Elephant Man: Deeply moving/Sunico, Madela, Ochanine: Triple treat, triple threat

Prior to the showing of “The Elephant Man” at the Dusit Thani Hotel’s poolside pavilion, patrons were graciously welcomed by Communications Director Sariza Relova and her assistant Liszel Ventosa, and entertained by the delightfully amusing street mime Gasbog and two dwarfs.

The theater venue must have seated no more than 200 viewers who were magnetized by the excellent London Theater Company members. The play, very simply staged, was in a small area with two chairs at left, two at right, and a curtain at center from which The Elephant Man (name, John Merrick), entered and exited.

Action and dialogue were the play’s stirring and deeply touching devices. Portrayed with consummate skill by Robin Berry, The Elephant Man in reality, had hideous deformities. Dressed in tight-fitting woolen shorts, Merrick had none. But a twisted back and a lumbersome gait suggested all these deformities, drawing immense sympathy from the audience. Merrick was treated by a kind doctor Frederick Treves and taken to a hospital, exhibited before the crowds, taken to a theater to see a play, sent to France via a train, and sent back to the hospital. Yet the audience sees no hospital, no crowds, no train, no theater. But through the power of words, the various locales and events are seen and felt.

All the other members of the cast eloquently recount the story likewise: Daniel Foley as Dr. Treves, Paul Haley as Mr. Carr Gomm Arthur, the beautiful Caroline O’Hara as Mrs. Treves who recoils and screams at initially seeing The Elephant Man, and latter, as the actress who, with utmost pity, takes him to the theater; Nigel Miles-Thomas as the avaricious entrepreneur who exhibits the freak for a price.

Viewers left the theater with the striking image of Merrick uttering in grief: “I am not an animal; I am a human being!”

Nigel Miles-Thomas adapted and directed the utterly compelling drama.

For inevitable reasons, I missed “Romancing the Ivory” which featured pianist Raul Sunico, pop singer Jed Madela and flutist Olivier Ochanine. I have heard Sunico render Gerswin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” more than once. It must be his signature piece which presumably he can play blindfolded.

The versatile Sunico is also a composer, an arranger, and book author. The feats of his phenomenal memory should be included in Ripley’s Believe It or Not and the Guiness Book of World Records; e.g., in a 2003 concert, Sunico played Rachmaninoff’s four Concertos without a score. He once started memorizing a 371-page score while on board a plane, totally learning it by heart just a few days before his scheduled concert in Manila during which he again rendered the piece without the score!

Despite his hectic schedule as CCP president and UST Conservatory dean, Sunico manages to concertize here and abroad.

I have likewise listened to international awardee Madela who has taken pop music and OPM to a distinguished level of interpretation. His performing with Sunico must have given pop and classic music a new dimension.

When I attended the concert at which Ochanine conducted the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time, I wrote in my review: “His ability to hold attention was as obvious as his lively rapport with the orchestra.

“While focusing on melody and form, he held a long sustained pianissimo throughout, ranging from ‘loud’ to infinitely soft, almost inaudible pianissimo, making the superbly controlled rendition an incredible feat in dynamics.”

Besides wielding the baton over the PPO with authority and command, Maestro Ochanine doubtless revealed his talent as flutist.

The triple treat offered by Sunico, Madela and Ochanine must now be a triple threat to pianists, pop singers and flutists.

Addendum: To the background on violinist Chino Gutierrez whose concert I reviewed recently, I must add that he started violin lessons at the age of six under virtuoso Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata and stayed with Coke until he went to Germany to study under German pedagogues. Through the years, Chino has also received coaching from Gilopez Kabayao, Joseph Esmilla, Oscar Yatco and Gina Medina.

Kabayao says Chino has never been his student nor his protégé.