Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah (Ze Muzical) Redux

WARNING: SPOILERS.
(Don't tell me I didn't warn you)


January 20, 2007 at 8pm: I watched Carlo Vergara's Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah ("ZZZ" for brevity) Ze Muzical again(!).

Last Saturday was not the same as June __, 2006. I did not arrive before the play started, and I didn't notice that our ticket said "bleachers" and not just "free seating". The venue being the Tanghalang Huseng Batute (otherwise known as the CCP Studio Theater), just like before, I didn't have the privilege of seeing the play with the actors playing out their roles just few feet from where I was seated. And I had a bit of a fear that my precious find-seat would be lost if I leave it during the 10 minute break. (I swear, they were prompt.)

There were a few lines which were added here and there, generally making the play more contemporary and equally enjoyable. Nope, I will not share with you those lines lest I spoil the punchlines (with the punches possibly ending up on my face. hehe.) Seeing the muzical (not musical, mind you) for the second time surely had some disadvantages - some scenes which made me roll with laughter, thinking it was an ad lib by the actor, were in fact scripted. For the same reason, I missed Wilma Doesn't this time around and I realized the role of Dina B. was tailor made for her. The actress who played Dina B. was not convincingly tone deaf enough to merit breaking glasses.

Aside from the taumbayan, the actors who played Ada the parlorista and her (ahem) sidekick Didi were still Tuxqs Rutaquio and Joey Paras, respectively. I guess the main characters, just like Zsa Zsa's character did not have an alternate. Having read the comic book, Tuxqs Rutaquio, I think, suits the role best. Rustom Padilla was just too pretty and flawless a gay to have the woes of Ada. He was, in fact, in some scenes in the movie, more stunning and youthful that Zsa Zsa Padilla. In fairness to Zsa Zsa (and Pops), I think the material was just more suitable for a live performance; it was afterall NOT an action movie but a comedy to begin with. But I digress... Anyway, Ricci Chan once played the role of Didi though, I have read but I am not quite sure how he could have out done the hilarious and outstanding performance of Joey Reyes. He, almost single-handedly, carried the show, dictated the tempo and plugged all the holes to make the play coherently hilarious.

(Incidentally, both Joey Reyes and Ricci Chan are part of the cast of Maging Sino Ka Man. Ricci plays the character of Celine's (Anne Curtis) gay bestfriend while Joey Reyes, garbed in an attire similar to Didi's, is... you guessed it - the sidekick parlorista of Jackie's (Bea Alonzo) banished mother. Let's stop here lest I be tempted to rattle off the other characters - that's another story.)

Hmn, what else? I did get to see another "Dodong" (and another set of "noodles", naturally). Now this Dodong was taller, fairer and hunkier but quite far from the Dodong depicted in the comic book ZZZ. And he doesn't sing well at all! Alfred Vargas playing Dodong in the movie version of ZZZ was kinda accurate but in my opinion, the best Dodong was Arnold Reyes, the guy who played Dodong when I saw it the first time around. As it turns out, I read from a blog that the actors who played Dodong in the 3rd run of ZZZ Ze Muzical, Lauren Novero and Arnold Reyes weren't too available this time around (the one I saw recently was the 4th run). Lauren totally begged off while Arnold (first name basis kami eh) naturally couldn't do all the shows. And so they auditioned the role in December. I didn't quite catch the name of the actor who played Dodong last Saturday (they tell you who will be playing for the show before it starts) but he was obviously unhappy as the cast was being presented after the play, just like many of us. I'm just not sure if he was unhappy with his performance or with the aftertaste of the kiss. You know, the kiss?

This time, I catched Agot Isidro playing Queen Femina Suarestellar Baroux. Hurrah! The spectacle of seeing her beautiful face was well worth it despite the fact that Kalila Aguilos was the artistically superb Queen Femina. Nonetheless, Agot, with her flat notes and all, was still captivating and entertaining in her performance.

It was different with Eula Valdes. My admiration of this actress goes beyond being awestruck, even if the scene where she and Raymond Lauchengco were dating, frolicking under the rain, with "So It's You" playing in the background (to me the 80s version of the scene where Rogelio dela Rosa and Carmen Rosales were check-to-cheek na nagliligawan sa ilalam ng puno ng mangga while singing Maalaala Mo Kaya) plays in my mind whenever I see her. Eula was as "fantabulous" as ever. She is THE Zsa Zsa Zaturnah, she did not merely play the part. Watching her would make you forget she was also Amor Powers sometime ago. Pity I wasn't able to have my picture taken with Eula Valdes after the play. *Sob* Unlike the first time, I didn't have my jologs friend around with me to take the picture.

Another thing which probably made a lot of difference between the movie and the muzical was the fact that a lot of the profanity and vulgarity (in good humor mind you) depicted in the muzical would be impermissible in the movie. Sometimes, the blurting of curses and how it reverberates in your ears is enough to tickle you into bursting into boisterous laughter. My friend who was with me last Saturday (with whom I watched ZZZ Ze Movie), at some point during the play, asked if the scene we had just seen and the line which was delivered were the same as before. He was amused when I replied yes - bakit daw mas malakas pa ako tumawa. I couldn't help it. It has a certain jologs appeal, with its script full of kanto and gay lingo. And yet, some friends who I've brought to see the play on two occasions, who couldn't comprehend Didi's gay lingo spiel before the break, or who didn't even know who Bea Alonzo is enjoyed the play nonetheless. I guess laughter is the result of involuntary muscles spurred into action by... what's that hormone gain? Oh well, I don't want to over analyze why I still found ZZZ as funny as before. I had a lot of fun, and if the ticket is free, I would gladly see it again... and again! (I guess I'm really like that when I like something, it takes a long time to get tired of it. I saw Meteor Garden 1 and 2 several times on DVD, I read the Harry Potter books not less than 4 times each, I saw Little Miss Sunshine twice (and still would want to have a DVD of it), the song That's When I Love You by Aslyn (from the motion picture soundtrack of How To Deal) has been played in my iPod countless number of times, I can eat as many Ilocos Empanadas with sukang Iloko as you can think of, every day at that at the height of my addiction to it - the list goes on. Okay stop the digression again... and again!)

The play is definitely abound with novelty and marked innovativeness. Go figure out how they depicted the stone falling on Ada, the adorable, gyrating Giant Palaka, Zsa Zsa dodging bullets, Zsa Zsa Zaturnah and Queen Femina's fight scene, among others. I can't help but see it as one long and tied-together stand up comedy act, what with the production numbers in the confrontation scene of the Amazonistas versus Zsa Zsa and Didi as well as the "death" scene of Didi. And yet, the handling of the issues and conflict of Ada in particular was poignant. If there is one thing I can say against the muzical, the song numbers were unexpectedly lengthy, and you would think the scene has ended but no, sir, there's a song number. But then again, muzical nga eh!

Incidentally, if you have seen the play and want to bring home the music, the soundtrack is sold outside the venue (so you can get them even if you are not watching) or check out this blog for details. If you have a little bit of patience, the soundtrack will be available at your favorite record stores by the end of January 2007.

All in all, it was a Saturday night well worth my time. And the venue is near Baywalk which was surprisingly pleasantly enjoyable too - sulitin na ang hanging amihan habang nandyan pa.

As I am writing this, I am getting information that the four shows for this coming weekend have all been sold out. Until the 5th run then. :)