'FLORANTE AT LAURA': A STORY OF LOVE & HEARTBREAK, OF TRIALS & TRIUMPHS

Florante at Laura, a classic narrative poem written by Francisco Balagtas in 1838, is a staple of Philippine high school education. But sadly, it’s lost on today’s generation fed on a steady diet of TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and whatnots.

- CHING M. ALANO

With high school now just a memory, you may want to review what you learned about this timeless epic because Ballet Manila is bringing Florante at Laura back to the stage with performances on Oct. 3-5 at the Aliw Theater.

"It feels like coming full circle," says the visibly excited prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde who has long championed Filipino storytelling through classical ballet. “The first run was a dream realized; the second at Arete affirmed that Filipino stories, when told with care and conviction, truly resonate. Now, with this third staging, it feels like less a return and more like a reckoning. I’m proud but more than that, I’m moved. This ballet continues to teach us how timeless our heritage can be.”

ONCE MORE WITH RYAN CAYABYAB

Once more, with much more feeling, be captivated by the play’s original score composed by National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab. From growing up in a home filled with music to teaching himself piano at a young age, the well-loved maestro shaped OPM (Original Pilipino Music) to what it is today.

“Ryan is doing it again and he’s not changing anything,” Lisa discloses. “He’s that kind of composer who will not change anything — once he finishes something, that’s it!”