“One More Chance: The Musical” is actually seven years in the making!
Everybody’s favorite heartbreak film is now a musical!
The 2007 Star Cinema film “One More Chance,” headlined by Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz, has been adapted into a musical by PETA featuring the songs of popular nine-piece band, Ben&Ben.
Anna Luna and Nicole Omillo portray Bea’s Basha while Sam Concepcion and CJ Navato alternate as John Lloyd’s Popoy.
The press was recently treated to a 17-minute preview featuring its cast who will breathe to life again the iconic characters of Basha and Popoy.
The preview showcased the important dinner-table scene where Basha brought her officemate Mark to Thursday Barkada’s dinner, just a few weeks after her breakup with Popoy.
This causes Popoy to create a scene, thinking that Basha did not follow the “three-month rule” and now has a boyfriend.
@freebiemnl Here’s how #OneMoreChanceTheMusical interpreted the important dinner-table scene after the breakup of Popoy and Basha! #entertainmentnewsph #OneMoreChance ? original sound – Freebie MNL
During the Q&A, the new Popoy and Basha actors admit that there are “big shoes to fill” as they step into these iconic characters.
Sam explains, “Well, it’s a daunting task, we have big shoes to fill so there’s a big pressure that comes with the role but it’s a good kind of pressure.
“Hopefully, it produces diamonds pero isa rin sa mga challenge para sa akin I think is to stay true to the character and at the same time, like, adding more truthfulness to the role without deviating so much doon sa kung ano talaga si Popoy.
“So, excited ako ma-discover yung parts of Popoy na I’m hoping to be able to relate to communicate.”
CJ, a “Goin’ Bulilit” graduate, acknowledges the pressure especially since he is doing a role by one of Philippine showbiz’s matinee idols.
He says, “Of course, I’m so honored kasi grabe, e. It’s John Lloyd Cruz, di ba? ‘Tapos CJ Navato, Goin’ Bulilit, di ba?
“Suntok sa buwan [pero] tumama siya. Wow, I’m so amazed sa team and alam mo yun, ang laki ng project na gagawin namin pero makikita mo na gagawin namin ito! I’m just taking everything day by day.”
Nicole, a VIVA artist whose credits include “The Rain In Espana” and “Safe Skies, Archer,” is overwhelmed to be doing such an iconic character like Basha.
“Very overwhelmed pa rin ako at this point dahil iconic film, the characters, a lot of people can relate to, and I feel like that’s what I want to [achieve].
“Hopefully, sa mga rehearsals namin, slowly, maano ko na yung Basha na may Nicole Omillo. I’m very excited [and] with the help of everybody, alam kong ibang taste ang mabibigay namin.”
For Anna, “One More Chance” marks her sixth production in PETA.
Of this, she only says, “Ako naman po ay excited. 17 years old po ako noong nag-start dito tapos very excited. Salamat po sa aming director, musical director, sa lahat ng cast and crew, salamat sa pagtitiwala sa akin. I hope ma-portray ko po ng maayos ang role ni Basha at hindi ko po kayo mabigo.”
IMAGE: PETA
FreebieMNL also asked what scene from the movie they are mostly looking forward to doing for the musical.
Anna says, “Ako po, yung eksena na ipinakita namin kanina, nilu-look forward ko talaga sa rehearsals din. Exciting kung paano pa mami-milk yung eksena, paano pa mas masakit yung mapupuntahan ng bawat character.”
Sam points out how important the scene is to Popoy’s character progression.
“Ito rin yung isa sa mga big scenes ng movie kasi for Popoy’s character, Popoy’s point of view na first time niyang mabasag nito si Basha with someone else.
“It’s a very challenging scene and I’m looking forward to it as part of the show and more so working on it behind the scenes.”
As for CJ and Nicole, they are just both excited to bring life to these iconic characters given that it is their first time doing theater.
CJ says, “Well we’ve seen the script, lahat kasi parang ang ganda kung paano in-incorporate kung yung music ng Ben&Ben and yung story.
“It’s gonna be a lot of work and we are so excited for every single bit of it.”
Nicole adds, “Same, for me kasi this is my first time to do theater so I’m excited to do everything with everybody.”
READ ALSO: Meet The Cast Of PETA’s “One More Chance” The Musical
“One More Chance”: from film to musical
“One More Chance: The Musical,” apparently, is seven years in the making as revealed by PETA artistic director Maribel Legarda, who also directs the show.
Of this, she says, “Sometimes, may mga bagay talaga na kapag hindi siya napapanahon, hindi siya mangyayari kahit anong gawin ninyo. So, this is happening because it’s meant to be here and it’s meant to be now.”
What’s more exciting is how the songs of Ben&Ben and the heartbreaking story of Popoy and Basha will blend.
“We are so excited. When we thought about putting together ‘One More Chance’ and Ben&Ben, it was like yeah, it makes sense, you have two icons of two different timeframes, put them together, and what’s going to happen—it’s such an interesting creative exercise as well as what we feel something that works, di ba?
“The musical tones and idea of Ben&Ben working into this story that was first created in 2007, so yun yung napaka-exciting gawin kasi ang kwento ay kwento, ang music nila ay music nila. Ngayon, yung pag-marry ng dalawa dun, yun yung trip.”
The production just wishes to be able to pull it off especially since tickets are now almost sold out for each of the shows.
“We hope we really do a very good job because I think you are aware naman na we were fortunate enough to have a really good reception that the tickets are almost gone, if not gone.
“Dapat wala nang problema but hindi, actually mas malaking pressure kasi I’m sure, everybody’s waiting what are we gonna do with it.”
“One More Chance: The Musical” will run from April 12 to June 30 at the PETA-Phinma Theater in New Manila, Quezon City.
Banner Art Dani Sison
