'Mula sa Buwan' is more than just a love story
As their production team gears up for another run this August, Mula sa Buwan is on its way to becoming the longest-running local theatrical production.
According to Myke Salomon, who plays the lead role of Cyrano, the musical has benefitted from a new generation of Filipinos who are just now discovering and embracing theater.
“Ang daming shows na nangyari since 2022,” said Salomon, who is also a partner of Barefoot Theatre Collective, the production group behind Mula sa Buwan. “This year, ang dami ding mga theater companies na nag-produce.”
Salomon cited the popularity of Rak of Aegis when it came out in 2014 and Huling El Bimbo riding on that momentum, which kickstarted interest in local theater production. It all came to a head when the pandemic hit, and production companies made their shows available on social media platforms for everyone to watch for free. People in isolation, who would normally pass on these shows, gave them a chance. Apparently, those who watched these productions loved them.
“I do believe we are part of that movement na dalhin ang theater sa mas maraming audience,” Salomon shared.
Phi Palmos, who plays crowd favorite Rosanna, for his part, said it's a good feeling because "original Filipino musicals don’t really get restaged that much."
A 'fresh take' each time
Mula sa Buwan started in 2010 as a musical adaptation based on the Filipino translation of “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Soc Rodrigo. By the time it began its commercial run in 2016, it had evolved into a play set in 1940s Manila, focusing on what the production team calls “wide-eyed dreamers, fools, and misfits where harana, kundiman, together with passion and genuine friendships, abound.” Since then, it has been restaged in 2017 and 2018, and it only took a break because of the pandemic. It was one of the first shows to open when quarantines eased in 2022.
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MC Dela Cruz, who is the only remaining original cast member since its first commercial run in 2016, said that audiences keep returning to watch Mula sa Buwan because each restaging brings a fresh take on the material.
“Every iteration ng Mula sa Buwan ay hindi same yung mga taong gumaganap. Like 'yung Roxane, noong 2016 si KL Dizon. Then si Gab Pangilinan and si Cris Go,” Dela Cruz, who plays Christian this year, said.
This year’s restaging also features an almost entirely new set of cast members and a new director.
“Para siyang Avengers,” Salomon said with a laugh. “'Yung energy, the momentum, it’s there. They came in really charged to mount this new version.”
This year’s run will be directed by Mikko Angeles, who moved up from being the musical’s assistant director and associate director in 2022. He says there will be some small changes this year, highlighting the defiance part of the story more than the love angle.
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“Kapag napanood niyo 'yung 2024 run, may sense of familiarity. It shall remind you of the previous productions, but meron siyang kakaibang flavor,” he explained.
'Defiance at the forefront'
Most of the production cast and crew members believe that the subject of love is a given in Mula sa Buwan. It is essentially, after all, based on a play that deals with unrequited love. This time, they wanted defiance at the forefront to mirror the country’s socio-political climate.
“How Pat (Valera, the musical’s lyricist and original director) has adapted Mula sa Buwan, ang daming themes e. Ang daming kwento. Bukod sa tatlong main characters, andami pang characters that have their own individual narratives na in one watching, I’m sure hindi mo agad makukuha,” Angeles explained.
One could argue that no other character in Mula sa Buwan embodies defiance more than Palmos’ Rosanna.
Palmos said that in 2018, Valera asked him to portray Rosanna as androgynous because his alternate, Ronah Rostata, is a cisgender woman. It changed four years later when Rossana became an outright queer character.
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“Iba na siya. Iba kapag queer person is singing a song about being authentically who you are. Of course, Ronah’s performance is magnificent, and she’s the reason why I auditioned (for the role). Pero iba na yung layer kapag yung bakla ang nagsasabing maging totoo ka sa sarili mo,” he added.
“Why is Mula sa Buwan a necessary piece of theater?” Angeles mused.
“Parang, ‘ok, baka kailangan nating tumalon papunta sa defiance.’ Paano natin siya mapapa-alsa? And as Gab Pangilinan (who plays one of the lead roles, Roxane) puts it: the stronger the love is, the stronger the defiance will be,” he said.
For Salomon, he believes that all plays carry a political message.
“It is a chance to give a voice, yun yung sigaw ng mga artists para sa mga audience na walang boses. Yung audience natin minsan hindi nila na-articulate o hindi nila nabubuo ang ideya na yun. And yun yung tungkulin ng mga artists: to organize the thoughts and make it an accessible art that they can enjoy, and empathize with the message,” Salomon adds.
Catch Mula sa Buwan at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater beginning August 16 until September 8, 2024.