Noli opera vividly staged

Loida N. Lewis who presented the opera Noli Me Tangere in NY and Washington, gave opening remarks along with co-producers Jerry Sibal and Erwin Josue before the curtains rose for the opera at Resorts World Theater.

Rizal’s novel, whose story serves as basis for the opera by Felipe de Leon (music) and Guillermo Tolentino (libretto), is too familiar for retelling. In a strikingly vivid staging, the characters come to startling life against stunning, picturesque sets designed by Sibal.

The alternate cast, with original cast in parenthesis, consisted of Ivan Nery (Sol Malaki) as Crisostomo Ibarra; Myramae Meneses (Rachelle Gerodias) as Maria Clara; Jonathan Velasco (Andrew Fernando) as Padre Damaso; Jean Judith Javier (Antoni Mendezona) as Sisa; Greg de Leon (Noel Ascona) as Elias.

AJ Bartolome portrayed Linares, the Spanish suitor of Maria Clara; Camille Molina, Tia Isabel; Romy Malubay, Pilosopo Tasio; Ronnie Abarquez, Capitan Tiago; Marga Roco, the loquacious, vivacious Doña Victorina, and Raymund Concepcion, her husband.  Eggo Velasco (Nacio Samonte) and Maria Yapjico were Basilio and Crispin, respectively as Sisa’s sons.

Vocally and dramatically, the collective rendition was highly impressive.  Excellent! Arresting unwavering attention was Javier as the crazed Sisa.  Eyes blazing, hair in disarray, clothes ragged, she wanders listlessly, restlessly, distraughtly in the forest in a desperate search for her sons. She warbles superlatively. Basilio appears, and as Sisa holds him in a tight embrace, she collapses from grief and extreme exhaustion, and dies. Badly wounded and near death, Elias staggers nearby, instructing Basilio to burn his corpse and that of Sisa’s. How gripping is the episode throughout!

The intense dialogue between Maria Clara (Meneses) and Padre Damaso (Velasco) has her declaring in despair that if she cannot marry Ibarra, she will enter the nunnery.  Padre Damaso listens in dismay, the Spaniard Linares being his choice over Ibarra.

There are two qualified ironies in the opera: first, a song describes the Virgin Mary as blessed and redeemed: conceived without sin, she needs no redemption; second, Maria Clara, commonly regarded as the ideal Filipina, is the daughter of Padre Damaso.

The tender love scenes between Maria Clara and Ibarra inspire and lift up the spirit.  The infectious gaiety of the picnic at the beach is interrupted when Ibarra kills a crocodile after Elias’ futile attempt to do so.   The words of wisdom Pilosopo Tasio imparts to Ibarra prod him to decisive action.

The iron hand of the colonial rulers, distinctly felt, stresses Rizal’s fight for freedom thus igniting the spectators’ resolve to continue uplifting their lives.

Freddie R. Santos directed the opera; Rodel Colmenar conducted the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra. A screen on each side of the theater, showing a close-up of the characters in every scene, with the dialogue printed in English, considerably helped the non-Tagalistas to follow the opera.