2024 Philippine Theater: A Curtain Call to Excellence
2024 Philippine Theater: A Curtain Call to Excellence
Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
The year 2024 proved to be a landmark year for Philippine theater, with at least five theatrical performances staged every month—peaking at an impressive 13 shows by different theater companies in November. From musicals and full-length plays to stage readings, ballets, film concerts, twin bills, and festivals of one-act plays, theatergoers were consistently spoiled for choice. The only real challenge? Finding enough time and money to keep up with such a fast-paced schedule.
As we reflect on the remarkable moments of the theater scene in the past year, here are some of the highlights that made 2024 an unforgettable year for stage performances, as seen through the eyes of SINEGANG.ph’s resident theater nerd, Allain Brutas.
Musicals derived from Philippine discographies, cinema, and everything in between
If there’s one thing theater excels at, it’s creating musicals from the most unexpected and niche topics imaginable. Following the success of GMG Productions’ Hamilton and the re-staging of Full House Theater Company’s Ang Huling El Bimbo The Musical in 2023, the emergence of new and adapted musicals for Philippine audiences has been non-stop–and for a good reason. It’s no surprise that many theatergoers’ favorites of the past year, including mine, have been musicals that deliver not only unforgettable stories and performances, but also earworm lyrics and compositions.
Among the standout productions is Tanghalang Pilipino’s Pingkian, which brought the inspiring story of revolutionary hero Emilio Jacinto to life. Full House Theater Company’s Buruguduystunstugudunstuy offered a masterful arrangement of Parokya Ni Edgar’s iconic songs in a performance brimming with 90’s and 00’s nostalgia. On the screen-to-stage front, Barefoot Theater Collaborative’s Bar Boys and Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) One More Chance masterfully translated beloved Filipino films by Kip Oebanda and Cathy Garcia-Molina, respectively, into compelling stage productions. Finally, Repertory Philippines’ Going Home to Christmas provided the perfect year-end musical, celebrating the timeless songs of Jose Mari Chan that left its audiences with the true spirit of Christmas.
Tanghalang Pilipino crowned as the National Performing Arts Company for Theater
Tanghalang Pilipino (TP) delivered a monumental announcement during the press preview for their 38th season, as they’ve officially been recognized as the National Performing Arts Company for Theater by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. This title is not only well-deserved but also a testament to their unwavering excellence, evident in my favorite productions of the last two years hailing from their theater company: 2023’s Sandosenang Sapatos and 2024’s Pingkian: Isang Musikal. Their 38th season continued to impress, starting strong with the gripping Balete, which featured what I consider the year’s best male performance in a play by one of TP’s founding members, Nonie Buencamino. The re-staging of Sandosenang Sapatos felt even more vibrant than I remembered, with its stunning costume and makeup design making my second viewing as enjoyable as my first-time watch last year.
For the coming year, my anticipation continues for TP's season closer, Kisapmata, which is set to premiere in March 2025. This adaptation is said to blend both Mike de Leon’s psychological thriller of the same name and Nick Joaquin’s reportage The House on Zapote Street, promising a riveting theatrical experience I do not want to miss.
Beyond their main season lineup, TP’s Actors Company showcased their prowess in the recital performance of Ibon ng Lawa, delivering one of the year’s most compelling ensemble performances. They even made Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull accessible and engaging, proving that a lengthy classic can still resonate when handled right. With their consistently spectacular theatrical releases in the past year, TP solidified their place as a pillar of the Philippine theater worthy of their new title.
Repertory Philippines Finding a New Home in Eastwood Theater
Repertory Philippines (REP) has long been a cornerstone of the local theater scene, consistently bringing Western classics to Filipino audiences and offering accessibility to those who may never see a Broadway or West End production due to budget constraints. For 20 years, REP called the Onstage Theater at Greenbelt 1 its home, but this chapter came to an end in late 2023 with the final performance of Snow White and the Prince, as the venue faced demolition to make way for a new Greenbelt. Despite this significant setback, REP launched their 87th season with a full lineup—their first post-pandemic—exploring themes of love and yearning from a variety of perspectives.
The season opener, Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, became my favorite adapted theater play of the year, featuring remarkable performances by London-based Filipino actors James Bradwell, James Cooney, and Vanessa White. The trio’s on-stage chemistry made the nuances of infidelity strikingly tangible and thrilling. I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change brought every stage of love and relationships to life through quick, humorous sequences with a hint of subtle Filipino flair. My top recommendation of the year, however, goes to Repertory Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA)’s Jepoy and the Magic Circle, an entertaining and educational musical that highlighted Philippine folklore. Notably, the show also marked REP’s transition to their new home at the Eastwood Theater, symbolically bridging the gap between their past and future with RTYA’s performances.
REP’s season closer, Going Home to Christmas, perfectly captured the chaos of the holiday season, offering a timely reminder to avoid last-minute travel unless you want to endure traffic jams, flight delays, and the endless tune of Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas in Our Hearts. For this year, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is set to be re-staged at Eastwood Theater, and I personally can’t wait to differentiate it to last year’s version at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium. Location does make a difference, as seen with TP’s Pingkian: Isang Musikal in CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez Blackbox Theater and GSIS Theater, and Encore Theater’s Grace in Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater and Doreen Blackbox Theater in Arete. REP’s resilience and commitment to theatrical excellence have once again solidified their place as one of the country’s premier theater companies and they will definitely showcase more in their new home.
