JERRY OLEA
Nag-grand opening ang historical/futuristic musical na Rizal 3000 noong Agosto 8, 2026 sa St. Scholastica’s College Manila.
Hindi kami nakapanood noon dahil sa coverage namin sa Cinemalaya 22: Reel Reflections.
Nagbalik sa St. Scho ang Rizal 3000 noong Oktubre 11, Linggo
para sa dalawang pagtatanghal, 11:00 A.M. at 2:00 P.M.
Nagsimula ang kuwento sa hinaharap, sa isang dystopian Philippines kung saan ang paggunita kay Dr. Jose P. Rizal ay itinuturing na pagrerebelde.
Ang ordinary characters sa future ay parallel sa mga tauhan sa kasaysayan noong kapanahunan ng ating pambansang bayani.
"MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT TO DATE"
Ang writer-director na Rizal 3000 ay si Atty. Vincent M. Tañada, CEO at artistic director ng PhilStagers Theater Foundation, Inc.
Bahagi ng mensahe ni Atty. Vincent Tañada sa souvenir program: “Every production begins with a question. Rizal 3000 began with a challenge: How do you make the past speak to the future without losing the soul of either?
“Writing and directing this musical has been one of the most demanding artistic journeys of my career.
“It required building two entirely different worlds that coexist on one stage — the Philippines of José Rizal’s time, rooted in history and revolution, and the imagined Philippines of the Year 3000, where technology has become a tool for forgetting rather than remembering.
“Bridging these two eras while allowing them to speak to each other with clarity, emotion, and purpose has been both the greatest difficulty and the greatest fulfillment of this work.
“In every aspect, Rizal 3000 is our most ambitious production to date. From its production design and visual aesthetics to its original musical score, choreography, multimedia integration, and ensemble casting, we have challenged ourselves to create a theatrical experience unlike anything we have done before.
“Every costume, every note, every movement, and every visual image has been carefully crafted to serve a single purpose to remind us that history is never merely about yesterday, but about the choices we make today.”
Ang dramaturge ay si Dr. Anton Juan. Ang musika ay likha ni Pipo Cifra. Choreographers sina Gerald Magallanes at Anthony Cruz.
Mahigit 200 pagtatanghal na ang Rizal 3000, at inaasam ng produksyon na lumampas sa 700 ang kanilang pagtatanghal hanggang Abril 2027.
Dalawampu’t limang (25) taon na ang PhilStagers Theater Foundation, at nakalikha na sila ng solid fanbase sa educational institutions all over the Philippines.
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rizal 3000 characters
Ang pangunahing tauhan sa Rizal 3000 ay ang historian na si Iosephus Raval (Vince Tañada, Vance Larena, Joseph Tañada, Johnsen Bognot), na itinuturo ang buhay at ideals ni Jose Rizal (Johnrey Rivas, John Arcenas, Ken Intano).
Si Franchesco (Peter Parker Tañada, James Ramada, Toby Nicanor) ang anak ni Iosephus, the bearer of his father’s legacy.
Si Don Forti Zaragoza (Joseph Tañada, Gerald Magallanes, JP Lopez) ang diktador na determinadong burahin ang historical memory ng bansa.
Si Madam Rosinie Raventhorned (OJ Arci) ang imeldific na asawa ni Fonti.
Si Leone Riguerra (Vean Olmedo, Reign Narpuri) ang media personality na tumulong upang ibunyag ang mga kasinungalingan at kabuktutan ng conjugal dictatorship nina Fonti at Madam Rosinie.
Agaw-eksena ang dalawang android, ang alalay na si AI-lalay (Awin Valencia) at ang yaya na Yay-AI (Bea Martin). Nakakakilig ang kanilang tandem!
Ang presidential daughter na si Eden Zaragoza (Francine Galvez, Elia Ilano, Clare Bautista) ang love interest ni Franchesco. Mala-Romeo & Juliet ang kanilang story arc.
Sa past ay merong Andres Bonifacio (Jeremy Peter, Jericho Marigon), at sa future ay merong Andreus Buenofacto (Fidel Redado, Thirdy Hermosa).
Ang pitong dilag na pumukaw sa puso ni Rizal ay sina Leonor Rivera (Yvonne Ensomo, Kris Robles), Josephine Bracken (Renee Escurel, Danielle Francia), Nellie Bousted (Jacky Aquino), Consuelo Ortiga (Stephenie Cansino, Marina Esperida), Segunda Katigbak (Bianca Samarita), Gertrude Beckett (Danielle Francia), at O-Sei San (Tasha Guerrero).
Kabilang pa sa mga tauhan sa Rizal 3000 sina Dr. Abisado (Adelle Ibarrientos, Kharen Udarbe), Lolo Doroy (Chin Ortega, Lovern Calucag), General Alambre (Chris Lim), Secretary Charles Keeping (Carl Rasco), Heneral Polavieja (Rotsen Etolle), Heneral Lachambre (Rajja Mater), Heneral Polavieja (Ron Garcia), at Marcelo H. del Pilar (Gabriel Bautista).
Available sa Spotify ang mga awit sa Rizal 3000 musical.
Sabi pa ni Atty. Vincent M. Tañada: “Philippine theater can be both intellectually profound and visually spectacular.
“Yet beyond the creative process lies a more painful reality. We continue to face enormous challenges at a time when artistic undertakings are increasingly being discouraged in many schools.
