Mark Bautista fulfills dream of doing ‘Noli’

Kapuso singer-actor Mark Bautista had always wanted to portray Jose Rizal in a movie. Now, if in a roundabout way, he fulfills this dream by playing Crisostomo Ibarra in Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Noli Me Tangere,” a musical version of Rizal’s incendiary novel.

Mark sees Ibarra as Rizal’s alter ego. “He is a dreamer and a fighter. He dares speak of change, and challenges the government,” Mark tells the Inquirer.

First whistle-blower

Joining a year-long celebration of Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary, “Noli” allows the young to rediscover the national hero, says Nanding Josef, Tanghalan artistic director. “We want the youth to look at Rizal as the original whistle-blower who exposed abuses of the ruling elite,” Josef says.

Mark is both nervous and excited about this, his first foray into theater. “I’m the only first-timer in the cast,” he sheepishly admits. “Even my young co-stars (like Cris Villonco, as Maria Clara) have done lots of plays.” The last time he was in a theater production was in school. “I took part in a Cebuano play with the Pasundag group at the Cagayan de Oro College,” recalls Mark, who was an architecture student before joining the singing contest “Star for a Night” (which Sarah Geronimo won) eight years ago. “But I only worked backstage.”

This time, Mark takes center stage as the lead in a major musical. He shares the role with fellow “Party Pilipinas” (GMA 7, Sundays) mainstay Gian Magdangal.

Handlers supportive

Mark explains, “My manager, Veronique del Rosario and I agree that I need to experience theater to grow as an artist. I was encouraged by Mr. C (Ryan Cayabyab, who composed the music) and Audie (Gemora, the director) to do it.” And when Mark learned that Audie previously played Ibarra in the 1990s, Mark made sure to watch a video of that production.

Mark’s handlers were so supportive, Josef notes, that they squeezed the two-month stint into the singer’s GMA 7 schedules and a coming Australian concert tour.

“They really wanted him to do the play,” Josef says “although theater doesn’t pay as much as mainstream show-biz jobs.”

For Mark, the rewards of theater are far more precious. “I’m sure I will learn a lot from the theater veterans about discipline and music,” he says.

“Noli Me Tangere” opens Tanghalang Pilipino’s silver season at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Aug. 5 and runs Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays until Aug. 28.