'Maxie The Musicale: Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros' set to open on November 9

Click The City

Original Article can be found HERE

The long wait is finally over! A pre-holiday treat is coming soon for all the young and adventurous, the romanticists and idealists and those who simply want to enjoy a beautiful love story between a 12 year-old gay lad who falls in love with a young, handsome police officer.

Since its initial announcement to the local theater scene last December 2012 that the iconic film “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” has been adopted to become a musical, Bit by Bit Company, in cooperation with the PETA Theater Center and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, proudly brings to the stage “MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS,” a coming-of-age musical about a gay teen who is torn between his love for a young cop and his loyalty to his family.

Based on Michiko Yamamoto's screenplay “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” (ufo Pictures, 2005), “MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS” features book and lyrics by Nicolas B. Pichay, music by William Elvin Manzano, JJ Pimpinio, and Janine Santos, and direction and choreography by Dexter M. Santos.

Since the beginning of 2013, a series of tough and rigid audition processes and ‘call backs’ were held to search for the boy and the cop who will essay the roles of Maxie and Victor respectively along with the other roles in the musicale. At the end of summer, a ‘newcomer’ was finally chosen as Maxie but it had to take another month when the role of Victor was given to a theater actor/singer and TV commercial model.

Last August, a hip and energetic kick-off launch aptly titled “Patikim ng Shlight” was held at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The audience loudly cheered the 30-minute excerpt from “MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS.”

Bagging the plum lead role of Maxie is Jayvhot Galang, a 14 year-old resident of Sta. Ana, Manila who loves to sing and belt like celebrity singer Whitney Houston. He has joined a lot of singing competitions in various barangays and in a reality-search TV show. Without any previous theater experience, coupled with a very tough challenge that lies ahead for this role of a lifetime, Jayvhot joined the PETA Summer Acting Workshop (April-May 2013). In the last five months, his rigid schedule is a happy balance between attending classes in high school, aerobics exercises, dance classes and voice lessons under the tutelage of Janine Santos, a classical opera singer.

In “MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS,” Jayvhot will bring to life the young and innocent character of Maxie, a 12-year-old effeminate gay boy who lives in the slums with his father and brothers who are petty thieves.

Maxie behaves like a girl, wears clips in his hair and bangles on his wrists and even wears lipstick. He is teased by neighbors and former school friends. His sexuality is, however, fully accepted by his two brothers and by his father. One night he is accosted by two men who attempt to molest him, but is saved by the appearance of Victor. The story will revolve around the conflict between his love for the handsome young police officer and his family's illegal livelihood. And will their friendship develop into a relationship?

Giving Jayvhot their full support as his co-actors are well-respected names in the theater industry namely: Roeder Camañag and Nazer Salcedo (alternating as Paco Oliveros), Jojo Riguerra (Victor Perez), Al Gatmaitan and OJ Mariano (alternating as Boy Oliveros), and Jay Gonzaga (Bogs Oliveros).

The other members of the cast are Aaron Ching (Nar), Nomer Limatog, Jr. (Leslie), Teetin Villanueva (Monique), Eo De Guzman and Merdin Mojica (alternating as Peter), and Greg de Leon (Chief Dominguez).

The ensemble is composed of Ruth Alferez, John Paul Basco, Jules Dela Paz, Irene Delarmente, Elliot Eustacio, Karyl Factora, Jim Andrew Ferrer, Francelle Fetalvero, Al Bernard Garcia, Jeffrey Hernandez, Ronah Rostata, and Christian Velarde.

The band is composed of William Elvin Manzano and Rigil Borromeo (Guitar), Van Quiaong (Keyboard), Jonah Ruiz (Drums), and Allen Mamaid (Bass).

“MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS” shall run from November 9 to December 8, 2013 with shows on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 8pm and matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm. All performances are at the PETA Theater Center, No. 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.

The other members of the artistic team of “MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS” are John Neil Ilao Batalla (Lights Designer), Gino Gonzales (Production Designer), Ohm David (Technical Director), Emman Feliciano (Assistant Director), Stephen Viñas (Associate Choreographer), and Arkel Mendoza (Additional Music).

“MAXIE THE MUSICALE: ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS” is the second offering of Bit by Bit Company which produced the critically-acclaimed run of Dulaang UP’s “Orosman at Zafira” at the SM Mall of Asia Centerstage in February 2011.

