At a press conference held recently, the Tanghalang Overseas Pinoy (TOPi), a non-profit Filipino group promoting Filipino culture through theatre arts, cited some of the highlights and excerpts from famous Filipino musicals.
“Magsimula Ka! libretto by Nestor Torre and music by Gines Tan is a story about four friends who have just graduated from college. All were excited to embark on their dreams but each has his own share of obstacles,” TOPi president Bryan Ricafrente said.
“While some of them struggled in achieving their dreams, in the end, they all became successful,” he added.
Ricafrente noted that the play will enthrall the audience with its inspiring music, timely story, and socially-relevant commentary on Pinoy pop culture.
Some of the musical plays also include Kenkoy Loves Rosing (libretto by Boy Norriega Jr and music by Bob Serrano and Archie Castillo), which is about Kenkoy’s life as an ordinary bystander who strives hard dreaming to live a prosperous life by becoming an overseas Filipino worker, and he eventually wins the heart of his love, Rosing; Katy! The Musical (libretto by Jose Javier Reyes and music by Ryan Cayabyab), a story of Katy Dela Cruz – the first highest paid vaudeville actress of Philippine stage - how she started in the entertainment industry, her first love, failed marriage and how she succeeded; and Alikabok (libretto by Noel Balmaceda and music by Ryan Cayabyab), a story of an “Ilustrada Filipina,” who despite being rich, chose to help the “Katipuneros to fight the Spanish conquerors to gain independence.
At the press conference, TOPi also tackled its previous musical shows over the past years upon its inception in August 2005, including Filipino acts, musicals, drama and concerts such as Alikabok (Dust) in June 2005, Domestic Helper in November 2005, Kenkoy Loves Rosing in September 2006, Rhythms of Broadway in May 2007, Trumpets - Little Mermaid in 2008, Rhythms of Broadway Return in May 2013, Katy The Musical in August 2015, and a series of cabarets titled ‘Songs from Stage’ in 2016.
Ricafrente said they have been very active in various community services such as medical missions, in collaboration with a health clinic in Doha, to provide free medical checkups, medicines and consultations to Filipinos in Doha.
Generated from the group’s previous concerts, he added that they donated air tickets to distressed overseas Filipino workers at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office.
