BURUGUDUY STUN STUGUDUN STUY: The Parokya Ni Edgar Musical All cotton candy and spectacle

This very plot — in which 16-year-old student Aiza (Felicity Kyle Napuli) with a lame leg is bullied by her classmates; Jen (Marynor Madamesila) lives in the streets sorting through garbage piles with her brother Tikmol (Noel Comia Jr.) and her lamentations of being poorest of the poor; 30-something mall security guard Girlie (Natasha Cabrera) has a sacred secret; and middle-aged housewife Norma (Tex Ordonez-De Leon), who murders the English language with her wrong grammar and pronunciation, has been left by her erring husband for a young miss -— gets not only murky but drowned when the fantastical element of the musical starts to make its presence felt, overwhelming the fragile and flimsy.

Parokya, the Pinoy Oz

When the four female leads become part of Parokya, one gets the feeling that it resembles the world of Wiz meets Sesame Street, full technicolor, psychedelic even, yet its denizens not at par with the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Wizard.

The ladies, now in Parokya, are given the opportunity to face their innermost fears and prevalent demons, with Aiza becoming a mermaid, an alien for Jen, an “aswang” for Norma and the security guard Girlie getting the most different kind of love transformation. As expected, each of the ladies dazzled with their voices and onstage extravaganza with lavish costumes, set pieces and LED images in fast, furious pace, with the music always boisterous and upbeat. It is no longer a feast for the senses but an assault, cumbersome to a fault, and exhausting.

A minus and a plus

Musical director Ejay Yatco used more than 40-plus songs from the discography of Parokya ni Edgar. Yatco obviously had fun embellishing on the songs and making them sound like a lush Broadway version of the Parokya.

His love for his musical creation were obvious because they were always extended versions, from the longish pre-opening segment, to the actual opening, and the finale part that did not want seem to end, plus the solos, duets and so much more that became repetitive and tiresome. Major A minus grade.

An A plus was the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Mickey Jacinto), which played all the music live, showcase their collective brilliance and energy.

More A pluses, more budget, mean more quirkiness, spectacle and zaniness from the scenic designer Lawyn Cruz, lighting designer Meliton Roxas, Jr. and video projection designers GA Fallarme and Joyce Anne Garcia to create different worlds for the action to inhabit.

Performance wise, the A pluses are those of Pepe Herrera’s Mr. Suave, whose stage presence, charisma and swag received instantaneous applauses and swoon; Nicco Manalo’s Mang Jose and his superhero vibe; and the best performance by an animal on the decadent stage, a well-trained Belgian Malinois dog whose entrance and brief stage moments stole the thunder from the actors with whom he shares the stage.

Another memorable A plus scene is Noel Comia Jr., as Tikmol, bringing the cheers and guffaws with his naughty rendition of “Don’t Play with My Birdie.”

Cotton candy musical

BURUGUDUYSTUNSTUGUDUNSTUY, in my book, is a cotton candy musical. Sweet, intoxicating and satisfying sans the needed soul and emotional nourishment. Yes, the individual song numbers provided the entertainment and nostalgia, but the excessive visual elements, the fatigue and wear brought by the music and the clichéd narrative leave a bitter and biting impression.

The run has just started and may Santos, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Michael William make the necessary editing, striking out some of the scenes, toning the blah and blasé, tightening it, so as to make it an unforgettable musical with the songs of Parokya ni Edgar shining through.

BURUGUDUYSTUNSTUGUDUNSTUY: The Parokya Ni Edgar Musical at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at the Newport World Resorts in Pasay City runds until 8 June, with 8 p.m. shows on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Tickets can be bought via Ticketworld, with the following prices: SVIP — P5,525, VIP — P4,420, Gold — P3,315, Silver — P2,210 and Bronze — P1,105.