This is the right moment to watch a Filipino musical film. A month or so after the release of the Wicked the musical, uniting the fascination of both theater kids and film enthusiasts, Jose Lorenzo (Pepe) Diokno’s Isang Himala, the musical redirects our Filipino sensibility putting a distinct yet unique genre ingredients among the entries of the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival.
How miraculous it is to live in this era to have seen the nuptiality of Ricky Lee’s ingenious work Himala (1982), and Himala, Isang Musical (2018), to give birth to Isang Himala, the Musical this year, an adaptation of the adaption— Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t like Elsa and I, nor the defying miracles. This is not like Wicked, but if you love both theater and film and have Filipino sensibilities. Surely, you would love Elsa, because Elsa loves you.
Adaptation is a thing. Adaptation of the adaptation, for sure, is another thing. Let me get it straight, Isang Himala, the musical which will be screened as one of the entries in the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival, will surely get the deja vu of bagging awards. Just like what happened in the original film, Himala, during the 1982 Metro Manila Film Festival where it won Best Film and Best Actress
Read: 6 Notable Screenplays by National Artist Ricky Lee you should watch
This is not the elsa from frozen okay?
Aicelle Santos as our new Elsa, who was originally played by Nora Aunor, just feels so right in the musical. Aicelle Santos is also the Elsa in the musical play with all the same ensemble as the cast in the new adaptation. Oh, did I tell you already that they were singing live while shooting?
The new adaptation is taken from the musical play which is inspired by Ishmael Bernal’s 1982’s film Himala, written by Ricardo Lee. It’s about a woman named Elsa (who loves you.) This young woman from a remote barrio whose life completely transformed because she claims to have seen the vision of the Virgin Mary, using her so-called miracles to her people. With the approval and guidance of the National Artist of the Philippines in Film and Broadcasting, Ricky Lee, the narrative still casts poignant raw themes about society and belief, chaos and sanctity, lines between morality and desire.
As the story unfolds, Elsa’s visions and miracles are questioned, narrowing people’s belief in the church facing internal quarrel between faith and deception. It successfully preserves the fragility of one’s characters and the vulnerability of human belief, leaving viewers to be awed in songs and storyline.
The barrio is built from scratch. Come on!
CreaZion studio did it. With the mind of Pepe Dioknoand the dedication of the people behind the production, the set was meticulously built from scratch, paying homage to the raw, candor elements of theater. Every detail, from music to set, was designed to transport the audience into the world of Ricky Lee’s and Pepe Diokno’s work, blending cinematic grandeur wit the intimacy of a stage production.
The CreaZion studio remains true to its vision, to capture the masterpiece of Ishmael Bernal while breathing new life into it. This was the very objective of the adaptation of the musical play itself in 2018, now the challenge to adapt the adaptation without tainting the one of the exquisite films in Philippine cinema. From the haunting beautiful design to the seamless transitions, it is a production that felt larger than life yet deeply personal.
“May ipagtatapat ako”
This is not just a hearsay, but might be a confession. Isang Himala, The Musical is a testament to the brilliance of Filipino artists and the country’s artistry. The fusion of different art disciplines: theater and film, gives birth into a unique cinematic nostalgia and experience. With Aicelle Santos, as the perfect modern-day Elsa, Isang Himala gives honor to Nora Aunor and the soul of Ishmael Bernal’s 1982 classic while crafting a new art to experience through the music of Vincent De Jesus.
Pepe Diokno and CreaZion Studio have achieved an illuminating masterpiece—engulfing ourselves in a film that is faithful to its roots of being Filipino and daring to face its innovation. It is a beautiful and rare moment in Philippine Cinema, showing us a reminder why Himala continues to be the talk of the town as an enduring masterpiece— timeless and powerful.
Watch the trailer below
Written By Thirdy Japsay
