Watching Ang Huling El Bimbo With My Gen X Niece
How time flies! It was four years ago when I watched Ang Huling El Bimbo, The Musical. Finally, it’s back with new and young casts. AHEB is a Filipino musical woven through songs by the Eraserheads. The play revolves around four friends who carried a promise of hope in their youth, only to grow up, and grow apart.
In my previous article, I shared things Joy taught me, you can read it here. The first time I saw it, I felt emotional and yes it still feels the same. That time, I was focused on my emotions and to the play itself. This time, it’s quite different as I am watching the show with my Gen Z niece.
I’m proud to say that Bianca is musically inclined. She has the voice and knows how to play a guitar and a ukulele. So it’s not a surprise when she told me that she wanted to watch Ang Huling El Bimbo. At the gala night and pre-event cocktails, the young AHEB casts performed on stage, she’s familiar with some of the cast. She was even dancing and singing, she’s familiar with the lyrics of the song.
Inside the theater, I was observing and ready to go home in case she gets bored. There were sensitive scenes that we as guardian needs to explain to our children. But overall, it was a great show that the entire family can watch. It felt like a time travel with my nice that I was able escape and transport her back in the 1990s.
This summer and beyond, Newport World Resorts is breaking out of the ordinary and creating epic experiences and adventures for everyone within one property. Escape into world-class entertainment as the country’s pioneer casino, hotel, and entertainment destination brought its all-Filipino hit musical back to the stage.
Ang Huling El Bimbo (AHEB) is Back!
On April 21, Ang Huling El Bimbo (AHEB) made its highly-anticipated comeback to the award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater featuring a new cast, fresh choreography, stellar production, and iconic songs that struck a chord in the hearts of Filipinos. The show has a regular schedule every Friday and Saturday at 8PM, and matinee performances every Saturday and Sunday at 3PM for April with new show dates recently added in May to accommodate more fans and theatergoers.
Newport World Resorts’ production outfit Full House Theater Company (FHTC) has pulled out all the stops to set the stage and prepare the cast during rehearsals. New members of the cast shared their epic experiences in bringing the show to life.
Even as a master of various crafts, award-winning artist Nino Alejandro who plays Anthony, still has plenty of new things to learn from the acting workshops with FHTC Director Dexter Santos and Co-Artistic Director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo. Alejandro shares, “The new experiences I had during our rehearsals were the daily acting workshops we got to do with the First Lady of Philippine Theater, Ms. Menchu Launchengco-Yulo. Also learning from and working with Direk Dexter has helped me sharpen and broaden my process.”
Before joining the cast of AHEB, indie folk artist Bullet Dumas recalled singing the ‘90s iconic track “Poorman’s Grave” in gigs. Now, audiences witnessed him perform it onstage as Emman. Given his familiarity with the piece, the challenge was to give it a new flavor. According to him, “When something you thought was very much familiar with somehow surprises you again and again, you will love the process. It always felt like a Eureka moment whenever Direk Dexter Santos, Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, Myke Salomon, OJ Mariano, and my castmates help me realize different approaches to how Emman can tackle the song.”
Actor, singer, and host Anthony Rosaldo made his theater debut playing young Hector, one of the lead roles in the musical. Since the rehearsals, he knew AHEB is a difficult show to mount yet this brought a fun experience for him as a newcomer. “Coming in as a newbie in theatre, it is important that I kept my focus and really put in a lot of hard work during our rehearsals. The audience will see a very excited and enthusiastic young Hector”, Rosaldo says.
Experience a nostalgic escape to the ‘90s in the hit musical Ang Huling El Bimbo at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are now available at Newport World Resorts Box Office, TicketWorld, and SM Tickets outlets: P3,776 (SVIP), 3,236 (VIP), P2,696 (GOLD), P1,942 (SILVER), and P1,079 (BRONZE). Recommended for audiences aged 13 years old and above. For inquiries, contact the Newport World Resorts National Sales Team via JhayR Dela Cruz at 0917 818 9847, Raf Sangco at 0917 807 9387, Carl Cuaresma at 0917 829 2173, and Girah Manaligod at 0917 872 8309.
Escape the ordinary at Newport World Resorts, you know you want to. For more information on Ang Huling El Bimbo The Musical and its show schedule, visit www.newportworldresorts.com and follow @newportworldresorts and @fullhousetheater on Facebook and Instagram, @nwresorts on Twitter. Join the #TindahanNiAlingNena challenge on TikTok. Tag the official AHEB TikTok account @aheb.2023 and use the hashtags #AHEB2023 #AngHulingElBimboTheMusical #NewportWorldResorts #YKYWT. Make the most of your visit and sign up for an Epic Membership or download the Newport World Resorts Mobile App for free at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