Bit by Bit Company is composed of Atty. Darwin Mariano (Executive Producer) and Carlo Miguel Francia (Associate Producer). Assisting them are the rest of the production team, namely: Nicole Andrew Guila (Production Manager), Loraine Macatangay (Stage Manager), Lexie Bartolome (Assistant Stage Manager), Cheska Cartativo (Props Head), Henzy Manalaysay (Props Assistant), Nica Marcelo (Costume Head), Darwin Desoacido (Costume Assistant), Simon Tiukinhoy (Sounds Boardman) and Miggy Panganiban (Lights Boardman).

The marketing and publicity team is composed of Marvin Ray Olaes (Marketing Head), Toots O. Tolentino (Publicist), David Fabros (Photographer), Pow Santillan (Logo Design) and Ron Misayah and Jan Evert Tagle (Graphic Designers).

The screenplay of “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros” was made into a film directed by Auraeus Solito and produced by ufo Pictures in 2005. It was the Philippines’ official entry to the 2007 Academy Awards and has won numerous other awards, including: 2005 Best Film from the Asian Festival of First Films, 2005 Best Picture from the Toronto Imagine Native Film Festival, 2005 Golden Zenith Award for Best Picture from the Montreal World Film Festival, 2006 Best Picture from the Gawad Urian, 2006 Teddy Award and Glass Bear Special Mention from the Berlin International Film Festival, and the 2007 Independent Spirit Award from the IFC Spirit Awards.

Will Maxie ever be the same? Will he ever get his romantic movie ending with the policeman of his dreams? 

Catch Maxie The Musical on December 7 | Saturday | 8PM
Ticket Prices: 1200 (VIP), 1000 (Orchestra) and 800 (Balcony)

For reservations, contact:  Onay 0917.908.0565

Robert / RC Marzan 0922.888.5348
Jayme del Rosario 0927.202.2017
Ma-Ann Alimagno 0917.593.5895

 

Theater version of 'Maximo Oliveros' sees life 'through Maxie's eyes'

By MAC MACAPENDEG, GMA News
Original Article can be found HERE

Jojo Riguerra and Jayvhot Galang star in the theater version of 'Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.' Photos courtesy of 'Maxie the Musicale'

 

The 12-year old lad we loved in the hit 2005 film "Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Oliveros" is back...and who'd have thought that he can belt out a high note?


This November, Bit by Bit Company in cooperation with the PETA Theater Group and the Cultural Center of the Philippines will premiere "Maxie the Musicale," the stage version of the critically acclaimed film about a young effeminate lad who develops a crush on a young cop while staying loyal to his family of criminals.


"It's the movie, but not the movie. Kasi pag movie siya, parang feeling namin sasabihin lang ng audience, bakit kami pupunta diyan, e, mapapanood naman namin siya sa DVD," said librettist Nicolas Pichay.


"Kung ano 'yung nagustuhan natin sa Maxie, nandoon pa rin siya, pero siyempre if you let artists work on an adaptation, they will put in additional insights and stuff like that," he added.


Dexter Santos, the director and choreographer, said the adaptation process from film to stage was exciting because the aspects that the team loved about the film were translated into song and dance numbers.


"It was very, very conscious for everybody that we have to use the power of the theater," he said. "We have to use different kinds of experience—that it's alive and that it's there and it's something that you can really experience."


"Since it's gonna be a musical, there will be a lot of dancing, songs, and it's very, very important—ang minahal niyo sa Maxie [the film] is 'yung kurot ng puso; it's a coming of age film," he added.


The story is set in the streets of Sampaloc, Manila where Maximo Oliveros (Jayvhot Galang) resides with his loving family: father Paco (Roeder Camañag and Nazer Salcedo) and brothers Boy (Al Gatmaitan and OJ Mariano) and Bogs (Jay Gonzaga).


Just like in the movie, Maxie will develop a crush on handsome young cop Victor (Jojo Riguerra), who begins to suspect Maximo's relatives of criminal activities.

 

 


'Through Maxie's eyes'


Despite the musical's being set in a poor community, the set will be a blast of colors from lavender to pink and other hues to embody Maxie's joyful and energetic personality, said Gino Gonzales, the play's production designer.


