Photo Coverage: DANI GIRL Returns to the Stage; Show Runs Now Thru Sept. 1

Manila, Philippines--Appropriate for all audiences, starting at age six, DANI GIRL, the musical by Michael Kooman (composer) and Christopher Dimond (book writer and lyricist), has returned to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, in Makati City.

Hilarious, whimsical, yet devastating at the same time, DANI GIRL gives us a peek at the short lives of children who are battling cancer.

At the special press preview held last Friday, 12-year-old Felicity Kyle Napuli (Disney's "The Lion King," "Matilda") and Daniel Drilon (Disney's "Newsies", "Fun Home") played the roles of Dani and Marty, respectively, the show's protagonists, alongside adult actors Juliene Mendoza, who played Raph--who played multiple roles--and Pam Imperial, who played Dani's heartbroken mother, Katherine Lyons.*

The Sandbox Collective's maiden production back in 2014, DANI GIRL, which is once again directed by Toff de Venecia, follows Dani Lyons, a precocious nine year old who loses her hair to leukemia. Together with a newfound friend and hospital roommate, Marty, she embarks on an extraordinary journey to get her hair back--with the help her unbridled imagination, her trusted teddy bear, and Marty's obsession over sci-fi movies.

"...And while the staging is somewhat different from how we did it back in 2014, you'll find there's something in it that's still very much familiar...you'll find that the heart of the show is very much intact," said de Venecia in his program notes.

The show's artistic team also includes Ejay Yatco, musical director; Faust Peneyra, scenographer and technical director; Stephen Vinas, choreographer; Myrene Santos, hair and makeup designer; Miggy Panganiban, lighting designer; Glendfford Malimban, sound designer; Joee Mejias, video and projection designer, and Krystal Kane, assistant musical director, plus musicians Patrick Espanto (cello) and Ranielle Sarmiento (percussion).

DANI GIRL runs now until September 1, 2019.

Get tickets (P900-P2,000) via TicketWorld.com.ph.

*At certain performances, Rebecca Coates plays Dani Lyons; Luigi Quesada, Marty; Lorenz Martinez, Raph, and Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Katherine Lyons.

Photos: Oliver Oliveros

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Felicity Kyle Napuli

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Juliene Mendoza, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Pam Imperial, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Juliene Mendoza, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Daniel Drilon

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Juliene Mendoza

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Daniel Drilon

Felicity Kyle Napuli

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Daniel Drilon

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Daniel Drilon

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Juliene Mendoza

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon

Felicity Kyle Napuli, Daniel Drilon

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon, Felicity Kyle Napuli, Juliene Mendoza

Juliene Mendoza

Felicity Kyle Napuli

Daniel Drilon

Pam Imperial

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