REVIEW: Tripping the 'Liwanag' fantastic

“What can you expect? A dystopian fantastical adventure,” is how the musical Liwanag Sa Dilim was described by its writer, director and 9Works Theatrical’s artistic director Robbie Guevara.

Once the curtains go up, that is exactly where this new original Filipino musical, featuring the songs of singer-songwriter Rico Blanco, takes you on. From the get-go, it’s a one-two punch of characters and stories that only barely gives you more than a few seconds to catch up before handing you something new to process.

As the show goes on, the puzzle pieces fall into place. Most of them, at least. The takeaway at the center of it — the sheer audacity it takes to set familiar music to a larger than life off-the-beaten-path story is just the kind of musical theater we need more of.

By the time preview night rolled around, they really put on a show. Buoyed by a high energy cast, led by Anthony Rosaldo as the central character Elesi, with Nicole Omillo and CJ Navato as his worthy cohorts. It was easy to latch on to this rollercoaster ride of a story. Their only ask — suspend disbelief. Full stop. And just roll with it. From that point on, it’s easy to just buy into whatever it throws your way.

About thirty minutes in, the Gen-X influences of the show’s writers started to appear. A little bit Back To The Future, a little bit Jumper, and a whole of lot of Philippine history and literature. If you were to break it down, imagine a board with clippings and notes, and a piece of red string running through it tying all the story points together. Tight in some, and maybe a little forced in others. Given that this was a story that they had birthed in 2020, got shelved by a pandemic, and reawakened for a new generation of theatergoers, Liwanag Sa Dilim hit all the right notes. Bringing in a Gen Z consultant, as Guevara put it, was quite apropos, as it gave the show a firm foothold in the here and now. Sneaking in words like “slay” and “Delulu ang P*&%” while in traditional dress was startling, refreshing and actually worked. 

Perhaps what Liwanag Sa Dilim really needed was more time. More time to fully workshop the show, and work out all the kinks. Guevara explained that theater companies staging original productions were often hard-pressed for time and budget to work out the material more. A lot of it happens as the production makes its way from opening night to final curtain. Seeing the show the second time around, with Khalil Ramos as Elesi, joined by Vien King and Alexa Ilacad, felt like a new iteration of the show. Scenes and storytelling felt tighter. The only sore note was that some songs felt a little out of place, like Chismis did, even if contextually, it made sense. Could that misstep be part of the creative process Liwanag is still on? Which only means an even better version of this show is lying in wait for us to see! 

As Elesi stands in the center of the stage, and the light fades to black, the impression the audience is left with is one of confoundment. The questions volley from "what just happened" to "what happens now." To be honest, that seems to be Liwanag Sa Dilim’s creator Guevara’s desired effect on the viewer. After working its way through different story iterations, suffice to say they nailed it. Was it perfect? no. Did it all make sense? Not really. But maybe that was the point. Walking out of the theater, the audience is dared to consider the possibility of an alternate ending to a story that’s been told many times over. It is plausible, or maybe even possible.  As this run comes to an end, maybe book two, if there is one, or even a rerun, will hold more answers. Waiting and seeing over here.