STEPPING OUT (REVIEW)

© Ronette Miclat

In a room filled with varying personalities, different life stories, and contrasting ideas and points of view, will there ever be unity and harmony? This is the story of eight tap-dance students who seem to be in chaos mode every week, a teacher who dances both to live and to earn a living, and a pianist who is always there (literally and metaphorically).

© Ronette Miclat

The performance was set in the proscenium stage of Greenbelt’s OnStage Theatre. They actually had three set-ups: dance studio, bar, and café. What made things interesting are the movable props and set design. Add to that the proper lighting that made everything aesthetically pleasing. The music team did a pretty great job as well. However, the songs were not as exceptional as I thought they would be. They did not have a recall and that is probably the reason why no one from the audience had a last song syndrome from the play.

But all those aforementioned things only apply to the physical aspects of the whole story. They are all but secondary factors to be considered. The part that we really should focus on is the critique of the thespians’ performances.

All the actors actually deserve two thumbs up not just for portraying their roles well, but also for touching the hearts of the viewers by sharing both their talents and life stories in a very realistic and moving way.
Mavis, as portrayed by Angela Padilla, portrays the role of a tap-dance teacher who gives too much but gets nothing in return. She is the character whom people will like at first sight, then hate as the story progresses, but will eventually love at the end. She seemed very fit for the role because of her natural grace and dancer-like posture.
Same is true for Shiela Francisco who gave life to Mrs. Fraser’s witticisms and wonderful piano skills. Though unnoticed at times, we really felt her motherly love most especially during the quiet moments in the story.
And speaking of love, why don’t we talk about the intimate moments (sans the physical contact) of Andy and Geoffrey? Christine Flores as Andy depicted the story of a lonely wife who only finds happiness in taking different lessons. Her sweet and fascinating moments with the awkward and newly widowed Geoffrey, as portrayed by Raymund Concepcion, are something to look forward to.
Natalie Everette as Dorothy gave the audience the same excitement. As a small girl with big gestures who is eager to be loved, she is one of the characters who brought joy to the whole performance and smile on the lips of the viewers. The girl who seemed closest to her in the story is Lynne, portrayed by Cara Barredo, a nurse by day and a dancer every Friday night. She conveys her message well not through speaking but through dancing— something that she seemed really good at.
We also have the two oldest women in the group who refused to be left out by their younger tap-dance group mates. The first one is EJ Villacorta who played the role of Maxine, an opinionated woman who provides everything— from hats and clothes to stories about the people in the class. The other is Vera who was portrayed by Joy Virata (the artistic director of the production). The class got annoyed with her because she kept meddling in everyone’s affairs. Little did they know that she just wanted to give the attention and affection she has always longed to have and to give to her family who seemed to be shutting her out all the time. She had one of the greatest performances in the play.
But the two actors who really stood out for me are Sylvia and Rose. Sarah Facuri who brought Sylvia to life is the stout housewife who became the audience’s apple of the eye because of her remarkable quips and natural sass. Bituin Escalante as Rose, on the other hand, is a bold and fearless Haitian with the voice of a belter. Her song numbers left people in amazement.

But the characters will not be able to execute their roles well if they did not have a good story to begin with. The text was pretty simple but what made it quite remarkable for me is the fact that it somehow gave the audience a refresher course on trying to know and understand people beyond what their eyes can see (a.k.a. “no judging a book by its cover 101”). Each persona had a façade far different from reality and that alone gave the audience something they can relate to. The whole performance may not have a complex story line or shocking plot twists, but it did have authenticity and sincerity that left people in awe.

It was truly an entertaining show. Jaime Del Mundo deserves two thumbs up for directing and for putting together such an amazing production. Although there were parts which I failed to appreciate just like the scene in the bar where their backs were facing us, the performances seemed flawless and are truly worthy of the audience’s cheer and applause.

Post-show photo op with the cast.