The grand musical gala to celebrate its milestone golden year, REP: 50 Years of Telling Stories culls Repertory Philippines or REP’s current roster of talents and acclaimed alumni to narrate the theater company’s story – from its beginnings, to its continuing efforts of nurturing the next generation of performing greats.
“REP: 50 Years of Telling Stories encompasses all aspects of theater from the narration, music, choreography, producers, performers, comedians, set designers and directors,” says President & CEO Mindy Perez-Rubio. “It took a team of almost one hundred people to mount this production featuring seven segments with different directors.”
The show is one grand story told through song, dance and visuals with musical numbers from past REP productions such as A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Carousel, Camp Rock, Pippin, Annie, Sound of Music, Jekyll and Hyde, Seussical and Les Miserables.
Opening with a tribute to Zeneida “Bibot” Amador, the performance honors all the REP founders who built the company. It then transitions to the tradition of telling stories that are universal and appealing for every Filipino through choreographers, dancers and actors.
It also flows through the works of writers, musical directors and designers who make “magic” on and off stage, to the directors or the interpreters of the tales who ensure the stories are told well. The audience is also taken behind the scenes to discover the hard work of unsung heroes like production managers, stage managers and the like whose efforts are hardly seen. Another highlight is the telling of stories that educate young theater-goers through Repertory Theater For Young Audiences.
A fitting showcase brings the gala to a close, with young and upcoming Reppers taking over center stage as the veterans hand the baton to the new guards of Philippine theater.
This one-night only musical fittingly celebrates REP’s five decades of developing Filipino talents and staging excellent productions from Broadway and the West End. Bart Guingona serves as over-all director and collaborates with segment directors Jaime del Mundo, Miguel Faustmann, Audie Gemora, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Raymond Lauchengco, Freddie Santos, and Michael Williams as well as musical director Ejay Yatco and writer Luna Inocian.
Theater luminaries and stars including REP co-founder Baby Barredo, REP Artistic Director Joy Virata, Monique Wilson, Franco Laurel, Sheila Francisco, Markki Stroem,Morisette Amon, Pinky Amador, Mitch Valdes, Ayam Barredo-Eckstein, Cara Barredo,Leo Martinez, Cocoy Laurel, EJ Villacorta and many more gather to#ComeHomeToREP.
REP: 50 Years of Telling Stories proves that the theater company will continue to stage the best productions and develop more Filipino talents for years and years to come.
For updates and show schedules, log on to www.repertoryphilippines.ph, like and follow repertoryphilippines on Facebook and Instagram, and follow @repphils on Twitter.
