50 SHADES! The Musical Parody
5 out of 5 stars
By Daryl Lim
Going into the show, my expectations of 50 SHADES! in Manila was exactly what I expected from the film: It would drone on and on, putting me to sleep, eventually. Boy, was I wrong, and I’m more than happy to really be wrong about my initial assumption.
When my boss told me to cover the early preview for the play, I was really hesitant, seeing as that I was never a fan of the book series and how love was portrayed in the books, but I obliged, not knowing that I would have the time of my life, howling in laughter, even if my back pain was really bad.
The portrayal of three housewives who barely have anything to do was extremely hilarious when they opened the show. The way they talked about how boring their lives were, coupled with the discovery of the 50 SHADES novel, really was a great way to poke fun at the readership of the novels. The way their imaginations got sparked was also hilarious, as the character of Christian Grey was turned into a complete farce, from a young, mysterious, well chiseled entrepreneur, to a shady looking, beer belly having, used car salesman type. His quips of “Don’t touch me” were also well received by the audience, and I couldn’t help but notice that everyone was truly having a good time.
The fact that Christian Grey also miraculously spoke Tagalog brought the house down. Anastasia Steele was also hilarious, with her naivety truly being brought to light, and pushed to the forefront because of how open and how Valley-ish her best friend Kate was. “That’s bullsh*t”, spoken in a Valley Girl tone, has been a running joke thrown by my girlfriend and I to each other over the past week. Jose, the photographer that’s so in love with Anastasia, was also another highlight. The guy was definitely funny, as his unrequited love, well, more aptly, extreme stalking skills, were highlighted. The way he also exited the stage, though lengthy, played on a Latino stereotype of always turning one’s movements into a salsa dance. The songs were also great: honest, funny, raunchy, and, definitely, will make anyone blush.
Overall, it was an awesome play, one recommended for people who partake in the joy of laughing at something that wasn’t supposed to be funny. If there’s one thing that the play really did right, it’s the fact that they were uncompromising in their quest to sadistically laugh and poke fun at the 50 SHADES! franchise, and, as someone who appreciates well thought out comedy and satire, 50 SHADES! The Musical Parody definitely ties up the original book series, binds it in leather, and will hurt it forever.
Directed by Albert Samuels, the starry cast which feature local actors Karel Marquez (who plays as Anastasia), Julz Savard Lorenz Martinez, and Bituin Escalante, and foreign actors Greg Cata, Brenna Wahl , George Schulze, Chloe Williamson, Kaitlyn Frotton, Chris Hodgson.Casey Renee Rogers, and Isaac Saleh – have drawn remarkable box office response since the play opened on February 12, and has continued to perform spectacularly since the opening night.
50 SHADES! The Musical Parody is extended until March 20, 2016 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, 4th Floor RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave. in Makati City. Tickets are sold at TicketWorld.com.ph and TicketNet.com.ph at the following prices: VIP front row – P5000; VIP – P4,500; Orchestra center – P4000; Orchestra sides – P3,500; Loge – P2,500 and Balcony – P1,500.
Will you be watching 50 SHADES!‘s Manila show? Let us know in the comments!
