ROMEO & BERNADETTE Plays Final Week at OnStage Theatre

Co-written with Mike Lim

Repertory Philippines' critically acclaimed production of Mark Saltzman's comedy musical ROMEO & BERNADETTE will have its last performances at the OnStage Theatre, Greenbelt 1, Makati City on February 26 to 28, 2010. 

"In a season of must-sees such as 'Rent' and 'Cats,' Repertory Philippines' 'Romeo & Bernadette' is up there with the best of them," according to The Manila Times.

Stir.Ph comments, "It's a great twist to the Shakespeare classic!"

Just as everyone thinks that ROMEO AND JULIET, the greatest love story of all time, has a tragic ending, Saltzman breaks the news by continuing this romantic tale and reliving Romeo in a new era in ROMEO & BERNADETTE.

In this romantic comedy, Romeo did not die from drinking poison as what William Shakespeare has originally written. Here, it appears that it was not poison that he took but a sleeping potion that put him to sleep for a few centuries. 

Fast forward to circa 1960, Romeo wakes up from a long slumber and meets a woman whom he believes to be Juliet. However, Juliet is really dead and the woman that Romeo thinks to be the love of his life is really Bernadette, daughter of the infamous mob leader Sal Penza in Brooklyn, New York. 

Not wanting to believe Bernadette's explanation, Romeo follows and chases after Bernadette from Verona to Brooklyn, and finds himself in the company of Sal Penza's rival family, Don del Canto. No matter in what era Romeo belongs to, he seems to be always involved in a pattern of feuding families. On the contrary, unlike Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET that had two dead characters in the end, Saltzman's ROMEO & BERNADETTE ends up with a happy ever after. 

What makes ROMEO & BERNADETTE a success is its roster of excellent cast as handpicked by director and seasoned actor Joy Virata. "It's a pat on my back that the cast did a wonderful job since no auditions were held and it still came through," claims Joy. "I personally know all of the cast members and I know what each of them could do." 

PJ Valerio rightfully plays Romeo. He fits the description of the passionate and courtly knight in shining armor who is willing to die for his beloved. PJ also has the warm and gentle voice of a true romantic such that one night when Romeo serenades Bernadette with the song "O, for a song," it surely captures Bernadette's heart and makes everybody's heart melt as well. One can also feel that romance is in the air when PJ sings "That's love." 

"Aside from having to get used to speaking Shakespearean English, I have to constantly assume and project the classical pose of courtesy that sets me apart from the other present day laidback characters," explains PJ who is not new to playing lead roles in musicals. "Despite the challenge in the role, my character spells great fun." 

Cris Villonco takes on the role of the vulgar, sexy, spoiled brat Bernadette, who is a hopeless romantic deep inside and wanting to marry his fairytale-like prince. Cris admits that she has always been used to performing serious roles, hence this is a challenge for her. She has done HAMLET three years ago and this is her first Shakespearean spoof. 

"It's really different from the genuine Shakespearean plays," shares Cris who spent three months studying and preparing for the role. "I watched a lot of clips from 'My Cousin Vinny' and practiced my accent carefully so I can give justice to the character. It's a load of pressure for me but I'm really having fun playing Bernadette." 

Cris' sweet and charming singing voice is perfectly matched with her Romeo. When they sing "Moonlight tonight over Brooklyn," everybody is just delighted to hear divine music. As the song says, "Brooklyn could be anywhere," and so is their manifestation of love resonating from the stage. 

On the other hand, Romeo's counter ego Dino del Canto is brought to life by Red Concepcion. Being the exact opposite of Romeo, Dino is the typical Brooklyn guy charged with lots of energy and tries to get women with his charisma and sensual drive. 

The most challenging part of the role for Red is getting the Brooklyn tinged with Italian accent of Dino's character. He watched "The Godfather" for his reference to get into the character. And just like everybody else in the cast, he finds his part to be enjoyable especially since there is a lot of dancing.

Oliver is about to earn his M.S. degree in public relations and corporate communication from New York University while serving as regional editor for BroadwayWorld.com. Over the past 18 years, Oliver has been handling public relations and corporate communication for numerous brands (including Pepsi), Broadway shows, Broadway stars, non-profit organizations, and mainstream celebrities. He also teaches public relations at De La Salle University-Manila. Follow Oliver on Twitter: @OliverOliveros

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