‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ and what it means to fight for justice
‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ and what it means to fight for justice
The four friends of Bar Boys: A New Musical / Courtesy of May Celeste
Minor spoilers from Bar Boys (2017) and Bar Boys: A New Musical
The 2023-2024 Philippine theater season has been offering us unique and imaginative shows with compelling narratives. Audiences have flocked to see these shows, even having multiple sold-out shows (which is great news). Bar Boys: A New Musical is no exception to this. The Barefoot Theater Collaborative’s rerun of the show is as electric as ever, promising a great time in the theater while reminding the audience of the injustices we face and the glimmering hope we must hold on to as a citizen in this country.
Based on Kip Oebanda's film of the same name, the musical centers on four friends, Erik, Chris, Torran, and Josh, as they grapple their way to law school. Those who are familiar with the film might notice some drastic changes made in the musical. The musical uses most of the structure of Oebanda's film but departs from it by fleshing the leads even more and reworking its plot.
Its themes are still there, just more highlighted and emphasized. Its opening song “May Singil ang Pangarap” provides the musical’s thesis early on and perfectly sets up the whole atmosphere of the musical — frenetic and alive. The moral dilemmas presented in the musical provide much more weight to the story, resulting in a more emotional and grounded narrative. The political commentary is more prominent in the musical than in the film, even commenting on recent societal issues the country has been facing today.
Alex Diaz plays Chris Carlson, Jerom Canlas plays Torran Garcia / Courtesy of Kyle Venturillo
The stakes each lead faces in their respective arcs are riskier and higher. We are faced with the harsh reality of the underprivileged life of Erik (Benedix Ramos), with his father Paping (Juliene Mendoza), a security guard, barely getting by. The conflict between Chris (Alex Diaz) and his father is much deeper (we could even call it estrangement), considering that he is (technically) the big bad villain of the musical. Torran’s (Jerom Canlas) desperation for his mother’s approval and acceptance is much more layered and complex. Josh (Omar Udin) is a fervent supporter of causes, and the musical explores and develops his perspective more than the movie does.
The characters in the musical have put much faith in the power of the law and aim to change the system. They all went to law school for this very reason and we witness how law school changes them and/or breaks them. An introductory speech was made by Justice Hernandez (Leonor Will Never Die’s Sheila Francisco) on their first day of law school with the song “Dear Future Lawyers”. She never failed to warn the students of the possibility that some of them may give up in the middle of their journey, but she urged them to strive for change and justice and never let the flame inside them run out.
Sheila Francisco plays Justice Hernandez / Courtesy of Erickson dela Cruz
“Will you make that sacrifice?” Justice Hernandez said to the students. There were so many instances throughout the duration of the musical where our leads made sacrifices and their morals were tested. The musical explored the flaws and personalities of the leads enough that when they faced these dilemmas, we, the audience, could feel for them and understand their actions. And there’s no plot point made in the musical that was purposefully made to only elicit strong emotional responses. All of them are logical, sometimes unfair, outcomes of the events that unfold.
There’s a tendency for some shows to lean more toward melodrama while exploring such heavy themes, but Pat Valera is still able to inject some humor in this musical. Jokes and small comedic bits never felt awkward, offensive, or flat. The humor also made the show more human and relatable to the audience. Together with Myke Salomon, the musical’s composer, they were able to create a perfect balance of humor and drama with the songs they composed.
Speaking of the songs — I just can’t get over them. Myke Salomon’s musical composition is just outstanding. Combined with Pat Valera’s excellent lyricism, the songs in this show are phenomenal. There are literally no skips, only hits (just what they say on the internet).
Benedix Ramos plays Erik Vicencio / Courtesy of Jaypee Maristaza
All of this wouldn’t have worked out without the magnificent direction from Mikko Angeles and Pat Valera. Creativity in their direction can be seen in how they managed to stage this musical in a limited space, where the stage is set in the middle (almost like a runway but a bit bigger than that). Seats aren’t set up as many as in a traditional theater, but it allows the whole audience to fully appreciate the show, from the marvelous performances of its cast to its clever stage design.
Barefoot Theater Collaborative’s rerun of ‘Bar Boys: A New Musical’ is the hottest show currently running right now, if you're intrigued by the cast's tremendous performance and the compelling tale of justice and friendship it tells. Lawyers and aspiring lawyers may find this musical hitting a little too close to home and inspiring them, but it also offers solace to dreamers and aspirants no matter what field they’re in.
The limited rerun of Bar Boys: A New Musical will run from October 4 to November 3, 2024, at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater. Tickets are now available on Ticket2Me at bit.ly/barboystickets.
The song “May Singil Ang Pangarap” is out now on Spotify and other music streaming platforms.
