Long weekend must-watch: Ballet Manila's 'Ibong Adarna' takes flight on August 19, 20

MANILA, Philippines — The mythical bird with a magical voice that can heal illnesses takes flight once again, as Ballet Manila re-stages its award-winning Ibong Adarna in Aliw Theater on August 19 and 20.

This two-day dance production concludes the ballet company’s 25th performance season, “Of Hope and Homecoming.”

“After a three-year hiatus, we’re so excited to let 'Ibong Adarna' take flight once again and show Filipino audiences its captivating beauty as well as bring to fore valuable Filipino traits, such as love for family, forgiveness, kindness, and good over evil,” said Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s founder, artistic director, and chief executive officer.

A classic 16th century Filipino epic poem, "Ibong Adarna" is a story that revolves around three princes and their ailing father, King Fernando, whose only hope for recovery is the magical bird. So each of the three princes embark on a perilous journey, where they encounter different obstacles and challenges to catch the elusive bird. The first prince embarks on a journey and succeeds in encountering the bird, but it sings and lulls him to sleep, and he is turned into stone.

The second prince sets out afterwards but eventually suffers the same fate. Soon, it was the turn of the third prince to go and look for the magical bird, and because he had the purest heart and treated the hermit he met along the way very well, the hermit rewarded him with a knife and native lemon to help him stay awake when he encounters the bird and it sings to him, as well as a golden rope to capture the bird, and a bucket of water to revive his brothers. Will the third prince succeed in doing all these? Will his envious brothers allow him to inherit their father’s kingdom?

Lessons on love, forgiveness and the triumph of good over evil take center stage as the story of "Ibong Adarna" unfolds on stage.

Since it premiered in August 2017, Ballet Manila’s re-telling of this Filipino classic, choreographed by Gerardo Francisco Jr., has already garnered many accolades, including Best Outstanding Production at the 30th Aliw Awards in 2017. Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards honored it with multiple recognitions, including Outstanding Modern Dance Production, Outstanding Choreography for Modern Dance, Outstanding Ensemble for Modern Dance, Outstanding Music Composition, Outstanding Male Lead, and Outstanding Female Lead.

With all the awards the show has earned, Francisco is all the more driven to live up to its standards to give audiences the best show every time "Ibong Adarna" is staged. He shared, “The pressure is there. I need to stand by my standards, most especially to those who were able to watch the ballet during our world premiere. I need to exceed their expectations.”

The production was all set to go on a national tour in 2020, but the plan had to be shelved due to the pandemic. According to Macuja-Elizalde, the Ibong Adarna that will be staged this month will be the touring version, where some dancers perform double or triple roles, and the production is more streamlined.

"Ibong Adarna" will be staged at Aliw Theater on August 19 at 8:00 p.m. and on August 20 at 5:00 p.m. For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph or call 8891-9999. To know more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph.