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| BEAUCON. A gay beauty pageant has the men of the ensemble doing double duty. All photos by Julienne Mendoza |
By Rome Jorge
MANILA, Philippines - Counter point. It is essential to the Asian aesthetic. Duality is ever-present -- the pairing of sweet with sour in cuisine, earthy with flighty in dance, and feminine with masculine in theater.
This is why “Maxie the Musicale” rocks with cujones.
“Maxie the Musicale” is the theatrical adaptation of the highly-acclaimed and much-loved 2005 independent movie "Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros)." It opened on November 9 and runs only until this weekend, December 8.
The story narrates the coming of age of Maxie, a queer boy lovingly accepted by his two elder brothers Boy and Bogs, and doting father Paco, all of whom are mobile phone snatchers and tough guys. They live in the shanty area of Sampaloc. Although they had to stop Maxie's schooling due to lack of funds, they nonetheless shield him from involvement in their criminal activities.
Things become interesting when handsome and incorruptible rookie police officer Victor Perez moves into the neighborhood, Boy accidentally stabs a student while snatching her phone, and the threat of eviction looms over all the residents of the slums.
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| WE ARE FAMILY. Maxie's hooligan brothers provide counsel to the heartbroken teen |
Main cast members are:
- Maximo Oliveros - Jayvhot Galang
- Victor Perez - Jojo Riguerra
- Paco - Roeder Camañag and Nazer Salcedo
- Boy - Al Gatmaitan and OJ Mariano
- Bogs - Jay Gonzaga
Other members of the cast include:
- Aaron Ching, Nomer Limatog, Jr. and Teetin Villanueva as Maxie's friends and fellow “beckimons”
- Eo De Guzman and Merdin Mojica [alternate] as Peter, the gay private school student who sees himself above his fellow Sampaloc beckimons
- Greg de Leon as Chief Domiguez, Victor's new superior who is determined to establish his authority over Sampaloc
Completing the ensemble are Ruth Alferez, John Paul Basco, Jules Dela Paz, Irene Delarmente, Elliot Eustacio, Karyl Factora, Jim Andrew Ferrer, Francelle Fetalvero, Al Bernard Garcia, Jeffrey Hernandez, Ronah Rostata and Christian Velarde.
Sounds of Sampaloc
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| KARAOKE. Roeder Camanag (Paco) with Jay Gonzaga (Bogs) and OJ Mariano (Boy) |
The musical opens with the song aptly titled “Gising! Gising! (Awake! Awake!),” a rousing anthem that music aficionados will recognize for its favorable resemblance to “Kwentong Looban (Shanty Town Stories),” the carrier song from the 1992 debut solo album of Binky Lampano, the Philippines' foremost blues vocalist.
Like “Kwentong Looban,” “Gising! Gising!” perfectly captures the daily struggles and stories of a community that lives cheek by jowl in the crowded maze of a slum. From the upbeat “Gising! Gising!,” the musical goes on from strength to strength with each new song continuing to move, tickle and tug at the heartstrings of audiences.
“Maxie the Musicale” simply grabs you by the arm and never lets you go. The musical leaves you with a sweet taste in the mouth, especially with endearing songs such as “Walang Araw na Wala Ka.”
The melodies that William Elvin Manzano, JJ Pimpinio, Janine Santos have composed and the lyrics that Palanca Literary Award hall-of-famer Nicolas Pichay penned demand much from the cast. They require a very wide vocal range.
The rap interlude rhymed by Mariano and Gonzaga is no mere flourish. It is a lengthy wordplay that demands faultless delivery. Thankfully, the cast rises up to the challenge of these songs and delivers not only great singing, but great acting as well.
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| DASHING. Jojo Rigguera plays the naive rookie cop Victor Perez |
Beyond mere technical prowess, the actors deliver each song emphatically. You hear it and you feel it.
“There was a conscious effort to mirror Sampaloc through songs,” reveals Pimpinio. Manzano notes that songs fuse Pinoy pop with elements of grunge, metal, rap, ballads and traditional kundiman. “It's Salbakuta. It's Regine Velasquez. It's VST and Company. It's OPM (Original Pilipino Music),” attests Santos.
