As a child, I didn’t start watching teen oriented shows until Gimik or Click. Tabing Ilog was for the older millennials so I was not familiar with the story nor the characters of the original series. However, Tabing Ilog The Musical does not full rely on 90s nostalgia as its plot is different with the TV series’ except for the characters.
Set in 2023 and the town of San Juan E, the Tabing Ilog barkada goes back to their hometown and reunites for the wake of their late teacher. Everyone is present except for Fonzy who left the group chat after he and George broke up. The show also utilizes viber as a way to include the audience in the barkada group chat.
The gift and curse of a teen-oriented show is that it can cover limitless themes from love, friendship to sex and identity crises. The audience remembers the names but not the story. In the case of the Tabing Ilog The Musical, the story went straight to the conflicts even before the audience cared enough for the characters.
The musical could have been better if the show focused on one main conflict or character so the audience would have something to follow. The storylines presented had strong themes but they were weakly presented and conveniently resolved in the second act.
The musical offers a variety of entertaining numbers. The main actors gave impressive performances especially Sheena Belarmino, Miah Canton and Vino Mabalot (his songs were the most difficult I think). I was also impressed by Jordan Andrews. Transitions from speaking to singing scenes can still be improved to make each number more impactful. Some transitions were just awkward.
Overall despite of its weaknesses, Tabing Ilog The Musical was still a feel-good watch especially with seasoned theater peeps in the cast.
Tabing Ilog The Musical will run until December 17 at the PETA Theater. Get your tickets at KTX.
