Manila Beyond the Barricade

MANILA, Philippines - It was like a trip down memory lane. You sit down, relax and give in to the sweet nostalgia as you travel through the golden eras of the theater.

For one night only, last Oct. 7, musical fans gathered at the Solaire Theatre in Manila to hear the songs of Beyond the Barricade, UK’s critically-acclaimed concert featuring timeless hits from beloved Broadway and West End musicals. The brilliant cast, led by Andy Reiss, David Fawcett, Rebecca Vere and Katie Leeming, delivered a string of powerful performances enough to leave one humming his favorite show tunes for a good number of days. Beyond the Barricade, which has been touring since 1999, still sticks to what it does best — giving flawless renditions of some of the finest musical theatre songs ever made.

The four stage veterans and astounding vocalists opened the show with Miss Saigon (Schönberg and Boublil’s 1989 West End classic), delighting the crowd with The Heat Is on in Saigon, I Still Believe and Bui-Doi. The first half went on with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 hit The Phantom of the Opera (Masquerade, The Music of the Night and All I Ask of You), Broadway’s 11th longest-running show Wicked (One Short Day, What is this Feeling?, For Good and No One Mourns the Wicked), West Side Story’s angsty anthem Tonight, Carousel’s heartwrenching ballad You’ll Never Walk Alone, and Webber’s controversial rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar (Superstar, What’s the Buzz?, I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Could We Start Again, Please? and Gethsemane). The Barricade crew punctuated its first act with a medley of upbeats from We Will Rock You and the two jukebox musicals, Mamma Mia! and Jersey Boys.

The Lion King roared into the second part of the concert, returning to session with Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Shadowland and Circle of Life. The final hour of the show was a pleasing mix of comedic, melodramatic and a bit of rough-edge, jumping from quirky Spamalot and Little Shop of Horrors to Evita and Chess.

Beyond the Barricade left the Solaire Theatre with a superb Les Misérables showcase, which, of course, included On My Own, I Dreamed a Dream and the ever-cathartic hymn One More Day. The show’s finale was the perfect way to end such a musical journey. And as far as memories and recollection are concerned, it surely did remind everyone to catch Les Miz when it lands on the Philippine stage next year.