HEART AND MUSIC. Journal of a Lost Boy. Version 3. http://hyperren.blogspot.com/

23 September 2006
Proud

It was nice being back with blueREP yesterday, even if it was just for a day. Having the rest of the weekend off from Aladdin, I dropped by the Ateneo campus and check out what blueREP was up to. On the schedule yesterday: Rehearsals/sitzprobe for the newbie production Hope for the Flowers, and the CADS inter-org dance competition.

I have a special place in my heart for blueREP's newbie productions. After all, I too was a product of a newbie prod, blueREP's first, in fact. As part of the Bye Bye Birdie cast, I got to meet, know, and bond with some of the current core members such as Jill, Andrei, Kakki, Vica, etc., thus giving me (three years later... wow, has it really been that long?) a continued bond to blueREP even after graduating. I was also Head Stage Manager for last year's Blue Revue, where I got to meet (and take care of) another batch of newbies, many of whom are moving on to greater things. It was a blast being a part of that group, and watching them bond and ensure blueREP's future (and therefore giving me at least three more years of so-called "clout" within the organization, hehehe).

So naturally I was excited to see how Hope for the Flowers was shaping up. I'd seen a bit of the newbies in action during a couple of workshops, as well as some early rehearsals for the show. But yesterday, I got to see them perform onstage with the live band (the newbies get a live band for their production! I hope they know how lucky they are to have that...) as well as costumes. It was gratifying to see their excitement when they heard the band play the Overture for the first time... It brought back memories of my first sitzprobe. Later, I got to see some of the musical numbers. Seeing the intensity on the faces and movements of these newbies made me feel proud to be a product of blueREP; I can see that this will be yet another production that proves blueREP is excellent training for young theater upstarts. The costumes (by Mahar) are lovely, and the choreography (by Pom, another Birdie baby) is AMAZING. I got chills watching some numbers, and even started to get teary-eyed during one particularly emotional song/scene. I'm excited to catch the whole show in its entirety, with all the costumes, set, lights, and of course, the live band.

(Now would be a good time to segue into this: Watch blueREP's HOPE FOR THE FLOWERS! September 29 and 30 at 7pm, and September 30 and October 1 at 3pm. RMT. Tickets are 150 pesos each.)

After rehearsals, the blueREP army marched onwards to the Henry Lee Irwin Theater to support the rest of our troops. For a third year, blueREP joined the CADS inter-organization dance competition. It had been a particular frustration for the org, not having placed despite working hard and making an impression on the audience. I was there (in the audience) during the first year blueREP joined, and it really displayed the wealth of blueREP's talent pool.

This year's group of dancers was a healthy mix of newbie and old members. Some were Birdie babies (like Kakki and Sweet), while others were my wards during Blue Revue (such as Gary, Papu, Jett, and Annabelle). I was excited and nervous for the team; I'd seen one rehearsal, and while it was a great and dynamic dance, it was also tricky.

I was definitely not disappointed. I was blown away by the group's energy as they entered the stage. You can definitely feel the electricity in the air as the opening bars of Pump It played. You just knew that this was going to be something different. From start to finish, the group kept up their energy, even as the songs and tempos changed. Their stunts were amazing, and everyone's movements were sharp and synchronized. (It's a you-had-to-be-there moment. The performance is on video, so it should find its way to YouTube soon.) It was such an excellent performance that even non-blueREPpers (who were presumably cheering on their own respective orgs) took notice and cheered.

I was already proud of the dancers after the performance, but of course there was still that pesky little matter of the announcement of the winners. The scores and placings of the top three teams were going to be announced. In third, with 84%, was AMA. In second, with 87%, were the defending champions CERSA. At this point, all blueREPpers in the audience leaned forward in anticipation. After all, CERSA had always been dominant, and everyone felt that blueREP did extremely well this year. Finally, the winners were announced.

This year's new champions of the CADS inter-org dance competition, with a score of 91%... blueREP!!!

It was definitely an emotional moment for all. The group - the now-appropriately named The Bestest Dancers in the World (and yes, that's the dance group's name) - hugged each other and screamed for joy (mixed with pain; Gary and Papu in particular were injured after the dance). The blueREP army rushed onstage to congratulate the victors. Kakki was tearfully calling members who were not present to share the good news. Jill, our company manager, was also in tears. It was such an emotional (and, in Enzo Virata's words, historical) moment for all. Afterwards, we celebrated our victory at Shakey's.

Congratulations to The Bestest Dancers in the World, and especially to Shark, the brilliant choreographer who led their team to victory!

I am definitely proud to be a product of blueREP, and I can't wait to see what else the org has in store for its 15th year.

posted by Ren at 12:28 PM

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