From ‘90s TV to musical stage: Tabing Ilog remake takes on Gen Z issues
The cast members of Tabing Ilog: The Musical gave a sneak peek of what to expect from the theater adaptation of the ‘90s teen drama series with the same title. They performed a remake of the original theme song, Barbie's Cradle's Tabing Ilog, along with new additions May Nagbabalik and Pag-ibig Nanaman, during a recent media conference.
Tabing Ilog: The Musical is a collaboration between Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and ABS-CBN. It was originally conceptualized in 2019 but was postponed due to the pandemic. It is directed by Phil Noble (Dicktalks and Maynila), written by Eljay Deldoc (Virgin Labfest and Past, Present, Perfect?) and with musical direction and songs by Vince de Jesus (Changing Partners and Third World Romance).
The musical was based on the ABS-CBN television series Tabing Ilog, which was released in 1999 and topbilled by then-emerging stars John Lloyd Cruz, Jodi Sta. Maria, Baron Geisler, Paolo Contis, Desiree Del Valle, Patrick Garcia, Paula Peralejo and Kaye Abad.
“Again, after two decades, we bring back the same stories of love, friendship, and family but with the new issues of Generation Z. We are excited about this. May this be a continuation of our partnership beyond this year! We look forward and are excited to see Tabing Ilog: The Musical,” said direk Lauren Dyogi, head of ABS-CBN TV Production and Star Magic.
The theater remake will surely evoke feelings of nostalgia as it brings back the relatable stories of love and friendship of Eds, Badong, Corrine, James, Fonzy, Anne, George, and Rovic, but this time, in a modern-day setting.
The musical will feature fresh faces in the showbiz industry, including, theater first-timers and Star Magic artists Anji Salvacion, Andi Abaya, Kobie Brown, Sheena Belarmino, BGYO members Akira Morishita and JL Toreliza, BINI’s Jhoanna Robles, and Vivoree. They will be performing with Omar Uddin and seasoned thespians, namely, Teetin Villanueva, Neomi Gonzales, Lance Reblando, Red Nuestro, Joann Co, among others.
Direk Phil shared the challenges they encountered while adapting Tabing Ilog to a more modern milieu. “We studied kung ano ang kabataan ngayon, their needs and kung ano yung pinagdadaan nila,” he told The STAR. “Plus, we just came from a pandemic so we thought of the original characters like kung sila ay nasa ngayong panahon ano yung maaring pinagdaanan nila.”
From there, they reworked the script and also made adjustments on the songs to be performed on stage. “Iba rin yung tunog ng kabataan ngayon. Iba rin yung klase ng awit na meron sila. Those were the challenges. Plus now that we are face-to-face working with these young people, nandun talaga yung pinaka-challenge namin,” he continued.
Another challenge for them, he noted, is the busy schedule of the young actors. “We know that these kids are all working, doing television (projects), etc, etc. But we want to give them a happy experience, not traumatic. At the same time, may napupulot din sila (lessons). That’s what’s important to us. Yung may nakukuha sila sa mga ibinibigay namin.”
Vivoree, who will play Kaye’s Eds, said she was able to watch clips of the earlier series on TikTok. She was not born yet when Tabing Ilog first aired on TV but it piqued her interest even before the musical project was offered to her.
“You know the feeling na kahit hindi pa po ako pinanganak, the vibes and the aura of the series bring you back to a place or memory that you’ve never been to yet,” she said.
Vivoree felt blessed to be part of the cast of the 2023 musical. “There’s a sense of nostalgia and like you have that wish na what’s the feeling na mapunta dun sa (time in the past) or have a group of friends na simula bata kayo you were together sa tabing ilog because I grew up by the sea. I want to experience yung sa tabing ilog naman. Haha!”
On the other hand, BGYO’s Akira and JL, who will alternately portray the role of John Lloyd’s Rovic, were glad to have joined the theater play.
JL also went over the video clips of Tabing Ilog as part of his preparations before he auditioned. “That feeling of having a bunch of friends around you just like the old times when mobile phones were not yet there. You just play outdoors. And that’s your safe space. That’s what I felt when I saw the clips.”
Aki, meanwhile, asked his mom to share with him the Tabing Ilog story as preparation. “My mom used to watch it before…. For me, since my mom was able to follow the show, it’s a good feeling to be part of this (Tabing Ilog) modern version. So we are very happy and blessed to be given this kind of project.”
He vowed that they will give their best performance for the musical, which will run at the PETA Theater starting tomorrow, Nov. 10, until Dec. 17.
(Tickets are available online at KTX.PH. Showbuyers may also avail tickets through Justin Castillo at 0917-6373655 and e-mail [email protected] for special rates.)
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