EXCLUSIVE: Get a First Listen to 'Meet Cute' from HOOK UP THE MUSICAL
‘Hook Up’ holds its first public staged reading today, June 28, at the Quest Hotel.
By: Oliver Oliveros Jun. 27, 2024
“Unexpectedly, we meet Cute,
Unlikely and contrived,
The moment has arrived.”
Cebu City, Philippines--Get a first listen to “Meet Cute,” a track from the new musical “Hook Up.” Composed by Jude Gitamondoc, and arranged and sung for the demo by Barry Villacarillo, “Meet Cute” is the lead character Tim’s “I want” number. (Kind of the reflective, solo moment in “Go The Distance” in "Hercules" or “Part of Your World" in “The Little Mermaid”)
“After years of bargaining with himself and prioritizing his studies over his social life, Tim has decided the time has come for him to find a boyfriend. He sings as he dreams of the day he'll finally meet the love of his life,” Gitamondoc says about the song’s context.
“Since much of the story unfolds within the fictional app ‘Hooked,’ I wanted to introduce everyone to that world in a relatable way by setting it up as an ordinary meet-cute device. In the ’80s, gay people met cute at bars; nowadays, we meet cute in apps.”
You may also download the MP3 file here.
“Hook Up” is a musical comedy that introduces us to Tim, aka TimidTim, and a mysterious character, IAmAnonymous, who turns out to be a person living with HIV. Also featuring vignettes and monologues of the other users of the app, the show deals with pertinent issues surrounding dating in the AI and deepfake era, the practice of safe sex, and the unique challenges the LGBTQIA+ community still faces today.
Produced by Kadasig, an independent label championing Cebuano songwriters and singers, the production similarly provides a platform for Cebuano thespians to thrive. “Hook Up” stars Jan Echavarria and Ralph Mallapre, supported by Gabriel Gomez, Joanna Modesto, Shim Dagatan, Jaggy Gomez, Fritz Pepino, Joer Gallur, Les Paul Pineda, and Cyril Cabahug.
Today, at the Quest Hotel, “Hook Up” makes its staged reading public for the first time.
“We’d like to gather feedback, particularly from the members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. These will help improve the show in the aspects of its story and script, songs, performances, and theme and message,” says Gitamondoc, who also directs the reading.
“I also want to see how an audience genuinely responds to the material. There’s no way to figure that out mentally—we just have to stage it and see.
“I’m a big Broadway believer and stan. So, I guess, I’m also trying to do theater the way Broadway does it, despite the limitations we have here.”
Follow “Hook Up The Musical” on Facebook.
Music: Kadasig
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