‘Lapulapu’ is the Metropolitan Theater's first show in 25 years. Here's where to watch it
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is streaming the musical Lapulapu, ang Datu ng Mactan on Oct. 24 at the newly conserved Metropolitan Theater (MET).
The upcoming show serves as the MET's first theatrical production since it closed its doors in 1996. The public presentation will be part of the Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, the Year of Filipino Pre-Colonial Ancestors, and the National Indigenous Peoples’ Month.
The play will follow the impactful Filipino events through the years, such as the Victory at Mactan in 1521, the circumnavigation of the world, 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," NCCA describes
NCCA Chairperson and Cultural Center of the Philippines president Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso spearheaded the project as Artistic Director, with its libretto written by award-winning poet and lawyer Nicolas B. Pichay, and music by Krina Cayabyab.
Ang Huling El Bimbo and the classic Orosman at Zafira's Dexter M. Santos is also the director of the project.
Leading the cast is tenor and theater actor Arman Ferrer, who plays the main protagonist Lapulapu. Other cast members include Andre Tiangco as Ferdinand Magellan; Red Nuestroas Rajah Humabon; Cara Barredo as Reyna Juana; Natasha Cabrera as Babaylan; Paw Castillo as Enrique de Malacca; Robert Barbers as Juan Sebastian de Elcano; Al Gatmaitan as Antonio Pigafetta; and Ivan Niccolo Nery as Papa Alexander XI and Padre Pedro de Valderrama.
NCCA Arts Ambassador and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, as well as public historian Xiao Chua, are also participating in the production.
You can catch the show on Oct. 24, 6 PM on the Facebook page of The Metropolitan Theater here. It will also be cross-posted on the Facebook pages of their partner institutions:
- NCCA
- Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM)
- Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)
- National Historical Commission of the Philippines
- The National Quincentennial Committee
For more information, follow NCCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
