The “Sa Sangandaan” was my first ambitious musical stage play. It is the most elaborate so far. We used a video plug, a video credit, sound effects, costume, make-up and all original songs with a full band accompaniment. Whew!
This musical was my first attempt to use original music in a stage play. However, it was not an all original music sound track, around 50% of it perhaps but it was an all original lyrics. I finished the entire script in two weeks at least after staging the play “Ang Regalo” (The Gift) just in time for the 30th founding anniversary of LUMC.
I was a bit nervous at first because we had little time to prepare for it. There was a point when I thought we would not make it but God is good and gracious. He had blessed us with grace to practice enthusiastically. Can you imagine? The band was only able to perfect the songs two days before staging the play!
The scariest part of it was that I was sick at that time. I had cough and fever the week before the presentation particularly the day before and on the day itself. I just could not excuse myself because I was the one in charge of the band. Miraculously, the cough subsided during the entire presentation. I thought it had gone.
After staging the play, the cough began to surge again until I could hardly breathe. Our pastor and church elders rushed me to the hospital and the doctors said that I had pneumonia. It was shocking for me. After two days of confinement, my attending physician had allowed me to go home. The Lord is good all the time.
It has been a great experience doing a musical stage play for the Lord and I know that there will be more to come in the future.
