In a landmark cultural event, Journal News Online reports on the first-ever collaboration of three of the country’s leading performing arts institutions, uniting music, theater, and dance in reimagined classics “Peter and the Wolf” and “Little Red Riding Hood.”
Journal News Online recently featured a historic collaboration among three Philippine cultural powerhouses — Repertory Philippines, Ballet Philippines, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra (MSO) — sharing the same stage for the first time last Friday night at The Theater at Solaire.
The evening brought to life reimagined classics Peter and the Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood through a seamless blend of music, theater, and dance. The project also had a strong outreach component, with more than a thousand complimentary tickets given to members of the military, police, out-of-school youth, orphans, indigenous peoples, NGOs, and other beneficiaries.
Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev was narrated live by celebrity guests performing pro bono. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa opened the run, with other narrators including Karylle Tatlonghari, Tim Yap, Aiko Thomson-Guevara, Liza Chan-Parpan, and Maanne Hontiveros. The orchestration vividly matched each character — from flute for the bird to French horn for the wolf — under the baton of music director Marlon Chen.
Since Peter and the Wolf runs under 30 minutes, Ballet Philippines complemented it with a classical ballet adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood, drawing from music by Camille Saint-Saëns and Edvard Grieg.
This creative fusion was helmed by Repertory Philippines artistic director Jeremy Domingo, with MSO — the country’s oldest orchestra at 99 years — providing the rich musical foundation. The night was dedicated to Sr. Mary Placid, Dean of St. Scholastica’s College of Music, in celebration of artistic synergy and the enduring harmony of Philippine performing arts.
Read the full story in Journal News Online here.