Theater review: ‘Rak of Aegis’ is joyful storm of humor and music

Take a local rock band’s songs of broken hearts and unrequited love, add a talented cast of singer-actors, mix them up with a compelling narrative by an award-winning playwright, and you’ve got the recipe for a successful rock/comedy musical.
 

The Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) latest offering, “Rak of Aegis”, uses Aegis’s songs in the key of sawi to tell a story of human resilience and recovery after a devastating natural calamity.

 

The title is a pun on “Rock of Ages”, the five-time Tony-nominated rock musical featuring classic rock songs from ‘80s glam metal bands.

 

I had to explain to my 15-year-old daughter who watched the musical with me that Aegis is a Filipino rock band that has been famous since the late ‘90s for their lovelorn lyrics set to karaoke-friendly melodies. 

 

She might not have heard of their songs “Halik”, “Luha”, or “Mary Jane”, but she knew “Basang-Basa sa Ulan.”

“Everyone knows that one, Mama,” she said.

 

Written by Liza Magtoto and directed by PETA's artistic director Maribel Legarda, the musical is, Magtoto says in the playbill, based in part on true stories she heard during psycho-social debriefings that PETA held in Biñan, Laguna in the aftermath of Typhoon Ondoy.

 

The story of the musical is set in Barangay Venezia, a low-income neighborhood still swamped with water two months after a typhoon. The flood has drasticslly changed the lives of the residents, and not for the better – some residents are sick and everyone experiences difficulty in going to and from their homes. They blame the faulty and fraudulent construction of a nearby subdivision for the flood, and mourn the loss of their shoe-and-sandal industry.

 

Sing for the moment

 

The story revolves around the characters’ struggles to start a livelihood, obtain redress for their grievances, improve their environment, and find love.

 

Aicelle Santos is the ambitious and kind-hearted “Aileen”, who posts a music video of herself to YouTube so she can be discovered by Ellen de Generes, become rich and famous, and lift her family from poverty. Santos’s voice has an exceptional range and she delivers without a single sour note.

 

Jerald Napoles as “Tolits” is priceless as the lovesick boatman admiring Aileen from afar. He commands attention with his hair flips, bicep-flexing, and well-timed quips. The denouement of his courtship is something not to be missed; it owes much to the way he makes Aileen’s hopes and dreams his own.

 

Kalila Aguilos as “Mary Jane” struck the right balance between seriousness (in her role as a barangay captain looking out for her constituents) and camp humor (when she breaks out into song to reminisce over her past relationship with Kil).

 

Juliene Mendoza plays “Kil” (short for “kilabot sa chicks”) Aileen’s father, who once had a relationship with Mary Jane. Their duets recalling their doomed love affair are riveting and drew many appreciative whistles from the audience.

 

Phi Palmos as “Jewel” was the comic foil, yet somehow managed to steal the show with his fantastic sense of timing.

 

Neomi Gonzales as “Mercy”, Aileen’s mother, had to strain to reach some of the high notes but was great at adlibbing (after a particularly challenging song, she turned to the audience and put a hand to her brow – “Nahilo ako doon, anak.”).

 

Myke Salomon as “Kenny”, Aileen’s boyfriend, has the looks but, more importantly, has the voice and the credibility to play Mary Jane’s son. He quarrels with his mother about his aimless present and vague future plans, but his love for her, in the end, brooks no doubt.

 

Cry me a river

 

The set design was notable for the artificial pools filled shin-deep with water and fake garbage to denote flooded areas, traversed by plank bridges connecting the different parts of the set – Aileen’s house, Jewel’s store, the stage-front. An entire barangay was symbolized by miniature houses lit from within by yellow bulbs and strung above the stage, while TV screens descended from the ceiling at intervals to move the story along with short, explanatory video clips.

 

It was a tad slow-moving (the musical lasts two hours and 15 minutes), and it wasn’t until the second act that the pace picked up, but no one minded much because the actors were entertaining and funny.

 

The cast could have over-acted but they skillfully avoided that pitfall with sincere portrayals of their roles. The ending is simplistic, something understandable given the constraints of the form, but it is satisfying, with the epilogue paying attention to detail by tying up all the loose ends and rounding off the narrative arc to a happy conclusion.

 

PETA is known for staging productions with a nod to social awareness, and this musical is no different in its exploration of various social issues.

 

Let your dim light shine

 

It shines a light on the power of modern communication technology, where a singer from a third-world country can hope to be noticed by a starmaker from the US via the internet, and how the influence of mass media through a mention on a TV news show can bring someone Warhol’s 15 lucky minutes of fame.

 

It forces us to confront the way we, as a people, cut corners to accomplish what we want and accept graft and corruption as an inevitable part of doing business, while, in a race toward ill-planned urbanization and bandwagon economic growth, we are destroying our environment without thought of long-term consequences through our “bahala na” mindset.
 

 

Even as we enjoy the karaoke-friendly music and the cheeky humor, we are asked: must we always rely on our superpowers of resilience in times of calamity? When will we hold our politicians accountable? When will we demand the true public service we need and deserve?

 

My daughter returned home, singing with gusto, “Heto ako / Basang-basa sa ulan! / Walang masisilungan. . .”

 

With that, I’d say the musical was successful in promoting awareness of social issues and OPM history, showcasing the formidable talents of our actors, musicians, and theater people, and giving the audience a really good time. It’s a must-watch. — KDM, GMA News 

 

"Rak of Aegis" runs until March 9, 2014, with shows at 3p.m. and 8p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at the PETA Theater Center.