“She had me at my worst. You had me at my best. Pero binalewala mo ang lahat.”
Let’s use the cliché that unless you’ve been living under some rock since 2007, you should be familiar with that line delivered in Cathy Garcia-Sampana’s “One More Chance”. It was the panunumbat (reprimand, admonishing) of John Lloyd Cruz’s Popoy Gonzalez of Bea Alonzo’s Basha Eugenio when the latter wanted to rekindle a relationship that she – supposedly – “broke”, and even if she knew he’s already with another woman.
It made for… an overly dramatic exchange between ex-lovers. But, Pinoys that we are, it helped make the Star Cinema movie memorable enough to earn at least ₱152.7 million nationwide, so that a sequel, “A Second Chance”, was made.
Now… brace yourself, “One More Chance” is now a musical, thanks to the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA).
IN A GIST
“One More Chance: The Musical” closely follows the movie. And for those in need of reminding, it’s the love story of Popoy and Basha, told with the Pinoy’s penchant for the overdramatic.
Architect Basha was supposed to marry Engineer Popoy, but – feeling trapped because he’s a control freak (let’s stop sugarcoating this part), always dictating what’s good for her – she decided to break up with him.
Basha found her calling with the help of another architect (Mark), while Popoy – wallowing in despair – eventually met nightclub singer Trisha, who became the new GF. Their paths crossed again because – Hey! – they have the same friends, and Popoy’s tita wanted them to team up to complete her dream house with her husband-to-be Willy.
And so – as the title suggests – we are taken in for a ride to know whether there’s another chance for them to be together again.
WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT
There would be some who’d call the movie “One More Chance” as iconic, though I’m sure there’d be those who’d question this claim. But that it’s popular is not debatable (Hello, that line will definitely be the one giant mark on John Lloyd Cruz’s entire acting career). So using this as a material to turn into a musical wasn’t surprising. And it is this – i.e. the music – that makes this new again somehow.
And here PETA used the music generated by the nine-piece Gen Z/Millenial indie folk band Ben&Ben (and in total, 23 Ben&Ben songs were integrated into the story).
WHAT WORKED
When you say PETA, expectations sorta zoom. As one of the more established theater companies in the country, it’s rare for it to miss when delivering goods (that is, some may not be to everyone’s liking, but… they still generally work). And thankfully, “One More Chance: The Musical” (directed by Maribel Legarda and adapted for the stage by Michelle Ngu-Nario) generally works, too (emphasis on “generally”).
1. Inspired casting.
Case in point: Sam Concepcion, that once pa-cute winner of the Big Division in the first season of TV show Little Big Star, and is now a 31-year-old hottie played Popoy (opposite Nicole Omillo as Basha). We knew he could sing (sorta) and dance, but that he’s actually a mini-Triple Threat (that is, he can act, too) was a pleasant surprise.
2. Good use of music.
The Ben&Ben songs used actually blended well with… everything, as if they were written for this show – e.g. “Nakikinig Ka Ba Sa Akin” was apt as Basha’s lament since she felt Popoy wasn’t really hearing her.
3. Attempt (just the attempt) at making the smaller characters relevant.
Popoy and Basha’s friends were just “there” in the movie; here, though, they were given more flesh – e.g. the characters JP (Jon Abella) and Anj (Via Antonio) did not just exist to “push” Popoy and Basha’s story; they, too, had their own story.
4. Production.
The stage (designed by Ohm David) was – basically – bare (some would say “minimalist”), and they made you focus on the story being told. There were, nonetheless, standout set pieces – e.g. a car set piece that brought to mind “Miss Saigon” chopper, and that metal scaffolding that was split in two to accommodate the performers’ movements.
Post-show and while checking the photos, “understated” and even “basic” came to mind as far as the stage design was concerned. And yet more than anything, it made me realize how good PETA has become in maximizing the small-ish space it has (just as it did with that “river” in “Rak of Aegis”).
Bene Manaois’ projection design was okay, though more fantastical than realistic – e.g. the phone calls between Popoy and Basha. And some may say… indolent since they take over actual (physical) props – e.g. those onstage projections “prodding” the storytelling forward – but they serve their purpose, I suppose.
