REVIEW: 'Bar Boys: The Musical' is a triumphant, uplifting call for truth in a corrupt age
Based on the 2017 film by Kip Oebanda (Balota), Bar Boys: The Musical tells the story of four friends’ journey through law school, and the obstacles they face on the way to graduating in one piece. Along the way, they’ll find their mettle tested by endless reading lists, demanding professors, and the painful realities of pursuing justice in a system marred by no end of corruption.
Staged by Barefoot Theatre Collaboration, Bar Boys is an ambitious musical about youths on the precipice of adulthood, making decisions that will shape the rest of their lives. At the same time, it offers a blistering look into the intricacies of the Philippine legal system as it exists and the corresponding responsibilities of those tasked with working within it. While the original film serves as a narrative framework, the show takes the story and characters in almost completely different directions.
The titular “Boys” are Erik (Benedix Ramos), Chris (Alex Diaz), Torran (Jerom Canlas), and Josh (Omar Uddin), all from the show’s original run, and their established chemistry makes for a believable familiarity when the play opens. Avid gamers, the boys see their law school aspirations as the next level to conquer, making the usual promises to see each other through to the end. Naturally, life gets in the way, and the boys find themselves pulled in different directions.
The four leads play their roles well, even if the script doesn’t always have things for them to do.
Chris and Erik get the most character development; Chris is the privileged son of an amoral attorney (Nor Domingo), while Erik is being raised by his father Paping (Juliene Mendoza), who works as a security guard. The narrative derives effective drama from both boys’ parentages, with Mendoza’s humble and supportive Paping winning the audience over from his first scene, while Domingo represents everything the boys plan to stand against.
The remaining two make the most of what’s left; Torran, as the group’s closeted member, gets into a series of clichéd situations and punchlines involving his sexuality, though Canlas rises above the material with supreme likeability. Of the four, Uddin gets the short end of the stick, reduced to little more than a recurring—albeit funny—cameo once his character decides to follow his own path.
Bar Boys: The Musical is a bold expansion of last year’s production, while retaining the heart that made it so memorable. Where the previous venue required the audience to be positioned around the action, the new show takes full advantage of Hyundai Hall’s proscenium format. From library stacks and an impressive Supreme Court set, to Chris’ father perverting a representation of lady justice as a full-on villain, Julio Garcia and Ohm David’s (Into the Woods) production design makes full use of the additional real estate, bolstered by the enthusiastic ensemble’s renderings of Jomelle Era’s spirited choreography. Of course, this being a musical, the proceedings are aided immeasurably by the work of composer and musical director Myke Salomon, who draws from multiple genres to give Bar Boys a propulsive, infectious energy that only the best theater can provide.
While the boys’ lives are at the fore, the play’s most powerful moments involve issues of morality being discussed in the context of legality. As guided by a procession of colorful professors (including Gio Gahol and the legendary Sheila Francisco) real questions on right and wrong are addressed in ways that one wishes were mandatory in every classroom setting. (Though, to be fair, there are few lessons in life that wouldn’t immediately benefit from the addition of excellent musical numbers.)
Indeed, what begins as the story of four friends, quickly transforms into a commentary on the shortcomings of the Philippine judicial system. After all, if the very people tasked with interpreting and defending the law are corruptible, then what faith (or hope) can any of us have in a system ostensibly designed to protect us? The fact that the play’s themes have only become more relevant in recent times wasn’t lost on the preview night audience, and the buzz generated by the more poignant scenes was palpable. Framing the discussion within the context of students deciding what kind of people they want to grow into only made these moments all the more relatable.
Whether or not you’ve seen the inside of a legal library, or can’t tell an affidavit from a subpoena, Bar Boys is a stirring, soaring call for empathy and truth in a broken age. While the opening act drills it into our heads that, “May singil ang pangarap,” the story is ultimately hopeful, driving home the notion that people united by values can surmount any challenge with grace and compassion—it just comes down to personal convictions, and the ones you choose to surround yourself with.
Bar Boys: The Musical is now playing at Hyundai Hall until Nov. 23. Tickets are available at Ticket2Me.
Editor's Note: PhilSTAR L!fe is a media partner for 'Bar Boys: The Musical.'
