‘Rama Hari’ cast seeks support for local theater

KARYLLE and Christian Bautista

Why are few people watching local theater productions?

For the cast of this year’s staging of the pop ballet musical “Rama Hari,” this is because people are just not fully aware of the ingenuity of Philippine theater.

At the production’s recent press preview, actor-singer Christian Bautista, who plays the lead male role Rama, said “people don’t know that something like this actually happens. We just need to spread the word. They’ll be hooked and become instant fans [of theater].”

Theater Actors Guild (TAG) president and Sita alternate Kalila Aguilos echoed Christian’s thoughts, saying that there’s “a vacuum of information.”

“Misconceptions about theatre come from the fact that nobody watches,”  she  pointed out. “People favor western productions—which isn’t a bad thing—but they tend to judge Filipino productions because they aren’t informed.”

“We want to encourage the people to support and help the industry,” she said.

Main Sita actress Karylle, meanwhile, said: “We’ve been complaining so much about the state of entertainment. For us, we’re just doing what we can and be positive about it.”

Not elitist

Karylle added that people shouldn’t be daunted by the theater. She doesn’t believe the notion that theater is elitist, and can only be appreciated by the cultured.

“It’s for everyone,” she stressed. “Going to the theater is like a huge field trip for me. It’s just a matter of getting used to getting there on time, turning off the phone, etc.”

Produced by Ballet Philippines, “Rama Hari” is based on the “Ramayana,” an Indian literary epic. The ballet musical was set to the music of Ryan Cayabyab. National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera penned the libretto, while National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal took charge of the set and costume design.

Healthy competition

Asked if she believed that the influx of foreign productions should be limited, Karylle said that balance was important. “I hope producers of foreign shows could also do local shows. They’re earning so much, so maybe they can shell out money for local productions!” said the 31-year-old singer-actress.

“Everybody’s welcome,” Christian added. “But I also want to encourage producers to support local productions to achieve balance and foster healthy competition.”

“Rama Hari” was first staged in 1980 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), with OPM icons Basil Valdez and Kuh Ledesma as lead actors. Do Christian and Karylle feel the pressure of having big shoes to fill?

“I like to think of it as a tribute to the original ensemble in 1980. Their creativity was big as their hair and shoulder pads,” Karylle said. “They were gutsy and exaggeratedly creative.”

Christian, on the other hand, said that more than the pressure, it’s the drive to showcase the artistry of Filipinos that fuels him. “We want to show that Filipinos are immensely talented when it comes to dance, music and literature,” he said.

Directed and choreographed by Ballet Philippines founder Alice Reyes, “Rama Hari” is set to have 10 performances from November 30 to December 9 at the CCP Main Theater.