Fairy Tales Come Alive!

Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies and it is such a delight to see it live on stage! Repertory Philippines was able to breathe life onto each character and has given them a three-dimensional feel via Disney's Mulan Jr. I swear, I literally had goose bumps when my favorite song, "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (video doesn't do much justice but will give you an idea), was performed. It was such an overwhelming feeling that I even shed a tear or two. It was that good that it truly deserves all the applause it got from the audience. Plus, the kids loved it! Nagkaru'n pa nga ng audience participation from them when Mushu called for volunteers to teach Mulan how to walk like a man. Hay, ang sarap maging bata! (Kung alam lang nila ang magiging buhay pagtanda, di na nila gugustuhing tumanda, for sure.)

Aside from Mulan's adventure, the story also boasts of one of the most kilig love stories onscreen -- that of Mulan and Captain Shang's! Kinilig ngang talaga ang audience nang magsimula ng mautal at matsope si Shang sa harap ni Mulan. Their romance was just a small part of the story yet it creates a great impact on its audience. So when they got together, hay, katuwa! Abot hanggang taynga ang magiging ngiti mo. (Lalo pa't ang cutie'ng si Felix Rivera ang gumanap na Shang that time! *wink wink*)

One of the things to look forward to in the play is the avalanche scene - brillantly crafted! Plus there are some new songs, too!

Disney's Mulan Jr. will run until December 18!

If I thoroughly enjoyed Disney's Mulan Jr., I can't say the same thing with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Of course, it has nothing to do with the performances of the actors. Lea, as always, delivered her best performance, especially when she sang "In My Own Little Corner" (video sang by Brandy). It is the highlight of the night! Ang galing ng shadow effect where it showed what Cinderella dreams of becoming: a queen, a milkmaid, a mermaid, a huntress, etc.

Medyo nakulangan lang ako sa story. Or maybe I felt that the story is so outdated that it failed to catch my attention any more. Let's face it, Cinderella has the simplest story: a girl who wants to marry a prince, so she does! Keber na kung ano ba ang ugali ng prince o simpatiko ba siya o maalaga ba o kung ano pa man siya. Basta mag-aasawa siya ng prince! Ang galing ng lola, di ba? Ang taas ng ambisyon!

Apart from that, kay Prince Charming ako nagka-problema. What does Cinderella see in him anyway? Why did she fall in love with him in the first place? Dahil ba sa isang sayaw at maloka-loka na siya sa kanya? Aside from his riches (na maghahango kay Cindy sa pagiging alipin ng madrasta at mga anak nito -- ito ba talaga ang motivation niya?), wala ng matino pang bagay ang maipagmamalaki niya sa isang masipag na dalaga na tulad ni Cindy. Nasa bahay nga lang siya at nagpapalaki ng tiyan! Naghihintay na utusan o sabihan ng tatay niyang hari. Kung di pa dahil sa ball na binigay ng nanay niya, eh di na 'ata mag-aasawa ang mokong! At talagang natuliro sila sa isa't-isa nang di na sila nagkita na, ah! Bakit? Hindi kaya L lang ang naramdaman nila sa isa't-isa? Tulad nga ng sabi ng kanta:

Prince
Do I love you because you're beautiful,
Or are you beautiful because I love you? Am I making believe I see in you
A girl too lovely to be really true? Do I want you because you're wonderful,
Or are you wonderful because I want you? Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream
Or are you really as beautiful as you seem?
Cinderella
Am I making believe I see in you
A man too perfect to be really true? Do I want you because you're wonderful,
Or are you wonderful because I want you?
Both Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream
Or are you really as wonderful as you seem?"
Kitams! Pati sila hindi nila alam kung bakit nila mahal ang isa't-isa. Hay! Ang sinaunang pag-ibig nga naman.

Cinderella is a "magical" story. Suspending your disbelief is a must since the stage can hardly show trickeries (kahit naman sa movies, you have to do such and believe that what happens on screen is real), but it tried. Kumurap ka nga lang at di mo na mapapansin na nakaalis na si Lea at napalitan ng iba para makapagbihis ng ball gown. However, on a paper-thin story like it, medyo mahirap 'atang maniwala.

Still, it is a treat to watch Lea on stage! Too bad that I missed her in Into the Woods where various fairy tales like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Jack & the Beanstalk, etc. were reinterpreted and tied together with an original story of a childless Baker and his Wife to come up with one thread. I was clapping everytime a song ends when I saw it on video! Grabe! Ang galing ni Stephen Sondheim! The way the characters were transformed into three-dimensional beings are truly exceptional! (Si Cindy, niloloko ng babaerong prince. Si Little Red Riding hood, ang takaw! Ang siba sa biscuits! Si Jack, kuning-kuning mag-isip. At 'yung witch? Isang totoong nilalang na hindi sukdulan ang kasamaan.)

Lagi kong naaalala ang lecture ng isa sa mga bigwigs ng isang network. Ang pagkakaiba raw nila sa kabila ay ang goal ng characters nila. 'Yung isa ay wish-fulfillment kung sa'n binibigay lang ng tadhana ang nais ng bida, samantalang ang sa kanila ay goal-attainment kung sa'n pinaghihirapan ng bida na makuha ang nais ng kanyang puso.

Ganyan sina Mulan at Cindy. Mulan wants to bring honor to her family by taking her father's place in the war (thus, saving her father's life, as well). She did not only brought honor to her family but snagged a captain for a husband, as well! (Biro nga ni Lola niya, "Sign me up for the next war!") Cindy, on the other hand, wishes to attend a ball to capture the prince's attention. Enter her fairy godmother and brings magic. She attends the ball, left her shoes, and the next day, sila na ng prince!

So sa'n ka? Kapuso o Kapamilya? Ooops! Naligaw na 'ata ako!