Forbidden Broadway is a parody of famous Broadway Musicals (think Live Bubble Gang Spoof Skits Concert) like Into the Woods, Les Mesirables, Cats, West Side Story, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Mamma Mia, to name a few.
It’s a very timely show considering some of these Broadway musicals have been staged in Manila and most musical theater fans can relate to the popular spoofs.
If you hear someone laughing about a “lost in translation” scene, it is probably because they either want to let you know that they can relate to the spoof (since they know more about Musical Broadway than you do) or they just want to reveal their age. 🙂
Here’s what we think about Forbidden Broadway in Manila…
Sample of Les Miserables Spoof from Forbidden Broadway Manila.
The entire production is spoof after spoof of famous plays and personalities in the Broadway scene. There’s no storyline but there are themes highlighted in the show like miserable moments in musicals, the difficulty of Sondheim’s lyrics, the deterioration of Broadway, and even the confusion between Chita (who starred in the original Broadway show) and Rita (who starred in the film adaptation) in West Side Story.
Who is Mandy Patinkin?
Although the younger generation may be familiar with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh, and Stephen Sondheim, they might ask: “Who the heck are Mandy Patinkin, Liza Minnelli, and Barbra Streisand?”
(Ok, I must confess — I’m part of the last generation that owned a CD of Barbra Streisand.)
To appreciate the show better, watch “Over the Rainbow” by Mandy Patinkin, which was spoofed as “Over Indulgent” in Forbidden Broadway.
Ambition spoof of Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof
One of the spoofs that I loved but was not able to relate to is the Ambition! spoof of Fiddler on the Roof.Â
But I can appreciate it now after watching the original — Tradition (above).
Solid Forbidden Manila Cast
Lorenz Martinez, an international talent who was part of the Netherlands production of Miss Saigon, was very funny. I can still remember his awesome performance as Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
We have been fans of OJ Mariano since Rent Manila. He is versatile and convincing in all the roles he takes on.
It’s the first time I’ve seen Caisa Borromeo perform on stage, and we were impressed with her Chita-Rita and Les Miserables sequences. Â We loved the fresh energy she brought to her performance.
Liesl Batucan deserves a standing ovation for her awesome and funny impersonations. Galing!
We were laughing and clapping throughout the show — this is a definite must-see, especially for the growing Broadway Musical addicts in Manila.
Act 1 ended with a solid spoof of Les Miserables, but Act 2 for me seemed a bit anti-climactic since we couldn’t remember what the last song was all about.
It was great that they invited a special guest to perform with the cast. During the media preview, Noel Trinidad gave some comic relief with his own spoof.
FORBIDDEN BROADWAY MANILA
 “The funniest show in New York” (The New Yorker) has been leaving critics and audiences in stitches since its debut in 1982… and now, for its 30th anniversary, it’s finally coming to Manila! Upstart Productions presents the “gut-bustingly funny” (The New York Post) Off-Broadway smash Forbidden Broadway in 2012! Catch this “forbidden pleasure” (New York Post) when it makes its Philippine debut.
Created by Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway is a “consistently riotous” (The New York Times) musical revue that features beloved songs from the most popular Broadway musicals—Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Mamma Mia!, Wicked, and Cats, to name just a few—with hilariously clever new lyrics that poke fun at the shows themselves. And although “there’s no Broadway like Forbidden Broadway” (Entertainment Weekly), it’s not just for theater fans! With more than 9,000 performances in 200 U.S. cities and in London, Tokyo, Singapore, and Sydney, eleven cast albums, and countless awards, it’s clear that “even if you’ve never been within 1000 miles of Broadway you’ll still love Forbidden Broadway!” (Boca Raton News)
Show Dates/Time:Â
Show runs from May 11 to 27, 2012Â
- May 11 (8 pm)
- May 12 (3 pm)
- May 12 (8 pm)
- May 13 (3 pm)
- May 18 (8 pm)
- May 19 (3 pm)
- May 19 (8 pm)
- May 20 (3 pm)
- May 25 (8 pm)
- May 26 (3 pm)
- May 26 (8 pm)
- May 27 (3 pm)
Venue: Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC, Makati.
Ticket Prices:
- Orchestra Center P1,100
- Orchestra Side P900
- Loge Center P1,000
- Loge Side P800
- Loge Rear P700
- Balcony P600
For Ticket Inquiries:
Telephone: +632 891-9999 Visit ticketworld.com.ph
Email:Â upstartproductionsinc@gmail.com
Official Website: Forbidden Broadway Manila
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Full Disclosure: We watched the media preview courtesy of Upstart Productions.
P.S. Just a tip, if you are going to watch the show, you might want to decide based on who will be the special guest:
May 20 (Sat) 3pm – Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo
May 25(Fri) 8pm – Lea Salonga
May 26 (Sat) 8pm – Aiza Seguerra
May 27 (Sun) 3pm – Rachel Alejandro
Call +632 215-0788 or 0917 537-8313 for the shows above.