Everything’s relative Onstage and on the page, new musical is filled with Filipino family connections By: Ben Waldman Posted: 4:54 PM CDT Friday, Jun. 21, 2024

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This article was published 21/06/2024 (787 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brothers, sisters, uncles, nephews, husbands, wives and titas unite in Ma-Buhay, the long-awaited, all-Filipino musical that opens the season at Rainbow Stage on June 27.

Inspired by dramatic televised singing competitions and his own life as a wide-eyed musical theatre kid from Winnipeg with hopes of making it big, writer-director Joseph Sevillo’s tentpole project was always about relatives.

In development for six years, Ma-Buhay drew significant inspiration from Sevillo’s late mother, Teresita, who he says embraced and encouraged his professional dreams from the time he stepped on Rainbow Stage as a 13-year-old in a 2003 production of South Pacific.

“Family is everything,” says Sevillo, who gets to direct his 10-year-old nephew Jordan in the production. “The whole story is just different parts of my life with my family, hidden behind these fictional characters. Everything you watch in the show is drawn from my own experience or observations from other families in Winnipeg’s Filipinx community.”

So it’s only fitting that the première of Ma-Buhay — which without a hyphen means “welcome” or “to live,” but with it means “mother in life” — features four sets of siblings, three married couples, a father and his son, an uncle and his nephew, and a legendary tita who taught most of them how to sing.

The Free Press chatted with a few families within the greater Ma-Buhay family.

 

The Bulaongs

“I’m not gonna lie,” says Jerilyn Bulaong, who with her older brother Justin is a member of the Ma-Buhay ensemble. “It kind of feels like one big Filipino party. Everyone here either knows each other or is related. And everyone was so welcoming right off the bat. I don’t think any of us were too shy. The atmosphere in rehearsal feels more like you’re at your auntie’s or cousin’s house.

Jerilyn, 25, admits she got involved with Ma-Buhay because she was copying her kuya Justin after seeing him make his professional debut last year in a Dry Cold Productions musical.

“When I saw him in The Prom last year, I was like, you know what? I want to do that too. I was jealous,” she says.

It was during that production that Justin, 32, connected with Sevillo, who starred in the show as Broadway impresario Barry Glickman.

Sevillo was impressed with Justin and asked him to join the dance team for a fringe festival showcase of Ma-Buhay. Sevillo then asked if he knew of any women who could sing to audition for a role in that showcase. Justin immediately thought of his sister, who he says is a much better singer than he is.

Jerilyn says the same about her brother when it comes to dance; Justin’s worked with Unite Dance Company and Sikat Dance Company, and has taught hip-hop across the city.

For both Bulaongs, participating in Ma-Buhay has been a way to reconnect with their nationality and Tagalog. Growing up, Jerilyn had more exposure to the language, which is featured prominently in several songs, than her brother.

“I understood the language completely, whereas he didn’t. But with the musical, I feel like he’s been understanding a lot more and getting into the culture more. And for me, I can speak full sentences now (in Tagalog) where before I couldn’t,” she says.

Asked to pick his favourite songs of the musical’s all-original numbers, Justin picks two sung by Daren Dyhengco’s character David, Good Son and Pray.

“As a gay Filipino, I can relate to David’s story more, so every time I hear those two songs, it makes me want to cry,” he says.

 

The Santos siblings

Both appearing on Rainbow Stage for the first time, performer Shauldon Santos and choreographer Sharlyne Chua know a thing or two about dancing proudly at a debut.

When they were growing up, the siblings remember watching their parents Violetta and Rodrigo strutting their stuff as ballroom dancers at the traditional Filipino coming-of-age celebrations.

Now, Chua — along with Jayel Masangkay and Lee Banaga — is choreographing for her brother and the rest of the Ma-Buhay cast as the musical makes its own debut.

“Growing up, dance was always a part of our lives. At events or family parties, there was always a choreographed piece or some sort of dancing. I never questioned it. It was just like, ‘This is what we do,’” says Santos, who also works as an early childhood educator and volleyball coach.

Both siblings went to Maples Collegiate, where Santos performed mostly with choirs. Chua, a champion dancer who has been performing with Winnipeg crew Sikat Dance Company since 2005, was busy training in the studio with teacher Rachel Cooper.

Being in Ma-Buhay has led both siblings to connect in new ways with their culture, says Santos, who in middle school was sometimes embarrassed to embrace his heritage and often hid it away.

“I look back at that now, and I think, ‘Why? Why did I ever think that way?’” agrees Chua, who felt the same way at times. “Now it’s the total opposite. I’m super proud to speak our language fluently. I can read it, I can write it, I can speak it. And it makes me proud to hear the songs in this musical in Tagalog and be able to sing along.

“I never thought I would get an opportunity like this, to choreograph for an all-Filipino cast, to do it at Rainbow Stage. I just never imagined any of this happening.”

 

The Malolos

Keep up with the Malolos kids? You won’t be able to do it. We tried: Annika (12), Nathan (14) and Johan (16) took a few minutes to chat with the Free Press.

FP: What’s your favourite thing to sing at home?

Annika: A song from Ma-Buhay called Wake Me Up.

Nathan: I like K-pop, mostly NewJeans.

Johan: The artist I love to sing is Bruno Mars. All of his songs are just, I don’t know, bangers.

FP: What are you obsessed with?

A: Baking. Bread. Just white bread.

N: I’m currently obsessed with bubble tea and Buldak ramen. I like to draw and play video games and do online shopping — just for the essentials.

J: I’m obsessed right now with shoes, specifically Nike or Jordan. I’m wearing Air Force Ones right now.

FP: When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Has that changed?

A: I want to be an eye doctor.

N: I wanted to be an astronaut, I don’t know why. Now I kind of want to do something in the arts. I don’t know what yet.

J: I wanted to be an architect, but now I want to be a performer — dancer, singer, musical theatre, anything that involves being onstage.

FP: If there was a musical about the Malolos family, what would it be called?

N: Keeping up with the Malolos!

J: It would be called Loud. We’re a loud family. You probably heard us over there before the interview.

FP: This musical is about Filipino culture and a lot about family. How does that make you feel?

A: I’m so grateful we have this chance to share it all with each other, and share our culture within it as well.

J: We’re all Filipino here, and we all share the same interests in musical theatre. The first time going into Ma-Buhay rehearsal, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to connect with other people, but everyone here is so welcoming. I feel even though these are my brothers and sisters; I have more siblings in this show to connect and share with.

A: So you’re just abandoning us, calling these people your siblings?

J: No! I’m saying they’re welcoming and nice, and I’m able to call them my brothers and sisters.

A: It’s OK, we already know.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com

 

Honorary auntie

Though Joy Lazo is not officially related to anyone in the cast, Ma-Buhay star Rochelle Kives still refers to Lazo — who plays the matriarchal role of Lola — as Tita Joy.

Lazo, who has performed in Rainbow Stage productions of Damn Yankees, South Pacific and the King and I, has coached or trained the majority of the Ma-Buhay cast — including Kives, Joseph and Jordan Sevillo, Andrea Macasaet, Victoria Exconde, Robin Quintana, Kaitlyn Yago and the Malolos siblings — in vocal performance.

Nowadays, the 72-year-old contralto only has 14 students. But at her peak?

“Brace yourself — 58,” she says.

Lazo remembers appearing onstage with Sevillo in that production of South Pacific.

“His parents approached me and said, ‘We want our son to train with you,’” she remembers. “He’s better now, but the dream was always there. He knows what he really wants, and I think we share a lot in common, including our birthday, May 1.

“During my last visit with Joseph’s mother, she was telling me to take care of Joseph, so he really is like my son.”