From Oliver Oliveros:
Ryan Cayabyab (music) and Jose Javier Reyes’ (book and lyrics) hugely successful original Filipino musical, “Katy!”, a musical based on the life and times of the “Queen of Philippine Jazz” Katy dela Cruz (1907-2004), is making its way back to the stage this year.
Acclaimed theater and recording artists-cum-performance teachers Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, and Tricia Amper Jimenez’s Spotlight Artists Centre is reviving the musical, which premiered at the now-defunct Rizal Theater in 1989, and later transferred to the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Originally produced by Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis, “Katy!” starred Mitch Valdez, Legaspi, Bernardo Bernardo and Marco Sison, directed by Nestor Torre.
Auditions for major roles, like Katy (25-40 years old); male lead (25-40 years old); and young Katy’s father (45-55 years old) will be held on Sunday, January 29.
Auditionees should prepare a song from the musical like “Minsan Ang Minahal Ay Ako,” “Sari-Saring Babae,” “Balut,” etc. or a jazz song. Call Yssa at (632)899-8089 or (63)922-8986644 for more information and registration requirements.
Inquirer editor in chief Letty Jimenez Magsanoc, in 1989 still writing a column for the paper, said of Katy! that its makers had succeeded in creating “the prototype for the Filipino musical.”
Well, 23 years after it had its premiere, the legendary musical will be back this year, thanks to the triumvirate of Robert Sena, Isay Alvarez and Tricia Amper-Jimenez, who last year also revived another landmark Filipino musical, Magsimula Ka. This early, thank you to Robert, Isay and Tricia's Spotlight Artists Centre for the effort to bring back the musical that, among other things, launched the hugely consequential musical-theater phase of Ryan Cayabyab; was the inaugural offering of Celeste Legaspi and Girlie Rodis' now shuttered theater company Musical Theater Philippines (Musicat--a unique undertaking in that it was the only local theater company exclusively dedicated to commissioning and mounting original Filipino musical material); enriched the Pinoy songbook with classics like Minsan ang Minahal Ay Ako; and paid due tribute to Katy dela Cruz and the long-lost bodabil era she embodied.
For a peek at the music, spunk and spirit of Katy! you can check out this fully orchestrated, handsomely mounted excerpt from the Ryan Cayabyab: Music Man at 50 concert, which I had uploaded previously...
Or the video below, debuting on YouTube with this post--a piano-accompanied (by Mr. C himself) medley of three songs from the musical: Pahiram Ng Kanta (performed by Tex Ordonex), Sari-Saring Babae (Isay Alvarez, Pinky Marquez, May Bayot and Roy Rolloda) and Minsan Ang Minahal Ay Ako (Celeste Legaspi and Mitch Valdes in a rare joint appearance, and the entire cast of Buhay!, the culminating concert of the 2004 National Theater Festival held at the main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Among the other performers: Nonie Buencamino, Lou Veloso, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Sam Concepcion, Cathy Azanza-Dy, Noel Rayos, Jon Joven, Eugene Villaluz, and, as part of the ensemble, Melanie Dujunco, Angeli Bayani, Nazer Salcedo, Bong Embile, et al.)
