Bring out your blue jeans and get ready
to do the hustle, because 9 Works Theatrical and Globe Live are presenting an original musical: Eto
Na! Musikal nAPO! The APO
Hiking Society is an OPM legend, and it was only a matter of time that a
musical set to the tune of their songs was created.
Back
in an era where American songs dominated the airwaves, APO Hiking Society was
among the first to promote Original Pilipino Music, or “OPM”, and encourage their fellow songwriters and
musicians to write songs in Filipino. The musical group, composed of Danny
Javier, Jim Paredes, and Boboy Garrovillo, also won millions over with saccharine harmonies, sweet
lyrics, and boyish charm.
“The goal we had was to write songs that would encapsulate
the Filipino's experience of love, friendship, humor, etc.,” says Paredes,
“That is why people can relate to them. Lyrics were simple but authentic. We
avoided clichés. We used everyday language.” Because these songs were so
relatable, they’ve become soundtracks to countless memorable moments in peoples’
lives, and part of their stories to tell.
In
this spirit, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! features a new story penned by director
Robbie Guevara. He shares, “In 2013, Boboy
Garrovillo lightly suggested we make a musical using their songs. I remembered
his story on how APO started and evolved when we did a play together in
2003. And I knew that’s what I wanted the musical to be about.” The
musical follows a ragtag group of college students hard at work to win a
singing and songwriting
competition in the 1970s. They go through joy and heartbreak as they come of age, told through the
songs of APO Hiking Society. “I didn’t exactly choose them,” says Guevara of
facing the daunting task of handpicking songs from APO’s discography, “Things
just fell into place. If you listen to their songs, you cannot not get
attracted.”
While
we may know APO Hiking Society’s songs by heart, musical director Bartolome gives the songs a fresh twist that
could surprise even the most dedicated fans: new arrangements, rich harmonies,
and large numbers by the talented cast. Bartolome says, “It was difficult because we are so used to the
traditional choral part voicings and singing. But with great talents, we were
already enjoying the parts a week into music rehearsals.”
“It’s
hard, but the challenge wakes you up early each day,” explains Guevara. The
whole cast and crew’s sheer love for APO Hiking Society music shines, and it’s
undeniably infectious.
Santi Santamaria, executive producer of
9 Works Theatrical, is thrilled about Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!: “This year, together with our sister
company the Sandbox Collective, we staged our very first Filipino musical Himala Isang Musikal, which had a
phenomenal run, and with Globe Live, we won multiple awards for Disney’s Newsies in the recent PHILSTAGE
Gawad Buhay Awards. Now, we’re
thrilled and somewhat pressured, coming from those 2 highly successful productions,
to come up with a brand new original Filipino musical which we will work from
the ground up. I’m very optimistic though that everyone will enjoy what we
created.”
9Works Theatrical and Globe Live have
also gathered an incredibly talented cast to bring the show to life. Mark Bautista stars as the group’s
chief lyricist Rick, who is also the boyfriend of Anna, played by the magnetic
Rita Daniela. Part of Here Lies Love
at West End in 2014-2015 and fresh from a Seattle Repertory’s staging of Here Lies Love, Bautista has been a
mainstay of Pinoy showbiz, releasing 6 chart-topping albums, taking part in 10
movies, and being part of numerous musicals, both local and international, such
as Noli Me Tangere. Meanwhile, Daniela,
an artist at GMA, is also the first ever Pop
Star Kid. She has graced the
silver screen on Bahay Kubo at the 33rd
Metro Manila Film Festival and Dagim
at Cinema One Film Festival, where she was nominated as best supporting
actress.
Jobim Javier, with his natural charm,
follows in the footsteps of his father Danny Javier as the campus palikero, Butch. The familiar voice behind All
Good Radio on Jam88.3, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is his first theatrical venture. Sab Jose, who recently graduated with
honors at the Guilford School of Acting in London earlier this year, plays his
love interest, Michelle. Jose’s talent has shined as part of Rent, The Wedding Singer, and Grease. Acting as Sonny is award-winning singer Alfritz
Blanche, who was part of Himala Isang
Musikal, and Noli Me Tangere.
