The live performing arts sector in our country is one that for the longest time has been compartmentalized into specific spheres of action. For instance, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), promoting Filipino culture for the past 47 years, has succeeded in reigning as the Filipino language counterpart of Repertory Philippines which is currently also celebrating its 47th year. Rep has been called the “most professional English-speaking theater company in the country.â€
There are many other companies all over the country, each formed for their own purpose, directed towards their own specific audience. From Ilocos down to Mindanao we find them, some older than the first conquerors who have stepped on our shores.
And now, we have the fledgling Atlantis Theater Company, put up in 1999 by an innovative US-based Bobby Garcia who in the space of 15 years has put his company on the map by including international plays and musicals performed by Filipino talents. And Bobby is at it again, with the latest material of Ghost the Musical.
Ghost the movie was shown in the ’90s with Patrick Swayze as a banker, Demi Moore as the wife who is a potter and Whoopi Goldberg playing a medium. We don’t remember most of it, only that the two leads were really handsome and beautiful, and we recall Demi at the potter’s wheel weeping because her husband had died, and all of us in the movie house were weeping along with her.
The film became a big hit with Bruce Joel Rubin’s script winning an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and screwball Whoopi getting the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Ghost the musical, on the other hand, was nominated for three Tony Awards and five Olivier Awards.
Ghost the Musical from Atlantis Productions is the first professionally-licensed production of the musical in the Asia-Pacific region. We watched it last week with musical theater habitué Jose Cabaltera at the RCBC Plaza where most Atlantis plays and musicals are shown.
To those who have not followed his career, Bobby was in charge of the Disney Theatricals as show director of the Disney Theme Park. We also got to watch the musical Rent when our ward Anna Fegi (now Anna Brown) appeared in its Singapore run.
The current Ghost the Musical production stars Christian Bautista as the Ghost, Cris Villonco as his wife and Ima Castro as Oda Mae Brown the medium. Live music accompanies the musical, which replays the popular Righteous Brothers song Unchained Melody over and over again.
It would be difficult to compare the play with the musical, since we have always thought a straight play is more difficult to perform and sell to an audience. A musical is more entertaining and as long as the music is good, the rest will follow.
Ghost the Musical has many other attributes apart from the familiarity of the Pinoy audience with Christian as pop superstar of Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Cris has had enough exposure in musical theater. And Ima who played Kim in London’s Miss Saigon could possibly be tackling the most attention-getting role in her career.
We asked our friend Jose what he liked about the Atlantis version of Ghost the Musical. This was what he said: “I am impressed with the play’s simple set design and clever use of pictures and lights to carry the story. Instead of expensive sets to transport characters from scene to scene, we watch men and women in suits marching down a New York City street, riding an elevator and entering their Manhattan office while pretty much dancing in place. Another innovation was to light up the ‘living’ in scenes they shared the stage with the ‘spirit’ world. Christian was ever cast in a mystical baby blue light while his adversaries were lit in thick red beacons as demons swarmed around to carry them away.â€
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