What a difference a baby makes

What if a baby comes to a couple’s life–too late, too soon and not soon enough? This is the dilemma facing three partners in Atlantis Production’s latest musical offering, Baby.

Dashed with comic scenes and lighthearted moments, this musical probes straight to the core of this painful, rewarding and amusing universal experience with warmth, sensitivity and humor.

A romantic and insightful story with a modern sensibility highlighted by a tuneful contemporary score and show-stopping numbers, the show surely showcases the thespic and vocal prowess of its ensemble cast.

The play opens with the introduction of the three couples and the exposition of their reservations about the possibility of having an addition to their own families.

Baby is set in a college campus. Lizzy (Lea Salonga) and Danny (David Shannon), university students in their 20’s, are apprehensive with the unexpected arrival of their lovechild. Pam (Agot Isidro) and Nick (Jett Pangan), the couple in their mid-30’s, are devastated and anguished when they learn that, after two years of trying, their wish to have their own bundle of joy has not yet been granted. On the other hand, Arlene (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) and Allen (Miguel Faustman), who already have three daughters, are looking forward to spending time as a twosome when they learn that they’ll have another baby coming up.

With these circumstances, various questions about each couple’s lives surface, causing their respective relationships to be strained. This would assess the pairs‚ readiness to face the imminent change they all have to face, the compromises they all have to make and the questions they have to answer.

Would a baby change Liz’s cynical view of marriage? Do Pam and Nick still need their bundle of joy to make them complete? Would Allen and Arlene let themselves be trapped again in the bondage of parenthood? Does having a baby give couples a sense of direction, or is it love?

The characters and stories are intelligently intertwined. This, together with sensitive portrayals of the cast, allows the audience to understand more the complexities and the inner struggles of the play’s characters and their situations.

After a long hiatus in the local musical theater scene, Lea returns onstage to play the role of Lizzy with so much ease and confidence. Lea, with her crystal-clear singing voice and perfect diction, proves once again that she is one gem of a performer by essaying a role much younger than she really is and doing it exceptionally well.

With years of experience as theater artist, Menchu’s put in a performance that made the audience feel Arlene’s inner struggles by intensely displaying various emotions in varied degrees. Menchu clearly defined the complexities of her character with sensitivity.

Agot’s performance was the biggest surprise of the night. Seeing her act was, indeed, a refreshing sight. Although this is only her second musical, she radiated onstage with her natural charm and sincere performance. Agot, a former pop star, surprised everyone with the great improvement in her vocal ability. She provided the evening’s funniest sequence and the most heartwarming number.

Undeniably, the story of Baby revolves mainly around three strong women figures. Though the performances of Jett Pangan, Miguel Faustmann and David Shannon were outstanding, their acts were a little bit low-key, perfectly complementing the strong characters of their respective partners.

Adding more excitement to the play are the chorus members Chari Arespacochaga, Cathy Azanza, Topher Fabregas, Christine Marquez, Jun Ofrasio and Robbie Zialcita.

With simple production design and choreography, director Bobby Garcia acknowledges that the strength of this play lies in its simplicity. The musical score, for one, is simple yet provides the perfect feel for the story. The spectacle that is Baby lies not on the elaborate display of effects, but in its ability to exhibit and elicit varied human emotions from the performers and the audience.

This musical is an honest, witty take on life. Watching it is a pleasant experience for anyone who recognizes that a couple’s love for each other makes many miracles, including conception.

Baby is written by Sybille Pearson with David Shire and Richard Maltby, Jr. creating the music. It runs at the Meralco Theater up to Sept. 5.