Fantasticks: Sheer fun / Music Underkonstruction

Baby Barredo does it again for Rep — arguably our most professional theater company — gathering together and brilliantly directing seasoned players along with sparkling ingenue, 13-year old Julia Abueva, and fresh-faced, boyishly charming PJ Valerio as the lovers Luisa and Matt in the musical “Fantasticks”.

In the simple romantic tale, Luisa’s father Bellomy (Dido de la Paz) and Matt’s father Hucklebee (Jaime del Mundo) are neighbors who, fully aware that children habitually cross their parents’ wishes, build a fence between their houses so the youngsters will fall in love. And they do!

El Gallo, the narrator (Jake Macapagal) opens the play with the song Try to Remember then begins to tell the story while the Mute (JP Rebullida) interprets the clever choreography of Julie Borromeo, flitting in and out of every scene thereafter, while Luisa and Matt, in youthful naiveté, express their love for each other atop a ladder that rises above the wall.

To the continuous delight of the audience, Macapagal, El Gallo, dances with grace, elegance and gusto; brisk, snappy, precise movement accentuates the lively duets of Del Mundo and De la Paz.

In Act II, the old actor Henry emerges, with Miguel Faustmann portraying the role to perfection, his legs wobbly, his voice squeaky but rising to supreme heights in Shakespearean lines. His side-kick Rod Concepcion compels attention as Mortimer who “dies” momentarily.

Based on the romances of Edmund Rostand, the musical briefly turnes picaresque when El Gallo, the two fathers and Henry conspire to abduct Luisa, leaving Matt to duel with the antagonists. The episode, a metaphor of life’s vicissitudes, leads Matt and Luisa to abhor each other. Eventually, however, as in all musicals, the lovers reconcile.

Pacing is tight; interaction, spirited. Oddly enough, the song Try to Remember and El Gallo’s Latin-American dances are the only lyrical numbers.

The rest of the music is not melodious. Nevertheless, Tom Jones’ richly imaginative play is turned into riveting song, dance and action by the cast under Barredo’s expert direction. Menchu Lauchengco Yulo is acting coach.

Billed as the world’s longest-running musical, “Fantasticks” can go on forever. The full house Onstage which included many foreigners, reflects how firmly established Rep is among theater-lovers.

*      *      *

Six young, aspiring composers recently presented original works for orchestra and choir which were interpreted by the AUIT Vocal Chamber Ensemble and the MMCO, the orchestra-in-residence of Miriam College conducted by Josefino “Chino” Toledo.

Highlight of the concert (which I missed) was a “repeat” of Ekontra: Kongruo, Junktum, a three-movement work for piano and orchestra composed by Toledo and played by Luci Magalit. Another highlight was an orchestra “repeat” of Nilo Alcala’s Diary of a Sinasthete and the works for violin and orchestra, The Dream Catcher, by Kim Nimrod Cruz and Le genou et l’epaule des tissees etoiles by Feliz Anne R. Macahis, with celebrated Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata as soloist.

The works were the outcome of the Music Underkonstruction Project initiated by MMCO music director Toledo for the Institute for Orchestral Development. Launched in August 2005, the project has yielded five works for orchestra, five for orchestra and voice, six for orchestra and violin.

The works for orchestra and choir set to music poems by National Artists. Louise L. Ybanez’s Ud was based on a poem by J. G. Villa. Kabaitan R. Bautista based his work on Villa’s I can no more hear love’s voice. Erwin Fajardo was inspired by Francisco Arcellana’s poem I Touched Her, Rio Alma was the inspiration for Marie-Louise Calvero, Juro Kim Feliz and Roberto Gonzalo Sarreal.

The project continues to encourage promising composers.