'Jeproks The Musical' can serve the younger generation as much as the boomers

From the theater company behind 2023’s successful re-imagining of “Noli Me Tangere” titled “Ibarra The Musical,” Tanghalang Una Obra brings to musical theater and Pinoy rock followers “Jeproks The Musical: Mga Awitin ni Mike Hanopol.”

Tanghalang Una Obra collaborates with The Hammock Productions, Inc. and the Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS) in this limited staging of “Jeproks,” which is running for only two weekends at the GSIS Theater in Pasay City starting November 20.

Featuring the compositions of the legendary musician Mike Hanopol, popularly known as the bassist and vocalist of Juan dela Cruz band, the title “Jeproks” is from the chorus of “Laki Sa Layaw,” an original song by Hanopol, which he composed when he went solo following his stint with Juan dela Cruz band. This new original musical is described a “1970s rock-and-roll journey of dreams, friendship, and rebellion.”

“Jeproks” is the reversed pronunciation of the word “project,” as reference to names of barangays in Quezon City where middle-class teenagers leading the bohemian lifestyle of the 1970s resided.

Incidentally for Juan dela Cruz, Hanopol also composed another hit song titled “Project,” expounding the same theme.“The Hanopols used to live in (barangay) Project 2, where my father also lived. That’s how my parents met. They were neighbors,” Francis Hanopol de Veyra, "Jeproks" associate musical director and arranger told GMA News Online.

De Veyra, a much-awarded composer and bassist, is also the nephew of Mike Hanopol. He is co-founder and music director of Radioactive Sago Project, Bras Pas Pas Pas Pas and Uncle Bob's Funky Seven Club.

Naturally, he also leads the live band accompaniment of the musical.

According to de Veyra, among his uncle’s compositions as solo artist that made it to the musical are “Kayabangan,” “Tulungan Natin,” and “Awiting Pilipino.”

In an earlier conversation with GMA News Online, "Jeproks" director Frannie Zamora said they used 22 compositions of Hanopol from his Juan dela Cruz and T. Tinio years in the 1970s up to his stint as songwriter and co-producer of the 1980s’ boyband, Hagibis.

“Mike naturally owns the copyrights of the songs we used. With the Juan dela Cruz, he’s the only surviving member and he told us he secured the rights,” Zamora said.

For a brief backgrounder, Juan dela Cruz’s members Mike Hanopol, drummer and fellow vocalist Joey "Pepe" Smith (1947-2019) and lead guitarist Wally Gonzalez (1949-2021) are considered the founding fathers of Pinoy Rock.

Among their original compositions are “Himig Natin,” “Balong Malalim,” “Beep Beep,” “Teacher’s Enemy No. 1,” “Mamasyal sa Pilipinas,” that laid the foundation of Pinoy Rock and eventually, Original Pilipino Music.

For Hagibis, Hanopol wrote the music and lyrics of the hits “Katawan,” “Legs Legs,” “Nanggigigil,” “Ilagay Mo Kid,” “Macho,” “Babae” and many other ‘80s disco house staples.

Meanwhile, T. Tinio is a short-lived band that Hanopol and Smith formed with drummer Bo Razon after Juan Dela Cruz took a short hiatus in the mid-1970s. It may sound “censorable” but the band was actually named after their manager, Teodoro Tinio.

Among the hits of Hagibis, Zamora told GMA News Online, they were able to use only two
songs, “Katawan” and “Legs Legs”. Zamora, Nick Pichay (libretto and book) and Jed Balsamo (musical director and arranger) shared how they created “Jeproks.”

"Jeprox" the musical revolves around three friends Mico (David Ezra), Willi (Jeffrey Hidalgo) and Paulo (Nino Alejandro) who formed the apocryphal band called Sikatuna.

According to Pichay, Mico is somehow patterned after Hanopol, Willi is Wally Gonzalez and Paulo is Pepe Smith, with the story "medyo patterned sa early years."

"Like Juan dela Cruz, the members came from Japan, playing with different bands as Overseas Filipino Workers. They went home and tried their luck and formed Sikatuna band. Pero hindi talaga sila yun, parang may reference lang,” Pichay said.

But He and Balsamo clarified “Jeproks” is neither the biographical story of Hanopol nor of the Juan dela Cruz band.

“Jeproks captures the soul of a generation that turned to music as both refuge and revolution,” Pichay said.

In the story, Pichay expounded how Sikatuna band makes it and as they rise to fame, Mico battles the disapproval of his father, Tatay Paking (Jett Pangan), and finds inspiration in Liwayway, the mystical Diwata of Rakenrol (Geneva Cruz). “After a painful downfall, Mico’s life takes a turn when he meets Paz (Sheila Ferrer), whose passion for change rekindles his belief in music’s power.”

