Are the excesses of Doña Victorinas and the hypocrisies of Padre Damaso still around?

The past is not dead. In fact, it’s not even past. — William Faulkner

History repeats itself. — S.M. Sigerson

What timeless lessons on social justice, moral values, democracy, overcoming colonial mentality and attaining economic freedoms — as well as highlighting ironies of our society — will the operatic version of Jose Rizal’s 1887 novel Noli Me Tangere raise for us to ponder in modern-day Philippines?

Are the sanctimonious hypocrisies of the Padre Damasos and the excesses of colonial-minded Doña Victorinas a thing of the past? Where are the Crisostomo Ibarras, still full of passion and zeal for social idealism and peaceful reforms? Are there still rebels of the radical left around, like the mysterious and subversive Elias in Noli?

This coming September, the Philippines’ most famous novel — translated into English in 1912 under the title The Social Cancer, and now required reading for all Filipino students — will have an opera version staged at Megaworld tycoon Andrew Tan’s Resorts World Manila and produced by Sorsogon-born American businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis with a US group of Filipino artists.

First Filipino opera in Western operatic tradition

Noli Me Tangere: The Opera has music by the late National Artist Felipe de Leon and libretto by the late National Artist Guillermo Tolentino. What is the significance of this project to the development of contemporary Philippine art and culture, especially the future of Filipino opera at a time when so many huge international musical productions come to Manila? 

A mixed review by the New York Times’ Vivien Schweitzer on Oct. 8, 2013 on the New York City staging of this opera said: “Noli Me Tangere, billed as the first Filipino opera composed in the Western operatic tradition, has rarely been staged in its entirety since it received its premiere in 1957 in the Philippines.”

Recently, producers of the opera hosted an intimate cocktail reception to announce the staging of Noli Me Tangere: The Opera at Chef Jessie’s Restaurant at Amorsolo Tower, Rockwell, Makati.

One of the highlights of the affair was a performance by theater actor Andrew Fernando, who plays the despicable Spanish friar Padre Damaso in the opera. He said: “I am not going to sing a villain song tonight, but a serenade for all of you.” Fernando then did a beautiful rendition of the old Tagalog love song Minamahal Kita.

The hosts of the cocktail reception were Loida Nicolas Lewis, the Filipino Chinese production/costume/event designer Jerry Sibal of New York, Resorts World officials and others. Guests included artists, theater and performing arts personalities, business people like Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chairman Miguel Varela, Phinma, Inc. chairman Oscar Hilado, GMA Network vice president Joseph Francia and others.

Verdi, Puccino and Mozart-style opera in Tagalog comes to Manila

On how she brought the Noli opera from Chicago to New York, Loida Nicolas Lewis said: “In 2012, Felipe de Leon would have celebrated his 100th birthday and his masterpiece, the Noli Me Tangere opera, has been presented all over. When an opera company in Chicago decided to show the Noli Me Tangere opera after much urging from one of their opera singers who was a Filipino, they needed to find more sponsors. So, I was contacted by my friend, Isabel Juan. When I saw the Noli Me Tangere in full regalia — opera singers from all over the United States, a 35-piece orchestra and music that was so stirring — by the end of it, I decided right then and there that I had to bring this to New York. As I tell people, ‘If it didn’t happen in New York, it didn’t happen.’ So we did.”

Lewis continued: “You know, sometimes ignorance is bliss. (Laughs) If I only knew that the whole production would spend so much — you know, in New York, if they pick up a chair, that’s 40 dollars already — instead of bringing the whole group from Chicago to New York, Jerry Sibal, Edwin Josue, Michael Dadap and myself decided to start from scratch” in New York.

She recounted: “With lots of effort, lots of hard work and lots of cooperation, we were able to mount, for three days, sold-out capacity, the Noli Me Tangere opera in New York. Even the New York Times reviewed us. It was a mixed review, but it was in the New York Times.”

On the artistic quality of the Noli opera, Lewis enthused: “Every night for three nights, people would just come by and say, ‘Thank you, thank you for doing this.’ You could see from beginning to end that people were mesmerized. Why? Because they were singing opera in Tagalog, in Filipino. To hear the beautiful music of Felipe de Leon in the same style as Verdi, as Puccini, as Mozart — my heart sang. I said to myself, ‘Wow! The Filipino has this kind of music and the Filipino has these kinds of singers? We are world class… After the New York production, Jerry (Sibal) and Edwin (Josue) said to me: ‘Loida, you’ve got to bring this to Manila,’ because this is where it started. The Philippines is where all of us started. We are what we are because of our geography.”

One reason Lewis is excited to stage the Noli opera with support from other sponsors: “Now is the time to show the world that we have world-class musicians — that we are not simply good caregivers, babysitters, lawyers and accountants. We are also world-class musicians.”

‘Noli’ as reminder of history & boost for Manila as entertainment capital

Jerry Sibal said: “I know that here in Manila, you’ve done a lot of Noli Me Tangere productions, but only the musical version. I believe that for the past 32 years, the Noli MeTangere opera has not been shown. This is just the perfect time to bring back the opera version because you’ve been showing a lot of Broadway shows recently. I have no problem with that, but I think we have to go back to our history and be proud of our culture.”

Sibal continued: “Living in the United States for 21 years, I began to have more appreciation for our culture. As a Filipino Chinese (whose surname “Sibal” is an adopted surname similar to Jose Rizal’s Mercado family name was only adopted surname by his Chinese immigrant paternal forebear), I believe that we can do more and contribute more and that is our mission for presenting Noli Me Tangere: The Opera here — to help the Filipino opera to shine. Our mission here, as Mrs. Lewis said, is to make the Noli Me Tangere opera accepted on the international scene. That is a lot of work. It is very ambitious, but if you can dream it, you can achieve it. Nothing is impossible if you love it.”

On the Noli opera’s possible positive influence on the youth, Sibal said: “The younger generation is so immersed in the Internet that they’ve forgotten our culture and the arts. I think it’s high time that we educate them. Our history is what identifies us as Filipinos. It is a big project. A very ambitious project. I hope that you can help us make this happen.”

On the future of Philippine entertainment, Sibal said: “I think that the Philippines will become the entertainment capital of Asia. If we don’t present the Noli Me Tangere opera here, there is no sense in being the entertainment capital because we won’t have an identity. We’re very glad and happy and blessed to have Resorts World as a partner. We also have here another great supporter of the arts and of Noli Me Tangere: The Opera, Mrs. Marion Coscolluela.”

Resorts World Manila director of sponsorships Anna Chua said: “We just met two or three days ago, and we just finished this afternoon. Resorts World is going to be the venue partner of Noli Me Tangere: The Opera, which will be shown in September. The gala night will be on Sept. 12. There will be 21 shows in total, eight times a week from Tuesday to Sunday with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. I hope that you will all support this. It’s going to be one of the best that will happen in Resorts World. We’re doing Broadway already, but this will be the first time that we’ll be doing a Broadway opera. I hope to see all of you at Resorts World supporting this once-in-a-lifetime experience with us.”

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