Repertory Philippines: A Little Princess

Everyone is familiar with the story of Sara Crewe, the young girl who moves from a colorful British colony to a London boarding school at the behest of her father, the wealthy Captain Crewe. In the school, she is given all the luxuries that her father’s wealth can provide. But when news of her father’s death reaches London, the headmistress forces Sara to work as a scullery maid.

(Gaby Padilla as Sara – A Little Princess)

Repertory Philippines revisits this classic tale in their 49th season finale, A Little Princess. Composed by Brian Crawley and Andrew Lippa, this musical was based on the F.H. Burnett novel of the same name. This production was directed and choreographed by theater great Dexter Reyes. It opened on Nov. 18 and will continue to be staged at the OnStage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City until Dec. 18.

Opening night’s performance came of to a rough start, with malfunctioning microphones making it difficult at times to hear the singers over the energetic orchestra led by Ejay Yatco throughout the first act. But to the credit of the technical team, most of these problems were addressed in time for the beginning of the second act.

Despite these technical difficulties, many of the opening night’s cast members absolutely shined throughout the show. Felicity Kyle Napuli stole the show with her earnest and enchanting performance as Becky, the young child worker whom Sara befriends. Another scene-stealer was Maria Gabriela Padilla, who dominated every scene she was in as Lavinia, the school’s resident mean girl (Padilla is one of the two alternates for the role of Sara). Jill Ita-as, was also quite endearing as the show’s titular character, but was overpowered by the orchestra during some of her solos.

Among the older members of the night’s cast were theater veterans Roselyn Perez as headmistress Minchin, Natalie M. Everett as Miss Amelia, Noel Rayos as Captain Crewe and Cara Barredo as Aljana and Queen Victoria. Perez and Everett’s performances were nothing short of excellent, while Barredo showcased her undeniable ability to slip out of one role and into another without a hitch. Rayos’ Captain Crewe was undeniably heartfelt, but like his onstage daughter, had lines drowned out by the music in some key emotional moments.

But perhaps the show’s greatest asset is the ensemble. They executed Reyes’ choreography, which was full of raw yet graceful African-inspired movements, and Lippa’s soaring and melodious music with enough passion and energy to light up the entire building. The ensemble numbers were undoubtedly the highlight of the show.

Overall, A Little Princess was a charming and family-friendly production with strong performers and wonderful choreography. It had the signature performance polish of Repertory Philippines despite its technical issues. There is no doubt that it will be the highlight of the Christmas season for all theater lovers.