UP comedians gather for fund-raising show
The University of the
No wonder, when plans were being drawn up for the UP centennial celebration next year, the comic talents who graduated from the university easily came to mind to gather in a fund-raising show, Ciento Comico — 100 Years of Fun and Laughter. As UP preps up for its centennial celebration, the UP Alumni Association (UPAA) looks back at its century-old history of academic excellence, social commentary, artistic expression and student activism.
Throughout the years, UP has sailed through tough times in a very Filipino way of survival, laughter. “Even in troubled times and in the worst incidents, we manage to inject jokes and laughter to what was happening around,” says director Maryo J. de los Reyes, himself a UP alumnus. “We make fun of everything.”
For the first time, pioneering satirists Tessie Tomas and Willie Nepomuceno will share the stage with Nanette Inventor, Roderick Paulate, Giselle Sanchez, Candy Pangilinan, RS Francisco, Eugene Domingo, Ate Glow (a.k.a. Rene Boy Facunla) — all UP graduates who found their niche in comedy.
Direk Maryo J. de los Reyes whose batch formed Dulaang Kapetirya in UP in the early ’70s attests it wasn’t hard to convince the performers to be part of Ciento Comico, to be staged on Dec. 17, 7 p.m. at the UP Theater. “Everyone was immediately receptive to the idea of doing a fund-raising show for UP,” the director shares. “Only Jon Santos had to beg off because he had a play, Dog Eaters, and he cannot rehearse for the UP show.”
Direk Maryo organized the show and also gets credit for working at the helm of the production. “It’s a showcase of the best comedians UP has produced,” he says. “Comedy is their craft. They are set to reprise the characters they are famous for, with the script that keeps up with the present times. UP has become a marketplace of ideas and it has produced varied, outstanding artists.”
Tomas, for instance, will be seen in her inimitable Meldita spoof of former First Lady Imelda Marcos. “It’s payback time for us,” points out Tessie, a graduate of then UP Institute of Mass Communications. “Whatever and wherever we are now, we owe our education to UP.”
Willie Nepomuceno, known to mimic more than a dozen personalities in stand-out performances, is set to reprise his Erap parody. He is a 1971 UP Fine Arts graduate.
“The performers will be given their solo acts,” informs direk Maryo. “The show will run for more than two hours.”
Inventor, also a UP MassCom graduate, will bring back onstage her popular Doña Buding character, the social climber from the ’80s musical-variety show, Penthouse Live. Pangilinan, meanwhile, will prove what has become of the theater major in her by spoofing President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Another Theater Arts major, Domingo, thankful for a very fruitful 2007, caps her banner year by joining her fellow comedians onstage in Ciento Comico. Francisco, who first soared onstage in his memorable role in M Butterfly, will contribute his Baby Baby Cojuangkers character to the comedy revue.
The award-winning UP Pep Squad, the official cheerleading and cheerdancing team formed in 1994, will make its special participation in Ciento Comico, with the UP Street Dance Club, one of the most prominent and leading university-based street dance groups in the country today.
UPAA president Gari Tiongco says Ciento Comico will kick off the series of shows for the centennial that will gather UP’s most outstanding graduates from different fields. Aside from comedy, there will be a night of musicians and chorale groups.
A day after the show, UP will once again hear the famous Carillon, with the new bells flown in from
- Latest
- Trending
