WHILE big names in the performing arts made Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) production of the classic musical The Sound of Music a hit, prominent Thomasians in the field of music and fashion were the backbone of the production’s success.
Held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater (NPAT) from Oct. 15 to Dec. 1, the production made audiences reminisce the familiar melodies of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein played live by the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO).
Leading the orchestra was MSO’s principal conductor and musical director Rodel Colmenar, an alumnus of the UST Conservatory of Music, who majored in French Horn.
Although the orchestra pit was not visible to the audience, video footages of the MSO’s actual performance were flashed from time to time on digital screens seen on both ends of the stage.
RWM tweaked The Sound of Music by adding a digital edge to it. The production featured several screens onstage to bear the digital backdrop at the center, while two smaller LED screens were placed at the sides to show alternating live digital feed of the actors and the MSO during their performances.
While the use of digital graphics was a well-received change to the traditional theater set, the introduction of computer-generated backdrops left much to be explored in terms of the quality of the graphics used.
But considering the sensitivity of the simultaneous timing of the actors’ scripts, the live music, and the innovative set—which was a crucial element in pulling off the production—Sound of Music did not disappoint.
Adding novelty to the musical and heightening its visual flair were Thomasian designer Francis Libiran’s creations. The architecture alumnus complemented the strong colors seen on the elaborate set with the subdued tones of his wardrobe. He balanced this with dashes of bright hues seen in the costumes’ era-appropriate details.
The Sound of Music’s world-class cast included Joanna Ampil and Cris Villonco as Maria Rainer, and Audie Gemora, Ed Feist, and Jon Joven alternating as Captain Georg von Trapp. Pinky Marquez and Sheila Francisco took turns in playing the role of Mother Abbess, while Pinky Amador and Lynn Sherman portrayed Baroness Elsa Schraeder. Directed by Roxanne Lapus, Sound of Music had Mio Infante as set designer and television director Paul Soriano as video director. With reports from JILSON SECKLER C. TIU
