It’s been months since theater has been put on hold thanks to the Luzon-wide lockdown, but the industry is adapting and once again thriving now, on a new platform: social media.
Aside from workshops, masterclasses, round table discussions and other programs hosted on various theater companies’ official pages (most of it connected to a fundraiser for performing arts workers called Open House), companies have also begun to stream their shows.
[READ: Recommended for you: Local theater productions to watch online]
Joining the fray is Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), who along with the recent limited releases of Virgin Labfest one-act plays under Cultural Center of the Philippines, has been growing their online presence. They recently released a monovlog that features the story of senior frontliners, entitled “Lolo Doc,” starring TP’s artistic director Nanding Josef. A second monovlog is set to be released, this time called “Lola Doc,” featuring Nora Aunor.
But between these releases, TP, in time for Apolinario Mabini’s 117th death anniversary, released selected songs from the musical “Mabining Mandirigma” on their YouTube channel.
[READ: Art is protest, Tanghalang Pilipino proves with “Mabining Mandirigma”]Among the songs are nationalistic pop anthem “Mahalin ang Bayan.”
They’ve also released songs that are not only entertaining, but also quite relevant for the times, considering how many Filipinos remain impoverished and in need of help because of the crisis:
While we hope for a stream of the musical, we can watch the rest of the snippets on Tanghalang Pilipino’s YouTube channel.
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Read more:
CCP’s annual theater festival Virgin Labfest goes fully digital this year
Podcast musicals take the theater experience on the go
Here’s where you can find your favorite plays and musicals online
Writer: PAULINE MIRANDA
