Manhid: The Pinoy Superhero Musical revived by Ballet Phils.

Instead of the usual write up, I will list the reasons why should I watch Ballet Philippines' production of Manhid: The Pinoy Superhero musical this February 2015 and I will just add more details in the end.

Why should I watch Ballet Philippines Manhid:

-I was still in high school when it was first staged in U.P. back in 1991.

-I am a fan of comic books and I also collect.

-Even if I am not a comic book fan, I will still watch this.

-I also appreciate theatrical productions.

-Manhid's original music was from Eraserheads.

-This time, the music will be played by Radioactive Sago.

-For me, Manhid's story is like a hybrid of X-Men, Alan Moore's Watchmen and the TV series Heroes with a mix of alternate history like in Harry Turtledove's paperback novels in context of Philippine setting.

-The names of the characters are pre-colonial and from our local folklore like Lam-Ang.

End of list.

The story is set in an alternate world where the EDSA uprising didn't succeed but it also dawned the age of the super-powered beings or meta-humans. Bantugan, one of the meta-humans gifted with the ability to see visions and can communicate with other meta-humans through dreams, is being drawn in conflict between two factions of super-powered beings.

According to Mr. Paul Alexander Morales, director of Manhid and one of the original cast in UP; there will also be multi-media and visual effects that was not used back in '91 because it was a student production. But this low-budgeted production became the talk of the town.

Also a comic book fan, Mr. Morales emphasized that it was created by Kankan Balintagos when the comic book fandom is on its hype. It was also that time when I started collecting current comic book titles.

Just like in the X-men and Heroes, you are not sure who are the good guys or bad. The story also gives a paradign shift using popular culture like superheroes. It just so happens that that we are celebrating the 29th year of EDSA uprising but most Filipinos especially this generation is not aware why it happened. This also bring paradign shift for us to teach this generation the effects of the historical event and relived its legacy. I was still in elementary school when it happened but I was already being taught its significance.

Manhid will be staged in CCP Nicanor Abelardo Hall starting February 20, 2015. For more updates about Manhid and BP productions, follow this blog or like L.E.N.S. blogs of Facebook.