Lea Salonga sees IMELDA

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 8:29pm

Lea Salonga is in NYC for her fundraiser for those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.

And she's of course gone to see the new IMELDA musical, set in the Philippines.

Have you seen the show?

If so, what did you think?
Lea sees Imelda Updated On: 10/9/09 at 08:29 PM

[ooliveros]

Posted: 10/9/09 at 11:27pm

Break a leg, IMELDA =)

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 12:37am

I just got back from seeing Imelda with some of my friends, and we all enjoyed it. Jaygee Macapugay, Liz Casasola, Mel Sagrado Maghuyop and Brian Jose were all wonderful; I just wished Corazon Aquino was more involved in the story. Honestly, she seems like she'd be an interesting subject for a play or a musical as well.

I think comparisons to Evita are inevitable, so I'll make one. I don't think Imelda has quite the same bite that Evita does. Some of the music and staging were pretty strong, but some other numbers fell a little flat. Like I said, we all enjoyed ourselves, but I don't know if I think it quite got to the level it could have.

[eatlasagna]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 1:44am

i saw Imelda when it premiered in LA... it was eh... it was ok... not bad but not good either...

[StageManager2]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 2:08am

I figured there would be EVITA comparisons, since they're both from small, backwater towns who move to the big city (Manila in her case), become magazine models, and meet a small-time politician who becomes president of the nation.

In fact, in the TV movie EVITA PERON (which was shown in the Philippines after Marcos overthrow) there's a scene where Eva shows her shoe collection to an American photographer, and that got the biggest response in the theater.

Updated On: 10/10/09 at 02:08 AM

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 12:28pm

I'm pretty sure Evita wasn't allowed to be performed in the Philippines under the Marcos regime, too.

I don't think they're as similar when you look at the dynamics in the relationships. I found Marcos to be portrayed as a stronger character than Peron, honestly. And I don't know if Imelda was as cunning as I think Eva could be.

[jpbran]

Posted: 10/10/09 at 1:35pm

This thread's title cracks me up... "Raul Esparza watches GRAYS ANATOMY." "Patti Lupone listens to COLDPLAY."

Just seems like such a funny, random statement.

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 12:16am

Imelda Marcos did try to ban EVITA's Manila production, but I believe one was staged nonetheless by Repertory Philippines (the theatre company where Lea Salonga got her start).

IMELDA: THE MUSICAL was a fine attempt but there were some gross historical inaccuracies in the show, which dramatic license couldn't excuse, IMHO. The actors gave game performances, but the portrayal of Imelda Marcos was too gentle; the real-life Imelda is cunning (among other words that start with the letter "C.") The stage Imelda was written too sympathetically when she's actually closer to the stage Eva Peron.

I doubt this production will ever be shown in the Philippines. The continuing rivalries between the Marcoses and the Cojuangco-Aquinos will simply not allow it given the musical's content (e.g., the completely untrue portrayal of Imelda and the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino as childhood friends/boyfriend-girlfriend wil definitely raise ire if seen by both political dynasties).

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 12:31am

Is world class douchenozzle George Hamilton a character in the show, helping the Imelda smuggle money out of the Philippines?

[jsg03jd]

Posted: 10/20/09 at 2:00am

Thankfully, no, but the stage Imelda made references to him as one of her Hollywood buddies. It's been long rumored that he was part of her harem.

[Jennifer Lynn]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 7:32pm

This is the first I've heard of this. I'd like to know, as a Beatles fan...does this contain the incident where the Marcoses give the Fab Four a hard time for turning down a party invitation?

[Sauja]

Posted: 10/22/09 at 8:16pm

I've seen a few hundred plays and musicals in my day. Imelda was the very first one I ever walked out of. Some of the cast is pretty talented, but that just made the experience all the sadder. The material is terrible and terribly inaccurate. I agree with jsg--these aren't changes that can be called "artistic license." They're strange creations passed off as truth.

The piped in music is anemic; I've seen better sets in many a high school stage production; and the staging is humiliatingly inept. It wasn't that I was bored or offended upset by the material. It's that I was actually embarrassed for the people on stage.