"Realistically, we're depicting a depressed area. Pero this case, I'm doing it through Maxie's eyes, kung papaano niya nakikita 'yung mundo niya. So, it's really through rose-colored lenses," Gonzales said.


The stage will be multi-level, using the second level and the entrances from both sides of the theater, because of the PETA Theater's small stage.


"So, every nook and cranny ginagamit namin, pati backstage, nandoon 'yung band. Tapos we're creating multi-levels to present the shanties [and] we're connecting them to the balconies," he said. "Meron din akong resistance on my part to do a very realistic set. So, it's a stylized set through Maxie's eyes. It's actually a heart-shaped set, pero puro barong-barong tapos maraming transparencies so you can see what's happening behind it."


Furthermore, Gonzales said, "I'm using screens, parang net material but printed with tabloid images, instead of using mga yero at saka mga kahoy na nabubulok which is typical of how they portray the shanties."


"Kasi, diba ang tabloid world is a good representation of what the world feels like," he added.


It's Jayvhot's time to shine


With his vocal prowess and resemblance to Nathan Lopez, who portrayed Maxie in the film, it's no wonder that Jayvhot Galang, who was discovered via a trending video on the internet, was cast to play the lead role.


"Madali lang naman po 'yung role para sa'kin kasi ayun na po ako. Pero may binabago lang po kasi, ayun nga po, medyo maldita ako, kasi po si Maxie sweet," said the young actor.


"Kasi si Maxie hindi lang po sarili 'yung iniisip niya, iniisip niya rin po 'yung mga taga-Sampaloc o ang nasa paligid niya at hindi siya makasarili—kung anong meron siya, binibigay niya," he added.


The 15-year-old belter from Sta. Ana, Manila has appeared on TV talent shows. He hopes that his theater debut will be his road to stardom, as he has always dreamt of becoming an actor.


"Very challenging kasi first ko sa theater. Hindi naman ako pinapagalitan para lang mapagalitan ng direktor namin—gusto naman po niya na maging magaling ako at balang araw, hindi man ito 'yung time para sumikat ako, baka next show," he said.

Al Gatmaitan, Galang and Jay Gonzaga as the Oliveros brothers

 

 
Getting lost in Sampaloc


It was not the easiest job for William Elvin Manzano, Janine Santos, and JJ Pimpino, the people behind the music of "Maxie," to come up with the perfect songs for the play. But an unplanned visit to Sampaloc helped them.

"Naligaw kami, dumaan kami ng Sampaloc at nakita namin 'yung mga bata na nagkakalkal ng basura, nagdiya-diyaryo-bote tapos nagkakalkal ng mga metal para ibenta nila, nagbabasketbol nang nakahubad at walang pakialam na matamaan nila 'yung mga kotse or whatever," said Santos. "Doon namin naisip na this is how Sampaloc sounds like. It has to be grungy, it doesn't sound Western at all, it has to be very local, it has to be very Pinoy, kung ano 'yung naririning nila sa radyo, nakikinig sila ng Salbakuta, ng Regine Velasquez.


"We made sure na kapag nag-formulate tayo ng kanta, kung ano talaga 'yung katauhan ng Sampaloc, 'yun dapat yung ma-reflect. Na-encompass po namin lahat ng genre ng OPM. Meron kaming kundiman, rap, meron din kaming VST & Company, meron din kaming hiphop, metal, love song, at lullaby. Lahat po talaga dinaanan namin pero we made sure na OPM siya," he added.

 
Catch Maxie The Musical on December 7 | Saturday | 8PM
Ticket Prices: 1200 (VIP), 1000 (Orchestra) and 800 (Balcony)

For reservations, contact:  Onay 0917.908.0565

Robert / RC Marzan 0922.888.5348
Jayme del Rosario 0927.202.2017
Ma-Ann Alimagno 0917.593.5895

 

‘Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros’ soon to become ‘Maxie the Musical’

By Amadís Ma. Guerrero
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Original Article can be found HERE

This early, Peta (Philippine Educational Theater Association) is preparing for “Maxie the Musical,” the stage version of the hit Cinemalaya film “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,” which made waves here and abroad after it was first presented at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
“Ang Pagdadalaga…” is the story of a gay adolescent, Maximo, who falls in love with a handsome policeman, grows up in the process but retains his homosexuality, nurtured by his macho family of petty hoods.

