Time for Sheree, Fredison, Jerald, Myke to shine

MANILA, Philippines - Just who are Sheree Bautista, Fredison Lo, Jerald Napoles, and Myke Salomon and why are they playing leads in the musicals currently showing in Manila? It appears that the musical trend started in theater in 2010 is continuing way into 2011 with producers finding this theater genre a better way to satisfy the larger segment of the audience. A welcome offshoot of the activity is that these productions get to utilize newcomers and give junior second stringers their much-needed breaks in lead roles. Few have heard of Sheree beyond being the home partner of Gian Magdangal. And fewer even have heard of the others.

We recently watched PETA’s Caredivas, and a rerun of 9Works Theatrical’s Rent being staged for the third time. Caredivas, an original material in Pilipino, tells the story of a group of gay OFWs working in Israel as caregivers for elderly Jews as their day job, while pursuing a life as drag queens at night.

This time Vince de Jesus, possibly the most awarded hyphenated artist in theater nowadays, concentrates on being actor, musical director, arranger, composer and lyricist providing the other “text,” and leaves the writing and directing to two women.

It is a good decision as playwright Liza Magtoto and director Maribel Legarda go to town with a true story of a group of gay caregivers in Israel. Palanca awardee Magtoto started off not being too knowledgeable about Israel, being an OFW, the heart of a cross-dresser, but ended up totally immersed in the subjects. Director Legarda reveals that for the first time in 43 years, women at PETA get to direct a gay play.

The five cross-dressing leads are Melvin Lee, Vince de Jesus, Ricci Chan, Jerald Napoles, Dudz Terana alternating with Jason Barcial, and Phil Noble with Buddy Caramat. Other crucial parts are played by Paul Holme and Myke Salomon as the Palestinian.

Our other play is Rent, the Jonathan Larson Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award musical that retells Puccini’s opera La Boheme, transposing it to New York’s Lower East Village. The love story of bohemians struggling with their personal demons has been a favorite of many. In 1999, Monique Wilson’s New Voice staged Rent with herself, Joel Trinidad, and Michael de Mesa, followed by Bobby Garcia’s Atlantis in 2001, with Calvin Millado, JM Rodriguez, Anna Fegi, Rachel Alejandro, Bituin Escalante and again Michael de Mesa.

The current producer 9Works Theatrical staged it twice in 2010 and is at it again with some updates in direction by Robbie Guevara like the introduction of pole dancing. In La Boheme, the enemy was tuberculosis, today it is AIDS. Returning as male leads are Gian Magdangal and Fredison as female lead Sheree, and joining for the first time as alternate is singer Ciara Sotto.  

Both plays are wonderful samples of Filipino original work as in Caredivas, as well as what Filipino ingenuity can accomplish with a well-loved foreign work like Rent. We believe it is because we are a fun-loving yet sentimental people, that these two musicals share a distinct ability to seamlessly combine humor with tears.

But more than the artistic brilliance they share with the public, these productions give new names a chance to shine. In his year-end review of the musical year of 2010, our favorite theater reviewer Gibbs Cadiz noted that it “was also a year of many newbies making their mark or, in a few cases, of perennial featured actors finally seizing the moment to shine and be recognized.” Among those he listed as personal favorites are Fredison and Sheree in Rent; and Jerald and Myke now in the cast of Caredivas. It is significant that all but Sheree were also seen in Robert Seña’s revival of Magsimula Ka 27 years after.

When we watched Caredivas, Sharmaine Arnaiz who had watched Magsimula with us pointed Jerald out to us noting how markedly different his attack was in both musicals, yet as similarly believable. Clearly, he had become her special theater discovery. Gibbs had picked out Sheree in the 2010 Rent saying the former Viva Hot Babe “was surprisingly more than adequate in it — tender and fragile and authentically sexy.” We wonder how he would judge Ciara who got her baptism also in Magsimula and now tackles what she has called a ‘wild’ role tamed by love. It shocked her mom Helen Gamboa sitting behind us, and ourselves included, we must admit. We didn’t think she had it in her. It was an astounding leap of faith between Magsimula and Rent that she willingly embraced. Imagine how much better she will still get on her third outing.      

Catch Caredivas at PETA Theater Center, No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. until March 13. For details, call 725-6244, 410-0821 or 0917-564.2433, or e-mail at [email protected].

Watch Rent at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from now until March 4, 5, and 6, call 557-5860 or 0917-5545560.