Stirring musical / Heartwarming playlet

The musical comedy Urinetown, which is showing at the RCBC auditorium, has all the earmarks of a Bobby Garcia-directed production. It is fast-paced, with locales changing-from open field to office to a secret hideout – at the wink of an eye. The excellent cast captures and conveys the vigor and vitality of the musical by Greg Kotis as well as the dash and verve of the lyrics by Mark Hollman.

The musical is a current hit on Broadway, and Garcia’s company has been given the rights to produce it obviously for the solid reputation Garcia has built for the last five years.

Urinetown, a play with a social conscience, pits the rich against the poor.

Caldwell B. Cladwell, a ruthless businessman who has nothing else on his mind but the making of money, owns the Urine Good Company which holds a monopoly on public utilities. People have to pay to pee, and they now rebel against the idea. That is the plot in its simplest terms.

Corrupt cops Locstock and Barrel do the bidding of Cladwell. The fee collector is Penelope Pennywise, her assistant Bobby Strong later leads the rebellion but before then, he meets Hope, Cladwell’s daughter who has studied in the best schools and has everything she can wish for.

Hope and Bobby fall in love; Hope, captured joins the rebels who are a motley lot. The doleful Little Sally, the pregnant Mrs. Millenium who later gives birth to twins; Mr. McQueen who temporarily takes over from Bobby Strong when the rebels fear he has been seized by the police. One of the most suspenseful, poignant moments comes with the revelation that Pennywise, the fee collector, is Hope’s mother!

Each stirring, breezy song-and-dance act, with musical director Manman Angsico and choreographer Veronica Trono collaborating, is a show-stopper, with the cast giving its all.

The principal players are worth their weight in gold. Jett Pangan, Locstock, has a fine singing voice besides a smoothly raffish manner; Michael de Mesa, Caldwell, is a cad through and through; Jinky Llamanzares, Penelope Pennywise, is a slick double-dealer Noel Rayos is a convincing rabble-rouser as Bobby Strong; so is his twin-soul Jeremy Aguado as Mr. McQueen. Chari Arespacochaga is a rightfully defiant and indignant Mrs. Millenium; Pheona Baranda is a win some Little Sally who tugs at the heartstrings of Officer Locstock. Not the least, Cathy Azanza is the prim and properly incensed Hope.

Others are similarly earnest in their roles: Topper Fabregas, Tinny Tom; Jigs Mayuga, Billy Boy Bill; Juliene Mendoza, Old Man Strong; Rickie Nolasco, Officer Barrel; Jun Ofrasio, Senator Fipp.

The Band, whose music vastly enhances the song-and-dance numbers, consists of Angsie keyboardist; Zaldy Sarmiento, bass Kaka Villante, clarinet/saxophone; Erwin Abarica, trombone/euphonium and Ricky Villante, percussion. The musical will be staged tonight at 8 p.m. and Dec. 21 at 3:30 p.m.

A concert of songs by the Mandaluyong Children’s Chorus under the direction of Sebastian Trinidad, as also of sings interpreted by tenor Nelson Caruncho, with pianist Lea Capulong assisting, was presented by Sinag Tala at the F. Santiago Hall last Sunday.

The Mandaluyong Children’s Chorus, winner of the Silver Medal in the Choir Olympics held October 2002 in Busan, Korea, sang with a charming simplicity and directness of approach. The songs, like those by Caruncho, were predominantly Christmas carols in both English and Pilipino, with the tenor singing the Ave Maria in Latin.

What made the event unique and deeply moving was Fr. Eric Torres’s playlet Come to the Stable which directed by Manolet Garcia, featured the mentally and physically disabled children of the Ang Arko Foundation. Serving as narrators were MCO Director Armand Baltazar who heads Ang Arko as chairperson, and Martin Lopez, one of its trustees.

As the playlet unfolded, the angels trooping to the stable were an amusing a sight to behold as they romped, jumped and "flew" about. The chastening experience shook the spectators out of their complacency as they wondered how the handicapped children could remain happy amidst literally and figuratively crippling circumstances, while they, as normal people, forever grumble amidst their blessings.

The finale was a call for the audience to come onstage with gifts in whatever form for the benefit of the participants and their colleagues.

Incidentally, the Japanese Embassy contributed a substantial amount to the building of the Punla Development Center which is for Ang Arko residents. At the ribbon-cutting were the Japanese Embassy representative Ms. Yoko Konishi and chairperson Armando Baltazar. The Japanese Keiko, who has been with Ang Arko for several years, likes to do her work for the children anonymously – in the kind of spirit that has been keeping Ang Arko alive with selfless volunteerism.