“One cannot help but ask: Why? Why should the arts — which cultivate imagination, critical thinking, empathy, patriotism, and cultural identity -- be treated expendable?
“Theater has always been more than entertainment. It is education. It is history. It is a mirror that reflects who we and and who we can become…
“If Rizal 3000 leaves you with one lasting thought, let it be this: a nation that forgets its history risks surrendering its future…
“Mabuhay ang sining. Mabuhay ang kasaysayan. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.”
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GORGY RULA
Kabilang sa mga nanood sa 11:00 A.M. show ng Rizal 3000 noong Oktubre 11 sa St. Scho-Manila sina Mon Confiado at Isha Ponti.
Pahayag ni Atty. Vince Tañada matapos ang pagtatanghal: “A couple of years ago, DepEd has removed Philippine History as a separate subject area in recent education curriculum.
“This year, there is a movement to amend Republic Act No. 1425 better known as the Rizal Law to shorten college years.
“They are removing Rizal novels for college studies. Our only weapon to combat History distortion is our Art.
“Hence, I wrote and directed this musical believing that DepEd and CHEd will heed our call.
“Ang kasaysayan po ay hindi dapat binubura o pinapalitan. Sapagka’t ang kasaysayan po — si Rizal, si Bonifacio, ang ating mga bayani — ay ang ating identidad bilang mga Pilipino.
“It’s not important for me to adapt or to import anything from Broadway or from West End London because we can create our own based on our culture, the richness of our tradition, our history, and our national identity.”
Nagpasalamat si Atty. Vince sa DepEd Division ng Pasay City sa pananalig sa kanyang adhikain.
Dagdag ni Atty. Vince: “Maraming-maraming salamat po sa pagbibigay sa Sining ng puwang upang maging mabisang instrumento at kalasag para makapag-eduka ng ating mga kabataan.”
BAYAN-BAYANAN: LETTERS FROM HOME THE MUSICAL
Kapagkuwan ay nagbihis na sina Atty. Vince at Johnrey para sa flight nila pa-Athens, Greece para sa pagtatanghal doon ng dulang Bayan-bayanan: Letters from Home — The Musical sa direksyon ni Anton Juan.
Isang performance lang iyon noong Oktubre 18 sa Theatre Parnassos Literary Society.
Ipinaliwanag ni Atty. Vince sa Facebook kung bakit kinailangang magtungo siya sa Greece para sa musical na Bayan-bayanan habang ongoing ang season ng Rizal 3000.
Ang dahilan ay ang pagmamahal niya sa kaibigan na si Anton Juan, na hindi siya tinalikdan sa kabila ng kontrobersiyal na pahayag niya noon tungkol sa Bongga Ka ‘Day: The Annie Batungbakal Musical.
Bahagi ng FB post ni Atty. Vince: “I realized that going to Greece was no longer simply about performing on an international stage.
“It was about learning from a man who could disagree with me without abandoning me.
“I knew I could learn so much from Anton Juan, a master of theater whose artistry has been refined through decades of extraordinary work.
“But more than directing, acting, or interpreting a character, I wanted to learn from him about loyalty, humility, compassion, and the courage to stand by the truth.
“I know my ways are not always ideal. I can be outspoken, uncompromising, and sometimes painfully direct.
“But if there is one thing I hope I have demonstrated throughout this controversy, it is that I will never surrender what I believe to be true merely to gain acceptance.
“And then came the moment that made this entire journey worthwhile.
“After our performance in Athens, Anton asked me a simple but deeply moving question: ‘Do you believe that I love you?’
“I nodded. Because I knew he did. And in that moment, all the disagreements, the anger, the public controversies, and the painful words seemed insignificant.
“I realized that genuine love and respect do not require two people to agree on everything.
“Sometimes, the strongest relationships are those that survive the fiercest disagreements.
“Deep in my heart, I believe Anton understood why I spoke out that fateful day. Perhaps he did not agree with how I said it, but I believe he recognized the sincerity of my intentions.
“And that is why I needed to go to Greece.
“Not for the prestige. Not for the applause. Not merely for the opportunity to perform abroad.
“I went because there are lessons that cannot be taught inside a rehearsal hall, and there are friendships that become even more meaningful when tested by adversity.
“I went because I wanted to work with an artist I have admired for decades.
“And I know I can come home with something far more precious than another performance to add to my résumé.
“The reassurance that even when the world misunderstands you, someone who truly knows your heart can still choose to love you.
“Thank you, Anton Juan.
“For the art. For the lessons. For the friendship. “And most especially, for the love.
“Greece was never just about theater. It was about finding grace in the middle of conflict, and discovering that love can be greater than our differences.”
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NOEL FERRER
Tampok sina Joel Lamangan, Anton Juan, Vince Tañada, at Johnrey sa pagsasadula muli ng A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino na obra ni National Artist Nick Joaquin.
Si Anton Juan ang direktor ng pagtatanghal, na gaganapin sa Enero 2027 sa Intramuros, Manila.
Itu-tour iyon sa iba’t ibang lugar, at may performance din sa Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez o CCP Black Box Theatre sa CCP Complex, Pasay City.
Magandang malaman kung ano ang magiging reaksyon ng mga theater audience sa pagsasama ng mga artists na ito.
Ano sa tingin ninyo?