NY culturati at Noli gala

A bold move to bring the first Tagalog opera at the cultural center of the world that is New York City finally happened two weeks ago with the staging of Philippine National Artists Felipe de Leon (music) and Guillermo Tolentino’s (libretto) finest work, Noli Me Tangere-Opera at The Kaye Playhouse of Hunter College in Manhattan. The opera is based on the 1887 classic novel of Dr. Jose Rizal.

“The gala night was graced by New York City’s culturati,” reported Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre. “It was their first taste of a Filipino opus and they obviously enjoyed it.”

About 30 fine actors/singers, featuring a 35-piece orchestra under world-renowned conductor Michael Dadap, brought to life what’s probably the most staged Philippine opera since its debut in 1957.

According to Dadap, the  operatic masterpiece by De Leon and Tolentino should give the Filipino-American and non-Filipino audiences a clear picture of the Filipinos’ great sense of nationalism.

“The lyrics are in Tagalog which made it even more powerful for the Filipino Americans in the audience,” Dadap told Edmund in an interview for Funfare. “But supertitles in English were provided for the non-Tagalog speakers. Filipino-Americans are not known to produce a full-scale opera because it’s very expensive to produce one. At the same time, Fil-Am investors, in particular, are more attracted to shows that are not ours; they’re very skeptical. I understand that sentiment though.”

But Edmund said that Dadap hoped to change their minds now that they have experienced this Pinoy masterpiece which was presented as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Foundation for Filipino Artists, Inc. headed by Aida Bartolome.

Among those Edmund spotted at the audience were Philippine Consul General in New York Mario de Leon Jr. and Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations Libran Cabactulan.

According to Edmund, it was New York-based Fil-Am political leader and businesswoman Loida Nicolas-Lewis who led the realization of this ambitious project after catching the American premiere of Noli Me Tangere-Opera at Harris Theater at Millennium Park in Chicago June of last year. It was performed by a diverse cast singing the songs in Tagalog.

“The music of De Leon is world-class in that vein of Puccini and Verdi,” Edmund quoted Lewis, lead producer, as saying. “However, De Leon’s kundiman strain throughout the piece is very strong. Filipinos should be proud. This is our own at ang galing natin.”

The musical presentation, an opera in three acts, follows the story of Juan Crisostomo Ibarra who returns to the Philippines after pursuing scholarly studies in Europe. He plans to open a school and marry his betrothed, Maria Clara. However, parish priest Padre Damaso, the archenemy of the Ibarras, is out to hinder Crisostomo’s plans, which creates “a dramatic storyline of forbidden love, betrayal and revenge.”

The New York presentation of Noli Me Tangere-Opera featured acclaimed Filipino opera singer Sal Malaki, a seasoned artist of the Los Angeles Opera Company under Maestro Placido Domingo, as Crisostomo Ibarra; Spanish-Filipino coloratura soprano Antoni Mendezona as Maria Clara, international Filipino baritone Andrew Fernando as Padre Damaso, opera baritone Robert Perla Gomez as Elias, international soprano Maria Christina Navarro as Sisa and young singer Kirby Asunto as Basilio. Also in the diverse ensemble cast were Brad Arreglado, Jonathan Estabrooks, Rosemarie Flores, May Hackett, William Lim, Brittany Palmer, Allan Samonte, Rina Saporantos, Elijah Sirilan, Zion Sirilan, Ulises Solano, Sherwin Su, Lisa Villamaria and Resty Yongco.

Besides Dadap, who is artistic musical director, the creative and production team was composed of May Pamana (direction), Rene Dalandan (assistant stage direction), Kristin Jackson (choreography), Jeff Davis (lighting design), Jerry Sibal (set and costume design), Natalie Qing Zhang (stage management) and Clare Chujie Xu (assistant stage management).

Major sponsors were Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, Goldman Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., Alvarez Educational & Charitable Fdn. CiAT Funds, Philippine Development Foundation, US Philippine Society, Leslie Lewis Sword, GMA Pinoy TV/GMA Life TV and Maharlika Restaurant.

The opera ran for approximately two hours and 45 minutes.

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