Cory and Ninoy live again in restaging of acclaimed stage musical

ALVAREZ (WITH AQUINO, RIGHT). Reprises memorable performance as the beloved former president.

In 1966, the Beatles performed in Manila during the Marcos regime. That same year, John Lennon was quoted by the US teen magazine, Datebook, to have said that the Beatles had become “more popular than Jesus Christ.”

We recall this statement only because research findings reveal that the Sex Bomb Dancers have become more popular than Ninoy Aquino.  Former Education Secretary Jesli Lapus divulged that research indicated that many of the youths interviewed didn’t know who he was or only referred to him as the man on the P500 bill, but they were all familiar with the dancers.

In a blog by Carlo “Wauks” Ople, he shared, “I’m only 26 years old, and I come from a political family—yet, I’m not fully aware of what Ninoy was all about. All I know is that he ‘died’ for the country.”

Carlo did some research and found a video of Ninoy on YouTube, which “woke” him up: “It was his last interview, before he boarded the plane back to Manila, where he was eventually shot. Bottom line: We need to teach the youth to give a damn about this country and not to tell them that the good life is outside the Philippines. We have to find Ninoy in our hearts, and we need to start believing, as Ninoy did, that the Filipino is worth dying for.”

Reactions

His blog generated a lot of reactions. We like the one from a certain MM that said, “I don’t know much about Ninoy, except that he’s Kris’ dad and that he was shot at the airport. At school, they don’t talk much about him. Ninoy fought the Marcos administration. I admire his courage to stand up to a powerful man. I wish Filipinos would appreciate him more.”

This comes to mind now that “Cory, the Musical,” that iconic original Filipino stage production on the life and times of Cory Aquino and her husband, Ninoy, will be restaged on Ninoy’s death anniversary (he was gunned down on Aug. 21, 1983).

EXCITING Edsa scene from “iconic” production.

Friends ask, “Who hasn’t seen the musical in 2008, when Cory was still alive? Is there still an audience out there that appreciates Ninoy and Cory’s tremendous legacy?”

“This is precisely why we are restaging ‘Cory, the Musical,’” states the indefatigable Mrs. Lourdes “Bing” Pimentel, whose Buhay Isang Awit Foundation is behind the Aug. 20-21 production at Meralco Theater, with masterful script and direction by Nestor Torre.

Story

The musical topbills Isay Alvarez as Cory, Sherwin Sozon as Ninoy, Robert Seña as Marcos, Pinky Marquez as Imelda, Tommy Abuel as The Reporter, and Lou Veloso. Songs composed by Pimentel dramatically and movingly relate the story of Ninoy and Cory.

For tickets, call Marichelle Torres of St. James College at 926-3930 for the 2:30 p.m. matinee on Aug. 20; Clarisse or Maelyn at 882-0678 loc. 307 for the 7:30 p.m. show on Aug. 20, and Isabel Hillerstam of Noble Life International at 0922 843-8397 for the 8 p.m. show on Aug. 21.

Premiere Sponsors—Aug. 21, 8 p.m. show, Noble Life International. Aug. 20, 2:30 p.m. show, St. James College System, I. Ackerman & Co. Inc., Memorial Foundation Inc.

Major Sponsors—Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Aboitiz Group of Companies.

Sponsors—Megaworld, Mayor Antonino Calixto, Mayor Alfredo Lim, Meralco and National Bookstore.