‘Florante at Laura’ Ballet Returns to Aliw Theater this October 2025
After its world premiere at the Aliw Theater in October 2024, followed by a second staging at Areté in November 2024, Ballet Manila’s Florante at Laura is set for its third run this October at the Aliw Theater.
For Ballet Manila founder and artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, the return of Florante at Laura is not just a rerun but a reckoning with our collective appreciation of Filipino heritage. “Bringing Florante at Laura back to the stage feels like coming full circle. The first run was a dream realized; the second at Areté affirmed that Filipino stories, when told with care and conviction, truly resonate. Now, with this third staging, it feels less like a return and more like a reckoning. I’m proud, but more than that, I’m moved. This ballet continues to teach us how timeless our heritage can be,” she said.
The production features live music performed by the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth under the baton of Toma Cayabyab, interpreting the original score composed by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab. “To be able to hear the score again, seeing it move—it’s like watching a memory evolve,” Cayabyab shared. “I wrote this as a legacy piece, but its return reminds me that legacy isn’t static. Ballet Manila has given the music new breath, and I feel grateful. This re-staging proves that our classics still have something urgent to say.”
Also returning to the creative team are composers Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance, librettist Dr. Michael Coroza, set designer Mio Infante, and costume designer Therese Arroyo.
Ballet Manila principal dancers Joshua Enciso and Abigail Oliveiro also return, reprising their roles as Florante and Laura.
The show will run for three performances only—on October 3 at 8:00 PM, and on October 4 and 5 at 5:00 PM—at the Aliw Theater. Tickets are priced at P2,575 (Center) and P1,545 (Sides), available via Ticketworld.
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