The musical, with libretto by Nicolas Pichay based on the screenplay by Michiko Yamamoto, won’t be staged until November, but already Peta has called for initial auditions at its theater center (behind Quezon City Sports Club).

So for two days recently, young hopefuls auditioned, singing one OPM and one Broadway-West End song and dancing before director-choreographer Dexter M. Santos. 

Auditionees
We chatted briefly with auditionees Jeffrey Hernandez, Chesko Rodriguez, Ruth Alferez, Paulo Rodriguez, and Maybeline Rose Balunsat and her sister Micaela Balunsat. 

Composers JJ Pimpinio, Arkel Mendoza and William Mendoza. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

Jeffrey is taking up Theater Arts at the University of the Philippines and has appeared in Dulaang UP plays like the recent “Collection” and “Orosman at Zafira.” He considers himself more of a dancer. 

Chesko has acted and sang in plays in Metro Manila, and has performed as a stiltswalker (for a moment I heard “streetwalker”) at the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore.

Ruth has done theater, TV and indie films (along with two National Geographic documentaries) and considers herself basically a freelancer. 

Paulo usually plays a contrabida (villain) in GMA teleseryes, which struck me as rather odd as he is soft-spoken and baby-faced. 

Siblings Maybeline and Micaela (13 and 9, respectively) have appeared in telenovelas. Maybeline has also sang in “Talentadong Pinoy.” 

“It was trial-and-error transforming this cult movie into a musical play,” said Santos, the director. “We started from scratch, meetings, brainstorming and then we came up with a team of musicians.” 

Auditionees who want to be part of “Maxie the Musical”. Photo by Amadís Ma. Guerrero

From the start, the filmmakers felt it should be a musical, according to Santos, “and so I told them we would use the power of theater to make it very entertaining, a song-and-dance play.” 

“The moments highlighted in the film are very exciting,” he said. “The first time Maxie falls in love, family, social problems…” And, he added: “The two main characters, Maxie and the policeman, are hard to cast.” 

Three composers
The three composers are Arkel Mendoza, J.J. Pimpinio and William Manzano, who have long been working as a team. Mendoza is the group’s pianist, Manzano plays the guitar and Pimpinio is the singer. Mendoza and Manzano are with Dulaang UP while Pimpinio is from St. Louis University in Baguio City. 

“There were workshops every Saturday,” recalled Mendoza. “Nic (Pichay) would throw us some lyrics and he gave us the liberty to change these, to make them fit into the music.” 

Mazano chimed in, “everything is agreed upon.”

Mendoza observed that “we did not want the music to sound too pop. If we can sum it up, basically what we wanted was to encompass Filipino song history, contemporary Pinoy—from Canseco to Cayabyab and Ely Buendia (Eraserheads).” 

Pimpinio added, “and when Maxie sings, it’s pop-kundiman.” 

“The setting is Sampaloc, Manila, so we strove for kanto (streetsmart) sophistication and class,” Mendoza concluded. “And all the characters sing, even the policemen, even the press. Everybody sings!” 

Catch Maxie The Musical on December 7 | Saturday | 8PM
Ticket Prices: 1200 (VIP), 1000 (Orchestra) and 800 (Balcony)

For reservations, contact:  Onay 0917.908.0565

Robert / RC Marzan 0922.888.5348
Jayme del Rosario 0927.202.2017
Ma-Ann Alimagno 0917.593.5895

 

‘Maxie The Musicale’ –‘It’s the movie but not the movie’

By Cora Llamas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Original Article can be found HERE

Darwin Mariano and Carlo Francia (producers), JJ Pimpinio, Janine Santos and William Elvin Manzano (composers), Nicolas Pichay (playwright and lyricist) and Dexter Santos (director-choreographer)

Curtains will open a month from now, but the buzz has it that theater showbuyers have been lining up for months to get a piece of the action. The main attraction is “Maxie The Musicale,” a stage adaptation of the indie film hit “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.”

 

Jayvhot Galang as Maxie

The Cinemalaya film explores the coming-of-age story of a young gay boy and his crush on a twentysomething police officer. That Maxie, the young hero, comes from a family of petty thieves who are on the radar of the crusading Victor, adds a Romeo-and-Juliet spin to the tale. 

