'Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan' musical marks return of Metropolitan Theater

The Metropolitan Theater (MET) is  running again after 25 years!

To mark its return, the musical titled "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan" is currently streaming live on its Facebook page on Sunday.

According to the MET, the play will circle on Philippine events commemorated this 2021, including the Victory in Mactan in 1521 and the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.

"This meta tale explores how history—and what people choose to be the lessons from it—contribute to the cultural identity and to the strength of any nation," Met said in a Facebook post.

Written by Nicolas Pichay, "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan" stars renowned theater actors Natasha Cabrera, Arman Ferrer, Andre Tiangco, Red Nuestro, Cara Barredo, and Ivan Nery, among others.

According to chairman Arsenio Lizaso, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts spent millions of pesos to buy the MET from the Government Service insurance System (GSIS) and have it renovated.

The original and unique design was still preserved in the restoration, however, including the carvings of Filipino fruits, plants, and animals on the ceiling.

A national historical landmark and cultural treasure, the MET was designed by architect Juan Arellano and was inaugurated in 1931.

Although there were restoration plans in 1978, the theater closed down again in 1996.

—Franchesca Viernes/MGP, GMA News