spring awakening manila

Finally got to see Spring Awakening Manila!


Have posted about why I think this play is brilliant and everyone should go see it for the beautiful story and gorgeous music. Was both excited and apprehensive (coming from being a fan of the original). And it turns out that I was justified in feeling both ways.

Heaven must feel like this


Plays are meant to be live. There is no substitute, not a CD, not YouTube videos (and there are a lot of bootlegs). When things are live there is potential for magic.

There were a few standouts in the cast. I really liked Melchior, Moritz and the Adults.

Melchior, the lead male, is the character I relate to most. He believes that you can't accept the status quo and that there is a lot to learn from reading and philosophizing. And that ultimately you have to make up your own mind about the world and who you will be. It's a tough role to play because there must be a balance between confidence, intellectuality, curiosity and rebellion, but also tenderness and intense passion. His personality and being basically make him the kind of guy who would rock the 21st century - self-aware, self-expressed, looking for his own point of view. Unfortunately he (and his trusting mother) is ahead of his time. Dun dun dun.

The first time we meet him, he is at school and he questions a subject which, as far as their professor is concerned, has an answer that is set in stone. His challenges are met with smart smacks to the chest with the teacher's wooden pointer - an indication of the dynamic between children and adults in the play. Coming from this he launches into a beautiful song ("All That's Known") which explains the driving motivation for the decisions he makes later on.

To properly bring this to life though, he needs to have a solid voice. The actor who stepped into these big shoes was Joaquin Valdez. I'm not sure that I've seen any of his work before... Unless you count that a friend who had a crush on him when we were in grade school brought me to see him in Once On This Island! I vaguely remember it. Have met him though since he is also the cousin of a good friend (don't worry, those are two different girls). But I think that other people will remember him from his stint on Breakfast or from a band named after a bible verse?

And he rocked Melchior. I've always thought that the Melchior gets to show his voice off the most, even versus the female lead. Two songs in particular ("The Mirror-Blue Night" and "Left Behind") are so hard to sing but must be delivered perfectly as they support major plot points. These songs made him completely stand out because he is the only vocal powerhouse in the show. He has a great falsetto, which apparently Duncan Shiek is very fond of because he has to do it several times. He really carried the show. 

Moritz. Oh Moritz! This role has so much potential (cue Tony music for John Gallagher Jr., who originated the role on Broadway and won a Supporting Actor Tony - look up his great acceptance speech on YouTube). As a character Moritz is so honest and earnest and just cannot cope with the enormity of his burgeoning sexuality. This keeps him up at night with wet dreams and later day dreams, and the thought of sex and "what happens, for the woman" just freaks him out. These thoughts consume him to such an extent that he cannot make room in his mind for school.

But I think there is a thin line between true anguish and overacting, and thankfully Nicco Manalo stayed on the truly anguished side.

I thought that he was a leetle too gay at first (getting the distinct impession with his long, tilted glances that he had a crush on Melchior) but he quickly overcame that and captured Moritz - the tension, the agony, the complete bewilderment and frustration, but also the excitement and curiosity. After being chastised by the professor for not being able to answer a question, he vents about his dream of blue-stockinged legs, and I was immediately cheering for him.

He was so honest that it didn't feel like acting, it was like it was really Mortiz on stage.

I also felt that he brought something new to the character. He seemed to emphasize how off-center Moritz is - so much that everything about his singing and dancing and even how he was moving around he stage after "Don't Do Sadness" felt so natural. Just like Jon Gallahger, Jr., if we had Tony's here I think he would be in the running.

Adults. Since Spring is supposed to be about the teens, one actor and actress play all of the adult male and female roles.

I liked how Cheska Iñigo did the Adult Women very much. Though she plays like four different roles, there was such a distinction in her delivery and presence from woman to woman. This was something I missed when I saw Spring in New York... and so I found myself wondering why Wendla's mom was a piano teacher, and then wondering why the mom was making out with one of Wendla's classmates. Fail.

Jet Pangan was great in the Adult Male role - enunciation always, flair when required, and a minute-long silent scream when his son does himself in.

Plus they both get to rock out in "Totally Fucked" and Jet did his signature Dawn pulsing half-lunge. Hahaha do you know what I mean?

Martha & Ilse. Some kudos also to Sitti, who played Martha, and Bea Garcia who played Isle. I was looking forward to seeing Sitti do Martha's song - to be honest I wasn't sure if her bossa voice could go the rock way, but it can! She does lack some power though. Toward the end of "The Dark I Know Well" her voice had faded quite a bit. Not faded in quality but literally faded in volume! (That song completely lacked vocal power for me - it's supposed to be about abuse and you need a voice that is almost of gospel quality to be able to deliver the raw pain behind it.)

The character of Ilse is so important because I feel like she is the only one who, despite tragedy in her life as well, chucks society and "normalcy" out the window and runs away to be free and who she really is. She is a little bit crazy - she runs into Moritz in nothing but a man's dress shirt - but in a world where teens are being told not to think for themselves she is her own person. And by the end of the play ("Purple Summer") she is the one standing strong. I felt like the overall portrayal of Ilse was good but a little too smiley at times. Not that Ilse isn't allowed to smile, just not like half the time. She was the only one on stage wearing a huge smile during the sex scene which struck me as sort of voyeuristic and odd.

I also feel as though they should have chosen an actress with a lower register. Because while the actress delivered on "Don't Do Sadness", Lauren Pritchard, the original Ilse, has such an (insanely amazing) earthy voice and so did the actress who played the character when I saw it in NY.

