In the midst of so many foreign pop acts and musical productions from Broadway and the West End, one small theatrical effort made waves four years ago. It was a musical revue featuring traditional and contemporary Filipino songs, sung not by legends of classical singing, but by a troupe of dedicated artists. The show was Philippine Opera Company’s “Ang Bagong Harana.”
From children’s songs to tribal chants, from planting songs to courtship ditties, from stirring kundiman to the delightful showstoppers by Sylvia la Torre, “ANG BAGONG HARANA” will showcase the best of all the Filipino composers from different music genres --- Nicanor Abelardo, Ryan Cayabyab, Willy Cruz, Francisco Santiago, Antonio Molina, Resti Umali, George Canseco, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, Jose Estrella, Constancio De Guzman and Felipe de Leon, to name a few.
“Ang Bagong Harana” was envisioned as love song to our country,” says Karla Gutierrez, who heads the Philippine Opera Company. ”We wanted to show audiences that there is so much wealth that modern Filipinos can mine from our traditional and contemporary music. In this age of globalization, it is all the more crucial for us to know who we are and what we have that we can call ‘Pinoy’.
A lot of performers may say that we are the best in the world. But we wanted to go a step further and prove it by using our own traditional and contemporary material. And we wanted to showcase young singers who have committed themselves to classical singing and to our traditional material. And it was a show that had the audience who came to see it at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at RCBC Plaza, weeping and applauding with joy.”
With all the warm response it generated, Philippine Opera Company was all the more convinced that there is a hungry audience for this ‘brand of entertainment’ that reconnects Filipinos to their souls. It’s the one thing we cannot face the future without.
“Ang Bagong Harana” features Karla Gutierrez, Cris Go, Lorraine Lisen, Melissa Camba, KL Dizon, Cristiani Rebada, Michael Odoemene, Noel Rayos, Lawrence Jatayna and Nazer Salcedo with the special participation of the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group.
Directed by Floy Quintos with music arrangements by four of the country’s most awarded arrangers Von de Guzman, Jessie Lasaten, Jesse Lucas and Paulo Zarate.
Contact Details:
For
ticket inquiries and reservations, please call Ticketworld at (63 2)
891-9999 or Philippine Opera Company at (63 2) 822-9609.
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