Review Roundup: LORENZO, A New Rock Musical
By: Lee Cundangan Sep. 11, 2013
"Lorenzo" revolves around the themes of faith as a powerful virtue and how it strengthens one to be undaunted in the midst of obstacles. It is a play within a play: It tells the story of Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, who escapes to Japan and dies for his Christian faith--in the early 1600s; the saint's life story is placed side by side with the modern-day story of Laurence, an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) imprisoned in the Middle East, who faces imminent execution.
The play stars Lorenz Martinez (Lorenzo Ruiz) and Poppert Bernadas (Lorenzo Ruiz understudy), OJ Mariano (Laurence), Juliene Mendoza (Fray Antonio), Shiela Valderrama and Mayen Estanero (Rosario Ruiz), Terence Guillermo (Lazaro), Rhenwyn Gabalonzo (Fr. Vicente), Miguel Mendoza (Fr. Miguel), Brylle Mondejar (Fr. Guillaume), Camille Lopez-Molina (Reporter) and Celine Fabie (Reporter understudy), Noel Rayos (Rodrigues) and Brezhnev Larlar (Carvalho). The ensemble includes King Rupert Alvarez, Aaron Ching, Philip Deles, Raul Montesa, Noe Morgado, Enrhil Serguino, Melanie Dujunco, Jenny Garcia, Andrea Fe Padilla, Cristy Peredo, Allen Orolfo, Aeriel Janelle Yu, Dan Raphael Albis and the Saint Benilde Romancion Dance Company.
Nonon Padilla is director; Gino Gonzales is production designer; Dingdong Fiel is musical director; Jon Jon Villareal is lighting designer; and Christine Crame is choreographer.
Let us see what the critics had to say:
Jude Cartalaba, BroadwayWorld.com: Composer and arranger Ryan Cayabyab and musical director Dingdong Fiel create a superb brand of music for this rock opera production. In addition, having Paul Dumol, Juan Ekis and Joem Antonio on board as writers makes this production a must-see.
Gino Gonzales, the show's production designer, depicts a mood that represents all the dreams of OFWs through the pile of balikbayan boxes used as a wall, which imprisons most of the characters in the play and intertwines Lorenzo Ruiz and Laurence's life stories.
Directed by Nonon Padilla, the play--some parts may be dragging--makes the life of Lorenzo Ruiz relevant to today's Filipino audiences.
Jen Chuaunsu, Pep.Ph: The "musical-within-a-play" structure is novel and interesting. The parallels between Laurence's and Lorenzo's lives are clearly seen. However, the juxtaposition between Lorenzo Ruiz' life and the lives of OFWs seems a bit forced. The musical's take on the current OFW situation is not clear.
There are a lot of Japanese elements from the Noh-inspired costumes, movement and music, to the manga comics projected on screen, the zentai suit (skin-tight garment that covers the entire body) worn by one of the dancers, and even the huge awesome robot that appears on stage.
Production designer Gino Gonzales' Noh-inspired costumes are works of art. Outrageous and artistic, the costumes are a mix of modern and traditional elements. The villains wear grand flowing robes and exaggerated Lady Gaga-like shoulder pads. The masks, heavy make-up and covered faces of the Japanese characters make them seem imposing...
Lorenz Martinez has the difficult job of playing Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. He showcases the gamut of conflicting emotions San Lorenzo must have felt. OJ Mariano gives a powerful portrayal of a prisoner on death row. There are times where he is just watching the unfolding "musical" of Lorenzo's life from one side of the stage, yet he maintains his strong stage presence. Some of the actors who gave stand-out performances include Terence Guillermo as Lazaro the leper; Sheila Valderrama as Rosario, Lorenzo Ruiz' wife; and Noel Rayos as the villain Rodrigues.
Lorenzo is a paradox. Historically accurate and yet highly imaginative, conventional but also stylized, religious and yet irreverent as well, Lorenzo is as intriguing as the man himself.
Katrina Stuart Santiago, GMANetwork.com: What this play has is a lack of control.
That is, the Japanese references are too much and don't really work, including the sudden appearance of a screen that projects comics illustrations of the possible crimes that Lorenzo committed in Manila--an effort at going all "Rashomon" on us. To say that it was an epic fail is an understatement.
Though maybe the biggest pop culture reference fail is that of the Voltes V that appears out of nowhere for reasons that are beyond one's comprehension. And have I told you about how the rock 'n' roll would turn heavy metal, if not punk rock, the moment it was the Japanese singing and criticizing Christianity? How's that for subliminal messages?
But maybe the only things worse than the portrayal of the Japanese here, as well as the thoughtless intertextuality, is the way in which we are made to imagine crisis and undoing, and the final conversion, to happen.
We are not allowed to imagine it. Because when they have Lorenzo struggling with his burden, they actually give him a burden. That is, they make him wear a bright orange human-shaped stuffed doll on his back, which the poor actor had to dance with, while he also danced with a human version of that doll, wearing the same orange outfit.
Because every moment that speaks of Lorenzo's or Laurence's conscience or innermost struggles came with a dance number. That is, dancers would walk in and dance to explain to us all what the characters are thinking. That the choreography had no rhyme or reason just made the presence of these dancers even more irrelevant; interpretative dance is just too ... "That's Entertainment" for comfort here.
All these made for a production that might have had as goal to teach a lesson or two, but really quite ended up with a long-drawn discussion about that lesson or two. It obviously does not make for good theater, and yet these two are not mutually exclusive.
Photos by Jojit Lorenzo
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