Hanschen! What a fun, greasy, sleazy character to play. JC Santos has a Zoolander-ish raised eyebrow in his natural expression which is perfect for this character. Yes, Bobby Maler is the best!

The gay comic relief after one of the great tragedies in the show (as I haven't already spoiled enough) was delivered to perfection by JC and Nar Cabico (Ernst). "I know." is the winner line, after Hanschen kisses Ernst.

And sigh on to the bitch of living in this play...

In Spring Awakening: In The Flesh, (it is a great book and I would be happy to share it, though you can ask Fully Booked to buy one for you if  you want your own copy) Lea Michele, who is now on Glee! but originated the role of Wendla off- and on Broadway, says that she sees Melchior, Moritz and Wendla as the mind, body and heart. The combination of all three gives the play its soul. However this portrayal of Wendla left a gaping hole in the Manila staging.

I was heartbroken that Wendla did not come across at all. To put it simply this character is not a girl, not yet a woman (padumpum). Not as outspoken as Melchior or Moritz, her questions about the world are heartfelt and emotional. She absorbs everything that happens around her and wonders why she has never known love, pain, loss or grief. She is like every girl growing up who wants some excitement, even in the form of drama, in her life.

She opens the show with a song that sets the tone for the whole play ("Mama Who Bore Me"). Wendla is basically spelling out the doom for her character because she can't get any answers to her questions about the facts of life. But she was so out of tune :( And you can't focus on the story when you're kind of cringing because your ears are buzzing with flats and sharps. Will have to see the show again to see if it was maybe just first night jitters.

She also talked with what I think I've heard called the "Sharon Cuneta voice". You know, the way of singing that's quite airy? Well she talked like that and also her voice was quivering half the time. Wendla is not supposed to be scared or crying all the time!

And in the sex scene, she tells Melchior to stop at first because she knows instinctively that it is wrong, especialy given the mores of their time. Eventually she gives in, albeit with repeated reservation, but she does give in. Melchior's touch is supposed to light her on fire because all throughout the play she has been asking questions and saying that she is incomplete because she has never felt anything. And even if doing the deed is going to ruin her life, this moment is supposed to bring her alive. But when Melchior was kissing her, touching her, exposing her left boob to the audience for god's sake, she barely reacted.

As a result, I did not feel a connection to her. And when things have, well, transpired and she now has to deal with the ill after-effects, she sings about mistakes, yes, but how there is hope ("Whispering"). This is supposed to be a beautiful moment because, having had something earth-shattering finally happen to her, she is taking it in stride and trying to be positive. But I felt zero connection.

By the end of the play she is supposed to be the clear, crystal voice that guides Melchior out from the darkness. But given her delivery I wouldn't have been surprised if Melchior had decided to go through with the self-destruction he'd originally planned.

{Am adding this} Was also terribly disappointed in "Touch Me", which is one of my favorite (but I guess not most favorite) songs in the play. And I attribute this mostly to the actor who played Georg, who carries a lot of the runs in the song. Can only imagine what Simon Cowell would have said about this performance. Not to mention that Georg's hair was CROISSANT-LESS!!!!! Why they would neglect to include this, I cannot fathom.

Also two of the group numbers in Act 1 lacked punch. "Bitch of Living" is supposed to be so lively and energetic but this version seemed almost reserved. I think the movement was high-energy but the sound delivery was slightly lacking. But maybe also because the boys' shoes are supposed to scrape the stage floor and contribute to the sound as they move around. Was also a little disappointed with "My Junk" again because it seemed  quiet. Not sure if this is a voice thing or a sound thing but I hope they will make it much punchier in the following runs. "Totally Fucked" was great though and I will apologize to my seatmate (and future seatmates) because I could help but bop my head and sing along.

I was also not a fan of the costumes. Wendla's little girl dress was cotton candy pink - not that it has to be blue like on Broadway but could they have chosen a more cliche color to signify that she is still little girl? It also didn't fit her very well and made her look wider than she actually is - which is weird since Wendla's mom is remarking how it reveals too much of how she is "in bloom". She should have worn the white dress she was wearing in the poster. Also the boys' pants were subject to much bunching! Given that they hid their mics in their back pockets, it wasn't very subtle since you couldn't help but notice the bulge on their asses when they faced he side. But the Adults' costumes were great - the Adult Woman's was flattering while (I think) period-accurate. And the Adult Man's textured suit was quite a showstopper, though my brother thought the tela was made of rope. I guess that adults are really Rajo's strong suit.

There must also have been very hot stage lighting. I think that it made the actors sweat a LOT. This, combined with several pained expressions throughout the show, made many of them look like they were crying. Oh and what was with the TVs?? And the random tree branch? Let me also comment about the "backdrop" of wood slats that reminded me of bamboo blinds. There was also tall, odd grass painted on the left side. I don't know about that at all.

In terms of the musical arrangement, I definiteally missed the strings. Especially in "Guitly Ones" (after much debate, with haha myself, I have decided it is my favorite song in the play), which is supposed to be soothing and reflective, I do not know why they added such noticeable drums! And one song had a synthesizer. I am nitpicking because I memorize the soundtrack almost start to finish. The music is on my iPod and the CD is the only one in my car.

The cast closed with a beautifully strong "Purple Summer". There are a dozen references to nature because after all, the play is called Spring Awakening. Closing with the idea that after every wave of waning and fading, life starts all over again. This has happened before and it will happen again, but we can choose to grow.

I still have to say congratulations to the cast and crew for opening their hearts and souls and laying themselves on stage for the audience to consume. And for courageously telling this story. This is a must-see.

For more information and ticket inquiries, check out Atlantis Productions.