THE BOY FROM BANTAY Heads For East To Edinburgh
Performances run July 22-25.
By: Stephi Wild Jul. 02, 2025
Jeremy Rafal will present The Boy from Bantay for three nights at New York's East to Edinburgh 2025 before heading to Scotland.
It's a great chance to get a sneak preview of a solo autobiographical production that brings together music, storytelling (and a host of cartoon favourites) before it heads to the world's largest performing arts festival - the Edinburgh Fringe.
As a boy growing up in the Philippines Jeremy had few links to the wider world - until his dad bought a TV and he discovered cartoons.
With no cell phones, home computers, internet or social media this was something truly amazing.
Jeremy adored them all - Bugs Bunny, The Smurfs, ThunderCats, He-Man. But it wasn't just their adventures which caught his imagination, it was the music.
As a result he learned the piano, becoming even more passionate after the family moved to Hawaii, and eventually earning a place on one of the world's most prestigious classical piano programmes, Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
He has gone on to perform worldwide, has collaborated with many artists and, most recently, composed an opera called Standing Above Pajaro inspired by the Watsonville riots in the 1930s against Filipino migrant workers.
But life has been far from straightforward. Aged 10 Jeremy was left devastated by the death of his brother in an accident.
The Boy From Bantay follows Jeremy's life, its successes and struggles and introduces some of the people who have influenced him along the way.
Jeremy said: "New York makes a major contribution to the Edinburgh Fringe and I'm delighted that the Boy from Bantay is part of this amazing showcase of shows that are heading to Scotland for 2025.
"Cartoons led me to become a concert pianist, they were a huge part of my childhood. But while the story I'm telling is unique to me, there is something for everybody - music, nostalgia, comedy.
"You'll meet some quirky characters like my family, piano teachers and friends.
"If you were once a kid, you'll relate to this show. If you had struggles growing up, there's plenty for you."
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