Members of the ensemble are Kaloy Estrella, Jerome Ferguson, Arjay Cabael, Jayce San Rafael, VJ Vera, Mondrian Sampang, Ariel Perino, Vince Conrad, Jerecho Ramirez, Jasper Daguro, Victoria Mina, Bella Alejandro, Rai Solomon, Chellie Maynes, Marilyn Dacumos.

Other members of the creative team are Leslie Dailisan (choreography), Joseph Matheu (lights and technical director), Sonny Anecito (set design), Dennis Maristany (costume consultant), Johnny Blue (producer) and assistant directors Neil Tolentino and Kiko Cruz III.

For Balsamo, the live band accompaniment is a total highlight of the musical.

“A rock musical experience is not complete if not accompanied by a live band. We are using a typical rock musical setup not the big band setup because if there are so many instruments, there is a tendency, magiging lush yung tunog. We wanted to keep the original rock vibe kaya with Francis de Veyra’s recommendation, not a full band but a typical rock band setup accompaniment,” he said.

“Walang silbi ang musical pag hindi live musicians,” he added, laughing.

‘It’s a no-no for a musical kung gagamit ka ng canned music,” Zamora seconded the motion. With regards to the compositions of Hanopol, the three creators observed a lot of counterpoints in each song.

“Ang daming counterpoints, ang mga songs ni Mike, reyna ng counterpoints,” said Zamora.

They also observed Hanopol’s songs have the elements of opera. “Kuma-classical, Hindi maalis yung trademark na classical touch,” added Zamora.

Pichay said, “Rock is a genre of course but I learned from Jed (Balsamo), generally, there is a format so I won’t meddle with that. There are instances in a musical, we have to explain certain situations or feelings but the rock format doesn’t equate with those, so kelangan bumawi ka sa musical arrangement.”

“For example, in a certain scene, the character is angry but the lyrics of the song being used is not about anger. Then again, there is such a thing called ‘subtext’. We have the text and there is subtext where we can make a new meaning, hindi galit. Unlike other genres that are spot-on.

Another example, a ballad is telling a love story, may puso, and it is what it is. This is rock. Mas malakas ang boga kasi doon sa strength ng lyrics,” Pichay added.

We may credit that to Hanopol’s early years when he was a seminarian before he became a musician. In the seminary, he absorbed a lot of Latin verses set to music and some Gregorian chants. It shows how he wrote the songs.

Pichay emphasized “Jeproks” is a beautiful, insightful experience especially for the young musicians nowadays.

“For members of young rock bands, this is self-expression. Because rock, parang yung psyche nya, gusto ko magpakawala. Of course, the moral of the story, in a sense, controlled but in an artistic way. So, sana mapanood ng mga nagba-band because they owe Mike Hanopol (and the members of Juan dela Cruz) something. In the old days, people don’t listen to Filipino songs because they weren’t played on radio or performed on television. These guys paved the way for Original Pilipino Music because they were brave enough to compose their own songs and they proved, pwede pala. Gumawa sila ng paraan. So, if you are a young rock musician, it behooves upon you to look upon history. Manood kayo ng play. At least marinig nyo kung sino ang ninuno nyo, sino mga lolo nyo,” Pichay said.

Zamora said, “Not only that, kung ikaw ay ordinaryong tao na naggratrabaho at nagbabayad ng tax, dapat panoorin nyo ito. Hindi namin sinasadya, pero doon pumupunta.”

Asked if there is a political undertone in the story since it is set in the turbulent 1970s when the First Quarter Storm and Martial Law happened, Zamora said he is not a subversive director and if the audience saw something, it’s their own interpretation. The three creators expounded on the lyrics of “Balong Malalim,” one of Hanopol’s compositions as lyricist from his Juan dela Cruz years.

“Shoot pa rin sa nangyayari ngayon,” Zamora said. We quote the second verse: “Gusto pang kumain/ Kumain nang kumain/ Hindi naman nabubusog/ Sa kanyang kinain/ 'Di niya naiisip/ 'Yun ay hindi sa akin.” Pichay said, “It’s not talking about food, or gluttony per se. It’s about greed, of getting what you don’t own.”

“Although Jeproks tells the story of a previous generation, it seems to mirror current times. Like in the 70’s, we in the aughts are living in interesting, trying, frustrating, and often confusing times. The story of Jeproks explores the place of rock music in the context of the youth questioning society in search of answers,” Pichay added.

Tickets are available at TicketWorld. “Jeproks the Musical” runs from November 20 to 29 at GSIS Theater. Follow “Jeproks The Musical” official social media pages. — LA, GMA Integrated News