The Thriving Theatre Scene in the North
As someone living in the South, commuting all the way to Quezon City (QC) has always been a hassle, made worse by the perpetual traffic along Katipunan. Yet it’s a small price to pay for the phenomenal plays and musicals that graced QC stages this past year. Starting with my alma mater, Dulaang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas (DUP) launched its 47th season with Nanay Bangis, an informative and thought-provoking adaptation of a Brechtian classic. Its in-depth exploration of early Muslim separatist movements during the onset of Martial Law was nothing short of exceptional. Combined with a strong script and stellar performances, the production cemented itself as something more than just a theatrical experience; it became a firm call to action—something most plays rarely achieve.
Ateneo also delivered standout productions with Tanghalang Ateneo’s Mga Multo and Medea and Ateneo Entablado’s Sa Tahanan ng Aking Ama. The minimalist stage designs in these productions allowed the actors’ performances to shine, emphasizing the heart that makes any theater play work. In fact, if not for Encore Theater’s Grace, any of these three plays could have claimed the title of best ensemble of the year. These adaptations skillfully reimagined their respective source material—Henrik Ibsen’s Gengangere, Euripides’ Medea, and Elsa Coscolluela’s In My Father’s House respectively—and made them all accessible and impactful despite having lengthy runtimes. Among them, Sa Tahanan ng Aking Ama stood out, offering a poignant glimpse into the life of a family in Negros during WWII’s Japanese occupation—a narrative that deserves more recognition in Philippine history and storytelling.
PETA Theater Center near E. Rodriguez Avenue also hosted an array of noteworthy musicals and plays. PETA’s One More Chance gave audiences an early glimpse of Sam Concepcion’s buff physique long before 9 Works Theatrical’s Once on This Island made waves. Meanwhile, Tabing Ilog The Musical Rerun, a collaboration between PETA and Teatro Kapamilya, earned the title of the year’s most hilarious musical thanks to its lively maritres trio: Lance Reblado, Vyen Villanueva, and Teetin Villanueva. The theater also staged Kumprontasyon, a collection of three one-act plays, my first theater play of 2024 and the beginning of the theater subunit in SINEGANG, and Sari Sali Portal Café, a collaboration with the Japan Foundation that tackled the decline of third spaces and the effects of modernization in both Japan and the Philippines.
Finally, the year saw the debut of Apothecary Productions and its first theatrical show: a twin bill Emulsyon at the Erehwon Center for the Arts. Witnessing the birth of a new theatrical production company is a reminder the local theater scene is not done;it’s just getting started.
More than Just Musicals or Plays
Theater is more than just musicals or plays; it encompasses a wide range of techniques and styles that equally deserve attention, from puppetry to film concerts to recorded plays to ballet, amongst others. Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas brought Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince to life through Prinsipe Bahaghari, a dynamic puppet play that started my venture into puppetry. Watching the intricate movements of the puppeteers, who masterfully concealed their presence while animating their puppet characters, was mesmerizing. Their skill added a magical layer to the storytelling, and I now find myself eager to see more classics reimagined in this specific theater form.
Film Concerts PH elevated two iconic films—George Lucas’s Star Wars (1977) and Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s Frozen (2013)—into unforgettable live experiences by pairing them with live orchestras (and live singers in Frozen). Experiencing these films highlighted how much a live score can elevate the cinematic experience. It left me daydreaming about seeing my favorite films receive the same treatment—most especially Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven, performed with Filharmonika Orchestra reinterpreting Ennio Morricone’s magnificent score. With a Harry Potter live concert slated for July 2025, the growing buzz showcases the rising demand for film concerts in the country.
For those unable to attend live performances, recorded theater productions have become a lifeline, allowing people like me to enjoy world-class theater without thinking about the cost or geographical limitations. Cultural Center of the Philippines’ initiative to bring National Theatre Live (NTL) recordings to Greenbelt 3 Cinemas has been spectacularly executed in its 2024 lineup. I started with Fleabag and since made it a habit to catch every release after watching The Crucible blindly. Among the releases of the past year, Sam Mendes’ The Motive and The Cue stood out as my favorite. This recorded performance depicted the tensions between an actor and a director during the production of the overly performed Hamlet and even innovatively used live aspect ratio shifts to illustrate space and volume differences on stage, which Mendes masterfully captured in the recording. The film captured this theatrical magic beautifully, making it not only one of my favorite recorded plays but also one of my favorite films of the year. I can only hope to see such productions live someday, but I’m satisfied with CCP continuing to roll out new recorded theater from NTL in Greenbelt theaters.
Finally, after much hesitation, I attended a ballet performance for the first time, and—not even exaggerating—it completely shattered my misconceptions. My initial fear that I wouldn’t understand a performance without dialogue was thrown out the window. Ballet Philippines’ Peter Pan taught me that the music and movement are the dialogue. The score and the expressive choreography conveyed the characters’ intentions and conflicts with such clarity that words weren’t even needed. The seamless interaction between ballerinas and danseurs drew me into the narrative, proving that ballet is as powerful a storytelling medium as any play or musical. This year, I’m determined to explore more ballets and broaden my appreciation for other forms of theater in general.
In total, I watched 72 theatrical performances—live and recorded—in 2024, yet I know that I still missed out on so much. The experience of mentally preparing myself to watch a performance is constantly exhilarating and exhausting, and to be honest, financially draining. But every ticket purchased felt like a worthwhile one that made my life as a corporate slave a bit better.
I’ve put together my definitive ranking of the standout musicals and plays in 2024—a reflection of the unforgettable moments that made the past year in theater truly remarkable.
As we step into 2025, I’m filled with excitement for what lies ahead for Philippine theater. The creativity and excellence showcased last year highlight the evolving state of the local theater scene. The upcoming stories, performances, and innovations are certainly worth looking forward to—and more importantly, saving up for.
