Cyrano — from the moon to the stage

WHILE Cyrano de Bergerac is a strong-willed man of many talents, including a way with words, an integral part of the character is his extremely large nose.

While there was a real Cyrano de Bergerac, it is the fictionalized version of his life, set out in a play written in 1897 by French poet Edmond Rostand, that people are familiar with. Through the centuries the story was adapted and translated for both stage and screen. With its the universal theme of unrequited love, it has inspired the films as varied as Steve Martin’s Roxanne, The Truth About Cats and Dogs with Uma Thurman, and Cyrano Agency starring Lee Minjung and Park Shin-hye.

In the Philippines, the play was adapted into a musical called Mula sa Buwan by Pat Valera and William Elvin Manzano, which was first produced in 2010 under Dulaang Rock Opera Company at the University of Asia and the Pacific. Six years later, the two reworked the material and, this time together with Black Box Productions, decided to bring it back on stage.

Set in Manila at the cusp of World War II, Mula Sa Buwan tells the story of a young ROTC captain, playwright and poet named Cyrano who falls in love with his beautiful best friend Roxane. His overly pronounced nose, however, is his tragic flaw — a possible reason for rejection — which stops him from confessing his love to her. On opening night of Cyrano’s new play, Roxane meets the handsome lad Christian with whom she instantly falls in love — thus the proverbial love triangle. This reworked version of Mula Sa Buwan

shifts the focus of the story from Cyrano to the individual stories of the other characters, a move shaped by the cast.

“It’s not about Cyrano anymore.... in the original play, it was 90% Cyrano talking all the time,” said Mr. Valera, “The first song, ‘Manifesto,’ was initially a long monologue of Cyrano that we transformed into a song,” he said at a press conference on Nov. 22 at Sikat Studios in Quezon City.

Mr. Valera — who is also the director — said they allowed the cast to experiment with their characters’ stories. Nicco Manalo and Boo Gabunada alternate as Cyrano, KL Dizon plays Roxane, and Fred Lo and Edward Benosa alternate as Christian.

Also in the cast are Rhenz Gabalonzo, Gerhard Pagunsan, Gel Basa, Fran Fetalvero, Ronah Rostata, MC dela Cruz, Nico Dans, Mike Fernandez, Jon Abella, Matthew Chang, Ralph Oliva, and Arielle Magno.

The play’s original music is a mix of heartbreaking zarzuelastyle songs and rock songs — 17 songs in the two-hour show.

“It is really different when it was first staged. The 2010 version was more rock n’ roll,” Mr. Valera said. “And unlike in other musicals [where] people already know their music — that’s why they are watching the show — ours isn’t like that. That’s why we share the songs regularly (on social media).”

Choreographer JM Cabling noted that the songs and dance numbers will not pop out of the blue. He said there will be a reference to the 1940s in the choreography but not the usual. “The design of their movements will be as if it comes out naturally, that [ the characters] feel like dancing. You would be surprised [ and would wonder in] some [dances] if it’s a choreo[ graphed piece] or not.”

With the short run this weekend, Mr. Valera is considerign the possibility of a restaging it next year if the production is a success.

“We are having a short run right now to preview it to the audience. There are a lot of introductions and limitations that we are confronted with, but we are hoping that next year we will have a fuller run,” he said. —