The Pop Herstory of Gregoria Lakambini
The Pop Herstory of Gregoria Lakambini
Feature art by Abigail Manaluz
The legacy of Katipunan icon Gregoria de Jesus is finally out in the open and free from the conforming label of “Andres Bonifacio’s wife” dictated by elementary textbooks. Coming off the heels of Jeffrey Jeturian’s Lakambini, which had a splashy premiere at the QCinema International Film Festival before making its way to local theaters, Tanghalang Pilipino’s decision to add Gregoria Lakambini as part of their 39th season is pure coincidence. But I’m glad to report that the company’s production and the very material are phenomenal and important today.
The whole play, with music and lyrics written by Nica del Rosario in collaboration with Flip Music Studios, feels like a concert, akin to the British musical Six: The Musical. The musical follows the life of Gregoria de Jesus with revolutionary Andres Bonifacio and her key contributions to the Katipunan as well as the hardships and the eventual peace she gained after the fact.
The idea of blending pop elements and historical scenarios might sound cringey but rest assured upon watching Gregoria Lakambini, you will have a splendid time. The introduction song is a brilliantly upbeat way to introduce Gregoria de Jesus, her upbringing and personality. It reminded me of “Alexander Hamilton” from Hamilton and how the other characters briefly narrated Hamilton’s childhood. The women who sang the opening song turned their attention towards the audience, a gesture that recurs for the remainder of the show. On paper, this artistic choice is a cheap way to deliver exposition, relying more on “tell” than “show”, and filters the spectacle for the audience. Gregoria Lakambini playfully used this recurring technique in a creative way, making the other actresses the audience surrogate as well. They react the same way we react to Gregoria’s demise. When Gregoria and Andres finally meet and wed, their overexaggerated reactions mirror the audiences, hence heightening the experience.
Courtesy of Tanghalang Pilipino
The musical also accounts for Gregoria Lakambini as a person outside of being a historical figure. In one hypothetical scene imagining Gregoria’s actions towards Emilio Aguinaldo after Aguinaldo had Bonifacio killed, the musical acknowledges Gregoria’s rage and gives her a satisfying “revenge.” It also affirms that how the scene played out was only imagined in regards to Gregoria’s hatred towards Aguinaldo, and it was not a disservice to the musical and her life story for the scene to play out like this. It reminded me of a segment from PETA’s Kumprontasyon entitled Lakambini, which depicts a hypothetical interaction between an old Gregoria and an old Aguinaldo. Both the scene from the musical and PETA’s play gave justice to Gregoria’s love for her deceased lover and her legacy, with Gregoria Lakambini delivering it through a song and Lakambini consisting of emotional dialogues confronting Aguinaldo’s complicity in her husband’s death.
Back to the actresses. They all did an exceptional job with their difficult roles. Marynor Madamesila gave an emotional, all-rounder performance as Gregoria de Jesus. Together with her are a magnificent set of ensemble: Anya Evangelista swoons in her role as Andres Bonifacio as well as being part of the ensemble. I could say the same thing with Sofia Sacaguing in her role as Julio Nakpil. There was a part in the musical where everyone was reluctant to step in for the role of Emilio Aguinaldo and Heart Puyong delivers a comedic transition from being an ensemble into being the notorious former president. Other members of the ensemble, Sarah Monay, Ynna Rafa, and Murline Uddin, delivered exquisite performances as well. They might as well form a P-Pop girl group because their harmonies are to die for.
I have high hopes that there’ll be another staging of this musical in the future. I always say this for every Tanghalang Pilipino production I watch because every show they put out is. But I truly believe more people should see this show. It’s not only an entertaining and creative musical, but an important and inspiring story for every Filipina who is curious about Philippine history—nay, herstory.
