Why theater matters in the age of streaming for Silver Lining star Krystal Brimner
It was Kapamilya actress and singer Krystal Brimner’s passion for theater that made her want to join Silver Lining, an “all-new, original musical production about hope and redemption.”
She previously played the titular role in 2016’s musical Annie, her first-ever musical theater experience when she was about 11 years old. She was also part of The Sound of Music Manila leg and A Christmas Carol in 2017.
She bagged the Best Child Actor award in the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Honor Thy Father, and has appeared in the second season of Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids, and the recently-concluded ABS-CBN action-packed series The Iron Heart.
She was a member of ASAP Natin ‘To Just A.S.K. trio, along with AC Bonifacio and Sheena Belarmino.
“I was really interested in the fact that it was multigenerational because it’s not like the usual musical that you see nowadays,” she said on what made her audition for Silver Lining in an interview after the press preview of the Silver Lining musical.
“And also I really wanted to come back in theater since I haven’t done it in a while. This was like my comeback for theater.
“So, I’m really happy that I got to do this,” she added.
Having been exposed to theater at a young age, the 16-year-old Fil-Scottish talent has developed a deep fascination for the theater arts. “Theater is art. It’s so amazing,” she declared.
“I wish people would come and see theater more. I’m so passionate when it comes to theater because it’s everything that I love in one — dancing, singing, acting. It’s everything. It really means so much to me when people come and see theater shows because it’s so much more different than movies and film.”
Asked why theater still matters in today’s world of streaming, she replied, “Theater matters because it’s more than interactive. They really get to feel the people on stage. It’s not like movies that after you see the movie, wala na yung feeling but when you watch a theater show, you always carry that feeling with you. And you always think about it and that’s what so special about theaters.”
She dreams of one day being a part of the musicals Miss Saigon and Hamilton.
The Silver Lining production will run shows from Oct. 27 to 29 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, fourth floor of RCBC Plaza in Makati City. Tickets are still available on Ticket2Me.net.
In addition to the age difference between her characters, Krystal highlighted the contrast between her Silver Lining character Julia and Annie.
“It’s super different because, you know, Annie she’s English. She speaks English throughout the whole show and this is my first musical that I speak in Tagalog. So, it was a challenge but I pushed through,” she told The STAR.
She also resonated with Julia because she is “very persistent about what she wants.”
“She loves doing art and I love doing art as well. And she’s fighting for what she wants and it reminds me of me then, in a way, because I always fight for what I want,” she added.
Krystal was able to showcase her impressive talents in acting, dancing and singing along with other cast members, who also delivered stellar performances, namely, Ricky Davao as Leo; Joel Nuñez as Anton; Raul Montesa as Raul; Nenel Arcayan as Josie, among others.
Silver Lining is produced by Rockitwell Studios and MusicArtes, Inc. It is written by Jack Teotico (music and lyrics) and nine-time Palanca awardee Joshua Lim So (book and lyrics). It is directed by Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) artistic director Maribel Legarda (Rak of Aegis, Care Divas).
The musical tells the story of three friends from an exclusive boys’ high school who in their senior years decide to form a band for their Golden Anniversary Homecoming.
After excitedly rehearsing and composing original songs for over a year together with their wives and teenage kids, they are given notice that they can only perform three numbers. Saddened by this news, they decide to make a musical instead.
As preparation for the musical, memories and past histories of their own teenage years and university life come flooding back to them. Silver Lining is a story of rediscovery in two timelines, reliving the turbulent times of the ‘70s as well as understanding the struggles and conflicts of today’s young people.
Aside from being a multi-generational story of Gen Z, millennials and boomers, it also tackles various issues, including politics, mental health, to name a few.
“I’ve learned a lot from this musical since it’s not my generation. I’ve learned from the past and madami po akong natutunan (like) fighting for your rights, fighting for what you love and it’s super important to know it even if it’s now us, like my generation Gen-Z. I think it’s super nice that we should (understand) what happened in the past,” stated Krystal.
She described veteran actor Ricky as “super nice” who “acted like a father” to them on set. “He is very easy to get along with and he’s super nice and caring. He was very chill lang,” she said.
Ricky would also remind them to “just to have fun,” adding, “Don’t think about your lines, just have fun on stage and not stress.”
In a separate interview with Ricky, he shared that he considered the Silver Lining musical as a “silver lining” for him. He told this paper, “Itong pagtanggap at pag-offer nila sa akin. The first two weeks, na-stress (out) ako because mahirap yung songs. Actually, paminsan-minsan hindi ko pa rin nakukuha. I hope hindi niyo nahalata. Haha!”
“But it’s normal because sa play naman, it’s live. It’s there, it’s very organic. A mistake is part of the scene. It becomes part of the scene. Iba yung high nung doing live theater,” Ricky added.
In his personal life, his “silver linings” would be his peace of mind and the success of his children.
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