REVIEW: Buruguduystunstugudunstuy
Date: May 2, 2024 (Gala Night)
You know that you’re already getting old when the bands you grew up listening to in the grungy 90’s and early-aughts, and who you rabidly believe to be the pinnacle of cool alongside acid wash Guess? jeans and Chuck Taylors, are now being re-imagined as big budget musicals. It was really inevitable, with the massive cultural and box office success of Ang Huling El Bimbo, and even the smaller productions featuring the music of The Apo Hiking Society, Aegis, Jolina Magdangal, and even the upcoming Jose Mari Chan Christmas Musical on the horizon, an adaptation of what could have arguably been one of the most popular Filipino bands in the late 90’s to the early 2000’s is all but certain.
Directed by Dexter Santos, with book and musical direction by Rody Vera and EJ Yatco respectively, the wild spirit of Parokya Ni Edgar (PNE) is reframed by Newport World Resorts’ Full House Theater Company into Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical, playing now at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. The musical features an innovative set design by Lawyn Cruz, choreography by Stephen Viñas, and truly sumptuous costume design by Raven Ong. The rich score is performed by the legendary Manila Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Rodel Colmenar.
a worthy addition to the pantheon of Filipino jukebox musicals
Buruguduystunstugudunstuy follows the story of four women who share the same birthday: Aiza (Kyle Napuli) a differently-abled high-schooler who gets relentlessly bullied by her classmates, Jen (Marynor Madamesila) a garbage picker who laments her poverty and dreams of a better life with her brother Tikmol (Noel Comia Jr.), Girlie (Natasha Cabrera) a sweet, unassuming security guard who is uncomfortable receiving any form of attention, and Norma (Tex Ordonez-De Leon) a rich doyenne whose deadbeat husband left her for a younger woman. We are taken on a ride when they go on a journey to a magical place to face their unique life challenges and quite literally transform themselves in surprising ways.
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The place that facilitates this is a strange world called “Parokya”, inhabited by characters such as Tito Ralph (Jasper Jimenez) who serves as the quartet’s guide, Mang Jose (Nicco Manalo) the friendly neighborhood superhero, and the aptly suave Mr. Suave (Pepe Herrera) who takes on a de facto leadership role within the borders of their world, accompanied by his gaggle of Bigotilyos.
Make no mistake: This musical is BIG. Not just in the size of its cast, but also in how things were staged. Everything is just a little bit bigger, shinier, and glossier than what you’d expect from local productions. As a set piece, this calls to mind grand, sweeping operas like Phillip Glass’ Akhnaten when compared to chamber opera: such is its visual disparity by scale. There were grand moments where we find our actors suspended in outer space, flying a spaceship, and there were fun little details such as the LED panels that comprise the fascia of the vertical elevation of the ramps that change to show little roads and vehicles. There was a lot of clever tricks made with projections, as well as some delightful stagecraft that really gives you the sense of an increased level of polish in the execution of the material.
The performances of the four lead actresses are likewise rather big. So big, in fact, that the tech booth, and equipment seemed to struggle at times with patchy audio. The voices of the ladies onstage during the gala night were so powerful it seemed to constantly threaten to blow out their speakers and monitors, which is of course, thrilling in its own way. The supporting cast lean into the absurdity of the plot (which we’ll get to later), and make the best with the often confusing motivations for each character. Apart from the four leads, notable standouts are the characters of Buloy played by Boo Gabunada, and Murlock, played by Jules De La Paz.
Make no mistake: This musical is BIG. Not just in the size of its cast, but also in how things were staged.
The character of Buloy has always been a controversial one, as one of the more popular Parokya Ni Edgar songs, it very bluntly deals with the issue of mental health and self-harm that was very sensitive topic even back when the song was released in 1996. In this adaptation, Buloy is a resident of the alternate world of Parokya, a human soul who wanted to escape from the real world, who forms a close bond with the anthropomorphic canine Murlock. The closest of friends, they serve as emotional support to each other, their movements so closely synchronized and their mutual affection so palpable, that it was a delight to watch. It’s always a challenge to authentically portray kindness and innocence through acting, but the subtle movements, Gabunada’s committed and sensitive Buloy, coupled with De La Paz’s earnest and sincere Murlock, was simply inspiring, and feels like a glass of water in between shots of vodka.
The main weakness of the show unfortunately boils down to plot beats and structure. Since this is the first iteration of this material, it suffers from a few technical loose ends that most new shows are susceptible to.
The opening of any show with a linear structure serves several functions, it establishes the metes, bounds, and rules of the universe that the play exists within, as well as provides the atmosphere for the evening. While some detail would be instrumental in equipping the audience with the necessary context in order to understand what’s going on; too much exposition, delivered too quickly means the audience not only lacks the time to digest the information, but also prevents people from buying into the characters and story. The opening could benefit from a thorough streamlining, with a 4-5 minute cut to its runtime. Less is more, is more or less the order of the day.
Gabunada’s committed and sensitive Buloy, coupled with De La Paz’s earnest and sincere Murlock, was simply inspiring, and feels like a glass of water in between shots of vodka.
Things do pick up after the opening, and after the unnecessarily convoluted plot device with the drums, and the doors, and the portalet, the play really starts in Parokya: a much needed glucose shot after such a dull set-up. The entire first act from that point, to its finale is a constant ride ever upward and forward, bombarding the audience with a visual and aural spectacle that is nothing short of amazing. When the curtain falls on act one, you’re left thinking: How on earth are they going to top that?
And you would be right to ask that. Act two, in its current form, unfortunately is where it all slightly falls apart. It’s not a sudden death, but apart from a heartwarming rendition of “This Guy’s In Love With You, Pare”, a showstopping “Don’t Touch My Birdie”, and the aforementioned moments with Buloy and Murlock, one struggles to find anything memorable or insightful. Even the gospel-inspired “Don’t Touch My Birdie” number, which is so brilliantly staged and lent so much energy by the character of Tikmol (Comia Jr.),entertaining as it was, lands with some hollowness because it doesn’t really go anywhere. Lastly, what is it with local theater and this penchant with multiple endings? As you build up anticipation, following the hero’s (or in this case, the heroine’s) journey, to achieve a truly satisfying payoff at the end of the story, it cannot be diminished by false starts and stops. A smooth denouement, both lyrically and emotionally, is conspicuously absent.
That being said, this is the first iteration of the musical, and runs about 10-15 minutes too long. However: its issues do not diminish the high level of craft and artistry that went into the production. Buruguduystunstugudunstuy is a worthy addition to the pantheon of Filipino jukebox musicals as it transforms a huge part of OPM history into a form that is so radically different and new. And is a testament not only to the enduring legacy of its source material, but also to the creativity of the people who made it real.
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