There is nothing about Christmas in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound Of Music but it gives such a feel-good message that it makes me think of Christmas and of other beautiful things. Think raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens, cream-colored ponies and crisp woolen mittens, as My Favorite Things, one of the most popular songs from the show, goes. It is so Christmasy, while saying nothing about Christmas that the song can now be found in a lot of Christmas albums.
And at a time when we are midway into the ‘ber months and anticipating the Yuletide holidays, one cannot help but feel doubly Christmasy with the upcoming opening of The Sound Of Music at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila (RWM) on Oct. 15. Directed by Roxanne Lapus, the musical has music provided by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Rodel Colmenar, a first-rate cast in the lead roles plus talented youngsters as the Von Trapp Children.
The Sound Of Music was based on the real life story of how the novice Maria won the hearts of Captain Von Trapp and his seven children, how they escaped from Nazi occupation in Austria and became the Trapp Family Singers. Rodgers and Hammerstein turned the story into a successful Broadway musical in 1959. Its fame spread even further when it was made into a movie starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in 1965. To this day I know people who find refuge during bad times in The Sound Of Music. Feeling sad, scared, depressed, mad, etc. Watch the video and you will remember your favorite things and not feel so bad anymore. Maybe you will feel even better if you watch The Sound Of Music live at RWM.
Starring in the show are stage veterans Joanna Ampil and Cris Villongco as Maria; Audie Gemora and Ed Feist as The Captain; Pinky Marquez and Sheila Francisco as the Mother Abbess; Pinky Amador as the Baroness; Miguel Faustman and Robbie Guevara as Max; Tanya Manalang and Rachel Coates as Liesl; and Marvin Ong and Bryan Homecillo as Rolf.
The Sound Of Music will run until Dec. 11. Wish there were more dates as this will make a great Christmas treat. Nice also to know that unlike those concerts by foreign acts, the tickets are reasonably priced at P2,000, VIP; P1,700, Premiere Right, Left and Center; P1,300, Deluxe Right, Left and Center; and P1,000, Balcony.
More on Broadway at RWM. Leo Tavarro Valdez, one of the best Engineers in Miss Saigon history, is performing tomorrow, Sept. 27 at RWM’s Newport Theater. The show is Broadway Showstoppers and will have Leo doing numbers from Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, Man From La Mancha, Jekyll And Hyde and other popular musicals. Guesting in the show are two popular Kim’s, Joanna Ampil and Ima Castro with Opera Belles and Primo.
Incidentally, Cris gave a moving performance as Maria Clara at the Tanghalang Pilipino production of Noli Me Tangere at the Little Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. It felt so heartening watching Cris and Mark Bautista, who was very good as Ibarra and the other members of the talented cast. Wonderful production. Best of all, the opera by National Artist Bien Lumbera with music by Ryan Cayabyab played to packed houses for days and even went on extended run. People are watching opera and a Filipino one at that.
It was so successful that they would have given in to public demand and added more dates. But no more for now because director Audie and Cris have moved to RWM to play the Captain and Maria in The Sound of Music. And I understand very well why Audie refuses to do Noli with another Maria Clara.
It makes me feel good knowing that people enjoyed this show very much. Maybe we can have a bigger production of this Noli, something like Les Miserables in the future. Maybe since the CCP has already ventured into movie production, remember Emir? They can make Noli into a movie. It has all the ingredients of an exciting film.
I will keep this cast unless I find an overweight mestizo to play Padre Damaso. Think Oscar Keese from the old Noli film. Otherwise Bodjie Dasig is OK. I would also want Gian Magdangal as Padre Salvi. That should put menace and sex appeal into the role and give Gian a chance to stretch his acting chops. Of course, it has to be Cris and Mark in the leads. They have excellent chemistry together.
Truth to tell, they got me thinking of West Side Story while watching Noli. What a Tony and Maria these two would make. Okay Tony is a tenor. Mark, a baritone. But I have seen Tony sung by less than adequate performers so why not Mark who as Noli proved, can act and sing.