Sweet musical theater & Sugarfree
For a good number of thirty-something Filipinos, and those in their late twenties, the music of Sugarfree (1999 to 2011) forms an integral part of the soundtrack of their lives-so-far.
In much the same manner that the Eraserheads was the voice of the ‘90s, Ebe Dancel and Sugarfree were the purveyors of intelligent pop in the first decade of this century. Hari ng Sablay, Mariposa, Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin — these were just some of their songs that became anthems for an angst-ridden generation. After their 2011 farewell concert, two years later saw the first staging of Sa Wakas at the PETA, a musical drama hinged on the songs that Sugarfree made popular.
Last month, Sa Wakas was restaged and had its final run last Sunday. On the night I watched at the Circuit Makati, it was Pepe Herrera, Caisa Borromeo and Justine Peña taking on the three lead roles. There’s a narrative about relationships today — between a photographer and the two women in his life, one a medical intern, and the other working in a fashion magazine. With such millennial occupations, the drama succinctly captures the mood, angst, drive and proclivities of a generation. Pepe as Topper was hands-down show-stealer playing the roguish, two-timing, yet sympathetic male philanderer/protagonist. I had been impressed by Pepe in Rak, and it was great to see him in a meatier role. Caisa was pitch perfect as the OC, domineering intern/girlfriend Lexi, while Justine caught the tone of providing a sharp contrast as Gabbi — and hence, Topper irresistibly prone to playing pinball between these two females.
If I have to level a criticism, it would be that there are times the wonderful songs are not properly buoyed by the “book” — some vignettes dragged and caught me wishing we would move on to the next stage of this story told in reverse. I loved how violin and cello were added to the theater’s orchestra, giving a fresh dimension to Sugarfree’s songs. And the somber, bittersweet tone of the narrative could have had more shafts of humor; for when they came, they elicited strong audience reactions.
If you missed Sa Wakas, pray that there’ll be a soon-to-come re-staging. Bittersweet it may be, but stamped Sugarfree, this is performance art that hits the spot, and satisfies (without the calories!). It’s a healthy dose of acerbic humor, twists of irony, of drama, great songs, singing and music.
The first thousand days daze
One Saturday lunch found me at a function room of Edades, Rockwell, as Nestle mounted an intimate event to announce its global advocacy called “Start Healthy, Stay Healthy.”
The lunch was catered by 25 Mushrooms and hosted by Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, herself a mother of two young boys. The program aims to guide imminent and new parents on proper nutrition for their children — with particular focus on a child’s first 1,000 days: from Day 1 in the womb, to said child’s second birthday.
The learning here being that with the vital and crucial stages of overall development occurring before a child turns two, this all important window for growth needed a portal, a repository, where as much up-to-date information could be accessed by the general public — specifically couples expecting, and those with newborns.
As its global initiative in the Philippines, Nestle has established its www.starthealthy.nestle.com.ph, a handy online companion for understanding the intricacies of early nutrition. Similarly, advocates of the program are sharing their health manifestos on the site. With these concerted efforts, Nestle hopes to spearhead a conscious and committed effort towards improving the health and quality of life of the next generation. The Facebook version is Nestle Start Healthy Stay Healthy.
And to Nestle’s credit, it did not ignore the “giant white elephant in the room” ready to concur that breastfeeding is still a necessity and should not be dispensed with. Rather, the advocacy is concentrating on being informative across a broad spectrum, and heightening awareness on what are considered best nutrition practices nowadays.
