Promoting the arts

The Valenzuela City Center for the Performing Arts (VCCPA) marks another milestone with the production and staging of the musical titled Sandosenang Sapatos based on Dr. Luis Gatmaitan’s award-winning book of the same title. Sandosenang Sapatos is a musical play about Karina, a young shoemaker’s daughter who has a sister named Susie, a physically challenged kid who was born without feet. The story highlights how love can strengthen a family and how it can transcend boundaries of imperfection to create a vision of happiness.

The Valenzuela City Center for the Performing Arts is the brainchild of Mayor Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian. It was created to encourage and promote greater awareness of culture and the arts among Valenzuelanos.

“The preservation of our cultural heritage and artistic tradition is very important because it is culture that keeps us grounded and guides the path of our development as a city. Art, on the other hand, is what keeps us human and gives reprieve from the humdrums of everyday living,” says Mayor Win.

True enough, Valenzuela despite its growing industrialization and modernization has retained its rustic charm and its love for culture and the arts. Thus, three years ago, Mayor Win, with the establishment of VCCPA (with Dra. Nedena Torralba, president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela at the helm), produced two major Filipino musicals namely, Nom-de-plume: Madlang Away which is based on the life and times of the city’s namesake Dr. Pio Valenzuela and Mga Awit ni Ibong Adarna.

The mission of VCCPA is simple: To ensure the preservation of the local culture and to develop the talents of Valenzuelano youth for visual and performing arts.

The production Sandosenang Sapatos which features Valenzuelano talents aims to rebuild the interest in reading storybooks written by Filipino authors. It is also a conscious campaign to develop an early awareness and an interest for the performing arts.

Directing Sandosenang Sapatos is Andre Tiangco who directed VCCPA’s Mga Awit ng Ibong Adarna. Tiangco studied at the Ateneo de Manila University. He took up a certificate course at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and attended the Master classes of Sanford Meisner and Allan Miller.

Musical director and composer is Jesse Lucas who graduated cum laude in Psychology at the St. Louis University in Baguio. Lucas took up music at the UP College of Music under the tutelage of Maestro Ryan Cayabyab and Josefino Toledo. Lucas has worked with several theater companies, movie productions and TV shows. He has won Best Music Score awards from the Young Critics Circle, FAMAS, Star Awards and Urian. He won Best Music Score at the 2005 Los Angeles Screamfest for his brilliant music for the film Sigaw (Echo). Lucas wrote the musical score for Vietnam Rose, Panday and Maging Sino Ka Man.

Featured in the musical play is Kuya Bodgie who is best remembered in the Batibot TV series, Bulilit, Sige, Sali ka Na, among others. Kuya Bodgie’s memorable roles include El Gallo in The Fantastiks, Juan Luna, Canuplin, Don Simeon in Alikabok, Faust, Simoun, Jose Rizal in Ilustrado, Emilio Aguinaldo in 1896, Lolo Sam in Oyai, Papageno in the Magic Flute and Tonton Julian in Once on This Island. A many faceted artist, Kuya Bodie is also a singer, voice talent for commercials, documentaries, director, writer and storyteller.

Librettist/production designer Jose Jeffrey Camanag’s written works include Daan ng Krus, Pasko ni Mr. Kamkam, Maligamgam Pusong Hibang, Panunuluyan and Mga Awit ni Ibong Adarna. He also did the production design of Mga Awit ni Ibong Adarna, Katipunan ng mga Bayan, Ramona Reyes ng Forbes Park and Bombita. Sandosenang Sapatos is choreographed by Ronald Domingo, vocal coach and arranger is Onyl Torres, artistic director is Camanag.

In the cast are Cealyn Joy Halasan, Donalyn Balbag, Jennifer Neri, Ma. Christine Camacho, Marilyn Lagatic, Lodie Atis, Alexander Edwards Viray, Daniel Bagual, Oliver Rica, Alexandra Tiamson, Ellrica Laguardia, Abegail Majan, Monica Aguilar. Executive producer is Dr. Torralba; Josefina Constantino, company manager; Edna Prudente, assistant director; Erlindo Dionisio, associate producer; Eliseo Rivera, technical director; Mary Anne Herrera, property custodian; James Arnor Borbon, production manager; Jose Pasamonte Jr. and Henry Dayego, marketing managers.