Bar Boys: A New Musical is less than a week away from its second run this 2024. The Barefoot Theatre Collaborative production is having a five-week run from October 4 to November 3, 2024, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight, Circuit Makati.
If the title sounds familiar, that's because it was first produced as a film directed by Kip Oebanda in 2017. It previously starred Enzo Pineda, Carlo Aquino, Kean Cipriano, and Rocco Nacino as a group of legal management graduates going through the highs and lows of law school. The 2024 musical adaptation in the May and October staging stars Benedix Ramos (as Erik), Alex Diaz (as Chris), Jerom Canlas (as Torran), Omar Uddin (as Josh), and Sheila Francisco (as Justice Hernandez).
Pat Valera, who created the adaptation's book and lyrics, is once again co-directing alongside Mikko Angeles; Myke Salomon, who's also the musical's composer, returns as musical director; and Jomelle Era is still in charge of movement direction.
Before the production moves to the stage of Power Mac Center Spotlight, Esquire Philippines dropped by their rehearsal space in Quezon City for a quick chat with the creative team of Bar Boys: A New Musical.
Esquire Philippines: Was it intentional to have a short run for Bar Boys: A New Musical a few months ago, with the projection of having a longer run in the same year?
Pat Valera: Well, the first intention really was something that we initially called a workshop run. In Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, we want to create original works, but we want to be patient, respectful, and humble about how we create things. So, instead of going big and putting everything into it, we first wanted to do a workshop run. And the ideal space for that one would be a black box [theater], with the first intent versus what we saw last time, it would have been more bare. But no, as stakes and possibilities came along the way, it had maybe its small version of a run. Because it's something new, we thought of having a longer run later on, but it was all dependent on what the first one would be. Naka-park itong date na 'to, but if the first one was not good, then definitely wala ito. We'd take our time and restructure it and do a lot of things. But it's not to say that in the near future or in other possibilities of this one, we won't dissect it again.
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Bar Boys features Omar Uddin (as Josh), Benedix Ramos (as Erik), Jerom Canlas (as Torran), and Alex Diaz (as Chris). PHOTO: May Celeste/Courtesy of Bar Boys
So, are you thinking of more reruns for this one?
Valera: Oo. We want to create a lot of work, and we want to allow it to grow in fair stages. Like small first, and then maybe in a bigger space, bigger theater, and then the biggest possibility. Di ba sa States merong incubation period even before it goes off-Broadway, before it goes to regional, before it finally goes to Broadway? Wala tayong gano'n. We want to mimic that in a way that we get to grow and learn and relearn again and again for that one.
But I doubt if it's gonna be a rerun in the future because there's no such thing as a rerun, at least for us in Barefoot. Every opportunity, every reshowing, or every day is a possibility for growth.
Even when Mula sa Buwan came out noong 2016, it was then called Mula sa Buwan: A New Musical. Now, it's Bar Boys: A New Musical. And it will become a musical or something in its next iteration. We don't believe in reruns, palaging may bago [or babaguhin]. And I heard in a podcast that theater is unfinished business, so things could always be better each and every time.
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Pat Valera: In Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, we want to create original works, but we want to be patient, respectful, and humble about how we create things.
What are the advantages of having that format?
Valera: I'll speak as a Barefoot producer. It's economical because sometimes you want to open it with a big and mega-production. And then you can't fix it anymore, or you can't attack it anymore because the first thing that needs to be good and clear is the story.
And here, because we're in a black box, we have a lot of things. We have time to consider stories, the songs, and the movements before we invest in something bigger and greater. We can interrogate it, and we can refine it better and more quickly. Pero pag natayo mo na lahat ng mga set, nagawa mo na lahat ng mga bagay-bagay, ang hirap na baguhin ng mga kwento, lalo na kung kabit-kabit na siya, ang hirap na mag-revise. So I think a good couple of years to fix the story and the core of it is the advantage of that one.
Jaypee Maristaza/Courtesy of Bar Boys
What are the significant changes we'll see in this run of Bar Boys?
Valera: With the text, not so much. There are cuts and additions na nando'n, but it's not as much. Siguro mahirap siya tawagin na rerun kasi anlapit lang niya from the last one, but it doesn't mean na wala kaming mga ina-address.
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The things that we address aren't even text. It's how to pair it with our times or how to give more depth to the characters because of our understanding and learning.
Nakakapanghina ng loob na 'yung gusto namin, 'yung tinatapat namin na society at realidad five months ago is totally different now, just five months after. Wala pang Alice Guo, wala pang Quiboloy, wala pang drama ng presidente, wala pang mga lawyers at lahat na ganyan. It got worse five months in and we can't be blind to that.
