Bagets: The Musical (Resorts World Manila)

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Almost done with junior year, five troublemakers are expelled and forced to find a new school where they can finish the final year of their high school education. Adie (Andres Muhlach) is infatuated with his mother’s friend who lives next door and spends most of his time with her thinking she is leading him on. Tonton (Milo Cruz) courts girls left and right but decides to go steady when he finds the one, not knowing fate has other plans for both of them. Topee (Jeff Moses) is the athletic friend in the bunch, focusing his efforts on martial arts to distract from his mother’s lack of presence in his life. Rich kid Arnel (KD Estrada) is forced to confront the comforts of his sheltered existence when he falls for a girl from a different social class. Gilbert (Tomas Rodriguez) deals with bullying for not yet being circumcised and makes it his raison d'être for the summer.

Shrek the Musical (Resorts World Manila)

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Shrek (Jamie Wilson) is thrown out of his parents’ abode when he turns seven, because that’s just how ogres are. He survives on his own and lives in a swamp, away from everything and everyone who is terrified of him anyway. When Lord Farquaad (Alfredo Reyes) banishes all the fairytale characters from his realm, they seek refuge at Shrek’s swamp, much to the ogre’s chagrin. An opportunity to drive them out of there appears when Farquaad tasks him to find a princess so he could marry her and become king, in exchange for the official deed of the swamp. He agrees, getting help from a talkative Donkey (Topper Fabregas) he meets along the way. Princess Fiona (Krystal Kane) has been locked on a tower since she was young, with a guardian Dragon (Julia Serad) promising a fiery demise to anyone who will dare try to break her out. Will Shrek and Donkey succeed where others have failed?

Delia D (Resorts World Manila)

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Drag queen Delia (Phi Palmos), who goes by the stage name Just Delia, has always dreamed of becoming a singer but hindered by the “lip-sync only” rule her drag mom Eme (John Lapus) enforces at the bar Drag & Tell which she operates and where she works. Opportunity finally knocks when a TV network launches a singing competition called Idols of the Galaxy. There, Delia goes head to head with other hopeful contestants: heartthrob Raymond (Omar Uddin); bully Phoebe (Chaye Mogg); singing couple Billy (Alfritz Blanche) and Sheryn (Nastasha Cabrera); and awkward power belter Kiki (Shaira Opsimar). When showrunner Sir T (Floyd Tena) rigs the competition in favor of Delia, his new ward is launched into superstardom as Delia D. As she navigates the path to greater success, she realizes that the view from the top is indeed awesome, but can also be lonely as principles and friendships are compromised to reach for a brighter star.

Buruguduystunstugudunstuy (Resorts World Manila)

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Four ladies, one birthdate, each with her own set of problems. Jen (Marynor Madamesila) has been dirt poor all her life and is now, along with her brother Tikmol (Noel Comia Jr.), at risk of eviction from the mountain of trash they call home. Aiza (Kyle Napuli) is constantly bullied at school due to her health condition, the only emotional support she should be getting from her parents coming instead from her dog Murlock. Norma (Tex de Leon) is still not over her ex and drowns herself in liquor as a form of coping mechanism. Girlie (Natasha Cabrera) is a security guard at a shopping mall constantly barraged with unsolicited comments about her marital status now that she is getting older. The four women constantly hear a beating drum to a beat that seems to spell out the strange word “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy”. Soon they are absorbed by a magical portalet and whisked to the land of Parokya, where individuals dare to embrace what they have chosen to remain hidden, in a bid to go back to their own world and, in effect, their own lives.

Ang Huling El Bimbo (Resorts World Manila)

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Covered with newspapers, a woman’s corpse lies motionless in a dark alley. Three men are invited to the police station for questioning. Emman (OJ Mariano), Anthony (Jon Santos), and Hector (Gian Magdangal) have not seen one another for a few decades now and identifying an old friend’s dead body in a morgue is probably not the best venue for a reunion party. As they bicker over unfinished business and grudges past, they can’t help but recall their carefree college days back when they would spend lunch breaks and study sessions at Toyang’s, an eatery run by Joy’s (Tanya Manalang) Aunt Dely (Sheila Francisco) where a young Anthony (Topper Fabregas) becomes the BFF; Emman (Boo Gabunada), the older brother from another mother; and Hector (Bibo Reyes), the love interest harboring a secret crush. As they go on a joyride to Antipolo to celebrate graduation day, what could have been a lovely evening ends in tragedy, and their relationship as friends will never be the same again.

Bituing Walang Ningning the Musical (Resorts World Manila)

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1980’s. Manila. The dominance of the cassette tape is threatened by the sudden arrival of the compact disc, which many consider to be the future of music consumption. But this does not bother diehard fan Dorina Pineda (Monica Cuenco), because she will buy whatever music superstar Lavinia Arguelles (Cris Villonco) produces regardless of its format. Manager cum boyfriend Nico Escobar (Mark Bautista) thinks her matinee idol girlfriend should expand her repertoire by singing ballads in addition to her dance music, but she thinks that the shift in style would mean losing her fan base. Their creative differences eventually take its toll on their personal relationship. After seeing Dorina perform as a singer at a sing-along bar, Nico entertains the idea of launching her as a balladeer for his very own recording label. Lavinia is not really open to the idea of her once wide-eyed fan now becoming her rival, and makes sure that she does everything in her power to remain on top. In the glitzy world of showbiz where the quest for fame and stardom could tear a person apart, is there really a place for a love that conquers all?

The King and I (Resorts World Manila)

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Based on a novel based on the diaries of Anna Leonowens (Menchu Launchengco-Yulo), this musical tells the story of a British woman who arrives in Bangkok with her son in the late 1800’s to play governess to the children of then reigning Thai monarch, King Mongkut (Nonie Buencamino). Set within the glittering confines of the royal palace, this onstage rendition is characterized by the constant friction between Anna and the King mainly brought about by their belief systems influenced by the different cultures from which they have been brought up. A love angle is also suggested all throughout the play, but just lingers in the background and is not pursued. This material has had several incarnations, including several movies, of which that one with Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat is well-remembered. The onstage version adds music and choreography that guarantees an enjoyable experience.

The Sound of Music (Resorts World Manila)

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Sister Maria (Joanna Ampil) does not seem fit to be a nun and is thus sent out of the abbey for a short time to be the governess of an ex-Navy captain’s seven children. Captain George Von Trapp (Jon Joven) is strict and runs his household military style using a whistle with different codes to catch the attention of the person being called. Will Maria’s arrival in the household change the way things are run, or will she find herself going back to the abbey in just a matter of days?

So this is where all those songs came from! There are many of them like My Favorite Things, that song that concerns a female deer and a drop of golden sun, and there is another one with the yodeling, the title of which has just slipped my mind. To tell you the truth, I have not really seen the Julie Andrews version in totality. I just managed to have a peek when it was showing on HBO (or was it Star Movies?) and they were being chased by armed men, which was totally weird because all the while I thought it was all about happy hills, cheerful children, and joyful music. Seeing it onstage for the very first time does send some shivers down the spine, specially with the cast they have assembled to give justice to this particular re-staging.