The musical’s cinematic origins and the film’s huge fan following have triggered huge interest for the theatrical production. At the same time, they have also made potential audiences ask: How faithful—or different—will “Maxie The Musicale” be vis-a-vis its source material? 

Darwin Mariano, the musical’s executive producer, quotes playwright and lyricist Nicholas Pichay for an answer: “It’s the movie—and it’s not the movie.”
 
Original choice
Fidelity could be guaranteed by the fact that Pichay was the choice of the original film producers to adapt the movie to the stage. The playwright also consulted with the the movie’s screenwriter, Michiko Yamamoto. Directing the production and providing choreography is Dexter Santos. 

 

JOJO Riguerra (Victor) with Raymond Lee
(producer of “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”)

“We will follow the story,” says Mariano. “But we do want to maximize the fact that it’s now a stage play, and there are a lot of things you can do in the theater and not on film.” 

Among them are 26 musical numbers (so far), consisting of a wide variety of styles from the boisterous “Tabo-Tabo” that has cops and criminals dancing (separately) in the showers of a prison station; the bittersweet “Pelikula” that has Maxie escaping into the fantasy world of film; and the poignant “Love Letter,” where Maxie finally confesses his feelings to Victor. 

What remains intact is the spirit of the movie. “It’s about the loss of innocence,” says Mariano. “All of us have that period in our lives when we see that the world is not perfect, our parents have flaws… The story captures that very well.  The movie is about love, and it’s not about the gay angle. That Maxie is a gay boy is not an issue, but the fact that he happens to belong to a family of crooks. If the main character were a little girl, the movie would have worked as well, I think.”

At the same time, Mariano concedes, “We are benefiting from a time when gay-themed material is not as scandalous anymore as it was years ago.”

Last-minute casting
Jhayvot Galang, the 14-year-old who plays Maxie, is an openly gay boy accepted by his family. His was a last-minute casting that just might spawn a star turn. For months, the producers and artistic team could not find their main hero, until a friend posted on their Facebook wall a video of the young Galang auditioning in a noontime show. What Mariano saw impressed him so much that he tracked the boy’s address to his home in San Andres, Manila, and personally asked him to audition. 

“The minute he sang his first note, we knew we had our Maxie,” says Mariano. Galang was then sent to do the rounds of theater workshops to develop his acting and singing skills. 

Jojo Riguerra, who plays Victor, is a model and a theater actor who has done work for Gantimpala Theater and other companies. Aside from his thespian abilities and attractive features, what sold him to the artistic team was his six-foot height. 

“That was necessary to underline the disparity in the ages of Victor and Maxie,” says Mariano. Santos, who was in New York when they were casting for Victor, did the auditions through Skype. 

Positive response
Rehearsals are in full swing for the Nov. 9 opening, and the songs (by William Elvin Manzano, JJ Pimpinio and Janine Santos) and material are being fine-tuned. Mariano says he wants “a fun show that is movement-heavy… and with humor, power and delicacy.” 

He is happy that many are responding positively to news about the musical. Along with his business associate Carlo Miguel Francia, Mariano has been an active showbuyer of productions such as Dulaang UP’s “Orosman and Zafira” and New Voice Company’s “The Vagina Monologues.” “Maxie The Musicale” is the first show they are producing, and Mariano hopes it won’t be their last. 

“Right now, the economy is good, that’s why theater is growing and the middle class is watching,” he says. Beyond the businessman in him, though, is the dramatic arts buff who regularly trooped to the Cultural Center of the Philippines in his high school and college years to watch plays produced by Tanghalang Pilipino. 

“We have no illusions about being groundbreaking,” Mariano says. “We don’t want to produce Broadway material because there are already many who are doing that. We want to showcase Filipino talent—and we want to produce Filipino material.” 

Catch Maxie The Musical: on December 7 | Saturday | 8PM
Ticket Prices: 1200 (VIP), 1000 (Orchestra) and 800 (Balcony)

For reservations, contact:  Onay 0917.908.0565

Robert / RC Marzan 0922.888.5348
Jayme del Rosario 0927.202.2017
Ma-Ann Alimagno 0917.593.5895