Pichay explains, “It's the memory of all the radio stations we went through and labeled baduy (uncool) but in secret, we loved [listening to] them. Whatever gender, you will find your song because 'Maxie' sings the songs of Sampaloc.”
The only room for improvement would be the audio mixing by the sound technicians. At times, the ensemble strains to compete with the live band. At other times, the stirring performances by the likes of Galang are distorted. Despite these few technical glitches, the cast still captivates the audience.
Yin and yang
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| MULTI-STORY MAZE. The set design by Gino Gonzales as lit by John Batalla |
Ultimately, it is counterpoint that makes this musical so effective and compelling. Complementing the femininity and gaiety of many of its characters and its story are the brawn and brusqueness of its music. The cast sings with heartfelt gusto. Essential to the strength of this musical is its use of a live rock band with wailing guitars, thumping bass and pounding drums.
The counterpoint aesthetic is used visually as well. The set as designed by Gino Gonzales and lit by John Batalla is a seemingly haphazardly constructed maze that takes full advantage of the theater's high ceiling. There is laundry hanging by the ceiling spotlights. Moving walls provide surfaces for movie projections. Bicycles and pedicabs ply the stage.
One's eyes are invited to explore the entire width and height of the stage, but what truly makes the stage design so effective is its monochromatic dark gray color. Everything is the color of deconstructed cement. This allows the vibrant colors of the wardrobe and the characters' personalities to stand out.
The story is a delicious mix of sweet and sour. The dire realities of squatter eviction, murder, rape, burglary and poverty contrast with the laugh-out-loud moments with Santo Niño statues in astronaut suits, gay beauty pageants, shower scenes and first kisses. Poverty and rage clash with flamboyance and humor.
The characters themselves serve as counterpoints to each other. Maxie and the rest of the bekimons' unabashed queerness contrasts with his brothers and father's machismo and hooliganism. Maxie's self-awareness of his sexuality at such a young age is the opposite of Victor's johnny-come-lately (newcomer) naivety and non-confrontation of the issue.
Acting bolder
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| YOUNG LOVE. Maximo Oliveros (Jayvhot Galang) finds himself infatuated with policeman Victor |
The musical compares favorably to the movie upon which it was based. It remains faithful to its narrative and intent without simply repeating and shadowing it.
When the movie “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros)” came out in 2005, it amazed foreign audiences and critics alike at how nonchalant and openly accepting the family and community of the eponymous protagonist was of his gender, especially since the film was set in the economically-depressed urban area of Sampaloc. This was in marked contrast to the 2005 Hollywood blockbuster “Brokeback Mountain,” whose entire story hinged on the modern American society's non-acceptance of homosexuals.
READ -- Ang Lee: ‘I am not a master of filmmaking. I am a slave.’
It is this nonchalant gender acceptance -- homosexuality as a non-issue -- that made “Maximo Oliveros” a transcendental movie. It wasn't just a gay love story, but a love story everyone could relate to and feel for.
But theater is a different medium altogether.
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| HAPPY MOMENT. Victor and Maxie enjoy a picnic amid the slums |
Just as acting on stage needs to be “big” (able to project across the theater without the benefit of closeup shots) and acting for the camera tends to be “small" (careful not to go out of frame or seem exaggerated), so too must the approach change for the theatrical adaptation of any movie. “Maxie the Musicale” is more colorful, bold and gay than “Maximo Oliveros” the movie.
The theatrical adaptation also reflects the actors playing the part. While the movie's star, Nathan Lopez, played the titular role as sweet and demure, Galang, in his debut theater performance, interprets Maxie as a more vivacious and naughty kid, much like himself.
“Everything we liked about the film is still there. But of course, if you let choreographers and musicians work on an adaptation, they will put in their insights,” explains Pichay.
“You come to 'Maxie' because of the songs, the musical arrangement. You come because of the direction and choreography of Dexter Santos. And you come because of the cast. They are so good. You come because the theater is alive.” - #CoffeeWithKai
Catch the final shows of "Maxie the Musicale" this weekend:
- Dec 6, 8pm
- Dec 7, 3pm
- Dec 7, 8pm
- Dec 8, 3pm
- Dec 8, 8pm
Tickets are available at TicketWorld (891-9999) and SM Tickets (470-2222) outlets. Visit Maxie the Musical on Facebook for more details.
