Starring Gawad Urian-winner Kakki Teodoro and the country’s OST Princess Janine Teñoso, Muli: An OPM Musical kicked off its three-weekend maiden run with a star-studded preview at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig City.
Photo: MULI: An OPM Musical
Clocking in at around two-and-a-half hours, Muli follows the story of Anita (Teodoro), a 42-year-old housewife who has spent the last two decades building her life around her family. With her daughter Kath (Teñoso) now fully grown and with most of her youth behind her, Anita seizes the chance to move through the lives she might have lived — experiencing the success, love and happiness she once imagined for herself — along with the bittersweet consequences they bring.
“At its heart, Muli is about learning to love the life that is ours, even with all the challenges and uncertainties that inevitably come with the moments that make it beautiful,” said Charissa Pammit, who produced the show, and co-wrote the book and lyrics with her good friend Jose Paolo dela Cruz.
Transforming the story into a musical spectacle are the show’s musical directors and composers Nica del Rosario and Matthew Chang of FlipMusic, through 11 original songs that cover a multitude of genres. “Much like Anita jumping from one universe to another, the musical writing process was a fun, wild, emotional roller coaster ride. We explored the many iconic ‘eras’ and genres of OPM—from Fliptop-style hiphop, acoustic bands, to ‘90s bubblegum pop, and so on,” said Chang and Del Rosario.
Director Andrei Pamintuan also leads a team of Philippine theater’s most accomplished artists for Muli. Joining Teodoro and Teñoso onstage is a powerful ensemble cast, which includes Vien King (Passion), Marvin Ong (Man of La Mancha), Justine Peña (Sa Wakas), and Marynor Madamesila (Gregoria Lakambini), alongside social media creator and Dog Show Diva host Baus Rufo, in his first professional theater production. Costumes were designed by Santi Obcena, while dance numbers were choreographed by Joe Abuda, against a colorful set design by D Cortezano.
“This production has been shaped by an extraordinary community of artists. I am deeply grateful to our creative team, whose talent, generosity, and collaboration have brought Muli to life,” he said.
Muli: An OPM Musical will be staged on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 11 to 27 at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig City. Tickets are now available on Ticketworld and mulimusical.com.
For more information, visit www.mulimusical.com or follow Muli Musical on Facebook or @MuliMusical on Instagram.
