Cover The entire cast of ‘Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical’
The entire cast of ‘Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical’
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Here’s what you can expect from ‘Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical’
Under the direction of Repertory Philippines’ (REP) artistic director Jeremy Domingo, written by Gawad Buhay award winners Luna Griño-Inocian, Robbie Guevara, and Aliw Awardee Joel Trinidad, Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical tells the stories of multiple families as their loved ones come home for the holidays. This familiar tale of OFW’s homecoming, paired with musical director EJ Yatco’s masterful rearrangement of Chan’s greatest hits, is sure to make audiences laugh, cry and smile.
“The musical isn’t just a celebration of Mr Chan’s iconic music. It’s about the lives that he’s touched around the world and the impact his music has made on Filipinos… One thing that’s very close to Mr Chan’s heart is the life of OFWs. His music provides a great source of comfort and hope that they take everywhere,” shares Domingo.
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Featuring 22 of Chan’s beloved hits such as Christmas in Our Hearts, A Perfect Christmas, and Beautiful Girl, the musical takes longtime fans back with a touch of nostalgia while introducing the genre-defining icon to younger generations with love and laughter. The songs, when retold in the context of each story presented in the production, are given new meanings—deepening every lyric written by Chan. “I’m always grateful that my music has brought so much joy to a lot of people. I’m excited to see all the stories and elements that REP has weaved together to add new meaning and life to these songs,” shares Chan.
The writers and director revealed that the whole show will only have one setting. While it wasn’t explicitly stated to preserve the magic, one could speculate that it takes place at an airport. Simply the theme of homecoming is enough to set off some alarms, but the announcement poster itself had plenty to confirm it.
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Above The cast of ‘Going Home to Christmas - A Jose Mari Chan Musical’ alongside its writers and directors
The cast of ‘Going Home to Christmas - A Jose Mari Chan Musical’ alongside its writers and directors
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The musical, being an ensemble piece and telling many stories, showcases a diverse cast of talented theatre actors. From veterans to new blood, we get to see the likes of Lorenz Martinez as Arnie and Neomi Gonzales as Josie alongside Justine Narciso as Raya and Johann Enriquez. Joining them are Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Pat, Noel Rayos a Richard, Floyd Tena as JR, Mayen Bustamante-Cadd as Em, Neo Rivera as JD, and Carla Martinez as Lola. They are joined by Alfritz, Roxy Aldiosa, Allan Dale, Naths Everett, Juancho Gabriel, Sean Inocencio, Rafael Jimenez, Gary Junsay, Krystal Kane, Davy Narciso, Sheena Lee, Pappel, Maron Rozelle, Basti Santos, Julia Serad, and Zid Yarcia while Mika Espinosa and Onyl Torres complete the cast as swings.
Looking ahead, Going Home to Christmas might not be the last we see of Chan in the theatre scene. As for what that will be, only time will tell.
Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical will run from November 29 to December 15 at the Carlos P Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza. For more information, visit Repertory Philippines’ social media pages.
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About
Gabriel found his passion for writing through poetry in high school. He sharpened his skills at Ateneo de Manila University and hopes to write a play worthy of Broadway one day. A self-proclaimed geek, he loves to spend his free time playing video games and board games. When he's not clicking heads on Valorant or roleplaying as a barbarian in Dungeons and Dragons, you can find him exploring art galleries or watching stage plays.
Work
A creative writer who writes about anything and everything, Gabriel loves to dive deep into the arts and culture scene—as well as going on long road trips for travel pieces.
You can reach him on Instagram at @gbohol for any leads, casual conversations or game invites.
