Jekyll & Hyde soon at Greenbelt Theater

Martin Nievera has a great version of the song and Erik Santos launched his entire career on it. That means that most of us Pinoys are very familiar with the inspiring power ballad This Is The Moment. Therefore, it is now time for us to learn more about the origins of this beautiful song. So all of you out there who admire This Is The Moment or who think it is the ultimate competition song or who just love to fill videoke joints with their own rendition should set time aside to watch the musical Jekyll & Hyde.

This is a big treat. Repertory Philippines is staging Jekyll & Hyde at Onstage in Greenbelt 1, Makati from March 16 to April 15 with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays. I am sure Filipinos will adore watching this riveting tale and listening to the famous songs live. In the show are Someone Like You, A New Life, Alive, Take Me As I Am, Once Upon A Dream, In His Eyes, Dangerous Game and the biggest of them all, This Is The Moment.

Jekyll & Hyde is based on the timeless story about the battle of good and evil written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It is about this brilliant and kindly, scientist who turns into the evil Mr. Hyde when he drinks a secret potion. The thing is whenever this happens, there is also a brutal figure, who stalks the city streets of London on a maniacal killing spree. Can this serial killer be Dr. Jekyll disguised as Mr. Hyde? That is the question that the tale proffers. 

The original story makes for suspenseful reading. There are also several movie versions. But none of them have the wonderful music created by Frank Wildhorn and the book and lyrics by the Academy Award and Tony winner Leslie Bricusse. The latter is the same writer whose works have become legend. What Kind Of Fool Am I, Once In A Lifetime, Who Can I Turn To, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, When I Look In Your Eyes, Pure Imagination, The Candy Man, Fill The World With Love, Somewhere In My Memory and many others. 

Alternating in the demanding roles of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde are Michael Williams and Jett Pangan. Junix Inocian, home from London’s West End is Utterson, Jekyll’s lawyer and friend. Kalila Agulos is the attractive actress Lucy who creates confusion in the emotions of Jekyll and Hyde, while Cris Villonco is Emma, the sweet fiancée of Dr. Jekyll. Also in the cast are Steve Cadd, Jack Salud, Reuben Uy, Red Nuestro, Mayen Bustamante-Cadd, Jamie Wilson, Jamie Inocian, Oliver Usison, Naths Everett and James Stacey. Director is Repertory Philippines’ associate artistic director and the country’s leading stage actress, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.

Still on the local theater scene. In The Heights, the heart-warming Tony Award winning musical by Lin Manuel Miranda is back on the stage of the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. It was first presented in Manila last year and proved to be so successful that a repeat seemed like the natural thing to do. And here it is once more from Atlantis Productions. The limited return engagement will run from March 16 to 25 and features the same stellar cast.

 Headlining the show are acoustic balladeer and songwriter Nyoy Volante; Star Power finalist K-La Rivera; Jackielou Blanco in her English language musical theater debut; Miss Saigon’s Ima Castro; powerhouse singer Tex Ordoñez; stage stalwart Calvin Millado; the young sensation from Next to Normal, Felix Rivera, and singing champion Jimmy Marquez. 

Directed by Bobby Garcia, In The Heights tells the stories of neighbors in a community in Washington Heights and how they resolved their conflicts between change and tradition and then found their dreams. These are told through a unique mix of hip-hop, salsa, merengue and soul music. The sort of World Music that this blend results in is what makes In The Heights doubly enjoyable. Sure the story happens in NYC, U.S. of A., but the characters are so real, the situations so true, they could be your family, friends and neighbors.   

Tickets to Jekyll & Hyde and In The Heights are now available at TicketWorld Manila.