QUEZON CITY, Philippines—Heading back to the spotlight, Rody Vera’s Walang Aray will be performed entirely live on stage by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), the collective behind the popular musical Rak of Aegis.

Walang Aray was chosen to launch the company’s comeback and cap the company’s emerald year after waiting in the wings since its first laboratory performance in 2018 and 2019. 

Why people should watch Walang Aray, according to Maribel Legarda, artistic director of PETA: “It’s necessary, after three years of what we went through—not only the pandemic, but also the elections—to do something irreverent and funny. I think that is what people need right now. They need a space to laugh, to sort of allow themselves to have fun and enjoy something,” 

“But of course, in PETA, it’s not just having fun,” Legarda adds, “PETA believes that good comedy makes you think and reflect, and Walang Aray is exactly that.”

Presented by PETA with Indie.Go Media in partnership with Star Magic, Walang Aray is a genre-defying adaptation of the screenplay of the same name, based on Severino Reyes’ classic zarzuela Walang Sugat

“We must evolve. We cannot do things over and over the same way, we must change, challenge, and chase forward. That is why Walang Sugat evolved to Walang Aray, from the stage, adapted to screenplay, and back to the stage—and we tried to make the comeback different,” Legarda explains.

Legarda describes the new musical as “really entertaining but at the same time, reflective of us as Filipinos and our own histories.” Walang Aray richly mashes the timeless classic with contemporary language, funk and pop tunes, and tongue-in-cheek humor. 

Playright Rody Vera expresses what he hopes audiences will take away from the musical: “It feels like we’re doing this play produced by ‘the mechanicals’ in Act 5 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where at that point, all that was strange and horrible is now past, that while we’re aware these things indeed happened and may happen again, we’re also here to remind people that theater, always… ALWAYS dies and is born anew,” he says. “I wish they’ll have as much fun watching as the prod team had mounting it.” 

Walang Aray is top-billed by Star Magic’s “hottest musical couple” #KDLex, KD Estrada and Alexa Ilacad, alternating with triple threat theater artists Gio Gahol and Marynor Madamesila as Tenyong and Julia.

KD Estrada. Image courtesy of PETA

Alexa Ilacad. Image courtesy of PETA

Gio Gahol. Image courtesy of PETA

Marynor Madamesila. Image courtesy of PETA

The cast includes PETA artists Jarred Jaicten, Kiki Baento, Carlon Matobato, Gie Onida, Norbs Portales, Neomi Gonzales, John Moran, Tom Bienvenida, Donn Boco, Gerard Dy, Yeyin Dela Cruz, Ada Tayao, and Ayla Garcia, with Gardo Exconde and Csai Habla as the swings.

Young PETA artists, including Ian Segarra (director), Vince Lim (composer, musical director, sound designer, additional lyrics), Happy Constantino (sound designer), Gio Gahol (choreographer), Julio Garcia (production designer), and Ayla Garcia (voice coach), are in charge of the musical’s creative team. 

Guest performers David Esguerra (lighting designer) and JayLo Cunanan are also present with them.

Walang Aray will run at the PETA Theater Center from Feb 17-May 14, 2023. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.com.ph starting December 10, 2022. For bulk tickets and showbuying inquiries, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112.

For more information about Walang Aray, follow PETA’s social media pages: @petatheater.