Tickets for Pope Francis show sold out

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Tickets for a musical featuring the life of Pope Francis have been sold out less than a month before its scheduled opening in this city.

Dubbed “I Love Pope Francis, the Musical,” the local theater production of amateur actors will be held at the Holy Angel University (HAU)) stadium here starting on Nov. 29.

Theater director-composer Andy Alviz told The STAR yesterday that the musical’s world gala presentation on Dec. 12 at the 1,000-seater HAU auditorium is fully booked.

Alviz collaborated with writer-lyricist Randy del Rosario and Teatru Kapampangan for the staging of the musical depicting the life of Pope Francis from the point of view of a Filipino youth ministry. The musical will feature 24 original songs.

The pope is set to visit the Philippines this January.

“Sales of tickets and reservations for the musical’s Jan. 10, 2015 run have also been brisk, prompting upbeat observations here that this homegrown production might just become a blockbuster not only in the Philippines but overseas as well because of its global appeal,” he said.

Alviz bared plans for the musical’s presentation at the Cultural Center of the Philippines next year, in cooperation with Rotary International.