Mikko Angeles: Sa text, mas dun sa flavor. Talking with Myke and collaborating with Jomelle, [there are] limits [with] the space. As mentioned by Pat, dahil nga black box siya, ito lang siya. And because of the nature of the staging, na-traverse siya, paano natin made-develop yung storytelling in terms of visual? Kasi yun yung importante and hindi natin mabibigay lahat ng hinahanap ng mata ng audience kung nasa black box lang tayo. 'Yun 'yung mga number one na in-address namin is how do we elevate the text more in terms of stage, in terms of movement, in terms of music? Yun yung mga in-address, along with the character arcs, along with the trajectories and such. Basically, for the clarity of the story.
Feeling ko hindi siya that much of a change, but rather much of an effect. Dahil mas malinaw na siya ngayon, mas clear siya sa amin, mas magiging clear sa audience, at magdo-draw niya na attention to a larger scale.
What was the process in terms of the musical composition?
Myke Salomon: Initially, sumuporta ako doon sa writers, sa playwright. Nag-start siya with the story and the scenario. So from there, nag-general graph kami ng ano, paano namin ikukwento 'yung Bar Boys ways from top to bottom at kung ano man yung nakalagay na glorious mysteries at sorrowful mysteries sa gitna. May blueprint and from there, doon na kami nag-graph kung ano 'yung gusto naming mangyari at kung ano man 'yung production numbers at kung ano 'yung mga solo numbers and all. Ang saya pa nang mag-graph ng sarili mong musical because you can do anything. There [are] no rules as long as it's connecting to the audience.
Jaypee Maristaza/Courtesy of Bar Boys
Given that process, what was the core of the movement?
Jomelle Era: [Movement is] very, very visual. Pero ako personally, gusto ko kasi 'yung intimate staging, yung paggamit ng movement para magkaroon ng attack sa senses, 'yung pagtawid ng katawan at yung pakiramdam sa mga tao. So hindi lang siya para makabuo ng shape, pero makadagdag do'n sa pagkwento mismo. Ano yung nararamdaman sa loob na eksena? Paano yun lumalabas, sumisingaw sa katawan? Paano nararamdaman ng audience? And then from there, i-assess ko yung tool na meron ako, which is the bodies of my actors. Ano 'yung meron sila? Ano yung capacity nila? Ano 'yung level nila? How do they tell the story? Napaka-importante kung paano sila magkukwento at yung kwento nila, yung danas ng katawan nila, paisa-isa kapag pinagsama-sama mo yun at kiunwento namin sabay-sabay, 'yun 'yung malaking nakikita natin. 'Yun 'yung picture, 'yun 'yung mensahe, 'yun 'yung kwento na kinukwento namin.
Valera: If I can share...sa akin 'yung text, kay Myke yung tunog, and then kay Jomelle 'yung galaw, Mikko yung direction. Kukunin namin 'yun isa-isa, tapos papaginipan namin. Tapos meron kami mga sariling-sariling epiphanies toward it. And then, pagkagising namin, pag-uusapan namin, 'Ano yung napanaginipan mo? Subukan nating pagdikit-dikit kung iisa ba ang patutunguhan ng panaginip na 'to.'
PHOTO: Kris Rocha/Courtesy of Bar Boys
What is Bar Boys Musical for you?
Era:Bar Boys for me is a movement. Parang meta-meta siya, pero it's a movement. It's moving toward something brighter, na mag-hope para sa kung anuman yung meron tayo sa gulo ng Pilipinas na meron tayo ngayon. How do we move forward without leaving anything behind, bringing that thing, yung danas mo, papunta sa patutunguhan mo? So yung paggalaw, 'yun siya para sa akin. 'Yung paggalaw natin, sama-sama.
Valera: It's about accepting that the future is uncertain. We are uncertain about our lives. We are uncertain about our country. Uncertain about what will happen to our politics. We'll never know if we'll ever meet justice or if things will truly be better. But we can never know if we never try, if we give up. So it's about facing that uncertainty but still taking the step and with a belief and hope and faith that you know that it's possible to happen if you do something today.
Salomon:Bar Boys is an endurance kit for me. Isa siyang kahon na andon lahat ng kailangan mo para magpatuloy and lumaban in this day and age. Malungkot ka, makikinig ka ng awitin. Nag-aaral ka, makikinig ka ng awitin. Nagta-travel ka at gusto mo ng kapayapaan sa puso, makikinig ka ng awitin. Para sa akin, isang chance ito para ilagay lahat ng mensaheng ito sa maraming awitin na napapaloob sa isang musical. And isa siyang reminder to do something and move forward. Pag wala kang gagawin, you allow other people to prevail. Pero pag merong kang ambag, meron kang galaw, you give yourself a chance to fight.
