Phil. Stagers Foundation's 11th season opens with 'Joe: A Filipino Rock'sical'

Known to be the ‘David’ in Philippine theater, Philippine Stagers Foundation (PSF) continues to make waves after the success of its last season’s production ‘Cory ng EDSA’ that earned recognitions from both Aliw and BroadwayWorld.com awards, respectively, and has opened its latest show ‘Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical’ on July 14 at St. Scholastica’s College, Leon Guinto Street, Malate. 

 

Atty. Vince Tañada, PSF’s artistic director took the challenge of deconstructing the national hero to his latest opus and present a rather more human take for his audience to view the human side of Rizal just as Ambeth Ocampo once said, “The point is that there is no need to hide the humanity of our heroes because it is precisely their being human that makes them admirable.”

 

The musical is not the usual documentation of who Rizal is, but it is about making Rizal relevant in the present time. The show opens with a more moving depiction of the life where a group of students in a particular high school named after the national hero. The class was commissioned to do a stage presentation led by Joe Castillo Jr. played by Tañada and his alternate, an equally talented young and one of PSF’s homegrown talents—Kevin Posadas. Joe or Jose Rizal is portrayed by Patrick Adrian Libao, who fittingly essays the character along with Monique Azerreda as his Josephine Bracken.

 

 Among the lead cast of the production are: Cindy Maree Liper, who plays Joanne Silvestre, the love interest of JoeCas that eventually falls out of love with him. Two of PSF’s prized actors, who have been recognized by Aliw Awards as best supporting actor and best actor in a musical are also included in the cast—Jordan Ladra and Kierwin Larena play Hunter Quizon and Bimbo Alcarraz. Other leads are breathed into by Adelle Ibarrientos, Cherry Bagtas, Chris Lim, Chin Ortega, JM Encinas, and Gabby Bautista.

 

The original music is provided by Pipo Cifra. Its choreography is by John San Antonio, a BroadwayWorld.com awardee. The highly-functional set with impressive design was done by Jeffrey Ambrosio and the costumes were painstakingly created by Ms. Emy Tañada. 

 

“Joe, is not something of the usual production that talks about Rizal,” says Tañada, the director and writer.

 

“It is our attempt to make our audience think about the national hero as a human being and not as a monumental and god-like image.”

 

Catch the last show of ‘Joe: A Filipino Rock’sical’ on July 29 Sunday 8am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm at Tanghalang Pasigueño

 

For more information, contact +639273913447.

 

Photographs by Dale Bacar and graphics design by Jim Russel Zapico. Press release from PSF