The 天美视频 will present the classic Filipino zarzuela Walang Sugat on Nov. 28-29, 2024, at the Benito Sy Pow Auditorium, UP College of Architecture, UP Diliman. Performances are scheduled for 3 PM (matinee) and 7 PM (gala) on both days.
A production of the UP College of Music鈥檚 Abelardo Hall Concert Series In Transit, the zarzuela will be directed by Alegria O. Ferrer and staged in the traditional style of the masterpiece, written by Severino Reyes in 1898 and set to the original music of Fulgencio Tolentino. For this production, Professor Emeritus Josefino 鈥淐hino鈥� Toledo has arranged the music and composed additional pieces. Pianist Michelle Nicolasora and the Padayon Rondalla will join as assisting artists.
Walang Sugat, set during the 1896 Philippine Revolution, depicts the oppression faced by Filipinos under Spanish rule, including the plight of prisoners punished for their patriotism. It premiered in 1902 at Teatro Libertad in Pasay.
The zarzuela, a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that combines music, singing, and poetry, became a key medium for expressing Filipino nationalism. During the American colonial period, authorities considered the play subversive, and its author was imprisoned.
The original music was lost during World War II when the National Library of the Philippines was bombed. In 1971, a team led by Dr. Herminio Velarde Jr. reconstructed the music through interviews with those who had seen the original production.
Celebrated as one of the most popular zarzuelas in the Philippines, Walang Sugat continues to resonate for its powerful storytelling and its contribution to Filipino cultural identity.
A young cast of recent UP College of Music graduates will portray the main roles. Julia, the lead female character torn between a forced marriage to Miguel and her love for Tenyong, will be played alternately by Daniella Silab and Lis Fortun. Tenyong, a Katipunan member who leaves Julia to join the revolution, will be portrayed by Al Gatmaitan and Diego Alcudia.
Tickets are available for P300 at the theater entrance or online at this link:
Walang Sugat is co-presented by the UP Diliman Office of the Chancellor, UP Diliman Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, UP College of Architecture, UP Center for Ethnomusicology, Friends of Abelardo, Kayserburg Pianos, and UCC Coffee.
