THEATER REVIEW: Miong

Miong was first staged in 1998, the 100th anniversary of Philippine Independence. It ran for 25 shows at the Aguinaldo theater and was revived as a touring production in 2002. Some of the main cast included Robert Seña, Miguel Abraham, and Chari Arespacochaga. There was even a cast recording album with Lea Salonga and Ariel Rivera

Unlike two decades ago, one wouldn't just remember Emilio "Miong" Aguinaldo as the first president of the republic. Because of historical artifacts as well as his portrayal in films as somewhat of a person who had dealings in the shadows, to put it bluntly, some even think he was an actual traitor who robbed Bonifacio of the rightful presidency. As I write this, it would've been a few days after a controversial letter from Aguinaldo went on display at the Leon Gallery.

The musical doesn't complicate things by dealing with politics or trying to prove Miong's moral compass. Instead, it treads the path of a usual autobiographical work by starting from his birth during the Holy Week of 1869 up to the monumental first flag ceremony in Kawit, Cavite during the declaration of Philippine Independence. What makes this unique, though, thanks to it having a female director, is the way it highlighted how the women in his life help pushed him to realize what he wants and to do what he can to get it.

While the rest of the main cast and ensemle did really good, Tim Pavino should be commended for having all that stamina to go through a different range of emotions while being onstage around 90% or so of the time. I doubt if he even has time to drink for more than a minute while the show is going on since the script did a very good job of focusing on him. He certainly had the maturity and presence needed for the role.

Noel Rayos' portrayal of Berong was dynamic, Lani Ligot's Kapita Teneng very forceful along with Meynard Peñalosa's, the latter looking very menacing every time he appears to the point that you'd actually half-expect to see Spaniard soldiers firing at random suddenly.

The technical aspects of this musical deserve praise like the functional and transformative set design of Dennis Marasigan, the rich tones of John Batalla's lights, and the intricate patterns of Bonsai Cielo's ternos. If there's anything I'd like to admit, it would've been the red sleeve loop of Miong towards the end which looked straight out of an anime. Dexter M. Santos' choreography is breathtaking as expected and I especially enjoyed the playfulness of the San Bartolome bit. 

This musical is a must-see for people who just want to know about the life of Miong, how a dominant mother can be good or bad for a future historical figure, and how everything seems to get Disney-fied when Cara Barredo lights up the stage with her crystal clear voice.

This production by Repertory Philippines runs at the Onstage Greenbelt 1 until March 10. Shows are at 3:30pm and 8pm depending on the date. For complete info, please call Ticketworld at 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.