Falsettos 
FALSETTOS THE MUSICAL OPENS ON JUNE 28TH
The New Voice Company - the country's most exciting and daring theatre group, acclaimed for their socially provocative productions, opens the Tony Award winning musical "Falsettos" at the Music Museum on June 28. "Falsettos" is a hilarious, provocative, yet deeply moving story of love, family and loss - as we trace the confusions, longings, loves, pains and triumphs of Marvin - the central character. It is a family musical that will remind us of who we are - as we get swept away, song after song, scene after scene, with a wonderfully funny and touching story that will move even the hardest of hearts.
Act 1 begins when Marvin leaves his wife Trina and his son Jason for Whizzer - his charming male lover. Marvin is distressed at not being able to communicate with his son about their new situation. Eleven-year old Jason is afraid that homosexuality is contagious and fears that one day he too will grow up gay. Meanwhile, Marvin and Jason's psychiatrist Mendel, is beginning to fall in love with Trina. Throughout all this, Marvin tries his best to make his relationship with Whizzer work, but they eventually part ways. At the end of Act 1, Marvin is left with nothing but the hope that he can renew his relationship with son Jason and be able to communicate with him. The first Act sees Marvin dealing with his "family". He wants to be with Whizzer but does not want to lose the affections of his wife and son. Marvin seems to lose everyone in his frenzy. Faced with this reality of being alone, he tries to talk to his son who has been trying very hard to deal with the fact that his father is gay. Jason by now, has taken an interest in girls and is no longer afraid of growing up gay. Marvin gives him some fatherly advice that he must march to his own tune. The end of the first act sees Marvin salvage his relationship with his son Jason.
Act 2 begins two years later. Trina is now married to Mendel and both Trina and Marvin are planning Jason's Bar Mitzvah - his coming-of-age thirteenth birthday traditional celebration. We meet two new characters - Charlotte and Cordelia - the lesbian couple from next door - who heal and cater as they form Marvin and Jason's extended family. During Jason's little league baseball game, Trina, Mendel and Marvin see Marvin's ex-lover Whizzer. Marvin and Whizzer are reunited and renew their commitment to each other as older, more mature individuals. Just as they learn to love unselfishly and unconditionally and their relationship deepens, Whizzer becomes sick and ultimately dies of AIDS. In Whizzer's hospital room, Jason decides to hold his Bar Mitzvah party with the people he loves most and who make up his family - his father and father's lover, his mother and stepfather, and wonderful neighbors from next door. As Whizzer dies, the audience sees that after all that Marvin has been through, he will lose what is most precious to him - yet he is not quite alone. Marvin's "family", consisting of all the characters we meet through him in the show, gather around him from the darkness. His "family" - Jason, Trina, Mendel, Charlotte and Cordelia - surround him lovingly to comfort and support him. They may be a small band perhaps - but they are there, together, in times of love, despair, happiness, comfort and need - reminding us that family, love and death know no boundaries, persuasions, labels or categories.
The New Voice Company production of "FALSETTOS" - the company's season opener for 2002, stars the most exciting group of thespians and performers ever assembled in Philippine theatre. Playing the lovable, confused yet charming Marvin is theatre veteran Jake Macapagal. Acclaimed theatre actor Joel Trinidad takes on the role of the charming Whizzer who eventually dies of AIDS. Starring as the compassionate yet distressed wife Trina is critically acclaimed singer and musical theatre actress Lynn Sherman. NVC Associate Artistic Director and acclaimed actor of numerous musicals Rito Asilo, plays Doctor Mendel. Exciting new actresses Lily Chu and NVC resident actress Jenny Jamora play the lesbian couple from next door, Charlotte and Cordelia. Introduced as the young Jason is talented newcomer - 12 year-old Joshua Ramirez De Arellano. John Mulhall and Pheona Baranda cover the male and female parts respectively, while another exciting young newcomer Marco Aytona covers Jason. These talented ensemble give life and soul to these unforgettable characters - characters that will remind us of ourselves and allow us to glimpse a part of each of us in them.
"FALSETTOS" is an unforgettable, heart-breaking yet hilarious moving musical on love and family - in all the varied and wonderful forms they take. It is a musical not to be missed!
"FALSETTOS" opens at the Music Museum on June 28th and runs for 6 weeks till August 3 with Friday and Saturday evening performances. Directing and musically staging/ choreographing the show is NVC Associate Artistic Director Andrew Vergara with Assistant Direction by NVC Resident Director Rabbi Gannaban. Musical Direction is by Bond Samson, leading members of the famous Ugoy Ugoy musical group as the show's band. Set Design is by Denis Lagdameo with Ning Ning San Jose as Vocal Coach and Christine de Guzman as repeteuter. Photography is by Erika Fife with Poster Design by Third Gonzales. "Falsettos" is produced by NVC Executive Directors Teresa Wilson and Rossana Abueva.
"Falsettos" is generously supported by the NVC Actors Studio, Music Museum Group of Companies, Avic Inc, Joey 92.3, Crescent Moon Cafe, Arts Center Philippines, Pottery Exchange, Warm Company, Jaime Unson and Comrades Prints.
Tickets are available at all Ticketworld outlets -at all National Bookstores, Robinson Department Stores, Tower Records and Music Musuem. For ticket information call Ticketworld at 891-5610. Ticket prices are P1,000, P800 and P500.
For all other ticket information, show and block-buying and media sponsorships, call the New Voice Company Actors Studio at 8966695, 8965497 or 8990630 (telefax). You can e-mail at
nvcpost@hotmail.com or
nvc@pacific.net.ph or visit the NVC Actors Studio at 8020 Tanguile St. San Antonio Village, Makati City.
New Voice Company
