A refreshing take on ‘Beauty and the Beast’
February 23, 2004 | 12:00am
It’s all about enchantment – trees suddenly coming to life, a beautiful kind-hearted maiden, a beast that doesn’t really look menacing at all but instead seems like a cross between a bulldog and shih-tzu. Like its Walt Disney version, Repertory Philippines’ Beauty and the Beast promises to be a lovable and memorable treat for audiences young and old.
Now being staged at the Ayala Malls (Alabang Town Center and Ayala Center Cebu), one of the world’s well-loved fairy tales has current teen heartthrobs Heart Evangelista and Jodi Sta. Maria alternating as the feisty Beauty, while stage veteran Niccolo Manahan essays the role of Beast. The musical is directed by Joy Virata, with Jaime del Prado as choreographer.
Watching an excerpt recently, one couldn’t help but notice how Heart gave her, well, heart into the role, while Jodi clearly enjoyed her part and really had fun on the stage. It’s also interesting to note that Heart portrayed Beauty in a more reserved, almost shy – mahinhin as they say – way, while Jodi’s attack was more spunky and funky, reminiscent of Beauty in the famous Walt Disney version.
Both actresses, who have no prior theater experience before this (except for Heart who used to perform in school plays), agree that they enjoyed everything and are not closing their doors on future theater performances.
"The most enjoyable part of it all is making friends with thespians. They’re fun to be with and are very supportive," says Jodi who is well-known for her television drama series such as Pangako Sa ‘Yo and Tabing Ilog. She is also a regular co-host on Magandang Tanghali Bayan and has appeared in movies, like Anak, Jologs and Bagong Buwan, among others. She was also named Parangal ng Bayan Most Promising Young Actress in the 1990s and Most Promising Female Star of 2002. With such recognition, Jodi ironically admits to getting scared during the musical’s singing parts. But she does sing and does it quite well, too.
As for MYX Veejay Heart, who was Awit Awards’ New Female Recording Artist for 2003, Ivan Entertainment’s Celebrity Endorser of the Year and Asia-Pacific Young Achiever, she learned discipline and responsibility when she stepped on the stage. "We all know the discipline in theater is so different from film and I’m so thankful I was given this chance to improve my craft via this performance," she enthuses. "In theater, we learned how to be responsible for our lines and songs, as well as get used to the quick pacing and learn time management."
Of course, the whole musical would come to naught if both actresses didn’t have good rapport with their leading man, Niccolo, whose theater experiences include playing Tiresias in Antigone, Armand in Once on This Island, Orgon in Tartuffe, among others.
"Unlike the angst-ridden Beast, who wanted to hide from the world in the animated version, the Beast I’d like to portray here is that of a confused individual who is not mad at the world. It wasn’t his fault that he became the Beast and is in fact trying to reach out so he’d understand himself and his situation," says Niccolo. He added that he watched lots of episodes of Sesame Street to prepare for this performance.
Like other roles requiring prosthetics or masks, Niccolo confesses that it’s quite difficult wearing the huge Beast mask, but he had fun. And as expected, kids who have watched him in the musical would often come up to him and call out "Bulldog!"
"It’s good because they didn’t get scared and even enjoyed watching the Beast," he says.
Director Joy Virata only have praises for her actors, saying that Jodi and Heart were all professionals and "didn’t act like stars at all." Perhaps the most difficult thing they had to deal with, she adds, was to have them get used to bigger movements needed for theater performances. "It was nice working with them. They were able to motivate themselves successfully and imbibed the energy required of Repertory actors," she says.
An abridged Le Prince de Beaumont version, this year’s Repertory Philippines’ production of Beauty and the Beast held its Ayala Center performances last weekend to an appreciative audience. The series continues at the Alabang Town Center on Feb. 27 to 29 with performances at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m.. Then, it’s off to Ayala Center Cebu on March 5 (4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.), March 6 (11 a.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.), and March 7 (11:30 a.m., 3 p.m., 6:30 p.m.).
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