Tag Archives: cattski

Monsters The Musical- A Review

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(Photos taken from Monsters The Musical IG page. Screen capped cuz I’m a G.)

What can I say about Monsters The Musical? Well, since I’m at a complete loss for words, allow me to borrow my friend, Alem Garcia’s words- “the show in one word was FLAWLESS.”

As we all know, Monsters The Musical is a musical play about being brave. With hints of it having an #LGBTQIA centered synopsis where of course, #LoveWins, my ignorant self thought that it would simply just be about that and nothing more but believe me, it was more than “just that”. And then some.

This modern love story which was beautifully written and directed by THE Sir Jude Gitamondoc cleverly uses our ever loved and cherished Cebuano talent, Cattski‘s, music to add an unexpected twist and new light to her songs that we 90’s kids grew up with.

If you need a refresher to her music- catch it here. If you haven’t heard her music yet, you can thank me later.

With an amazing cast that added so much life and character to the story and songs, Monsters The Musical was familiar; it was our kind of funny; it was heart warming and more importantly, it felt like home.

But I would have to say the star of the night was definitely Jacky Chang. As a seasoned singer, I always knew she could sing but it was her acting skills that blew me away. Her portrayal of Bea, a strong willed yet troubled woman, is what truly captivated the crowd together with her magnetic chemistry with co-star, Trixie Alturas, whose acting also really captured our hearts. Trixie’s powerful vocals and amazing stage presence has me eager to see more of her in the upcoming months and years to come.

Of course, Marlon Tansengco and Von Saw‘s performances did not go unnoticed. They were all very, very good actors and I truly wish I could go into detail about their characters and why I love them so much without going too much into too much detail and robbing you of the experience of learning the story so I will just have to leave it at that. for now?

Overall, Monsters The Musical is a beautiful production with so many components that made it great. The acoustics were top notch, lights & technicals world class (hi Justin! I’m a fan!), the set design was straight to the point & no frills and while there were a couple mic issues, they were surprisingly resolved quite smoothly.

Monsters The Musical may be positioned, somewhat, as a modern love story but I still feel like it is a very classic love story (in it’s own ways). It talks about love between friends, family, one’s self, facing our most inner demons, being brave and honestly, I can’t imagine anyone who couldn’t relate to it.

I had an amazing time watching Monsters The Musical, I laughed; I cried; I pondered on my life and how precious yet fleeting every moment is and I feel like I came out of it a better person and for this experience, I am truly grateful.

As I end this review, I would like to commend the Cebuano theater community and supporters for our unwavering support for the arts. The Center Stage of SM Seaside was packed and every one in the audience was so amazing & behaved- not that I am surprised but I would still really like to congratulate us, as well. Cebu is ready for more productions like this and I am looking forward to us taking on bigger projects and taking our talents to a wider audience.

Congratulations to MDF Productions for a more than successful first production, Sir Jude Gitamondoc, Cattski, all the cast and crew.

I am looking for more runs! I also think that Jake’s character could get his own spin off. hahaha.

xx,
Issa G.

Monsters the Musical, An All-Cebuano Collaboration Featuring Songs by Cattski Espina

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Calling out all theater lovers out there, a special musical is coming very soon to Cebu City!

Brought to us by the very talented Cattski & Jude Gitamondoc together with Margo Frasco of MDF Productions, a beautiful story is about to unfold right before our eyes this November 16 & 17 at the SM Seaside Centerstage.

Monsters the Musical is not your typical love story but it’s a story that needs to be heard. Tackling subjects such as LGBTQIA issues and other similar issues, this play is meant to encourage everyone to #BeBrave in every aspect of their life. Plus, it features 25 of our beloved Cattski’s songs and this is also Sir Jude Gitamondoc’s directorial debut!

PRESS RELEASE

Cebu, Philippines – Monsters the Musical is a coming-of-age love story centered around two friends, Bea and Elle. The show explores the intricacies of a relationship that spans years, beginning in childhood, developing in adolescence, and peaking in their family and professional lives. Bea and Elle discover themselves through each other, and confront and battle their internal monsters together.

With an all-Cebuano cast, crew, and music, the production is Cebu’s gift to her people packaged as a musical marvel that expresses what it is like to be truly brave. It marks the directorial debut of Jude Gitamondoc, whose previous work on Siddhartha is well-known. He is a professional songwriter, record producer, two-time recipient of the Awit Awards, and two-time recipient of the Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs TFC Choice Award. He is also the Grand and Second Prize Winner of the 28th Cebu Pop Music Festival. A man with a with a true love for Cebu and its artists, Jude embarks on this endeavor along with fellow Cebuanos, songwriter Cattski Espina and producer Margo Frasco.

Featuring 25 of Cattski Espina’s songs as the navigating force, Monsters the Musical is also a journey through her body of work. The show puts a new spin to her well-loved originals that encompass her more than a decade-long career in the music industry. As the songwriter of these songs, she says, “It will be completely new and something that hasn’t been done in Cebu before. It is an experience that I cannot wait to see.”

Monsters the Musical is Produced by Margo Frasco, CEO of Cebu’s local delicacy empire Titay’s and founder of MDF Productions. While overseeing their family company, Titay’s, Margo’s heart has always been in the performing arts. Her compassion to contribute to the community motivated her to plant her baby project, MDF Productions, with Monsters the Musical as its pilot production. It is a reflection of Margo’s advocacy for and faith in the Cebuano arts.

Monsters the Musical is slated to be on stage on November 16 and 17 at SM Seaside Centerstage with a matinee show at 2:00 PM and a gala show at 8:00 PM. Ticket prices are at Php 350, Php 700 and Php 1,000. For ticket reservations, message their Facebook page at m.me/monstersthemusical.

 

I’m personally super excited for this play because I think it’s high time we started talking about issues like this.

I’m a strong believer in staying true to ourselves and being able to love whoever we want, without fear and without shame and I think everyone else should, too which is why I support this play soo much.

I can’t wait for November 16 and will definitely let you know how the play goes for those who are curious about it so stay tuned!

xx,
Issa G.