Standing Ovation: 'Bar Boys,' A Reflection of Brotherhood and Injustice
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Barefoot Theatre Collaborative, the minds behind the hit musical “Mula sa Buwan,” is dazzling theatergoers this month with a rerun of “Bar Boys: A New Musical.” Written and directed by Pat Valera with co-director Mikko Angeles and composer Myke Salomon, this musical is the company’s theatrical adaptation of Kip Oebanda’s 2017 comedy-drama film “Bar Boys,” which tells the story of four law school hopefuls from different walks of life.
The rerun graced the Power Mac Center Spotlight Theater on Oct. 4, with a special preview held on Oct. 3. It featured a strong lineup of theater talents: Benedix Ramos as Erik, Jerom Canlas as Torran, Alex Diaz as Chris, and Omar Uddin as Josh, along with veteran actress Shiela Francisco as Justice Hernandez, among others.
With anticipation, the audience filled the venue as Erik, Torran, Chris, and Josh’s story unfolded.
Who are the ‘Bar Boys?’
For those who haven’t watched the film, “Bar Boys” follows the journey of four young men who strive to make it through law school and achieve their dreams of becoming lawyers despite their own personal challenges.
Erik comes from an underprivileged background. Born into a working-class family, he struggles to keep up with the financial requirements and fast-paced nature of law school. Torran, on the other hand, is a smart young man who made questionable decisions when he got involved with a fraternity. Meanwhile, Chris represents an intelligent “rich kid” who is bound by the expectations of his father, while Josh struggles to fit in with the group after not passing the law school entrance exams.
The musical, however, made a few necessary tweaks to these characters’ stories, bringing their conflicts outside the corners of their classrooms and to a deeper, more relevant level.
While the film simply tells their journey towards being lawyers, the musical opened a new dimension to the original plot’s intentions. Chris becomes estranged from his father, a successful, corrupt lawyer played by Nor Domingo; Torran carries a deep-seated fear of failure and struggles to open up about his identity; Josh encounters a situation that would make him question his dreams; while Erik gets pushed to the brink as he grapples with a society that favors power.
A Stellar Cast Beyond Reasonable Doubt
There’s no need to probe this — the combination of Ramos, Diaz, Canlas, and Uddin is one of the best ever. While they all shine as their own characters, the four, when put together on the stage, gave us a strong sense of brotherhood and friendship.
While we know Diaz through our TV screens, his portrayal of Chris on stage felt more natural. He made us see more of Chris’ heart, which carries a much greater amount of compassion for his friends. Meanwhile, Uddin’s Josh gave us a good balance of drama and fun, reeling us back into a lighter mood when heavier scenes come in. Jerom, who played a more lovable and down-to-earth Torran, also made us fall in love with his role, contrary to our love-hate relationship with his character in the movie.
But the one who stood out, at least for us, was Ramos. Sitting so close to the stage, we could see how his eyes alone captured Erik’s most important story arcs: from how they sparkled for his hopeful beginnings to how they became jaded with anger and regret during the second act.
We also particularly loved his chemistry with Juliene Mendoza, who played his father, Paping. Their scenes brought tears to our eyes, as they perfectly embodied a loving father-son relationship.
Francisco, of course, stunned us with her powerful vocals and terrifying (yet compassionate) portrayal of Justice Hernandez, although we just wished that we could have seen more of her throughout the story. Topper Fabregas, who played Victor, is another notable character, as his version offered more appeal to the overall plot and added representation to the openly gay professor role.
All the characters are complemented well by the supporting ensemble, who gave us chills with their energetic and dynamic dance performances.
Drama, Comedy, and Everything in Between
The musical unfolded in two acts. Act One introduces us to the lead character’s internal struggles. With them transitioning into the real, adult world, the play sets out in an idealistic atmosphere, with them expressing their desires to “change the system.”
The story slowly develops into something darker, when the four eventually discover societal realities that challenge their idealistic beliefs. The plot, as they say, thickens in Act Two, when they start to confront their own issues and the injustices that begin to surround them, pushing the boys to make choices that would alter the course of their lives.
However, “Bar Boys” didn’t forget to put audiences into a lighter mood with the occasional comedic banters and one-liners throughout the show. They also packed the show with a handful of original songs and highlighted moments from the supporting cast.
The problem lies in this jam-packed execution. Running for over three hours, the show felt dragging for the most part. While it is given that it is indeed a musical, there were a lot of scenes that could have been better delivered as dialogue rather than the characters suddenly breaking out into a song; or some dialogue-heavy scenes that could've been shortened for more impact.
A Reflection of Injustice
“Bar Boys: A New Musical" is a sobering realization that justice, at least for those who dream of being lawyers, requires more than just passing the bar exams. It actually demands a stronger commitment to fairness, integrity, and the fight for equality that lasts for a lifetime.
More importantly, the show offered an emotionally resonant narrative that speaks of our justice system’s rotten core. It mirrors how the path to justice is often filled with barriers, especially for those who lack power and money.
As divisive political narratives abound, these themes come in a very timely manner. Politics, especially in the recent years, has been messy, to put it mildly. Corruption and extrajudicial killings, among other issues, continue to undermine our country's legal system.
On Technical Aspects
While the show did not attempt to put flashy props and backdrops on stage, we felt that most of its technical components served their purpose, from the book-shaped platforms that were used in more than one way to the monitors that established every scene’s setting.
If we have just one thing to point out (and we’re just being nitpicky at this point), we felt that the show needed a bigger stage. Set on a stage that mimics that of a fashion runway, the audience had to constantly look side to side to see what was going on on each side. Often, we also worried that one of the cast members would fall off the stage after those intense choreographies.
Nevertheless, props to the cast and the movement directors for never letting that happen, making sure that we get to see everyone’s faces on the stage, and maximizing its space!
Our Thoughts
If there’s something from the musical that set the bar high for film-to-theater adaptations, it’s Ramos, Diaz, Canlas, and Uddin’s performances as the lead characters. Not only did they deliver astounding vocals and great choreography, but their acting was just something to behold. Coupled with a lineup of talented and seasoned thespians, the entire ensemble was worthy of commendation.
We also appreciate how the writers, directors, and Barefoot managed to get the film’s story outside the confines of the lead characters’ personal debacles, pointing out the realities our country faces and the flaws of our justice system.
True, there have been a few setbacks, which can be mainly attributed to its drawn-out runtime, but “Bar Boys: A New Musical” successfully accomplished what it set out to do: to make us contemplate if we're willing to “cross the line” to fix a system that’s already crooked.
Overall, it is a must-watch, whether you’re a law student, a professional, or someone who’s in for an eye-opening show!
“Bar Boys: A New Musical” runs until Nov. 3 at the Power Mac Spotlight Theater in Circuit, Makati. For tickets, visit Ticket2Me or contact their showbuyers and ticketing team. You can also follow Barefoot Theatre Collaborative on Facebook and Instagram for more updates.
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