‘Ambon, Ulan, Baha’ Returns to the Metropolitan Theater After 34 Years

‘Ambon, Ulan, Baha’ Returns to the Metropolitan Theater After 34 Years

Ambon, Ulan, Baha, an ethno-pop-rock modern zarzuela by playwright Frank G. Rivera, is set to return to the Metropolitan Theater (MET) on September 26 and 27, 34 years after it was last staged at the historic venue.

Presented by Pixel Art Media Production Co., in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Metropolitan Theater, the musical explores themes of greed, social inequality, and environmental reckoning.

The production was last staged at the MET in 1992 under Rivera, who served as founder and artistic director of Teatro Metropolitano, the theater’s resident company during its Second Golden Age. Ambon, Ulan, Baha would become the last production staged at the Metropolitan Theater before the venue closed its doors. The theater reopened in 2021 following an extensive restoration.

The musical follows Nonoy (CJ Navato) and Inday (Thea Astley), two young lovers living in the fictional Barrio Magubat. Their dreams become entangled in promises of progress brought about by a logging concession initiated by the wealthy Don Calixto (Anton Juan) and his son Doctor Anton (Rendell Sanchez). As the community’s forests are stripped away, the consequences eventually culminate in a catastrophic flood.

Joining Navato, Astley, Juan, and Sanchez are Nazer Salcedo as Kapitan Berto, Onyl Torres as Mang Pedro, Shermaine Santiago as Nana Ilyang, and Sweet Buchanan as Nana Maring.

The Taumbayan (Townspeople), an ensemble composed of alumni of previous Ambon, Ulan, Baha productions and a new generation of performers, includes Beng Jordan, Jerome Ferguson, Joseph Sy, Jonathan Montes, Lian Silverio, Peachy Dumaya, and Phil Panganiban.

Completing the company is the Koro (Chorus), composed of members of Tanghalang Bagong Sibol, with lead dancers JM Ursula and Joch Bucacao.

CJ Andaluz directs the new staging, with Rivera serving as playwright and principal composer. The songs were originally composed by Rivera alongside the pioneer batch of Sining Kambayoka, with Pipo Cifra handling 2026 musical arrangement and direction. The creative team also includes Anthony Cruz (choreography), Ohm David (production design), Raqs Regalado (costume design), Charlotte Despuez (lighting design), and Roman Cruz (technical direction).

The production will incorporate projections, rainfall, and aerial sequences into the staging, while retaining the work’s use of indigenous Filipino musical and theatrical traditions. Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) Rosie Sula, known for her preservation of T’boli epic chanting traditions, will also participate in the production.

Ambon, Ulan, Baha was first written and staged as Kaingin in 1976 as part of Ang Hawla, a trilogy of plays created and performed by MSU-Sining Kambayoka. Rivera expanded the work into the full-length zarzuela Ambon, Ulan, Baha in 1978.

The 2026 staging also forms part of the 52nd anniversary celebration of Sining Kambayoka, the folk theater company Rivera founded at Mindanao State University in 1974. The company is known for developing the Kambayoka Theater Form, which incorporates Meranaw chants, folklore, music, and dance.

Written decades before climate change became part of mainstream public discourse, the musical centers on the effects of deforestation and the vulnerability of communities affected by environmental destruction.

“What once seemed like a cautionary tale has become our present reality,” says Andaluz. “We are no longer standing at the water’s edge. As Filipinos, we have found ourselves increasingly immersed in floods, both literal and metaphorical, that continue to devastate our communities, our livelihoods, and our everyday lives.”

“Ambon, Ulan, Baha reminds us that every act of progress carries a corresponding responsibility. When development is pursued without regard for ecological balance, even noble intentions can leave irreversible consequences. No one is exempt from the consequences of a wounded planet.”

The show will run on September 26 at 2 PM and 7 PM, and September 27 at 10 AM, 2 PM, and 6 PM. The September 26 evening performance is a gala sponsored by the NCCA and MET.