Karylle, Gian Magdangal balik-teatro sa Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Carousel’ 

Karylle (kaliwa) at Gian Magdangal/REPERTORY PHILIPPINES PHOTO

NAGBABALIK sina Karylle at Gian Magdangal sa entablado ng musical theater sa pagbida nila sa pagtatanghal ng Repertory Philippines sa Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” na hudyat hindi lamang ng muling pagtatanghal nang live ng theater company kundi maging ng ika-55 anibersaryo nito ngayong taon.

Tinukoy ng Time Magazine bilang “greatest musical of the 20th century,” sinasalaysay sa “Carousel” ang kuwento nina Billy Bigelow (ginagampanan ni Magdangal) at Julie Jordan (ginagampanan ni Karylle) sa panahon ng “Great Depression” sa Estados Unidos noong 1920s. “Post-modern” and direksyong tinahak ng direktor na si Toff De Venecia sa paglalahad ng naratibo.

“Though we had handouts, I personally do not understand post-modern. And my husband is a literature major, so when he saw me reading the handouts he was so proud. He said, ‘finally she will be able to understand me,’” inamin ni Karylle sa isang press conference pagkatapos ng media preview show noong Nob. 26.

Ngunit sinabi ng TV host-actress na hinarap niya ang papel nang may bukas na isipan, at kalaunan nagustuhan ang di-karaniwang paraan ng pagbuo sa produksyon. “So when I started seeing these things, there are no rules. It might have sounded cliché at the beginning, but I was like ‘wow, it’s really taking form!” aniya.

“We can figure out what we wanna do? You’re not gonna block us? Those were the questions. All these things started to happen. In the space, I don’t think he had decided beforehand, so then you see the beauty of creation,” dinagdag ni Karylle.

Karylle bilang Julie Jordan/REPERTORY PHILIPPINES PHOTO

Nagbiro pa siya na umangat na ngayon si De Venecia “from Billy Bilyonaryo to Billy Bigelow,” patungkol sa dating TV show ng direktor noong child star pa siya.

Para naman kay Magdangal, nagpapasalamat siya para sa una niyang pagbida sa ilalim ng Repertory Philippines. Kasama na siya sa orihinal na cast noong 2020, at sinabi niyang tumaba ang puso niya nang pinabalik para sa mas maliit na produksyon ngayong taon.

Mula kasi sa 30 cast members noong 2020, nasa mahigit isang dosena na lang ang kasalukuyang cast ng “Carousel” at ilan sa kanila mahigit sa isang papel pa ang ginagampanan. Kaunting tao sa harap at likod ng entablado lang din ang kasya sa kasalukuyang lugar ng pagtatanghal, kaya napakalaki ng mga pagbabagong ipinatupad mula sa orihinal.

“It’s something that you’re passionate about, and you meet someone that you can trust, like Toff as director. He had this vision already in 2020 when we were supposed to do this, and then it didn’t happen. And I was really grateful that he still allowed me to be a part of it,” ani Magdangal.

“We all approached this coming from a place of overwhelming gratitude. So many things have changed for many of us. You may have a job, and now you don’t have a job, or you may have suddenly become a father, or suddenly you lost loved ones in your life,” pagpapatuloy niya.

Itinatanghal ang Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Carousel” sa CCP Black Box Theatre (Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez) sa Pasay City hanggang Dis. 18.

Gian Magdangal bilang Billy Bigelow/REPERTORY PHILIPPINES PHOTO