And yeah, Carlo Villafuerte Pagunaling’s costumes were more than sufficient in creating the Naughts feel. While you can tell Concepcion, as an example, only changed his tops to partner with pants he had been using in earlier scenes, all those costumes still felt “separate” from each other, and so they did work.
NOTING ISSUES
But “One More Chance: The Musical”, obviously, had issues, too.
1. Those product placements.
One of the most annoying things when you watch any movie of Kris Aquino’s is the shameless product placements. PETA is known for that, too. And yeah, “One More Chance: The Musical” isn’t exempted here. Usually played for laughs (since we’re supposed to be “in” the joke, knowing the promoting), this approach actually stalls the flow of the storytelling. Cut the first time you hear it, but if you’re a regular PETA supporter, this gets stale, sorry…
2. Running time.
Because of the aforementioned attempt to make the other characters more real by giving them their own storylines, “One More Chance: The Musical” is longer than the movie itself, running over three hours (with that intermission in between). As if to make the audience “want” to stay, some of Ben&Ben’s biggest hits (e.g. “Sa Susunod na Habang Buhay” and “Leaves”) were placed in the latter part of the show.
3. Gratuitous semi-nudity (of Concepcion).
Who’d complain if the buff Concepcion is made to go in the buff as often as possible? Not that many, I suppose, even in these supposedly more woke times. But then while watching “One More Chance: The Musical”, I actually started noticing how “excuses” were being created just for Concepcion to go topless; and while nice to look at, it was unnecessary.
4. Under-utilized talent/s.
As the “other” woman/rebound GF in Popoy and Basha’s story, Tricia (played by Kiara Takahashi; though also by Sheena Belarmino) at least has a singing part. But she’s an underdeveloped character, there only to propel Popy and Basha’s love story. Which is weird considering even inconsequential BFFs were given more character development.
5. Ignoring the red flags.
PETA can be “political” – e.g. similar to those product placements, now and then some characters would inject political statements. But in “One More Chance: The Musical”, a major issue for me was the ignoring of Popoy’s “abuse” of Basha. Psychological abuse was a key driver in their relationship, and yet… we’re still supposed to see things from his side and root for the two of them.
IN THE END…
In a gist: “One More Chance: The Musical” is not too different from the movie, just added with Ben&Ben’s music. It is THAT loyal, so when watching, expect those memorable (and corny) quips (as above).
In many ways, the approach works because – Hey! – we all sorta know Popoy and Basha’s story, and a “refresh” (if you will) isn’t bad, particularly when done via a different approach (through theater this time).
Yes, as stated, this isn’t a “perfect” production. But then the “issues” aren’t big enough to take away from the full experience. I’d say this is apparent when you see a handful of people LITERALLY crying for ACTUALLY identifying with wat’s onstage (I saw two sets of wet eyes, at least). And that – I suppose – is a good impact to be consider when thinking of watching “One More Chance: The Musical”. So go! – WITH ARTHUR ABAD NWABIA and ALBERT TAN MAGALLANES, JR.
CAST AND CREW
Credits: Maribel Legarda (Director), Michelle Ngu-Nario (Playwright & English Translation), Myke Salomon (Musical Director & Sound Designer), Michael Barry Que (Choreographer), J-mee Katanyag (Asst. Director & Dramaturg), Ohm David (Set Designer), Carlo Villafuerte Pagunaling (Costume Designer), David Esguerra (Lighting Designer), Bene Manaois (Projection Designer)
Cast: Sam Concepcion, CJ Navato, Anna Luna, Nicole Omillo, Kiara Takahashi, Sheena Belarmino, Poppert Bernadas, Paji Arceo, Ada Tayao, Rica Laguardia, Via Antonio, Dippy Arceo, Jon Abella, Johnnie Moran, Jay Gonzaga, Jef Flores, Chez Cuenca, Coleen Paz, Matthew Barbers, JC Galano, Neomi Gonzales, Carla Guevara Laforteza, Raul Montesa, Floyd Tena, Hazel Maranan
