REVIEW: AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL

by Wilhelmina S. Orozco

Watching a musical play like Ampalaya the Musical is a total entertainment – it has dialogues, singing,dancing, and orchestral background music provided by the Orkestra Sin Arco (Orchestra without bow) led by the composer and conductor Maestro Michael Dadap. The setting is simply done – on the left side is a slide which is drawn like an open ampalaya with the seeds on it and where Ampalaya would retreat now and then. On the right is a terrace-like structure with a few stairs where the other veggies came up and down to the stage. Then at the center is a leaf screen where inside, animated figures – leaves, butterflies, fireflies – flitted here and there, a kind of amplification of the forest setting.

The story, set in the town of Sariwa, revolves around the conflict started by Ampalaya against the other vegetables who have been living peacefully with each other. She steals of bit from everyone as she envies their appearance and flees. When the other veggies finds out about the theft, they seek the help of a wise Nuno sa Punso and then bring Ampalaya to the court of justice. After being sentenced, Ampalaya is remorseful and the play ends with everyone singing and uniting happily.

Dessa Quesada, the director with Vera Libertad

The movements in Ampalaya are very smoothly done, showing that a theatre person has been behind it. Dessa Quesada the director gives every character a prominent position when speaking so that even from where I was, I would know who is speaking what lines. The transitions from the blocked movements to the choreographed dancing are also done very smoothly so that the show simply passes from one scene to the other.

The music of Maestro Michael Dadap, who wrote the libretto and the lyrics as well, does not show any tinge of Broadwayish strains as he revealed after the show, he was very conscious of all the Philippine music that have to be incorporated in it. The dialogue uses three languages-- Pilipino, English and Visayan – and so, using another kind of musical genre would have made it highly incongruous to the over-all identity of the play. The pieces are twenty all in all, including an Overture, an Intermezzo and a Reprise of Halina

M. Dadap with Ms. Mathilda Limbaga from Silliman University, who trained students in the COPVA Rondalla which has evolved to be the Orkestra Sin Arko today.

I just have one comment to make, and this is about the costumes. Some of the veggie actors look like elves with half of their lower bodies cut like the vegetable they are supposed to be portraying. The upper half is just plain blouse or shirt of fa different color. So Kamatis has a red skirt, Onion, magenta, etc. Over-all I feel that the costumes have too many colors in them, so that while watching, I have to review again and again who is speaking – that is, what vegetable.

For a theatrical show, lines on costumes have to be simple as the viewing is done from a larger perspective. Colors per character have to be minimal except if it were a clown, I suppose. Theatre is different from film watching which can provide a close-up of the characters and even their costumes.

Moreover, the Ampalaya hats used are nice to look at singly, but when they come as a collective presentation, the actors lose their distinctive characterization. They almost look too similar to each other. Then the make-up also is very colorful and nice to look at, if they are examined one by one. However, when the story unfolds, it is very difficult to distinguish one character from the other.

In addition, the costumes of the jury appear straight from some European fairytale – so much like the costume of Angelina Jolie in Maleficent. Suddenly, these characters were set off as different from the rest, by their tasks, okay but should not be by their physical appearance. If we search our books on anthropology or even visit indigenous tribes,we could be inspired by much more colorful costumes that could depict the moral qualities of the jury.

I have not read the story of Ampalaya yet but the author, Augie Rivera, Jr. is highly satisfied with the musical interpretation. However, may I add that Maestro Dadap has brought the story many notches higher and immortal in the annals of our people's theatrical history as he has given us music that has Philippine color all throughout, and presented it to us with an orchestra that is indigenously Filipino also and playing awit, kumintang (a warlike song he says) and kundiman.

Credit is due the singers who all sang in tune even the high notes. They exhibited great skill in delivering their songs even while moving about. Actually, that requires extra knowledge – opening your mouth, making a melody come out, singing in tune with the orchestra and then exhibiting the emotions that your character is supposed to be expressing.

Jerry Angelo who entertained questions from the audience and who wrote the dramaturg.

One positive thing is that Mo, a staff member elicited comments from the audience after the presentation. This is a very important part of any presentation as the un-understandable parts of a presentation can be clarified. So the children viewers came up with questions apropos to the story like, “why do you have a slide in the set?” and “why is Ampalaya bad?”

The producer of the play which has a cast of 18 and 23 orchestral instrumentalists, is the Silliman University Cultural Affairs Committee. It is amazing to note that in the far Visayas, the Committee has that appreciation and commitment to present this truly Philippine play that we can be proud of. In fact, it has been brought to different parts of the United States during its beginnings in 2003 in a shorter version, according to Dessa.

It is interesting to note that Silliman has a full blown college of performing and visual arts offering bachelor and master courses in speech and theatre arts, fine arts, choral conducting , composition and arranging, music educatiob, piano, voice, and ethnomusicology. It also has associate degrees on instrumental playing – not only western but also indigenous instruments. As well is has special lessons on piano, voice, guitar, violin, drums, dance and art class.

Set by the seaside, Silliman must be a heavenly academe to study the arts.

One thing noticeable in this production is that the major performers are Christian – at the beginning of the play, a prayer is included; then in the Director's Notes, Dessa says “ ...we thank God for the joy of creative work that continues to inspire and impassion our lives.”

AMPALAYA THE MUSICAL Original Music and Lyrics by Michael Dadap, Libretto by Dadap and Patty Yusah; Direction by Dessa Quesda-Palm; Setting by Lex Marcos, choreography by Angelo Sayson, Animation by Ramon del Prado; Technical Direction by B T Tiongco and J Kitay; Musical Direction by Elizabeth Vista; Director of Orchestra sin Arco – Mathilda Limbaga. The Orchestra sin Arco was conducted by M. Dadap.