REVIEW: ‘Gregoria Lakambini’ is broadstrokes Oryang for younger audiences

REVIEW: ‘Gregoria Lakambini’ is broadstrokes Oryang for younger audiences

Gregoria Lakambini, the new one-act musical directed by Delphine Buencamino with a book by Nicanor Tiongson and Eljay Castro Deldoc, positions itself as a contemporary, youth-oriented reclamation of Gregoria de Jesús’ story. Its pop-driven score (by Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang), its nearly concert-like staging, and its intention to reframe history through “herstory” all point toward a production designed to engage students and younger audiences. And in many ways, it starts out promising. But as the show unfolds, its energy, ideas, and execution never quite cohere into something deeper than a broad overview: an Intro to Lakambini, if you will.

Heroine in bullet points

The musical charts the major waypoints of de Jesús’ life: her early years when she is asked to stop schooling so her brothers can continue; her courtship with Andres Bonifacio; her swift transformation into the Supremo’s wife and later the Supremo’s widow after his execution; her remarriage to Julio Nakpil and the large family they build; even an anecdotal number about her son Juan Nakpil running away, only to later become a National Artist for Architecture.

The narrative moves briskly—sometimes too briskly—through these milestones, delivering the story in broad strokes rather than scenes with emotional depth. Much of it is communicated through ensemble narration that breaks the fourth wall to dispense historical fast facts, creating a vibe closer to a study guide than an examination of Gregoria’s inner life. It’s a structure that may work well enough for younger viewers encountering her story for the first time, but leaves little room for nuance.

Intentions vs. Execution

There is intentionality in Buencamino’s direction and in the production’s design. Visually, the show melds contemporary and subversive elements—fishnets, leather, and bondage-inspired accents layered over baro’t saya silhouettes by costume designer Marco Viaña—against Mark Lorenz’s set of rattan panels, which comes alive with lighting by Earvin Estioco and projections by Jim Jimenez. The all-female cast adds a layer of visual queerness, especially in scenes between Gregoria and Andres Bonifacio (played by Anya Evangelista), though the production never quite investigates why these choices matter to the story being told.

The score is vibrant and tuneful, leaning comfortably into the pop sensibilities of its composers. In fact, the show might have benefitted from having even more music; the songs do much of the heavy lifting in setting tone and momentum.

But despite these assets, the production is undermined by its weakest element: the book. The writing leans heavily into pandering humor, pausing after musical numbers for extended ensemble banter that feels awkward, unnatural, and aimed squarely at middle or high schoolers. The jokes and meta commentary read like attempts by older writers trying to approximate how young people speak, and the result often undercuts the innate appeal of Gregoria’s real life.

Performance Imbalance

Marynor Madamesila, as Gregoria de Jesús, is the production’s anchor and its most compelling element. She brings clarity, emotional interiority, and vocal strength to the role, even when she isn’t getting much from her scene partners. Her Gregoria feels like a full person navigating immense upheaval.

Around her, however, the ensemble—Anya Evangelista, Heart Puyong, Sofia Sacaguing, Sarah Monay, Ynna Rafa, and Murline Uddin—struggles to match her dramatic, comedic, and musical presence. Their featured roles (as Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, and Julio Nakpil, among others) communicate the necessary plot points but rarely create a world or relationships with dimension. The imbalance becomes especially evident in moments that should carry emotional weight, where the ensemble’s performances feel more like reenactments than fully realized characters.

The all-female casting, though initially intriguing, ends up highlighting a sense of artifice rather than offering a cohesive reinterpretation. Watching women play Bonifacio, Aguinaldo, and Nakpil here brings to mind all-girls school productions where girls take on male roles as needed. The effect is heightened here by the ensemble’s limited ability to build lived-in relationships or motivations with Gregoria. The casting comes across less as a purposeful reframing and more as play-acting, exposing how the production never fully integrates the choice into its storytelling.

Herstory in Headlines

The show’s aim is clear: to make Gregoria de Jesús accessible and appealing to a younger demographic, and to assert the equal importance of the domestic and the political in her life. However, the show itself doesn’t give enough space or rigor to explore these ideas. It goes so far as to frame motherhood as essentially interchangeable with the battlefield—a strange equivalence that the material itself never builds toward or justifies.

In the end, Gregoria Lakambini delivers exactly what it appears designed to deliver: a brisk, high-energy, pop-forward introduction to a major figure in Philippine history. For students, it offers a colorfully packaged overview. For audiences seeking a more layered, grounded portrait, its choices and compromises leave much untapped potential.

 

Tickets: P1,954.80, P2,172.00
Show Dates: November 14 – December 14, 2025
Venue: CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Jimenez, CCP Complex, Malate, Pasay City
Running Time: approx 1 hour and 45 mins (no intermission)
Company: Tanghalang Pilipino
Creatives: Delphine Buencamino (Director & Co-Choreographer), Nicanor Tiongson (Playwright), Eljay Castro Deldoc (Playwright), Nica Del Rosario (Music), Matthew Chang (Music), Jan Matthew Almodovar (Co-Choreographer), Mark Lorenz (Set Designer), Marco Viaña (Costume Designer), Earvin Estioco (Lighting Designer), Jim Jimenez (Projection Designer), Arvy Dimaculangan (Sound Designer), Sabrina Basilio (Dramaturg), D Cortezano (Technical Director)
Cast: Marynor Madamesila, Anya Evangelista, Heart Puyong, Sofia Sacaguing, Sarah Monay, Ynna Rafa, Murline Uddin