Once On This Island

Saw Once On This Island last Sunday night at the Carlos P Romulo Theatre sa RCBC Building in Makati. I really did not know much about this play although I knew a lot of people who's had this musical memorized like I know Miss Saigon and Rent by heart. Nats and TJ are two of those. I saw it with them and we were joking that they are absolutely forbidden to sing along with the cast during the play. Thankfully, they were able to contain themselves. Hehehe. Joke lang pow.

As expected, the all-star cast was great: Bituin Escalante, Michael de Mesa, Bodjie Pascua, Michael Williams, Jett Pangan, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Winner talaga si Bituin Escalante: bagay na bagay sa kanya yung role nya as Asaka, goddess of the earth. Nats was correct when he said that only she could've sung that role. Parang yung bit role nya sa Rent... sya lang ang makakadala nun talaga.

Medyo nagka-slight issue lang ako sa lugar. The theater was small, like Music Museum. On the bright side, it enhanced the audience's "experience" of the play. Because the stage was closer to us than the normal large auditorium, we felt more emotionally involved with what was happening onstage. Love story pa naman to, so dapat feel na feel. Ang issue ko lang talaga is with our seats. We were at the back sa loge area. Ideal na sana yung lugar if not for the fact that the last row (where we were) was not raised one level higher than the row before it. Magkapantay lang nung row sa harap... ergo, kung hindi kami tatayo, puro batok ang makikita namin. Around half the time I was standing, or I sat on the edge of the seats while nakaupright pa sila. Buti na lang wall na yung nasa likod namin. Ok lang naman yung standing, yun nga lang, kung tatayo din kami half the time to get a good view, or kung kalahati lang ng laki ng seat yung mauupuan namin, sana HALF din yung price nung seat, ano?

Anyway, all in all, it was a night well spent. Wouldn't mind seeing it again if they stage it once more. On this island. Hehehe.