The original musical delivers a moving coming-of-age story, but it gets lost in a melee of too many subplots, side stories, and song numbers.
We all love a good coming-of-age story. Especially one which has its characters dreaming of greater things outside of themselves.
Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s Bar Boys: A New Musical walks us through the lives of Chris, Torran, Eric, and Josh, who enter law school as idealistic young men forced to navigate life’s harsh realities. Running parallel to it is a social commentary on class struggles, inequality, and the ills of the justice system, with a moving soundtrack to drive their point home.
Right off the bat, what makes “Bar Boys” work is its talented cast, led by Alex Diaz (as Chris), Benedix Ramos (as Eric), Jerom Canlas (as Torran), and Omar Uddin (as Josh). They pretty much carry the show on their shoulders, setting themselves up as rising stars in the musical theater scene.
The chemistry between these four guys was so palpable, it made the friendship believable on stage, down to having their own language between them. This connection added texture to their characters’ individual story arcs, allowing us to empathize with each one on different levels. Alas, while the characters were fully fleshed out, their story arcs also became a missed opportunity, but more on that later.
The supporting ensemble boasts the same level of talent, giving the show a lot of great creative energy. Theater stalwarts Sheila Francisco, Topper Fabregas, Gimbey dela Cruz, and Nor Domingo played pivotal characters in the lives of the law students. They do an ample job of moving the story along, adding the tension to some of the show’s bigger scenes. Francisco and Domingo did feel a little underused, especially the latter whose father-son drama was worth a bit more exploration. Props also go to movement designer Jomelle Era for the great choreography across the musical numbers.
Inasmuch as there was a lot that worked with Bar Boys, there were also many that didn’t. To be succinct about it, there was too much of a lot of things. With running time topping three hours, that can be problematic. One is the attempt to use the show as a platform, intentional or otherwise, to highlight the issues plaguing society—as many of them as they could think of, it seems.
Having most of the ensemble on stage for majority of the scenes added to the feeling of “too much.” The constant frenetic energy, despite the great choreography, took away more from rather than pushed the story forward. Case in point, the opening song May Singil ang Pangarap, which really set the tone for the story, got lost in all that movement. Or did they really need procession to crowd out a pivotal confrontation scene between an estranged father and son, so well played by Diaz and Domingo?
It’s not like there was a lack of good writing, because the show had many moving scenes and dialogues. Among those that stood out were when the four guys are faced with life-changing choices, or those between Eric and his father Paping, played by a very capable Juliene Mendoza. Perhaps co-directors Pat Valera (who also wrote the script) and Mikko Angeles could pause, and view the show with a more editing eye. The extra plot lines just did not allow for the more compelling story arcs to be fully fleshed out.
In the same vein, some scenes would also have been better served with just an honest conversation instead of breaking into a song—then end the scene there. Yes, even if it is a musical. Those moments, and the character’s motivations, would have been more effective, and even poignant that way. Makes for a tighter show too. Besides, while there were a handful of really good songs, the soundtrack is average, at best. The shifting between Filipino to English from one line was more jarring than clever. Give Taglish a try the next time?
The musical is based on the 2017 film Bar Boys, written and directed by Kip Oebanda. It starred Rocco Nacino, Enzo Pineda, Carlo Aquino, and Joshua Zuñiga, and was an official entry to the 2017 Pista Ng Pelikulang Pilipino. Valera saw the potential in reimagining the film for the stage after seeing it in 2018. The only caveat that Oebanda had was that the class struggle aspect of the story be retained. It was recently announced that a film sequel is in the works. Maybe it will spark creative changes to the current show should there be another rerun.
Bar Boys: A New Musical does have its flaws. However, what it does bring to the stage is a moving story of how friendship and brotherhood could be that one lifeline to survival. Diaz, Ramos, Canlas, and Uddin show an immense depth of humanity as they straddle ideals and harsh realities. How to be like “Josh” and his “Siargao” life! We come out rooting not just for the underdog, but for each one amid their own personal struggles. It celebrates hope, faith, and chasing your dreams, even if “may singil ang pangarap.” Seeing this all unfold makes the show worth the watch.
Barefoot Theatre Collaborative’s Bar Boys runs until November 3 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Theater at Circuit Makati. Tickets are available through Ticket2Me.net.
