Summer of ‘42
Summer has long gone but the merry thespians of the Ateneo Blue Repertory have fortunately brought back the fun, flirty feel of summer, decades and decades back. Opening their 2008 repertory season with Summer of ’42, the premiere musical theater organization of the Ateneo has assembled a unique potpourri of raw and promising talent under the tutelage of Mahar Mangahas. “Being a grownup means having been a child first,” professes Mangahas, a BFA Theater Arts major at the Ateneo and director of Blue Rep’s season premiere, adding, “It’s the experiences that make us mature. But like most riches, they come with a cost.”
Summer of ’42 is a coming-of-age musical about three boys and three girls who, in the advent of what promises to be the greatest summer of their lives, are forced to deal with conflicts and situations that shake them to the core and force them to utterly grow up. Sex. Wartime. Adolescence. Raging hormones. Condoms. Insecurities. Teenage romance. And angst. The show explores themes that one might find in teenybopper TV fare like 90210.
Told through the eyes of six teenagers and a woman named Dorothy (Nica Reynoso, Atlantis’ Hairspray), a newlywed bride whose husband Pete (in which Reuben Uy, Rep’s Altar Boyz, JQ Quesada of High School Musical and Ivan Adover of Batboy alternate) gets sent off to battle, the show is a clever exposition on love in time of war, adolescent trials, and matters of innocence lost and innocence found. Hermie (Marc Baluyan, Batboy) and Oscy (Reb Atadero, Altar Boyz) are determined to lose their virginity one summer as their minds turn to sex upon seeing a bunch of scantily clad teenagers frolicking on the beach. Benjie (Aye Ortiz, Batboy), their introverted friend and self-professed bird connoisseur, tags along in the twosome’s naughty misadventures as they inevitably pair up with passive Aggie (Charmie Iñigo, Rep’s Cinderella Kids), aggressive Miriam (Sab Jose, Batboy), and dorky Gloria (Pearl Ganzon, Sweet Charity), respectively.
Hermie, however, finds himself taken with Dorothy who is longing for her husband’s safe return from battle. In the course of the show, the two develop a friendship and a closeness that may just have the potential of treading dangerous grounds. Along with the whimsical Mr. Sanders (Kenneth Keng, Rep’s Love’s Labours Lost), a shop owner who also doubles as a commentator from the outside looking in, the lives of the characters get tangled up in a web over who likes who, which is which, and what may be in light of the precarious and unfathomable present.
The show is honest to the core, bringing together the best of the best of Blue Rep talent past and present. Baluyan’s portrayal of Hermie crystallizes an obscure yet endearing star to match Reynoso’s seasoned performance as Dorothy, with the caveat that the sexual tension explored between the two in the absence of Uy’s character was not thoroughly developed and nuanced in their episodic interactions. What starts as a one-sided chase on Hermie’s part should have reached a naturally adulterous climax through the characters’ emotional journeys; however, it falls short in what seems like a consistently innocent rendezvous between the two characters. This, however, does not take away from their stellar performances as individuals, with Baluyan’s character explored further through his interactions with Atadero and Ortiz. Atadero plays the perfect wingman to Hermie and Ortiz, the endearing comic relief for the show.
The show also features a tuneful Greek chorus in the persons of Inigo, Jose and Ganzon who provide the prodigious commentary and irony to events that unfold in Summer of ’42. On a technical level, their musical vignettes enable smooth transitions and much-needed breather courses for the emotionally heavy scenes. In the shoes of their actual characters, however, Inigo delivers an awe-inspiring performance as Aggie whose depth and insecurity is honorable while Jose is a firecracker who parries Atadero’s spirited Oscy. Ganzon conjures an endearingly awkward Gloria who also complements Ortiz’ dorky character. Keng is witty and effective as a radio commentator and has shining moments here and there as the whimsical store clerk while Uy’s Pete is the perfect definition of “short but sweet.”
Meanwhile, fledgling choreographer Mian Dimacali equips the actors with stylized period choreography and character nuances that are reminiscent of Christina Aguilera’s Candy Man video. JJ Ignacio’s set, in addition to Dimacali’s choreography and Sab Jose’s brilliant costume work, produces a ‘40s aesthetic that is consistent with the scenic feel of a picturesque seaside town. Through the use of wooden platforms and a white cloth background exterior, the setting is able to paint a vivid picture of a quaint, seaside community in which the characters revel. While the ropes surrounding the docks were mostly distracting as these slowed down the entrances of the actors, one can hardly notices the show’s teensy shortcomings in light of the strong and engaging performances of Philippine theater’s up-and-coming stars. With musical direction by Blue Rep’s Artistic Director Laura Cabochan and lights by Voltaire de Jesus, Summer of ’42 never falls short of a must-see for all audiences.
Catch Blue Rep’s next offering, All Shook Up, in late September.
* * *
Take a detour to Toff’s world at http://chasingtoff.multiply.com or catch your breath at imcalledtoffee@mac.com.
