Music Reviewer

• Opera


  A dramatic story told through songs and acting in which the singers and musicians perform by combining text (libretto) and a musical score
• Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theater, such as acting, scenery, costumes, and sometimes dance
• Opera was first introduced to the Philippines in 1878 through the Zarzuela, a Spanish art and music form that involved spoken and sung words
• Popular themes of Filipino opera

  • Romance
  • Deceit
  • Murder
  • Vendetta
  • Elements of human frailty
• Libretto


  Text used in, or extended for, an entended musical work
• Philippine Ballet


  Used to interpret stories not in spoken dialogue but through dance
• Philippine Musical Play


  Musical performance arts in the Philippines or by Filipinos composed in various genres and styles, often a mixture of different Asian, Spanish, Latin American, American, and indigenous influence
• Musical play is a lighter form of musical drama than the opera, with more contemporary themes and melodies that are easier and more manageable for an average singer
• Theatrical Elements


  • Performers
  • Directors (Theatrical Director, Music Director)
  • Music/Sound (Orchestra, Pop/Rock Band)
  • Theatre Space
  • Design Aspects
  • Script/Text
• Performers


  The people onstage who present characters in dramatic action, with skills in singing, dancing, and acting
• Theatrical Director


  A professional in the theater field who orchestrates and oversees the production of a play, ensuring the overall quality and completeness of the theatre production
• Music Director


  The one responsible for the overall music of the play, serving as the conductor during live performances and teaching music to the cast and musicians
• Orchestra


  A group of musicians who play instruments from different families, unified by the conductor/music director using a score, serving as the accompaniment for an Opera, sometimes in a Ballet, and in Musical Plays
• Pop/Rock Band


  A small musical ensemble consisting of guitarists, bassist, pianist, and drummer, often used as accompaniment in Musical Plays
• Theatre Space


  A proper place for both performers and audience
• Design Aspects


  Technical theatre elements that establish the setting and mood of the production, including scenery, lighting, properties, costuming, and sound
• Script/Text


  The piece of writing in the drama consisting of dialogues, stage directions, and instructions to the actors
• Theatrical elements such as Performers, Directors, Music, Theatre Space, Design Aspects, and Script are all essential for a musical play, and must be collaborated and harmonized to produce an effective and entertaining show
• Broadway musicals are popular due to their themes and texts which are easily understood, often about everyday life, love and romance, social acceptance, jealousy and intrigue, and adventure
• Famous Broadway musicals


  • Miss Saigon
  • Phantom of the Opera
  • Les Miserables
  • Wicked
  • Beauty and the Beast
• Philippine musical plays are a more recent development than Broadway and West End counterparts, often based on adaptations of novels, literary works, or biographical sketches of famous artists
• Famous Philippine musical plays

  • Andres Bonifacio, Ang Dakilang Anak Pawis
  • Atang-Dulang May Musika
  • Katy, the Musical
  • Daragang Magayon
  • Noli Me Tangere, The Musical
  • El Filibusterismo, The Musical
  • Eto Na! Musika nAPO
  • Ang Huling El Bimbo
  • Ang Larawan
  • Rak of Aegis
• Philippine musical and Broadway/West End musicals do not have many differences when it comes to costume, gestures, movements, and music, and are both excellent due to the proper use of theatrical elements
• The main differences are when the musicals started and how the stories were made