I admire friends who know what they are good at and know what they want. Even more, I respect those who act and take big leaps to make their dreams happen in this thing called LIFE (Ansis Sy, 2014). My good friends Claudia Fernandez, Ansis Sy and Pertee Briñas, all young professionals, started their own theater company, Dalanghita Productions. To those who are not familiar with dalanghita, it is actually a Filipino fruit similar to a dalandan. (I’m sure you know what a dalandan is. If not, refer to calamansi. It is bigger. *judging you*). Dalanghita is a young company that promises a fresh take on original Filipino musicals.
True enough, in cooperation with Philippine Education Theater Association (PETA), Dalanghita’s first musical production, Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady is 100% fresh and is bound to break some boundaries in the local theater scene. The title itself tickles my curiosity that if this was a book I saw in the bookstore, I’ll buy and read just like that. Well, actually, KPANLL became a graphic novel before it was first penned in 2013 for the 9th Virgin Labfest by the same artist and author, no other than Carlo Vergara (creator of Zsazsa Zaturnnah). KPANLL The Musical is directed by Chris Martinez (I Do Bidoo Bidoo, Kimmy Dora, Temptation Island…Live!) with music by Vincent de Jesus (Himala the Musical, Batang Rizal, Juan Tamad).