Uncovering Defiance: A Fresh Take on ‘Mula sa Buwan’

Uncovering Defiance: A Fresh Take on ‘Mula sa Buwan’

After eight years and numerous reruns since Mula sa Buwan’s first public run in 2016, the musical by Pat Valera and William Elvin Manzano returns from August 16 to September 8, 2024 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater. This time, it is under the helm of director Mikko Angeles, who served as Assistant Director in the August 2022 run and Associate Director in the December 2022 run. The show also returns with 13 new cast members in a cast of 28.

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For those who have watched Mula sa Buwan evolve over the years, it’s well-known as an original Filipino musical inspired by Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, set against the backdrop of 1940s Manila. The story revolves around wide-eyed dreamers and cadets striving to find their place in a city constantly transforming before, during, and after WWII. At its heart is a love triangle involving the poet Cyrano, his beloved Roxane, and the kind-hearted Christian.

UNRAVELING A NEW VISION

Since the beginning of its public run in 2016, Mula sa Buwan has always been billed as A Musical About Love and Defiance. However, director Mikko Angeles feels that the two themes have not been given equal weight.

“Everybody already understands what Mula sa Buwan is about, na palagi ang take-home nila ay iyung love triangle nitong tatlo,” pointing to Myke Salomon who plays Cyrano, Gab Pangilinan who plays Roxane, and MC Dela Cruz who plays Christian. “And of course the hit songs ni William [Elvin Manzano] na kinakanta na sa mga weddings. It’s about love, in any shape or form, whether it’s romantic love towards a partner, or a mother, or a father, o ano man. Pero that defiance, palagi siya natatabunan. Dahil ang lakas lakas na ‘nung love, iyung defiance for me personally, ay nakukulangan, or baka hindi pa nabibigyan ng pansin sa past productions. Iyun sana iyung gusto naming i-highlight.”

Angeles shares that in 2022, the last year the show was staged live, we were all coming from a very different social context, dealing with the stress and isolation of the pandemic, as well as the triumphs and disappointments of the Pink Movement. Now, the situation has changed dramatically.

“That necessity of restaging Mula sa Buwan at this point in time, knowing that the nation is under the threat of war,” he says. “Number two, iyung mga kanya-kanyang battles natin as artists. Number three, iyung representation ng mga tao na nakikipaglaban sa kanya-kanyang mga gera sa mga komunidad, sa mga malayong kapuluan. Iyun iyung kuwento ng Mula sa Buwan eh. Hindi man siya historically really accurate because it’s historical fiction, but in a sense, meron siyang malinaw na pananalamin sa kung ano iyung nangyayari.” 

“And as I told everyone, we cannot be hypocritical about it. The whole Mula sa Buwan opens in a theater. Sobrang lapit natin doon. Tayo iyun eh. So kailangan natin maging totoo.”

DEEPENING CONNECTIONS FOR A FRESH TAKE

Pangilinan, who has played the role of Roxane since 2018, says that as actors, they’re not changing anything per se, but are delving deeper into what they already know about the characters and are working at fine-tuning the details.

“It’s a story about unrequited love. Pero ako personally, I’ve been enjoying the process so much of tapping into the defiance part of it.” 

“And I think iyun, fresh na ibig sabihin,” she adds. I also don’t want to say that it’s gonna be different, because it’s not. It’s the same text, it’s the same music, it’s the same people (some of us) playing the roles, but there’s just something about diving deeper into the text and just knowing ourselves more as those characters that makes it feel same same, but different. It’s familiar pero may kinikiliti siyang bago.”

To viewers who have seen the show before, Pangilinan says, “Come with an open mind because they will appreciate it more also. It will also hit them differently. The lines, the text, just means more kasi binalikan, pinag-isipan, at nag-marinate iyung mga tao doon.

Angeles echoes this sentiment and says that as one of the longest-running original Filipino musicals with a strong fan base, they need to preserve the show’s heritage by fusing successful elements from past productions with fresh interpretations.

“Iyun iyung pinakamasayang part in storytelling na ang daming pwedeng sabihin ng isang salita, sa isang bato, sa isang beat,” adds Salomon, who has been in the show since 2018, first as Christian, then as Cyrano while serving as musical director in 2022. “Iyun siguro iyung pinakabagong mararamdaman ng mga tao na kahit walang binabago sa linya, meron siyang fresh na pakiramdam dahil ito na iyung tinatahak na ibig sabihin.”

DYNAMIC ENERGY

The composition of the cast alone, with almost half comprising new cast members, endeavors to infuse the show with renewed vitality. “Iyun palang napaka-fresh na rin ‘nun, na walang napapako sa isang way of telling the story because we have to deal and negotiate with a lot of new actors din, says Salomon. “Almost 50% of the cast is new and doon pa lang, bago na iyung tunog. Iyun iyung nakakakiliti sa tainga kasi bago iyung tunog nila.”

Angeles says that he posed a challenge to them: “Hindi dapat humabol iyung [new] cast. Dapat iyung old cast iyung humabol doon sa bagong ino-offer nila.” He also notes that returning audience members may be surprised to hear familiar lines delivered differently by new actors, offering a fresh perspective on their meaning.

 

MC Dela Cruz, the only actor who has performed in every staging of Mula sa Buwan since 2016, previously played Cyrano’s rival Maximo. During the December 2022 performances, he had the opportunity to portray Christian for a limited, 10-show engagement. He now returns to the role, having had more time to fully immerse himself in it.

“Iyung last run kasi namin ‘nung December, meron lang kasi akong 2 weeks [para matutunan]. Crash course siya for me kasi hindi ko naman in-expect na sasalang ako [being the understudy for Christian]. So ang ginawa ko lang last time is, kasi napanood ko lahat ng nag-Christian, kumuha ako ng mga Christian-isms, at doon ako kumapit.”

“Noong December run, siguro medyo mas forgiving ako sa sarili ko. Pero ngayon, since ang haba na ng time, game na talaga.” He says he aims to infuse something personal this time around. “Naniniwala ako na nagre-reflect talaga iyung sarili mo sa bawat character na ginagampanan mo at iyun iyung truth mo. And by that, mas truthful iyung gagawin mo sa character mo kung mas malapit siya sa iyo.”

“Ang makikita niyo ay mas personal and mas aware siya sa mga nangyayari sa paligid niya.”

NEW ELEMENTS: VIDEO, SET DESIGN, CHOREOGRAPHY

Angeles shares that this is also the first Mula sa Buwan production that will incorporate video elements, with Joyce Garcia coming on as video designer. They also teased a new set design by Ohm David and new choreography by JM Cabling, all in service of the text and new direction. 

“I really want to find the heart of the story, the true core of the story, which I think is from Cyrano,” he further explains. “And the essence and necessity of Pat [Valera]’s intention of adapting it to the 1940’s. The sensibilities of the 40’s, iyun iyung tin-try pa namin i-inject.”

“It’s Cyrano’s story na nagt-trickle lang sa buong company of misfits. At the same time, that period in the 1940’s, ano iyung sensibilities niya, kasi ibang-iba. Sobrang, sobrang layo. Not to mention during that time, there’s a pre and during war. Magkaiba iyung dynamics nun. So iyun iyung hinahanapan namin ng timpla at patuloy na dini-discover.

Mula sa Buwan will run from August 16 to September 8, 2024 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

TFM is showbuying the August 25, 7:30pm show. You can purchase select tickets directly through us by clicking HERE or by purchasing through Ticketworld, where you can scan the QR code below.