The Phantom's Visit to Manila and How We Enjoyed It

My sister Marion and I, outside CCP.

The Phantom of the Opera. That alone, by itself, is a great gift.  Just to see it live, to soak in its lavishness, is worth the ticket price and the traffic.  But my sister decided to make something even grander out of our night at the theater.  She forcibly plucked us from our everyday existence and made us "travel" to Manila - that is, to see it with the eyes of tourists, to take in the sights and sounds, and revel in its beauty.  She gave our family a gift - not just of watching Andrew Lloyd Weber's great musical, but to enjoy the Phantom of the Opera IN MANILA.  My sis is a traveler, and has seen Phantom in three other places- in Toronto, New York, and London.  Why would she spend more money on a musical she's already seen a few times?  Simple. Because it is HERE, in Manila, OUR Manila. This is the MANILA PRODUCTION OF PHANTOM. And we enjoyed it as such.

Lounging around at Sofitel, hours before the performance.

My sister booked a room at Sofitel on the day of our show.  By booking a room, all the usual culprits for causing stress will be eliminated: no last minute wardrobe changes, no instructions to leave with maids, no traffic congestion to manage, and no threat of arriving late!! My sister asked that I meet them at the hotel hours before the show.  My kids were taking their nap when I slipped out of the house. I didn't feel guilty about leaving them. After all, Oliver was going to  take them to his niece's birthday party.  So they had their own thing.  And I was free, for the rest of the day, to be Nikki-the-bunso (the youngest daughter) in my old nuclear family of four.  And here's what we did. We relaxed. And chatted about our first family trip together, to North America, 21 years ago! That's when we first saw The Phantom of the Opera in Toronto when our aunt Maricar treated us to the show.   This was the central theme of our afternoon: while in the past we exerted strenuous effort, and spent on travel costs to see the world's great productions; Now they come here! How convenient!   And this mindset, we exploited to the hilt.  Our slogan for the afternoon: It's More Fun in the Philippines!!!

Enjoying the view of Manila Bay and CCP Complex.

We used this logic to convince our dad to enjoy himself.  When we told him we were going down to have coffee at the Lobby Lounge, he said "there are coffee-making facilities in the room diba?". "Dad, have the proper mindset!"said my sister.  "In the past, to see Phantom, we had to pay for visas, travel tax, airport terminal fee, airfare and land transpo, on top of the tickets, now we just have to take a short ride! Surely, we can afford to enjoy good coffee?" And enjoy we did. We took our time having our late merienda, and when the bill arrived, "see?" my sister said, "it's not even the cost of travel tax!"..."it's more fun in the Philippines!!" We succeeded in behaving with the enthusiasm and excitement of tourists.  It was precious.  My mom, who is usually reserved, was so relaxed, she even leaned on the balcony railing, which is impressive considering she has a paralyzing fear of heights.  Yup, even her vertigo was away on vacation that special afternoon.  Which is a really good thing, because the seats my sister got may have posed a problem if my mom happened to have a vertigo attack.

My mom, who usually has a fear of heights, was surprisingly relaxed and
unafraid looking out from our high-floor balcony.

My sister got us a Parterre Box, poised above the Orchestra seats, for a spectacular view of the production.  It felt oh-so upper-crusty. There are design elements of the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Main Theater that reek of the elitism of the Marcos era: the dramatic elevated driveway  that is practical only for chauffeur-driven cars is one; The Parterre Box is another.  Each box has a separate entrance and high wall partitions, for maximum privacy, and there's a bodyguard's bench to boot, to make life comfortable for the security detail assigned to dignitaries and tycoons for whom these box seats were designed.  The hierarchical structure of Philippine society was reflected in the exclusivity of certain sections, betraying the security concerns of a ruling class during tumultuous times. We had a box at the center, in the Imeldific zone - I could sense her personality permeating the space.  Thoughts of Imelda Marcos seem appropriate for a night like this, when we are watching an opulent theatrical masterpiece that holds nothing back.   I could imagine that this was what she had in mind when she envisioned this pet project of hers - to create a theater venue that could house world-class productions.  

Photo by the steps, before surrendering our camera to the guard.

CCP was inaugurated 43 years ago, and many newer theater venues have sprung up in the metro since.  But none of the other theaters could have hosted the Phantom's visit the way CCP did.  The grand fountain, the fluid staircases, the capiz chandeliers, the box seats - all these elements created a theatergoing experience that flowed onto the stage.  We always go to CCP to watch performances. Through the years, we have witnessed the CCP's turning away from elitism and transitioning into being a theater of the people in the Post-Marcos age.  Throughout my childhood, we went through many affordably-priced season subscriptions to Tanghalang Pilipino, Ballet Philippines, and Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra as part of our family's cultural enrichment.  Through so many visits, CCP had become so familiar.  But that night we watched the Phantom, she was different.   That night, I saw her not for the theater of the people I knew her to be, but caught a rare glimpse of her old stature.  She was a grand dame, a diva! An elegant hostess to the visiting Phantom.  Never mind that the carpets were faded, one elevator was out of service, and the bathrooms were outdated... these are peripheral details.  What mattered most was the believable union between Andrew Lloyd Weber's spectacular Phantom of the Opera, and the stage and setting of Manila's Grand Dame.  I was five minutes away from my house, and yet, when I returned home, I felt I came from as far away as the Paris Opera House.

I didn't expect tears to flow. I've seen Phantom before and found it exciting and grand, not touching and deep. But I was thirteen then, and a stranger to the allure of dark thoughts.  Now, I am older, and equipped in a different way, to listen anew to the lyrics I've always known.  I was listening to  "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" when I felt a tightness in my throat.  I thought of how much I missed our family of four, and the trips we used to have and would no longer do together.  "You will die to yourself" my mother warned me, before I got married. And I understand what she means.  I am mother and wife now, more than I am daughter and sister.  Of course I am all those roles at the same time, but mother and wife are in the spotlight, while daughter and sister have receded in the background.  This is only natural, for old families to give way to the new.  It is logical, and rightful - but somewhat painful nonetheless.  That realization made an already special night, even more precious. It was a special bonding moment we enjoyed immensely - because the Phantom was here, in Manila, and we went to see it together, like we did 21 years ago. And it was spectacular, as CCP theater was glorious. And we were happy with the fact that the world now comes to Manila, and we need not travel far anymore, to get a taste of the world's best offerings.

Thanks sis, for an awesome birthday gift!!