A 'Master Class' performance by Cherie Gil

Opera: the art that combines powerful musical scores and phenomenal voices to tell stories that often end in tragedy. Opera in the 20th century gave the world a star in Maria Callas, who is one of the greatest opera singers of the 1900s (and in history). As such, it was foreseeable, even inevitable, that Callas' life would imitate art, with the highs of her international acclaim and innumerable standing ovations and curtain calls and the lows of hardship she experienced in her childhood, her relationships, and even her fame.

Maria Callas is the central character in "Master Class", a Tony award-winning play written by Terrence McNally. It is Callas' life, as well as McNally's interpretation of it, that serves as the foundation of the plot. The play is set in one of the classes given by Callas at the Juilliard School in New York from October 1971 to March 1972. The audience forms the class, and it is in front of this class that Callas teaches her students, or 'victims', as she playfully calls them. This play is currently being staged at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium in the RCBC building and is headlined by the ageless Cherie Gil and directed by Michael Williams.

I feel very lucky to have seen this play as I didn't know that it was showing, much less what it was about, until my mom asked me if I wanted to watch it with her and my brother. In fact, my mom was actually not intending to watch it either. She was initially planning see a Cecile Licad performance, but when she was unable to get tickets, she noticed the staging of "Master Class" and thought it would be a good alternative.

An exhibit about Maria Callas was set up at the entrance area of the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium.

And a great alternative it turned out to be. "Master Class" was thoroughly entertaining on so many levels. The script was loaded with repartee and hilarious one-liners. Live performances by the students of arias from operas created by Verdi, Puccini, and Bellini provided awe-inspiring moments that added color and vibrance to the play. Callas' instruction to her students - from understanding the music and the intent of the composer to how arias should be interpreted and delivered - were both lessons on artistic performance that all singers must learn and imbibe and life lessons on how we should have passion in our lives and put 100% into the things we believe in and love the most.

And of course, there was Cherie Gil. I've always known what an incredible actress she is in movies and television, but to see her perform live was another thing altogether. She was funny, sad, strong, and vulnerable as she embodied the spirit of Maria Callas. I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that 80% of the lines in the play were hers, but it was more than her exceptional memory skills that had me raving. Her extraordinary delivery and characterization made her portrayal of a larger-than-life Maria Callas believable, relatable, and ultimately irresistible. Nowhere is this more apparent than in final monologue: Cherie went through the whole gamut of emotion as she relived Callas' glory, decline, and sacrifice, and brought the entire audience along with her. Needless to say, the standing ovation she received during curtain call was very well-deserved.

It was just such a shame that "Master Class" remains unknown to many, as was evidenced by the fact that more than half the seats in the auditorium were empty. The play will run until August 15 so if you have the funds and the time, I urge you to see it while you can. Tickets are available at Ticketworld, with prices ranging from P515 to P1,545.