Lapulapu, the Legendary Chieftain of Mactan, On Centre Stage at the Newly-Restored MET Theater

Catch the virtual premiere of Nicolas Pichay's "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan" on October 24 with Arman Ferrer in the titular role. Here's what to expect from this much-anticipated production

In celebration of the National Quincentennial Celebrations throughout the year, the Metropolitan Theater (MET) production team and the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) have tried their best to finish the restorations of the famed cultural hub and art deco jewel of Metro Manila. Without the lockdowns brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the newly-restored theatre would have opened its doors last April 2021 and continued the premiere of its supposed inaugural full-length production. However, fate was not on their hands and the production had to be postponed and replanned.

The wait is finally over as the grandiose musical production Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan will finally be available for streaming starting October 24. As the first theatrical production at the MET since it closed its doors in 1996, Filipino theatre artists and workers have been preparing for this production with all hands on deck.

Natasha Cabrera, who is playing the character of Babaylan (Filipina shamans of various ethnic groups), shared that what was supposed to be two to three-month-long preparation had to be tripled in order to squeeze the rehearsals into 12 days. This decision is due to the erratic mobility restrictions around Metro Manila which hampered the preparations at the beginning of the year. Nevertheless, NCCA Chairman Nick Lizaso shared that the conceptualisation and finalisation of the script, initial casting, and other matters for the production have begun at the beginning of the year.

Above Nicolas Pichay's "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan", directed by Dexter M. Santos premieres online on October 24, 2021

Award-winning poet and lawyer Nicolas Pichay penned the libretto, which was set to music by Krina Cayabyab. Using Antonio Pigafetta's account of Ferdinand Magellan's arrival to the Philippine islands and contact with the tribes of the Visayas region, Pichay shaped the characters of Rajah Humabon, Reyna Juana, Enrique de Malacca, Juan Sebastian de Elcano, Papa Alexander XI, Padre de Valderrama, Babaylan, and of course the central figures of the story: Magellan and Lapulapu, to be portrayed by prominent Filipino thespians Andre Tiangco and Arman Ferrer, respectively.

The play unpacks the many events commemorated this year, which includes the Victory at Mactan in 1521, as told from the point of view of the mysterious Lapulapu, a symbol of Philippine resistance to all forms of oppression; the circumnavigation of the world, as told from the point of view of the trip’s chronicler Juan Sebastian Elcano; and the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines, as seen from the lens of Reyna Juana. This meta tale explores how history—and what people choose to be the lessons from it—contribute to the cultural identity and to the strength of any nation.

UP Professor Dexter M. Santos (Ang Huling El Bimbo, Orosman at Zafira) had taken the lead of the production as its director. Santos described this task as daunting, but he expressed that, “the overflowing generosity and commitment of the whole company will make this journey possible.”

The choreography of the musical dance numbers was by Stephen Viñas and Kenneth Torres.

Above Nicolas Pichay's "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan", directed by Dexter M. Santos premieres online on October 24, 2021

"It is unfortunate that the show Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan show and MET’s completion came in the midst of this global pandemic and this is the biggest challenge we are facing right now both for the show and for the reopening of theatre—the threat of a deadly virus," Lizaso said. "It is unfortunate not because they will not be materialised but because they will be completed in the absence of the people to whom the show and the theatre are intended for; the Filipino people who are longing to witness these two momentous events."

With the newly restored theatre bearing state-of-the-art audio technologies, LED lightings, and even visual projections, the theatre thirsts for cheers of the Filipino audiences. Moreover, the project team behind the restoration also opted for ecologically efficient technologies and refurbishes onto the old structure.

"I assure the public that this production will be, 'a dramatic reminder of the Filipino people’s enduring and transcendent humanity, a testimony to the talents of Filipino theatre artists, and the maiden performance by which we welcome back the much-missed, and definitely beloved, Metropolitan Theater," Lizaso said.

Above NCCA Chairman Nick Lizaso

Lizaso also said that one objective of the team choosing the Victory of Mactan as its premiere offering is to emphasise the importance of knowing more about our pre-colonial culture and practices, especially our history.

"It is inherent to us, Filipinos, to be conscious of our ancestors, of our culture, of our story because they are priceless gifts of our forefathers," he said. "As gifts, it is imperative for us, living today, to preserve, conserve and, even, enhance such gifts so that we bestow them for the benefit of our future generations."

"I hope that everyone who will watch the show may have the same consciousness as this," the NCCA chairman followed. "That as we commemorate the Victory at Mactan may it propel us to our own victories as individuals and as a nation. Like Lapulapu and our forebears, may we always resist the threats, local or foreign, that will endanger our identity and dignity as Filipinos."

Above Nicolas Pichay's "Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan", directed by Dexter M. Santos premieres online on October 24, 2021

There are no clear plans yet for the Metropolitan Theater but what's for sure is that the virtual activities like what it first had last August with Alice Reyes and now with Lapulapu will continue for the time being. The NCCA also wants the MET to become the centre again in preserving our traditional Filipino theatre and art forms such as komedyas, sarswelas, epikos, and bodabils, as well as our folk dances and indigenous songs.

"There should be concerted efforts from the general public and the state to protect these heritage, these expressions of our common culture and way of living because these are important to us, they tell something about us, our past, Lizaso concluded.

Lapulapu, Ang Datu ng Mactan will be streamed on the Facebook page of The Metropolitan Theater, and will be cross-posted on the pages of the NCCA, Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), the NHCP, the NQC, and other partner institutions' official Facebook pages on October 24, 2021, Sunday at 6pm.

Tatler Asia

Check Out The MET Theater's Grand Production About the Heroism of Lapulapu