Rak of Aegis - Top 4 Reasons Why You Should Watch

I try to expose my children to Filipino theater productions because I feel they'd be more appreciative of Filipino talent and creativity. And somehow it would instill a sense of pride, dahil ang galing ng Pinoy.  When we decided to watch Rak of Aegis as a family, it was initially to support my officemates' business venture.  They bought one show of Rak and they were selling tickets.  Little did we know that we would be in a very nice surprise.

photo from PETA's website

Here are my top four reasons why you should watch Rak of Aegis, even if you have kids, even if you're not a fan of Aegis' music.


1.  The Cast
The show that we've been to have as Aicelle Santos as Aileen, and as Jerald Napoles as Tolits.  We also have Robert Sena as  and Kalila Aguilos as Mary Jane.  I haven't seen any other show but I'm glad we went on this one.  It was a very good ensemble. From the leads to the support, everyone was perfect for their roles.

2. The Production Design
Where else can you see a real live, working set with rain effect?   And they have a huge tub with water where a real banca floats and transports actors in and out of the stage. People may think that I'm exaggerating but the delight the set has brought me, has the same intensity when I saw the set of Phantom Opera (falling chandeliers and all).  I haven't seen anything like it.

3.  The Songs
Surprisingly, Aegis' songs rendered the right emotion and feelings in every scene that it was used. I was also surprised that Aegis has "nationalistic" songs which made me appreciate the variety of their repertoire.  Suffice is to say, we went out belting, "Heto ako...." and we haven't gotten over it since. My daughters were bitten by the Aegis bug, thanks to Rak of Aegis.

4.  The Script
I think Rak has a very witty script.  The plot was simple - someone was dreaming of becoming a youtube sensation so she can be featured in an American talk show.  She thought that this can be her ticket to a better life for her and those who live in her community.  The whole story revolved around the lives of the people in barrio Venezia who, despite living in a community submerged with water, have found creative ways to cope.  And I never really thought that Aegis songs can be the perfect soundtrack for the story.

For somebody who's dealt with floods all the time, watching Rak of Aegis, became a catharsis for me. It made me relieve familiar scenarios and gave it a different twist.  To watch or not to watch?  I honestly think, you shouldn't pass on this one.