‘Alamat’

The thing about the title of the recently concluded encore concert of “The Legends and The Classics” is this: It seems otherworldly and mythical. As if the three women at the center of the concert—Cecile Licad, Lisa Macuja and myself—are people only read about in books, or whose histories are passed down orally from one person to the next in the manner of the alamat.

Which couldn’t be further from the truth. If there’s anything all artists are, it’s absolutely, positively, undoubtedly human, tied to their emotions so intimately that expressing them and putting them on display are as natural as breathing. And we three are no exception.

I don’t think there has ever been a union of this kind before: a classical pianist, a classical ballerina and a musical-theater singer/actor. Not here, for sure. Maybe not anywhere.

How it was conceptualized is now a blur to me.  Katrina Legarda is the person that germinated the initial thought … and then Lisa, along with director Roxanne Lapus, ran with it … got in touch with Cecile and myself for the initial March 2012 run … and then, there we all were last weekend at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), mounting it again as part of Lisa’s Swan Song 2013 series.

Swan song

Yes … this is part of Lisa’s swan song, as she will be retiring at the end of this year. It is a fate that awaits every artist of every kind and every color.

That’s the thing about being human. The physical being of every artist will eventually deteriorate … break down … stop working … and leave the earthly plane forever. There is a shelf life to every artist. The end dates vary, depending on the art form; the more physical the form, the shorter the shelf life.

Which is why I can understand Lisa’s desire to produce this unique concert once more: to bring the three of us together and to retire with a bang while still strong and able-bodied.

I remember that point when another artist in my family, renowned ballerina Maniya Barredo, had to put her pointe shoes up for good. The feeling in her toes was going due to a larger nerve that required surgery.

She danced her final “Giselle” at the CCP with many members of our family in attendance to cheer her on. After what seemed like a bazillion curtain calls later (one of them included her mother Grizelda going onstage to give her a long embrace, which got us all bawling), her career as a dancer was done … but her career as a teacher and director was only just beginning. Maniya—still lithe and graceful—serves as artistic director of Metropolitan Ballet Theater in Alpharetta, Georgia (not far from Atlanta), and not long ago directed “Romeo and Juliet,” staged at the CCP Main Theater. Gerard was the musical director and conductor. (Talk about keeping things in the family! Maniya’s mom and my mom are sisters.)

Watching an artist begin anew is nothing short of inspiring, as it assures me that there is life beyond performing, beyond standing on a stage in front of an audience and singing.

At the age of 42, I am now in a state of maintenance; always trying to make sure my physical being remains strong enough to continue a high standard of performance. However, in the back of my mind, I know that this, too, will end, and that my efforts will not be good enough.

It’s something all three of us face.

Lisa has had numerous surgeries throughout her career and has already been told that she must retire, or face permanent damage to the cartilage in her ankles. Cecile, I can only imagine, must feel a lot of the weight in her fingers, arms and shoulders. (Gerard likened her physical efforts to having to sound like “a very heavy man” when she plays the piano.) I have to stave off bacterial infections in my throat and lungs, and stay far, far away from anyone battling a cold, the flu, or a cough. What is innocuous to one is a death sentence to another.

However, mortality is still far enough away. And while it is, we shall continue to plug away, for as long as we can. And hope that our audiences are happy as a result.

Truly, it has been such a privilege sharing the stage with two of the most talented, down-to-earth, funny, crazy, amazing humans I’ve ever met. Add to that an entire ballet company, a master cellist, a monster conductor, a world-class orchestra and a dedicated and tireless production and artistic team, everyone hell-bent on putting on the best concert of its kind these shores have ever seen. Thank you for allowing this fellow human the opportunity to be a part of “The Legends and The Classics.”

To our audiences throughout the years, for all your support and love for the performances we have given, thank you. We hope you extend that same love and support for the many other artists who inhabit our shores … the singers, dancers, musicians, actors, designers, painters, sculptors, animators.

The artistic forces in this country are numerous and mind-blowingly incredible. It is understandable that, as far as government is concerned, the arts are not a priority, but when you have a country that produces people like Cecile and Lisa, and many, many more like them, how can it not be?

I fear that the next few generations will not get to see artists like them perform up close and in person, and at that same level of greatness … that support for the arts in general will dwindle into nothingness … and that artists will be nothing more than mga alamat, whose existence is the stuff of stories and myth.

I really, really hope I’m proven wrong.