A nuance of politics, a soul of social concern and a large serving of ill-fated love—this is Noli Me Tangere, The Opera, and what better time to restage it than now?
The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and J&S Productions Inc. partner to relive Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s landmark critically acclaimed 1887 novel in a fresh interpretation that commemorates both its “homecoming” and 60th anniversary.
“[The opera] finally found its way home and where it should be—here at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. We need to present it the way it should be presented. This is the center of Filipino culture and arts, and this is where it should be,” Executive Producer Edwin Josue says with obvious conviction and pride. New York designer Jerry Sibal makes his directorial debut in this latest staging of the opera, billed as the Philippines’s first full-length opera. His work on the costumes and the set design are also included in the six-engagement-only run.
The cast, on the other hand, includes over 200 singers and crew. Under the baton of Maestro Hermenegildo Ranera, the recently formed 53-member Noli Symphony Orchestra plays the score arranged in Western operatic tradition in the likes of Mozart, Puccini and Wagner. The songs are in Tagalog, with superscripts in English shown during the entire show.
The opera version originally premiered in 1957 at the Far Eastern University and was later staged at the CCP in 1974.
National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino, acting as the librettist, and National Artist for Music Felipe de Leon, who provided the melody to the libretto, were both head over heels with Rizal’s iconic masterpiece, and were instrumental to the creation of the opera piece.
Soon after its CCP staging, the Rizal-anchored opera was seen in other parts of the world, a testament to the brilliance of both its source and the way the story lends well to operatic requirements.
“Loida Lewis saw it in Chicago and she brought it from there to New York,” Josue says. The show enjoyed wide acceptance and was presented at the Kennedy Center on 2014. It was also staged at the Resorts World Manila the same year.
Set in Spanish times, the story revolves around Crisostomo Ibarra, a young Filipino who has just returned from studies Europe. He plans to marry his beloved Maria Clara, but this is obstructed by the local parish fraile Padre Damaso. Succeeding events spotlighting social issues, such as corruption and the loss of identity, inform the story, creating a dramatic mirror of the Spanish era and the suffering of Filipinos.
Noli Me Tangere, The Opera is riveting not only because it offers a feast for the senses but also because it strikes at the core of being Filipino.
“We’re aware of the moral values that Noli Me Tangere imposes. Some of the issues it raised are still very relevant now—issues of corruption and injustice,” CCP President Dr. Raul Sunico says.
Sibal adds it’s high time for the youth to revist Rizal’s tale and the lessons it provides. He says that, while the Filipino youth are well-equipped in a variety of areas, “the problem we’re facing right now is love of country.” Sunico adds: “Most of us Filipinos, we only know Noli Me Tangere by the author but not what it’s about.”
He urges people to “spread awareness that a timeless piece of Filipino literature is now culturally tangible,” especially to millennials.
Noli Me Tangere, The Opera runs from January 28 to February 3 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater). Tickets are priced from P3,500 to P1,000, with 50-percent discounts for students and 20 percent for senior citizens, government and military employees and person with disabilities.