Rita Daniela

BWW Review: 'Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!' Has The Right Amount of Nostalgia To Its Advantage

The good news is that 'Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!,' an original Filipino play set into music by APO Hiking Society's hit songs, is like no other OPM jukebox musical we have seen in recent memory. Most of the jukebox musicals staged in Manila have an entirely fictional story (e.g. 'Ako si Josephine,' '3 Stars and a Sun' ) or have a plot that's leaning towards social commentary (e.g 'Rak of Aegis'), and, more often than not, try to repackage the sound of the original versions of the songs to make them more current and theatrical (e.g 'Ang Huling El Bimbo,' 'I Remember a Boy'). In their first foray into producing an original material, 9 Works Theatrical and Globe Live go for a more sentimental story, an ultimate throwback to the mid-1970s, with a plot that's loosely based on the early years of the original members of the APO Hiking Society.

Photo Flash: Meet The Cast of MAYNILA SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG, The Musical

Arman Ferrer (Julio Madiaga), Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, (Ligaya Paraiso), and Lara Maigue (Ligaya Paraiso) lead the cast of the stage musical adaptation of Edgardo Reyes' novel 'Maynila sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag' (Manila in the Claws of Light), which inspired the Lino Brocka classic film version that starred Bembol Roco and Hilda Koronel.

Video: Arman Ferrer, Lara Maigue Sing 'Kumusta Ka?' from MAYNILA SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG, The Musical

MAYNILA SA MGA KUKO NG LIWANAG, The Musical is about love that will go the distance, the loss of innocence, and why in a dark, downtrodden jungle that is the big city, pure love is not given room to thrive, its synopsis partially says.