BUSINESSWORLD Column of Behn Cervantes

www.bworld.com.ph

MANILA, PHILIPPINES | Monday, September 11, 2000
Artists concerned again -- 8
I am not against producing Miss Saigon in the Philippines for the obvious reason that Pinoys are sentimental about it. They want to see it. They love it because they think the musical is synonymous with Broadway. They believe that the musical established Filipinas as world-class musical talents, although Isang Tapales, Jovita Fuentes, Dalisay Aldaba, Conchita Gaston, Lilia Reyes and Evelyn Mandac already achieved musical success decades ago. Currently, Margarita Gomez and Andion Fernandez continue to do us proud in the operatic world.

Cely Carrillo, Maureen Tiongco and others were in the original cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song albeit without the publicity machinery of Mackintosh. Both played the lead in that successful musical which was turned into a movie starring Nancy Kwan and Academy Award winner Miyoshi Umeki.

Because of the media hype surrounding Miss Saigon, plus the Mackintosh confession that he had discovered an almost-limitless well of talents in Manila, Pinoys felt successful along with Lea Salonga and company. Actually, he found inexpensive talents trained in the Western style of acting and singing for ten whole years and used them in six different countries. Who owes whom? Nevertheless, unknowing Filipinos think the producer did us a favor. They swell with pride at the critical success of Lea. Fine, they are entitled to that vicarious pleasure.

They can watch the musical, if they wish. But let them be aware of its long-term harm on Philippine culture and Filipino artists.

It is for this reason I am vehemently against the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) being handed over to the Miss Saigon group for more 11 months. If any local group, be it Repertory Philippines or Celeste Legaspi's troupe, that at least produces original Filipino works, hogged the center's facilities like Miss Saigon has done, wouldn't we think it justified that other groups rise up in arms and complain? After all, the schedule of the CCP (Again, may I emphasize that it is the Cultural Center of the Philippines, not Broadway or West End, mind you) is tight indeed.

Productions staged there have to be grateful for whatever available time and space is given them for rehearsals and performances.

Realizing its dilemma, we artists in the past were prone to forgive. However, complain we did when we had a mere night and a day to transfer our sets, put up lights as well as adjust acting and dancing for our Lapulapu production in 1996, an original and most demanding production that costs a hefty 7 million Philippine pesos (PhP) (US$0.153 million at PhP45.589=$1). It was hell, I tell you, but stomach it we did because we had no choice. The CCP calendar is tight. Resident companies, e.g. the Philippine Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Philippines have their reserved dates. Furthermore, outside groups were likewise in line to avail of the facilities. It is difficult to perform there, but as we have one solitary venue of this size, we have to accept things as they are.

Now, Miss Saigon, that has been tested on the West End and Broadway, performed and refined for ten long and profitable years in six countries, will have more than three months to rehearse? Furthermore, they will hog the center and its facilities that are aimed to develop Philippine creativity for six whole months of performances? They used it for auditions and other preparatory work. In effect, they will have it for 11 months? It just isn't right!

It sends the wrong signals to artists. Since the CCP is a quasi-government institution it officially states that Philippine culture is indeed inferior to Western culture. It smacks of the worst kind of colonial mentality that the center should ask the resident companies, for decades now laboring to develop our arts in theater and dance, to step aside for this modernized version of Madame Butterfly. The theme is a slur on Asian women, on women, in general, as a matter of fact.

In other countries, the producers have built theaters to suit the requirements of the musical. Let them repair the historic Metropolitan Theater. They can have it for a year. They will then have made a contribution. That would be a fair exchange.

However, to take over the CCP is a mockery of the aims of that institution which is to enrich the soul of the Filipinos. Miss Saigon is not the soul of the Filipinos, now or ever!

Furthermore, the musical has also cornered the corporate sponsors who could not refuse the producers, they being intimately connected to The Powers That Be. This abuse of power and connection is unfair to Philippine performing groups subsisting on the minimal while slaving for decades to help develop the Philippine soul!