‘Man of La Mancha’: Worthy tribute to Bibot / Children’s choirs sing

Repertory Philippines was established 38 years ago by Zeneida "Bibot" Amador and her close friend and colleague Carmen "Baby" Barredo who modestly tends to undervalue her role in the matter. The Rep’s beginnings were discouraging if not downright distressing. But through unwavering courage, determination and grit, it has become a formidable theater institution whose members are supremely proud of it and its founders.

Man of La Mancha was Bibot’s choice for the Rep’s next production before death overtook her.

The Rep family, therefore, dedicated its presentation to Bibot – it ran from Nov. 11 to Dec. 18 at Onstage Theater – and what a glorious tribute it turned out to be!

The musical drama by Dale Wasserman is based on the novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, Spain’s answer to England’s Shakespeare. The world, particularly the Hispanic world, celebrates the fourth centenary of the novel’s publication, and in a sense, it harks back to our own history and heritage.

As staged by the Rep, Man of La Mancha had all the elements for inevitable success. To begin with, it is based on a novel of deep spiritual substance and meaning. It is a drama throbbing with romance, passion and the other smoldering emotions seen through the "mad" idealism of Don Quixote. The songs by Mitch Leigh are marvelously lyrical – the kind of melodies you take home with you. And the roles were acted out by seasoned players of genuine, indeed, striking talent.

Not the least, director Carmen Barredo wields both dramatic and musical authority, she being a singer with extensive training in music. Inherent musicality and knowledge of music are a sine qua non in directing a musical, and these showed in Barredo’s treatment and approach to the score, with every song and choral rendition infusing deeper meaning to the plot’s dramatic content.

I attended the last day of Man of La Mancha – a matinee which starred Audie Gemora. (Michael Williams was the other Don Quixote.) Gemora shuttled from fact to fancy, from writer Miguel de Cervantes, to Alonso Quijana to knight errant Don Quixote with consummate skill and credibility, imbuing the latter role with the utter conviction of a man accomplishing a sacrosanct mission. His illusory belief that the whore Aldonza is the chaste and pure Dulcinea was moving beyond words. How mesmerizing was his interpretation of the song The Impossible Dream!

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo’s portrayal of the tart-tongued Adonza was imbued with intense fire and power. She was devastating in the rape scene and in contrast to her cold, heartless Aldonza, she was wrenchingly appealing as Dulcinea in Quijano’s death scene.

The Rep’s best talents were there in profusion, contributing to the breathless pace of the musical while intensifying the action: Cocoy Laurel as the padre seeking Don Quixote’s redemption, Miguel Faustmann as innkeeper/governor knighting Don Quixote with tongue-in-cheek; Rem Zamora prancing about as the spirited barber; Arnel Carrion as the tyrannical Captain of the Inquisition; Joy Virata as the Housekeeper; Niccolo Manahan as Dr. Carasco and the insolent Duke; Cathy Aszanza as the fetching Antonia.

Robbie Guevara was a delightfully amusing Sancho Panza, squire to Don Quixote.

The opening flamenco by Clara Romona / Emma Estrada and the exotic belly dancing with the other Moorish women, Nina and Jolina Glorioso among them, lent ambiance to an already highly kaleidoscopic production.

The set changes were remarkably swift (designer was Jun Camagun) and the costumes by Edgar San Diego, along with the sets, evoked a totally historied effect.

All told, the singing, with the admirable assistance of the Manila Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Molina, the arresting dialogue, the dynamic portrayals made scene after scene an exciting spectacle.

Man of La Mancha has a special relevance to the Philippine situation. The country is mired in corruption, ineptness, greed, economic woes, widespread poverty and criminality. The dream seems impossible, the quest for amelioration appears hopeless. The Rep’s own story echoes the message of Man of La Mancha, and the message is there for us Filipinos to take to heart. We must reach the unreachable star as the Rep did, rising triumphantly from its discouraging beginnings.

With the tremendous success of Man of La Mancha, the Rep shows us the way.

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From Man of La Mancha, I proceeded to Sinag Tala’s Come to the Stable with cultural entrepreneur Martin Lopez initiating the charity event. The Holy Trinity Church in Forbes Park served as venue for the second successive year, courtesy of Fr. Tyler Strand.

Charming the audience were the Philippine Children’s Choir from Mandaluyong conducted by Sebastian Trinidad and the Mary the Queen Children’s Choir under Dr. Raul Navarro. The Mandaluyong choir has won a silver and a bronze medal in the 2nd World Choir Olympics in Busan, Korea. It is the first Filipino choir to win at the International Choral Competition in British Columbia, Canada.

The Mandaluyong mixed choir was the larger one; the children in Mary the Queen Choir were garbed in colorful costumes – red for the girls, orange for the boys. Both choirs emitted angelic voices, cohesive and expressive, faithfully hewing to conductorial cues.

The first program consisted of Christmas songs; to the second were added religious numbers and popular Filipino compositions including the witty Kalesa by Ernani Cuenco.

Sinag Tala opens its 2006 season with a joint performance of soprano Lilac Caña and blind pianist-tenor Carlos Ibay who made his triumphant debut at Carnegie Hall last October.