THE REVIVAL OF ZARZUELA

Theater houses are box- office cinemas way back then.

THE ZARZUELA

The Manila Grand Opera House

It is a form of musical drama introduced here by the Spaniards which is similar to the Italian opera. Its presentation in the beginning was held before the social elite in those days. But towards the close of the 19^th century and at the turn of the century, the Zarzuela was showing before bigger audiences, thanks to talented Filipino composers and writers in the vernacular who started turning out zarzuela in Tagalog. Thos who tastes had been confined to the moro- moro, for instance (a morality play whose plot revolved around Christians versus Muslims), found the zarzuela with its catchy songs and a variety of plots ranging from high drama to comedy more entertaining. So much so that no town fiesta would be complete without the zarzuela to highlight the evening’s activities.

WHY THE ZARZUELA?

When the Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines announced at a well attended press conferences last March its purpose of reviving the interest in one of the most cherished forms of the entertainment among the Filipinos during the last years of the Spanish era up to early 1930’s, it touched off mixed reactions from the representatives of mass media.

Teatro Zorilla

This ranged from outright approval (Well, it’s about time we had something more than the tinikling to show off to tourists”, was one common remark) to great doubts whether this was the right approach to encourage playwrights and composers to produce new works.

The more articulate looked on the foundation’s initial project of presenting the zarzuela, “Walang Sugat”, one of the most popular presented at the turn of the century, as something of a step backward, dramatically speaking. “An anachronism”, they scoffed. Why present today the way Filipinos were nearly a century ago? Who’ interested in the mood of the times then? The Maria Clara – type of Filipina is different from the present crop of Filipino women: independent- minded, active, and aware of what is happening beyond the walls of their home, very much involved in meaningful movements. The zarzuela by Filipino composers and playwrights in grandpa’s days is no longer in tune with the times. These were, more or less, what the skeptics said.

Actually, the zarzuela which has been described as an anachronism may prove to be just the art form needed today. Handled properly, it becomes a medium by which we can inspire movements to help propagate the national language through the use of the native tongue in dialogue, as well as to focus greater interest in Philippine music – to counteract the current trend of too much rock and pop, and Filipino songs imitating blatantly musical idioms with foreign accents.

Which performing art combines effectively both dialogue and music except the zarzuela? It’s not really effete, to put it harshly. As a matter of fact, the revival of the zarzuela might just be the vehicle to neutralize certain unhealthy cultural trends in our midst today. It could reflect the sense of realism, if not genius of our creative artists who know how to use this cultural form to propagate true nationalism.

It could be that some people have the impression that reviving cultural interest in the past is to merely revive the zarzuelas (as far as the Zarzuela Foundation is concerned) produced at the turn of the century and the early 20^th century – then their criticism may sound valid.

But this zarzuela revival is just a beginning, a looking back into the cultural past in preparation for the next step which is – to produce new works more relevant to the present. This should satisfy those who have hastily labeled this initial effort of the foundation as “anachronistic and useless”.

The Zarzuela Foundation of the Philippines has for its real aim the encouragement of artists to write new works after they have been inspired by these so- called “anachronistic” zarzuelas.

It is in this perspective, it must be said, that the Pacifica Cultural Productions has helped in the formation of the Zarzuela Foundation and initiated the groundwork that led to succeeding steps in reviving interest in the Zarzuela. As the foundation’s implementing arm, it has been commissioned to produce the revival presentation of “Walang Sugat”, which may prove to be the first step towards the realization of the Zarzuela Foundation’s ultimate purposes.