Theater Preview: Shows to Watch in Metro Manila This March

(SPOT.ph) We're down to the last month of the first quarter of 2024, signaling the start of what Filipino theater fans are calling this year's "theater extravaganza." The theater calendar is filled with spectacular musicals, and this will continue until April, with other huge productions coming in. So you better free up your weekends because you're in for a treat. 

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Theater Shows, Plays, and Musicals in Metro Manila This March 2024

Pingkian: Isang Musikal

The Philippine stage is set to showcase a gripping narrative of heroism, freedom, and the complexities of revolution through Pingkian: Isang Musikal, produced by Tanghalang Pilipino. The story, deeply rooted in Philippine history, revolves around the life of Emilio Jacinto, also known as Pingkian, during the tumultuous times from the tail end of the Philippine Revolution in 1898 to the onset of the Philippine-American War in 1899.

It stars Vic Robinson as Emilio Jacinto and Gab Pangilinan as Catalina de Jesus. Pingkian: Isang Musikal is penned by Juan Ekis, with music, musical direction, and arrangement by Ejay Yatco. It is directed by Jenny Jamora.

Pingkian: Isang Musikal runs until March 24 at the CCP Blackbox Theater (Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez), CCP Complex, Pasay City. Tickets, which are priced at P1,500, are available through Ticketworld and Ticket2Me.

Betrayal

Repertory Philippines opens its 87th season with Betrayal by British playwright Harold Pinter. It explores the intricate web of relationships, infidelities, and the passage of time through the lives of its three main characters: Emma, Jerry, and Robert, played by second-generation Filipino-British artists Vanessa White, James Bradwell, and James Cooney.

The play delves into the seven-year extramarital affair between Emma and Jerry, with the story unfolding in reverse chronological order, a narrative technique that offers audiences a compelling way to piece together the puzzle of their relationships. It is directed by New York and London-based actor and director Victor Lirio.

Betrayal runs until March 17 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. Tickets, priced from P1,500 to P2,500, are available through Ticketworld.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The Sandbox Collective's staging of the Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is produced in partnership with ABS-CBN, Star Magic, and Teatro Kapamilya. This means that the cast includes Star Magic newcomers, including AC Bonifacio, Krystal Brimner, Shanaia Gomez, Angela Ken, and Jordan Andrews. The musical, which is known for its interactive experience, delves into the lives of six pre-teens vying for the championship title in a spelling bee. It is directed by Missy Maramara.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee runs until March 17 at Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati, Makati City. Tickets, which are priced from P1,900 to P3,300, are available through Ticket2Me.

Limang Daan

Limang Daan is an original full-length ballet directed by Ballet Philippines' Artistic Director Mikhail "Misha" Martynyuk, with a libretto by Moira Lang, and music composed by Erwin Romulo. It is a powerful narrative that intertwines 500 years of Philippine history through the lens of feminism, marking a significant contribution to the country's cultural landscape.

Limang Daan runs from March 8 to 10 at The Theatre at Solaire, Aseana Avenue, Entertainment City, Parañaque. Tickets, which are priced from P600 to P1,500, are available through Ticketworld.

Miss Saigon

Miss Saigon, a 1989 masterpiece by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, narrates the heart-wrenching tale of love and loss set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. It follows Kim (Abigail Adriano), a young Vietnamese woman working in Saigon's Dreamland bar, who falls in love with Chris (Nigel Huckle), an American GI. The GMG Productions staging also casts Kiara Dario as Gigi and Seann Miley Moore as the Engineer.

Miss Saigon runs from March 23 to May 12 at The Theatre at Solaire, Solaire Resort and Casino, 1 Aseana Avenue, Parañaque City. Tickets, which are priced from P2,100 to P8,400, are available through Ticketworld.

Papet Pasyon

Papet Pasyon is a puppet play that narrates the life, passion, and death of Christ. It was first staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1985, and has since been performed every Lenten season by Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas in churches, schools, and other venues. For 2024, Papet Pasyon will be staged at their permanent home at Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Teatro Papet Museo.

Papet Pasyon is scheduled on March 24 (Palm Sunday) with two shows (3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.) at the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Teatro Papet Museo, 64 Mapagkawanggawa Street, Teachers Village, Diliman, Quezon City. Admission is free.

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