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Six years after debuting to critical and audience acclaim, the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (Peta) hit comedy-musical Care Divas returns once more to the Peta Theater Center to open its 50th year with 50 shows from February 3 to March 19.
Penned by Palanca award-winning playwright Liza Magtoto, Care Divas is about five transgender overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in intifada-era Israel—kindhearted Chelsea, sarcastic group leader Shai, ditzy Thalia, bubbly Kayla, and bad-tempered Jonee—who are caregivers by day and glamorous drag-queen performers by night. They struggle not only to make ends meet, but also to find acceptance in a conservative, foreign land.
Care Divas is directed by Maribel Legarda, who described the musical as “relevant” and one of Peta’s “big musical hits” during Peta’s 50th-anniversary launch in December. She leads a top-notch creative team that includes musical director Vincent de Jesus, visual artist and set designer Leo Abaya, costume designer John Abul, lighting designer Jonjon Villareal, and contemporary dancer and choreographer Carlon Matobato.
Bringing Care Divas to colorful life are Peta performers Melvin Lee, Vincent de Jesus, Ron Alfonso, Dudz Teraña, Buddy Caramat, Eko Baquial, Jason Barcial, Gio Gahol, Joan Bugcat, Eric dela Cruz, Joseph Madriaga, and Gold Villar. They are joined by guest artists Ophir Burton, Ricci Chan, Red Concepcion, Jef Flores, Paul Holme, Sherry Lara, Thou Reyes, Leo Rialp, and Myke Salomon.
Care Divas earned rave reviews when it was first mounted in February 2011. Theater reviewer Vladimir Bunoan called it “out-and-out entertaining” (Business Mirror, February 2011), while Fred Hawson described it as “eye-opening” and “an important musical in its promotion of Filipino social awareness” (Fred Said: Theater, Concerts, Events, March 2011).
In his “Best in Theater” roundup for 2011, Philippine Daily Inquirer theater editor Gibbs Cadiz wrote that Care Divas is a “musical that, sans the refining gauntlet of any tryout or workshop, emerged tight, potent, full-bodied, brimming with sensational performances, canny melodies and an uncontainably Pinoy sense of humor, humanism and poignancy.”
The musical dominated the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards in 2012, bagging seven trophies: outstanding musical production, stage direction for Legarda, male lead performance in a musical for Lee, ensemble performance in a musical, original libretto for Magtoto, musical direction for de Jesus, and choreography for a play or musical for Matobato. ALVIN I. DACANAY
Care Divas will run at the Peta Theater Center from February 3 to March 19, Tuesday to Sunday, at 3 and 8 p.m. For inquiries and ticket reservations, call the Peta Marketing and Public Relations Office at (632) 725-6244 or Ticketworld at (632) 891-999, or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.