Taking the role of Jane is Filipino-Japanese actress Marika Sasaki, a GMA
artist who has appeared in TV series My Guitar
Princess, and Unbroken Hearts. Jon Philippe Go, also known as The Singing Chemist after
being chosen by Lea Salonga in The Voice
of the Philippines Season 2, is Ray. He's appeared in the musical adaptation
of The Little Prince, and I Remember a Boy.
Stepping
up as Jaime is Philippine Theater’s it-boy Jef Flores, 2-time PHILSTAGE Gawad
Buhay awardee for best actor for tick…
tick… BOOM! and This is Our Youth. He’s
recently appeared in Disney’s Newsies. Also
part of Newsies and Mula Sa Buwan is Jon Abella, a UP Theater Arts graduate, who will play Donnie this time around. Theater veteran Raul
Montesa is Ray’s father. Last seen as Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol, he’s also a Miss Saigon alumna, and an actor in many local teleseryes. UP College of Music graduate Neomi
Gonzales is Ray’s mother, after being Chayong in Himala Isang Musikal. She also has appeared in Rak of Aegis, ABS-CBN’s On
the Wings of Love and Hanggang Saan.
Of
course, no musical with APO Hiking Society’s songs would be complete without
lush harmonies courtesy of the rest of the cast: Gian Gloria (A Christmas
Carol, American Idiot, Marco Polo: An Untold Love Story), Shalee Vicencio (A
Christmas Carol, American Idiot, Dirty Old Musical), Peachy Atilano-Guevara
(RENT, The Wedding Singer, Grease), Anton Posadas (Disney’s Newsies, The King
& I, The Bluebird of Happiness), Jourdan Bartolome (Disney’s Newsies, A
Christmas Carol, UP Filipiniana Dance Group member), and Derrick Gozos (Walang
Sugat, Romeo and Juliet, Florante at Laura).
Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is a brand new original Filipino
musical with music by Danny Javier, Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo,
musical arrangements and orchestrations by Daniel Bartolome and Orly dela Cruz.
Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!
is written and directed by Robbie Guevara, along with Jonjon Martin as
dramaturg, Dingdong Rosales as assistant director, Daniel Bartolome as musical
director, PJ Rebullida as choreographer, Shakira Villa Symes as lightning
designer, Joey Mendoza as set designer, Eric Pineda as costume designer, Dong
Calingacion as technical director, Rards Corpus as sound designer, Myrene
Santos as hair and makeup designer, Ronan Ferrer as vocal supervisor and Cathy
Azanza-Dy as stage coach.
Heading the production team are
executive producers Santi Santamaria (9 Works Theatrical) and Joe Caliro (Globe
Live), with Globe Live Events Director Denise Seva, the 9 Works Theatrical Team
- Anna Santamaria as company manager, Jonjon Martin as PR manager, GM Hernandez
as marketing manager, Arma Bonilla as stage manager, Gian Nicdao as graphic
design manager and JC Inocian as photographer.
Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! will be shown at Maybank Performing
Arts Theater, Bonifacio Global City, on August 3-5, 10-12, 17-19 & 24-26,
2018, at 8:00pm on Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, and 3:00pm on Saturdays
& Sundays.
For tickets, contact Ticketworld at
891.9999.
Official Hashtags: #9WTMusikalnAPO #GlobeLiveMusikalnAPO
Facebook: /9WorksTheatrical. Twitter
& Instagram: @9WTonline
Facebook & YouTube: /GlobePH.
Twitter & Instagram: @enjoyGlobe
A limited number of performances are
available for fundraising and block buying. Please contact 586.7105 •
0917.554.5560 • info@9workstheatrical.com.
Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is a production of 9 Works Theatrical
and Globe Live, co-presented by FOXlife and FRONTROW, with MUD (Make Up
Designory) as the official make up partner, and CNN Philippines as media
partner. Special thanks to BGC Arts Center.
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