Angeles:Bar Boys is a reminder of the now. Kasi kung nandun ka sa position na 'yun, meron kang tatlong option: Babalik ka ba? Aabante ka ba? Or magsi-stay ka? And kagaya nga na sabi ni Justice Hernandez sa play, 'move will be better.' Kailangan mong gumalaw.
Bar Boys reminds us of all of these circumstances, and we know these people, we know these characters, what Kip Oebanda has already written and adapted and elevated by music and movement and the staging of the previous from the previous run, kilala natin itong mga tao. Dati natin sila kaklase, teacher natin sila, kaibigan natin sila, kapamilya natin sila, nababasan natin sila sa diyaryo, napapanood natin sila sa TV, nababasan natin sila sa libro, sa history books, kaklase at kamag-aanak ng syota, ng tito, ng tiyahe, ng pinsan mo. Ganong level. Sobrang grounded niya sa Filipino culture at ang hirap ma-alienate ng sarili dahil kwento siya ng sambayanang Pilipino. So, it is an essential viewing for the theater audience.
Jomelle Era: Bar Boys is a movement.
Last question: we're toward the end of a very busy theater season in Manila; how do you feel about this?
Valera: If people say that it's sudden, I beg to disagree. I'm thankful na 'yung mga pinaghirapan ng mga artistang manggagawa ay may kinalabasan, may pinatunguhan. At yung pinaghirapan na 'yun ay tapang, siguro kabaliwan, and panata na pag pinagtrabahuhan natin to, pag ginalingan natin 'to, may manonood sa atin. Ngayon lang ako nag-reflect, oo nga ano? Ang daming nangyari. And then, some even called the theater industry...
Salomon: An industry!
Valera: An industry! Thankful ako na 'yun 'yung naging consequence ng lahat ng mga ginawa ng bawat isang artista na tumulong para mapunta 'yung buong community kung nasaan siya ngayon.
Salomon: 'Yun nga, hindi siya sudden. Ang tagal na namin nandito at nag-imbak kami ng napakaraming semento para lang umabot sa tuktok ng lupa. Hindi man lang sa langit...sa lupa. Humukay kami ng napakalalim para magpundar ng pundasyon. Pwede naman akong umalis ng bansa pero I just believe na dito nakadikit 'yung puso ko sa entablado ng Pilipinas. May ambag kami dito sa pagkwento ng maraming musical [at] plays, and we will take that space so that we can shout our voice.
Era: Dahil sinabi ni Myke 'yung ambag. 'Yung craft natin, ito 'yung paraan natin ng paglaban, ito yung paraan natin ng pag-i-exist, na pagsasabi na nandito kami, na may mga pwede kaming sabihin, may mga gusto kami sabihin, at saka may tinatanim kami hindi lang para sa ngayon, kundi para sa kinabukasan. 'Yung pagtatanim na ito, ang aani din naman nito [ay] tayong lahat, at 'yung mga hindi pa pinapanganak. 'Yung ganda ng pagkakaroon ng teatro, yung ganda ng pagkakaroon ng ganitong craft, napaka-importante niya. And it will always, always be relevant.
Myke Salomon: I just believe na nakadikit 'yung puso ko sa entablado ng Pilipinas.
Valera: At ang dami gusto makinig. Dati parang feeling natin walang gusto pumunta ng teatro o walang gusto makinig, pero maraming gustong makinig.
Angeles: Ako, just grateful. Grateful kasi natatawag na siyang industry. Natatawag na siyang kabuhayan. Sa ibang manonood, akala nila, it's just the actors, it's just those people you see on stage. But little did they know that these companies and these productions provide a living for a lot of artists backstage, offstage. At ang dami talaga, especially with Barefoot, which has had a very busy season this year.
They've given so much job opportunities for these artists on their own departments. And for that, we are grateful and we should be grateful. At para masabi din natin sa lahat nang nagmamaliit sa sining, 'Kaya naman. Kaya naman pala siya. Kaya naman siya itawid bilang kabuhayan.' Mahirap sabihin na may pera kasi malayo pa lalakbayin ng industriya, pero kaya naman pala. Kung kaya siya ng isang kumpanya, sana kaya din siya ng lahat. At hindi yun magagawa kung walang suporta ng mga manonood. Kaya yung revenge theater season na tinatawag this year, win-win situation siya.
Salomon: Parang nagsusulputan 'yung bawat komunidad. Barefoot is a small community and nagta-thrive siya dahil sa isa't isa. It's finding a community because we have strength in telling a story.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Bar Boys: A New Musical runs from October 4 to November 3 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater, Circuit Makati, Makati. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me.
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