ShareThis(Untold Stories of Josephine Bracken)
One Hundred Fifty years ago, Dr. Jose Rizal was born in the Islands of the Philippines. He was a multifaceted intellectual, an award winning poet and writer, a polyglot, a scientist, a Doctor of Medicine specializing in Ophthalmology. But of all his passions and pursuits, the National Hero of the Philippines is best remembered in history, first, as a political activist whose writings inspired the Philippine revolution which ultimately led to his martyrdom by Spanish colonial authorities and second, as a romantic who had many equally-statured loves but found his heart in the bosom of a common woman, an orphan who was rumored to be a whore and allegedly a spy for the Spanish friars.
Pangalay Dance by the cast of Rizal’s Sweet Stranger the Musical
As the highlight of the year-long celebration of Dr. Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday, SamaSama Project and Circa-Pintig present a world premiere musical that shows a glimpse of his personal life with his foreign (Irish Hong Kong) born wife, Josephine Bracken with Rizal’s Sweet Stranger the Musical (Untold Stories of Josephine Bracken) a contemporary musical born of a collaborative montage of the 2009 Carlos Palanca Award Winner for a Full-length Play, Miss Dulce Extranjera, by Sir Anril P. Tiatco as well as Isagani Cruz’s Josephine and extrapolations of other historical texts and visual documents set to music by SamaSama Project’s very own Baron Lloyd Cabalona, music by Dr. Cleofe Guangko Casambre and William Elvin Manzano, and concept and direction by Dr. Anton Juan, Jr.
Toni Gomez (Josephine Bracken) and Ariel Dayanghirang (Jose Rizal) leads the cast including Elizabeth Tuazon (Bracken alternate), Levi Aliposa, Chip Payos, Nicole Dizon,Lovien (Joey) Flores, Stephen Lehman, Evelyn Masbaum, Georges Augustin, Jovie Calma, Daniel Estorco, Charles Gareza, Hope Kim, Dylan Lainez, Anthony Martinez, Je Nepomuceno, Angel Pabalan, Tatum Pearlman, Emilia Ramos, Logan Ramos, Mae Vidal, Patrick Viray and Michael Baylon and featuring Ms. Lani Misalucha as Inang Bayan.
Muro Ami – Child Reef Hunter Dylan Lainez
SamaSamaProject’s Lee Maningas, Josue Torres, Ran Sevilla, Louella Cabalona and Baron Cabalona will be setting the play to music along with Emilio Nicolasin on Kulintang and Vice Velarde as Choir Director. Dramaturgy and Video Design by Pat Valera, Assistant Direction by Ginger Leopoldo & Levi Aliposa, Lighting Design and Technical Direction by Meliton Roxas, Production Design by Giau Truong, Costume Design by Lhenvil Paneda, Photography by Jay Escalante, Elizabeth Tuazon as Repetiteur, additional graphics by Charles Gareza and Stage Management by Angelica Atian.
Rizal’s Sweet Stranger the Musical will be presented on Sept 23 (Friday) at 730pm and 24 at 2pm and 7pm at the St. Scholastica Academy Theater 7416 N Ridge Blvd Chicago, IL 60645.
Tickets are at $25, 45, 75 and 100 and VIP tickets for $120 which includes a gala night reception on Sept 24 at 6pm.For tickets or more information, contact the following ticket outlets: Lakhi 224-538-1471, Lou 708-528-6321, Baron 312-593-5154, Jovie 847-987-5227, Mario Adap 224-766-8804, Via Times 773-866-0811, Tita Ging 773-615-0330, Biboy 773-744-8804
or email samasamaproject@gmail.com / info@circapintig.org. You can also purchase your tickets at CircaPintig.org and SamaSamaProject.com
Josephine Bracken played by Toni Gomez, on Rizal’s (Ariel Dayanghirang) death
The Women of Dapitan – Je Nepomuceno, Elizabeth Tuazon, Evelyn Masbaum, Hope Kim, Mae Vidal, Lovien “Joey” Flores, Jovie Calma and Nikki Dizon