Rak of Aegis

I finally got to watch Rak of Aegis. This PETA show is now on its fifth run, and many of my friends who have seen it have had very good things to say about it. It's a fun and interesting concept: it's title is a play on Rock of Ages, a musical based on rock songs from a variety of bands. Similarly, Rak of Aegis is based on music of Filipino band Aegis.

Aegis songs, such as Halik, Luha, and Basang Basa sa Ulan, are not easy to sing, so you have to give props to cast. There are three to four people who alternate performing the lead roles. In the show I saw, the lead character Aileen was portrayed by Alisah Bonaobra who gained fame as a viral star with her performance of Let it go in a mall before finishing as a runner-up in The Voice Philippines. The role of Kiel was performed by OJ Mariano, a multi-awarded singer and stage performer who is also currently part of  The CompanY. Tolits was portrayed by Benj Manalo, who has been a member of the Bayanihan Dance Troupe and has competed in the Hip Hop International in Vegas with the group Unschooled. Vince Lim, a member of Kundirana and the Ryan Cayabyab Singers, performed the role of Kenny. Phi Palmos does an incredible job at scene-stealing in his portrayal of Jewel.

While the roles of Tolits and Jewel are surefire crowd-pleasers - you could tell by the number of people who were taking pictures with Benj Manalo and Phi Palmos after the show - I thought the best performers were the two mothers. Sweet Plantado-Tiongson as Mary Jane and Kakai Baustista as Mercy. Both of them had incredible voices and strong stage presence, and they both acted tremendously well.

Apart from the solid performances of the cast, I really loved the set. It's a multi-level stage with a "flood" running right smack in the middle. It even includes actual rainfall and a boat running up down the canal. Awesome!

 

(I will say though that parking is a challenge at the PETA theater. You can have your vehicle valet parked, but I think there is no building parking so vehicles are just parked on the street. I actually arrived just in time for the show and I missed the queue for the valet so the only place I could park was a fair distance from the theater.)

I also found the story to be very good and its themes to be very timely and relevant. It highlights the desire of many for instant wealth and fame, and how sometimes, people focus too much on instant gratification when they should instead be building towards a more sustainable future. Given this, I appreciate how story is resolved in the end.

With solid performances from a strong cast, an awesome set, great entertainment value, and smart writing, Rak of Aegis is truly worth watching. It is currently staged at the PETA Theater and shows will run until August 28. Tickets are available at Ticketworld. Catch it while you still can!