Breakups and Breakdowns. The title sounds like it’s about sad things, but it’s not sad. In fact, this musical is a light romantic comedy about your usual relationship tropes. Yes, your usual relationship tropes, and that’s the point of the whole musical. We all get into this cycle of meeting a guy or meeting a girl, getting into the relationship, and then breaking up and potentially breaking down.
The musical features the newly married theater couple we know from Ang Huling El Bimbo, Reb Atadero and Tanya Manalang-Atadero. To be honest, I was initially interested about this musical because it featured this newly married theater couple and it makes me so kilig. I am a fan of Reb and Tanya, and also Gab Pangilinan and Myke Solomon. I just really like it when couples do their passion together (sana all). (Side story: My husband and I also love singing and we sang Come What May from Moulin Rouge during our wedding reception entrance).
Reb and Tanya play the role of an ex-couple who had broken up years ago but apparently still have some feelings for each other. Their duet, “Tired of Goodbyes”, is about breaking up, about how you know you’re already breaking up and you’re tired of goodbyes already as if you don’t even want to say goodbye anymore because you’ve seen it coming all along. The breakup happens long before the point of saying “ok we’re breaking up, goodbye”. I love the song and the way the two voices answer each other and blend while breaking up.
Aside from Reb and Tanya, the musical has another pair – Nicky Trivino and Nelsito Gomez. They play the role of a newly dating couple trying to court each other and play games with each other (your usual relationship tropes). I like how they showed the tropes of the girl trying to be sexy and seductive yet reserved to keep a guy. The theme they explored here was the “game of power” when you are dating. In playing the game, you want to hold power over somebody by caring less. For example, the boy must show that he doesn’t care much about eating, or that he has other schedules to check before seeing you, just to show that he’s not giving it all. The girl on the other hand tries to show that there are other men interested in her, that she’s not willing to give it the first time around, limits it to a kiss, and so on. However, there are many “rules” or “limitations” when you try to play the game of power just to limit your emotional engagement with a person. Yes, the game of power is useful if you’re just aiming for casual relationships and you don’t want to get hurt. But for serious relationships, this might be counter-productive because you might not be showing your real self and you’re not allowing yourself to fully embrace your emotions.
The “game of power” is an interesting theme, not only just in casual dating relationships. For example, you have an ex or someone you just don’t like. When you’re thinking about them, considering their emotions, and wasting your time and energy on them, they hold power over you. Sometimes even though you don’t want it, you think about them and consider them, because of their actions towards you. They have already taken you as an emotional hostage. Don’t let it happen. The trick is, don’t play their game. Don’t waste your time and energy thinking about them and don’t let them hold power over you.
Breakups and Breakdowns also feature Sarah Facuri, Rachel Coates, and Joel Trinidad. They serve as the ensemble, changing characters from time to time. Nicky Trivino and Joel Trinidad serve as co-directors for the show. I like their concept because it’s just seven of them plus a very simple stage and the show is complete. I like how their voices complement each other, Tanya Manalang’s voice sounds light, soprano high (but she also uses her thick one when the song needs it) and the other girl’s voice (Nicky Trivino) is thick belty chest high. The two girls in the ensemble also have distinct voice qualities and I was really trying to decipher whose voice it is because it really got me curious.
Their stage set design is just simple and the only thing that is changing was lighting but they were able to do a lot of things with it. It’s interesting to ponder on this one while watching a musical, it made me remember my college days when I try to watch people practice for their plays. (Disclaimer: I’m not a music student, I was in engineering but my orgmates frequently won the college-wide short play competition).
The play was shown in the British School of Manila theater. I like this place because it’s easy to go there from my location. I just took a bus from Katipunan to BGC (SM North – BGC Yellow Bus), alighted at Market Market, and took a short walk from there. I also enjoyed buying cheap clothes from Market Market after the show!
Overall, watching Breakups and Breakdowns made me feel light-hearted and happy. I really enjoyed the experience! I am looking forward to more light, local theater plays!
Breakups and Breakdowns are currently showing April 15-16, 2023 and April 21-23, 2023. You can get your tickets here via Ticket2Me!
(Note) Header Photo: Image taken from Upstart Productions Breakups and Breakdowns / Ticket2Me and Ticketworld, and then edited further for this blog via Canva
The Bright Adventure 