Liesl Batucan and Arman Ferrer on becoming Mabini and Aguinaldo in ‘Mabining Mandirigma’

On the surface, Liesl Batucan and Arman Ferrer seem like unlikely choices to play Apolinario Mabini and Emilio Aguinaldo. Batucan is female, obviously so, and Ferrer seems too young to play Aguinaldo, who was already a grizzled war veteran by the age of 29.

But in Dr. Nicanor Tiongson's steampunk musical "Mabining Mandirigma"—returning this year after its original run in July last year—the two (with David Ezra alternating as Aguinaldo) exemplify both historical figures' qualities: cerebral and passionate, patriotic but conflicted.

A lot of the work, Batucan said in an interview after the musical's premiere on February 19, is in assuming their character's postures, reinforced by the guidance of director and Cultural Center of the Philippines artistic director Chris Millado.

"Sir Chris reminded na to find the correct physicality for Mabini in the wheelchair... He would guide us, like where would the center be, how would he position himself in the wheelchair," Batucan told GMA News Online.

Acting in a wheelchair is no breeze, but constant drilling eventually made movement instinctive for the two-time Philstage Gawad Buhay Awardee.

"Kasanayan na 'yan, that's why we rehearsed. I had to familiarize myself with the wheelchair, how to maneuver it, how to navigate across the stage. And then the textures pa on the floor are different in the rehearsal hall and different on stage," Batucan said.

Ferrer, who had to wear a real sword and his costume at rehearsals, said having tangible objects to project onto helps in creating their characters.

"He's a general and he's the president so he has to have the posture of a leader and parang, he's very regal," Ferrer said.

"The costumes inform how we stand," Batucan continued.

Aguinaldo and Mabini's partnership greatly influenced the direction of Philippine history but, as the musical shows, it was a tie-up that didn't last.

"It was a partnership that really couldn't work," Tiongson said in a separate interview.

To effectively portray that relationship, Ferrer and Batucan worked together extensively and forged a genuine connection.

"It was easy to work with Arman. It's my first time to work with him but he's very professional, he's very talented and we just built our natural rapport in rehearsals," Batucan said.

As a musical, all the cast members got to show off their not inconsiderable musical talents. Batucan in particular praised Ferrer's impressive vocal range, which provided a strong finish to most songs in "Mandirigma."

"He's classically trained. It just comes naturally naman to Arman," Batucan declared.

Ferrer demurred. "It's not," he said. "Pinagaralan ko pa rin naman. But the music and the text are parang matching talaga. So it's not hard to memorize the text and the music kasi parang the music is natural with the text." — BM, GMA News

"Mabining Mandirigma" will run until March 13 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino. Tickets are available at the CCP and at Ticketworld.