'Ampalaya' Musical Premieres at Luce Before Performance in Manila July 15

The musical that brings to another level the combination of theater with original Filipino compositions through Philippines’ first orkestra sin arko (orchestra without bows) in Silliman premiered July 3 at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium.

“Ampalaya the Musical” captures the hearts of audiences across age brackets. It tells of a liveley yet moving story of how the vegetable “ampalaya” (bitter gourd) came about, taking on its outer appearance and bitter taste.

On July 15, “Ampalaya the Musical” will take the spotlight at the main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. (For tickets, contact: [email protected]; (035) 422-4365 or 09173235953.)

The musical creatively packs into every scene the nutritional value of vegetables, and pushes the storyline further to seamlessly infuse real-life stories that depict values of camaraderie, trust, sharing and unity.

Its culmination brings a mixed emotion of sympathy for Ampalaya, the main character, who was bitter about life and had to put up a strong front after her mother left her, and inspiration and hope, for despite what happened, the other vegetables embraced and welcomed her as one with them.

With the support of CCP Kaisa Sa Sining, theater actress Dessa Quesada-Palm directs the musical written by New York-based maestro Michael Dadap, loosely adapted from the children’s book by Augie Rivera, starring many of Dumaguete’s local thespians and singers.

(Read more: “Ampalaya the Musical“)