A Musicale for the Young

CEBU, Philippines - Laura – the Musicale” takes to the stage this Nov. 25 – 27, 2010 at the SM City Cebu Cinema 1. Presented by the Mary Help of Christians School in Minglanilla to mark its silver anniversary as an educational institution, “Laura – the Musicale” is based on the true-to-life story of Blessed Laura Vicuña, a beautiful and spirited Chilean teen martyr who offered her life for the conversion of her mother.

Following the death of her husband, Laura’s mother, Mercedes—feeling desperate and incapable of supporting her two girls—became the mistress of a rich but abusive landowner named Manuel Mora. Then, when Mercedes’ eldest daughter entered adolescence, Mora directed his amorous attention to Laura, who fought him off and was forced to run into hiding.

Laura found solace and happiness as a student of a boarding school run by the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Chile. Inspired by the missionary nuns, she expressed her desire to be one of them. But during the winter of 1903, Laura fell ill at school. Her mother pleaded for her to come home, and the nuns urged her to comply. But upon her return, it was now obvious that Mora had eyes only for Laura. Mercedes decided to leave the Mora hacienda with her girls and transferred to a place near the school. One night in 1904, a drunk and out-of-control Mora ordered that they return to his hacienda. When Laura refused and tried to escape, Mora beat her mercilessly and left her unconscious on the road.

Laura survived for only a week more, under the care of the Salesian Sisters. During her final days, Laura assured her distraught mother that she has been praying for her to leave the life she was leading and to return to God: “Mama, I’m happy to offer my life for you. I asked our Lord for this.” And so her mother did after Laura’s death at the age of 13.

The play on her lifestory, to be mounted by Mary Help of Christians School which is also run by the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco, hopes to affirm young people that they are capable of self-giving even in this modern day and age.

And its spiritual message is complemented with a Broadway approach, thanks to the seasoned thespians involved in the musicale—Don Rivera, the director; Deana Aquino, choreographer and co-director; and Gio Respall, who plays Manuel Mora. The rest of the cast and production crew are students, past pupils, as well as parents and teachers.

All Manila-based, the trio has been flying in and out of Cebu since the auditions in June and the weekly rehearsals thereafter.

Rivera and Aquino got first involved with the theatrical productions of the Salesian Sisters when their tag team helped in the successful staging of another musical play, “Love Beyond Time,” first at the Meralco Theater in Manila, then here in Cebu also at SM, some 10 years ago.

Rivera is an Agriculture graduate from University of the Philippines - Los Baños whose love for singing led him to the stage under the mentorship of the grand dame of Manila theaters, the late Zenaida Amador. Since 1998, he has been part of various productions by the country’s leading theater companies, and has had done commercials and television acting on the side. Aquino, for her part, has 30 prolific years of dance and choreography work with the Bayanihan Dancers, Aldeguer Sisters, Douglas Nierras’ Hot Legs and Powerdance, and Repertory Philippines. Respall is a freelancer who belongs to a clan of respected thespians and has been in the theater world himself for 19 years now. This University of the Philippines - Diliman Fine Arts graduate also does production design, voice acting, and TV acting for major networks.

Their combined experience and expertise have obviously raised the bar for this school production.

“[Laura – the Musicale] is a school play but the attack is very professional. Training-wise, we’ve done workshops with the kids, and what we do professionally, we’ve tried applying on them,” Rivera told The FREEMAN.

“But what makes it different probably is the message. For me personally, I accepted it because I look at it as more of a recollection. Seldom will you find a play that is about a blessed person. And it’s not fiction; it’s a true story that is worth telling.”

Aquino added, “The mere fact that it’s about someone who’s very young, and that it’s geared towards the youth… not all plays are like that. So, to watch it is also an opportunity to be inspired by her and what she went through in her life.”

Rivera said that the musicale, the songs of which were originally composed by young Filipino classical composer Alejandro Consolacion, is not really a religious play. “It’s not parang concierto na religious, it’s like Broadway since it’s a musical. The songs were composed by Alejandro Consolacion when he was in his early 20s, and you’ll be amazed because the songs are very original and different.”

Add to that the colorful costumes and set designs plus Spanish-inspired choreography to help transport the audience to where the story unfolded.

“The message is very spiritual, but the presentation is very Broadway,” Rivera reiterates.

Respall, who had a supporting actor nomination in last year’s Cinema One Originals for his role in the horror indie “Yanggaw,” finds it fun to be playing the story’s central antagonist Manuel Mora. “I’m very wholesome and always happy that’s why I wanted to do this because this is a chance to be evil,” he said with a laugh.

He further shared, “I’ve done some 30 theater roles, including some villains, but this role for ‘Laura’ is really evil. There’s no conversion or redemption for my role. When it comes to roles like this, you just don’t get it, so I’m so honored to get this part because this is an acting piece.”

Working with young and aspiring Cebuano artists has left a huge impression also on them.

Respall said, “I’m so surprised because in Manila, you won’t find kids who will perform just like that. The first time I attended the rehearsal, I thought, okay, here’s another school play, but I was totally surprised.”

They related that, in the course of the two-day auditions, 80-90 percent of those who screened can already act and sing. “We would like to encourage the producers and talent scouts in Manila to check these kids in Cebu out,” Respall said.

As for Laura, one quality stood out among the Cebuana talents portraying the coveted role.

“In Manila, wherein we already staged the play, we easily found the belters, but here we not only found singers, but also the innocence of Laura,” Rivera said.

Respall agreed, “Straight out, even from the first part, Laura will get the sympathy of the audience. They will love Laura.”