Banaag at Sikat will rock CCP

MANILA, Philippines - With the muse and the genius sadly ditching most of the Cinemalaya 2010 new breed’s competing full-length films, and the disenchanted cineastes returning the favor by tiptoeing their way out, a heavy burden is on the Tanghalang Pilipino’s 24th season opener to rekindle the heat and renew hope among the abandoned Cultural Center of the Philippines-goers loyal to quality local productions.

Unaware that CCP-goers and incisive indie film buffs were already looking beyond the confused Cinemalaya 6 midway through the once-brilliant annual film festival, the cast of Banaag at Sikat: Isang Rock Musical arrived shortly before the 6 p.m. rehearsals at the CCP last Wednesday, hours after Typhoon Basyang savaged Luzon, throwing the entire island into darkness, stilling life and stealing joy during the unbearably dry hours.

The night The Philippine Star Entertainment went unannounced to the rehearsals while Basyang rushed out of the country, director Jose Estrella was blocking a sexy stripping scene that culminates in a straddle. The impish Riki Benedicto (playing the role of Martin) gamely reduced layer upon layer of his period costume to a pair of white underwear. His partner, the petite Martha Comia (playing Isiang) eagerly matched Benedicto’s uncontrolled zest in disrobing.

This passionate scene would not remind a viewer of the arousing number of Anna Mouglalis astride Mads Mikkelsen on a piano bench in the semi-biographical film Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky, but it prompts the memory to the gyration and tension of the now-classic dance sequence by Katrina Halili and Hayden Kho to the tune of the now-immortal Careless Whisper, only that the setting of the Benedicto-Comia act was the turn-of-the-century Philippines, sometime in May 1906.

With the stripping scene eliciting so much giggle among the cast of Banaag at Sikat, director Estrella turned to block scenes involving Ayen Munji-Laurel (essaying the lead female role of Meni), Al Gatmaitan (lead male role of Delfin), Roeder Camanag (Felipe, alternating with John Arcilla), Banaue Miclat (Tentay, alternating with Angeli Bayani), and Che Ramos (Talia).

“The most challenging part of Banaag at Sikat, for me, is the shift from being a rich girl to a dispossessed one. I am working on it. Not to mention that the language of the libretto is 1906ish,” said Ayen in an interview on the sidelights of the rehearsals. She won the 2007 Aliw Award for Best Performance in a Concert Collaboration, together with Raymond Lauchengco.

In a separate interview, Miclat, a former regular performer at the Metropolitan Opera in New York’s Lincoln Center, said: “While the libretto’s language may prove to be difficult, the highly pleasurable music and visuals of Banaag at Sikat would definitely appeal to the text generation.”

“My children would definitely be able to identify with the music of this rock musical,” said Franco Laurel, who won the 2009 Aliw Award for Best Stage Actor in a Musical for his role as Jose Rizal in Isang Panaginip na Fili.

Banaag at Sikat: Isang Rock Musical commences Tanghalang Pilipino’s celebration of and paying homage to “the Filipino national artists as modern Filipino idols.” Founded in 1987, Tanghalang Pilipino is CCP’s resident theater company which aims to promote Philippine theater that is “rooted in centuries-old Filipino culture and history while being responsive to evolving contemporary society.”

In an interview, Nanding Josef, Tanghalang Pilipino’s artistic director, said they chose to open their 24th season with Banaag at Sikat to mark the 100th year of the novel’s publication in 1906. Initial talks with National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera for a libretto started as early as 2005, he said.

“Tanghalang Pilipino wants greater and more active youth participation that’s why we decided to mount a rock musical,” Josef said. “The challenge for the artistic team is how to present a traditional ‘dish’ with a more contemporary pizzazz that would attract and appeal to the sensibilities of the youth.”

Estrella said “that through music and visual effects, the youth of today would realize that what happened in 1906 — the land problem, the disparity between the rich and poor — are very much with us.” Recognizing the challenges posed by the language of the libretto, she said: “We will respect the libretto of Bien Lumbera.”  

Lumbera collaborated with National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal, who designed the sets and costumes. Foremost Filipino dance artist Edna Vida Froilan did the choreography. Lucien Letaba composed the music, musical arrangements by Melvin Corpin, and Jed Balsamo was musical director while TJ Ramos was sound designer.

Josef said Lumbera and Bernal donated P750,000 each from their annual grant from the CCP to fund part of the production cost, while an additional P300,000 came from other sources. “The total amount of P1.8-M for a production such as Banaag at Sikat is small but we have to make do with this,” he said.

The regular run of Banaag at Sikat coincides with that of Cats, featuring Lea Salonga.

Banaag at Sikat opens on Aug. 18 at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater) and goes on until Aug. 22. And then, from Aug. 25 to 29, with 8 p.m. performances on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and with 3 p.m. performances every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The rock musical was based on Lope K. Santos’ novel of the same title published in 1906 and is often considered “the first Tagalog socialist and sociological novel.”

Called the Father of Philippine language and grammar, Santos, in his novel, showed he was at the cutting-edge of Filipino fiction by creating the affluent but iron-willed Meni, the lead female protagonist, who willingly jumped into bed with her working-class lover Delfin, resulting in an unintended pregnancy, which prompted her rich father to banish and disinherit her. One-hundred four years later, the issue of premarital sex and its consequences still hog the headlines.

Banaag at Sikat’s grander issues notably labor unrest, poverty, gambling, the rich-and-poor divide, and the fragmentation of families are still experienced by ordinary Filipinos as they search for food, freedom, jobs and justice.

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