Hooked on 'Peter Pan' and his pixie dust

A renaissance is happening at Repertory Philippines, and the energy onstage and off is quite palpable. If the opening night gala of Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure is any indication, the late Bibot Amador, Rep’s founder and artistic director, would have been proud. There was this pre-show buzz during cocktail hour, as kids ran around the buffet area where the adults said their hellos and caught up with each other’s lives. “Oh my God, your baby is so big already!” I overheard one side. “Yes, I already have three kids. The other two are running around,” said another.

And then the obligatory bell rang; it was show time. Everyone rushed to their seats, excited for the curtains to go up. This was the Meralco Theater after all, home to many of Rep’s big musicals, from the classic Fiddler on the Roof to the groundbreaking Les Miserables  this theater is the de facto home of the grand musicals Rep has been known for.

House lights went out, music faded in, the curtains went up  cue goose bumps. The magic of theater, just like Peter Pan’s pixie dust, never fails to brighten up the child within. This was a Rep production like no other because it was a Rep-meets-Stages collaboration. Theater stalwarts Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Rep’s artistic director, and Stages president Audie Gemora, both successful alumni from their respective companies, decided to join forces to give Peter Pan more than just magic.

“Tita Bibot always told us to not just give our 100 percent, but to give our 150 percent in anything we do,” said Liza Infante-Robinson, herself a product of the high standards of excellence that Rep has instilled in all its artists. “We dedicate this night and every performance to her as she watches us from up above.” Right behind where I was seated, I could see Celia Diaz-Laurel, one of Rep’s founders, smiling brightly. What makes one a company visionary is the way things are passed and carried on. The vision of Rep was clear  to bring world-class theater to the Filipino audience. It happened before, and it is still happening now.

A different version

As an audience member, you can usually feel it when the cast and the entire production are inspired by their jobs. That night, I felt more than just inspiration onstage. From Peter Pan flying around the stage to the Lost Boys to Tiger Lily and her troop, the energy was bursting out into the audience. The kids in the audience were screaming, while the adults applauded every scene. “This is a different version of Peter Pan,” said an amused Fernando Peña, husband of Junie Peña, who is a proud member of Rep’s Advisory Council, and co-producer of that night’s opening gala.

Sam Concepcion had full control of his Peter Pan, the boy-man in him so playful you’d want to fly with him to Never, Never Land. Not everyone from mainstream show business can ease into the theater, but with Sam playing the lead in this production, I must say Sam passed with more than flying colors. Michael Williams showed mastery of craft as Captain Hook, effortless in both comic timing and characterization. This was a coming of age production not just for Sam, but also for Cara Barredo, who played Wendy, her young soprano voice making the show soar to different heights.

The Lost Boys, Tiger Lily and her troops, the multilingual pirates, and even Tinkerbell  all of them had their shining moments onstage. It occurred to me while watching that I was witnessing the performances of Repertory’s next breed of theater stars and personally, I cannot wait to see how this new batch of performers will continue explanding their solid training in theater. Peter Pan is a beautifully mounted and crafted production. The choreography is diverse and the sets morph wonderfully into different places. The costumes are avant-garde, but not over-the-top, the accents are not put-on, and the wigs, they fit well. A new Rep? You bet.

Rep has had a reputation for different things. Expect this season and beyond for everything in Rep to change... for the better.

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For Peter Pan tickets call 571-6926 or log on to www.repertory.ph.