‘Liwanag sa Dilim’ blurs lines between film and theater acting
“I don’t want it to be boxed,” said “Liwanag sa Dilim” director Robbie Guevara, when asked about art and performance and the so-called divide between theater actors and mainstream performers.
“For me, they’re all actors. I really want to stop the notion of ‘showbiz yan, teatro ako.’ On Broadway, nobody says that,” he told reporters during a media gathering organized by 9Works Theatrical for the musical that he is directing and will be opening March 7.
With “Liwanag sa Dilim,” Guevara is bringing together film and TV stars with seasoned stage actors, proving that talent transcends labels. He credited his lead actors—Khalil Ramos, Alexa Ilacad, Rita Daniela, Anthony Rosaldo, and CJ Navato—as instrumental in breaking the outdated notion that TV and film actors don’t belong on stage.
Ramos, whom Guevara previously worked with in “Tick, Tick… Boom!” was a natural fit for the role of Elesi, he said. Ilacad, suggested by producer Santi Santamaria after her performance in “Walang Aray,” impressed him. “She’s missed some rehearsals but she picks up quickly, so I’m not worried,” he pointed out.
Daniela was a no-brainer, given their history of working together in “Eto Na! Musical nApo.” “She made it happen—spoke to GMA 7 and Sparkle to fix her schedule, because she really wanted to do theater.”
Rosaldo, fresh from “Rent,” was another easy choice. “Vocally? He is unquestionable.”
Navato caught everyone’s attention in “One More Chance.” “When he auditioned, we said, ‘Yes!’”
Telling stories through OPM
With his latest musical, Guevara promises to reinterpret familiar Rico Blanco tunes in unexpected ways. “This was how Jim Paredes reacted when he attended one of our rehearsals [for “Eto Na! Musical nApo”]. There’s a scene of a funeral, and they sang a love song. So, Danny Javier, who composed it, said, ‘It’s my lullaby to my child and you turned it into a eulogy. I didn’t think it was possible.’ It’s that extreme. We have moments like that in this show, too. You think something is sweet, but it’s really not.”
For Guevara, telling stories through Original Pilipino Music (OPM) has become a personal mission. “When people ask when I’ll do an original musical, I explain that the popularity of the band or the songs brings the audience in. They come for Rico, but they go home with the story. And that story had better be impactful. Otherwise, meh lang,” he explained.
His passion for preserving OPM classics is clear. “There are so many songs I grew up with that might disappear over time, and by reinterpreting them, hopefully, they live on. I still want to do an original musical someday, but as long as there’s an opportunity to revive the music of bands that may not be as active anymore, I’ll take it. In fact, three other bands have already approached me about potential musicals, so our schedule is packed.”
Life-changing
Guevara recalled the first time he pitched the idea to Blanco. “The songs of Apo Hiking Society were part of my childhood soundtrack. But in college, I got busy with Broadway. So, my ‘90s were more defined by Broadway musicals, except for a few local ones. Rivermaya was one of them,” he said.
He and Blanco first met at a family birthday party. “He sat beside me while we were eating. Later, I learned that Jim had told him about our Apo musical. Rico asked me, ‘So you’re the one doing the songs of Apo?’ I said yes, and then I just blurted out, ‘Let’s do a musical with your songs.’”
That was in 2018. The material was ready for release in 2020, but then the pandemic hit. Back then, the story had a different tone. “The political climate at the time was different. The material has since been reshaped, but it still stays true to the original,” he said.
Guevara believes that today’s audiences, largely composed of Gen Z, need to be challenged through meaningful storytelling. “I think it’s also our duty to shape the way they think. We can’t leave it up to just their schooling. We definitely can’t leave it up to the government, either. So, we do our part. Our shows, while entertaining, also need to be informative. They have to make you think.”
This, he said, also influences his choice of which music to adapt for the stage. “If a show has no educational value, our effort is wasted. It’s easy to entertain—there’s TikTok, there are reels. But this is important to me because I’m in a position where people actually listen. And whatever I say through my work should matter. In fact, it should be life-changing. That’s my goal—I want to change lives.”
At the heart of “Liwanag sa Dilim” is a character named Elesi. Recently orphaned by his adoptive parents, he sets out to find his roots—his original family and the reason they abandoned him. Along the way, he meets Cris, who has struggles of his own. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Produced by 9Works Theatrical, “Liwanag sa Dilim” opens March 7 at RCBC Plaza in Makati City. Tickets are available via ticket2me.net/LiwanagSaDilimMusical or through show buyers.
