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Tres Dahlias: The fabulous Angelina Kanapi, Shamaine Centenera and Mae Paner play bodabil veterans in Tanghalang Pilipino’s presentation of Mario O’Hara’s Stageshow at the CCP.

We had a blast at Stageshow, the Tanghalang Pilipino production of Mario O’Hara’s musical play about Filipino bodabil veterans recalling their heyday in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Directed by Chris Millado, it’s got song-and-dance numbers (the choreography is by Denisa Reyes with tap dance choreography by Tony Casimiro), old-style patter, dirty jokes, naughty bits, and it wouldn’t be Pinoy without the big dramatic love story.

After the demise of the stageshow circuit the old pros keep on entertaining the audience, be it as the Babaeng Gagamba at a carnival or a singing beggar at Luneta. Directed by Chris Millado, Stageshow is both hilarious and touching, a tribute to Mario O’Hara and to the plucky The-show-must-go-on spirit of Filipino theatre performers undaunted by measly budgets (You could see it in the bare stage and makeshift costumes. This is not the time for minimalism, it’s vaudeville! Then again, it’s a show about penniless artists), limited advertising and mostly empty seats (We consoled ourselves with the thought that the empty seats were occupied by the ghosts of old stageshow performers).

Leads Shamaine Centenera and Nonie Buencamino, Angelina Kanapi and Mae Paner are outstanding. Rody Vera is amazing as the singer Bobby Gonzales (as Jackie said, Parang nasaniban), whom we remember from those TV variety shows with Sylvia La Torre. And Lou Veloso brings down the house in a short, hilarious/nasty scene that is a master class on how to make an entrance, how to tell a joke, and how to make an exit.

Stageshow reminds us that Mario O’Hara’s greatest quality was his humanity.

As the sparse but satisfied audience filed out of the Little Theatre it converged with the crowd coming out of Phantom of the Opera in the Main Theatre. It’s so obvious it’s not even a metaphor: upstairs, a full house at the big imported Broadway musical; downstairs, two dozen viewers at the locally-produced musical. “May Hollywood and indie equivalent din pala sa teatro,” Vivien sighed. We can’t begrudge Phantom its success (we hear it was an excellent production), but we feel bad for the Pinoy stageshow. If Stageshow had just a tiny portion of Phantom’s budget for production and marketing, imagine the possibilities.

Remaining playdates:
(Wed) October 17 at 8pm
(Thurs) October 18 at 8pm
(Fri) October 19 at 3pm and 8pm
(Sat) October 20 at 3pm and 8pm
(Sun) October 21 at 3pm

Tickets available at the CCP Box Office, (02)8321125 or at TicketWorld Outlets, (02)891-9999.