Linda’s tour de force: amusing and amazing/My Fairest Lady

At the CCP Little Theater, British actress Linda Marlowe enthralled viewers with a one-and-a-half-hour, non-stop theatrical performance "No Fear" that combined mime, monologue and music.

On a stage bare except for a chair and a treasure chest, Marlowe appeared with a skull cap suggesting a bald head, and a billowy red gown. She went through what was obviously a high-wire act – to celebrate her one-hundredth birthday! – gingerly balancing herself, swaying precariously. From a huge front pocket, she got things to throw to the crowd below. The miming was so eloquent, one wondered whether she would slip and fall. Having kept the viewers "in suspense", she abruptly resumed a normal gait to indicate the circus act was over.

She removed her costume, and digging into her treasure chest, she got her make-up kit, applied make-up, then put on a black sleeveless blouse and black trousers. Removing her skull cap, she revealed long red hair which, with her slim, svelte figure and pretty face made for an attractive woman.

Her monologue ran the gamut of subjects which included marriage, divorce, parenthood, teen-age traumatic pains, and aging. On an airplane ride, she said, "I’m fine but I’m going out of my mind!" Mid-way, she turned philosophical, then resumed her monologue, while also maintaining a dialogue by portraying two people in rapid-fire conversation.

The audience kept laughing, chortling and snickering at her witty and blunt punch lines; when she let out a long, ear-splitting scream, they rapturously applauded.

For her finale, Marlowe climbed onto a trapeze (with the greatest of ease), her arms and legs dangling as she continued the monologue – an amazing tour de force for a sixtyish woman! She ended the show on the trapeze, facing the crowd and the oncoming years with the parting shot "No fear!"

The audience roared its admiration as Jill Westaway, British Council director, handed Marlowe a bouquet. Heading the special guests were UK Ambassador Peter and Jill Beckingham.

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At first blush, one might readily assume that the Gilopez-Kabayao Foundation presentation of My Fair Lady in Iloilo and the SPC Fleur de Lis auditorium was overly ambitious. Both the stage version (which I saw in New York) starring Julie Andrews as Eliza Doolittle and the film version starring Audrey Hepburn in the same role were on a grandiose scale and would doubtless be used as the standard of comparison with the local version.

However, any comparison would be unfair considering the limitation of resources, primarily budgetary, for a grand setting for the Covent Garden Opera House facade, or for the Embassy Ball. Then, too, there was the problem of casting. Although the leads had had some theater experience, many were appearing on the stage for the first time.

Further, substituting a pianist – no matter how excellent – for an orchestra robs the play of some of its musical dimension. (To be sure, recorded music from My Fair Lady helped to establish and sustain ambiance before curtain time and between scene changes.)

Despite the limitations, however, My Fair Lady turned out to be a marvelous show – to my utter surprise and delight. One forgot the less-than-grand setting, with each member of the cast getting into his/her role with infectious spirit, zest and bubbly enthusiasm. The crowd scenes conveyed constant movement, keeping the audience absorbed, with excitement consistently maintained on a high level.

The reason for the title change from "fair" to "fairest" was that Farida Pineda Kabayao in the main role wielded tremendous impact. I had seen her two years ago as Anne in The Diary of Anne Frank, and if she was impressive then, how much more was she in the musical. Her transformation from a "guttersnipe" to a lady through her speaking, emoting, singing was brilliant characterization.

The only reservation I have in the matter of diction was that Eliza’s initial delivery of lines with a Cockney accent (she was tutored by an English coach) could not be readily understood, Cockney being alien to Filipinos. Further, the cast had a variety of accents: English, American, Filipino. But after a while, spectators immersed themselves in the songs, the action, the plot which was being unravelled at a fast clip.

The other leads delineated their roles with conviction. As Prof. Higgins, Rodolfo Cabado spoke and emoted with authority and a cynical air. Edgar Javison as Col. Pickering, Jon Jainga as Alfred Doolittle and Alain Opina as Eliza’s smitten suitor Freddy Eynsford Hill filled their roles competently. Opina made an auspicious theater debut, sounding fresh-voiced and engaging in the song The Street Where You Live. Jainga was properly roguish; Javison, a portly gentleman. Jim de la Cuesta as Harry and Lou Anthony Tan as Jamie seemed to be enjoying themselves hugely. Elsie Flores-Garcia as Mrs. Pearce rightfully appeared skeptical about the success of Prof. Higgins’ venture of turning Eliza into a lady.

The direction of Joan Paulette Mary Libo-on, the breezy choreography of Sol Fernandez, the musical direction of Gerardo Muyuela led to tight, compact, sparkling entertainment. Executive producer Corazon Pineda Kabayao had a yeoman’s task providing the piano accompaniment to the songs, and designing the strikingly elegant costumes for the Ascot Races. Don Protacio designed the hats.

The major share of the applause belongs to Gilopez and Corazon Kabayao who, unwaveringly believing in Iloilo talent, conceptualized the production for months and attended to its multifarious details. Other members of the Kabayao Quintet were also involved. Besides Farida, daughter Sicilionne was production manager, and son Gilberto was in the cast. Indeed, the Kabayaos have been enlivening Iloilo’s cultural scene through these many years.

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This announcement came late. The UP Playwrights’ Theater staged Alamat, a play for children written and directed by Edna Mae Landicho, and shown at the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan. Lance Jericho Reblando played the lead.

Alamat tackles the environment. Through songs and dances, man’s excesses and wanton destruction of nature are interwoven into selected epics and legends. Epic heroes like Lam-ang, Bernardo Carpio and Maria Makiling battle the environmental evils with the help of the leads – the enchanted child Nino, the fairy princess Karimina and her loyal friend-suitor Igo.

The 16 songs were by Ricky Ibe, Noel Zarate and Meynard Peñalosa who was arranger and musical director. Choreographer was Jeffrey Garcia; set designer, Rommel David; costume designer, Tux Rutaquio; light designer, Luther Gumia.