By the time this review comes out, it may no longer be on stage which is a shame because a musical like this should have a longer run, not just in Manila but in the provinces where it has a lot to say to us Filipinos. It is not one of those super productions that require thousands of pesos to produce. Since it is a musical, it must have an array of good singers; even for those who have seen the movie, Himala as a musical is not boring. Indeed, the Filipino stage has gone a long way but like most successful cultural efforts, it does not attract as much attendance as do those pop concerts which fill up open fields and auditoriums.
May Bayot who plays Elsa is a seasoned singer and performer. She is both naive and confused by the attention the villagers give her. Her powerful voice honed since the Sixties in theater and cabaret performances here and abroad dominate the entire performance. Eladio Pamaran, another international performer, plays Orly the photographer. Even my favorite Dulce is Aling Saling, the mother of Elsa, and that rich, emotive voice adds color to the musical.
The musical accompaniment is provided by piano and so much of the richness of the singing, the purity of voices is maintained. It is easy to imagine how magnificent an arrangement with a full orchestra can be. It would help a lot if the composer did at least one tune that can be remembered, just one song that would by itself become the label for the musical. Some recent and successful musicals have none – but they used technical gimmicks that gave verve to their work. Himala does not need this.
But no matter, this is one musical which should have a wider audience, which should play even in small towns during town fiestas; the staging which is imaginative is not expensive and does not rely on visual tricks as does Miss Saigon. Given the religious nature and gullibility of Filipinos, Himala may also help dispel that old Marxist dictum the religion is the opium of the masses.
In literature, especially when it comes at the end, death has its own logic, not just as metaphor or as finale. More than logic, it should have meaning such as the death of Don Quixote in the Man From La Mancha. There is no particular logic or deeper meaning in the end of Himala whether in the movie or in the musical. Death comes as a simple ending – it explains nothing, gives no depth or catharsis and this I find shoddy. So boys, back to the drawing board so that this musical will not only be excellent, but perhaps be a truly great Filipino effort.