm Section.