‘San Pedro Calungsod, The Musical’ continues to inspire audiences with the release of its cast recording.
By: Oliver Oliveros
MANILA, Philippines—The “San Pedro Calungsod, The Musical” cast recording, featuring 18 songs by Antonino Rommel Ramilo, with contributions from Gerald Santos, who also played the title role in the musical, is now available on Spotify and across all other music streaming platforms.
Calungsod (1654-1672) is the Philippines’ second homegrown saint, a young martyr and catechist who did missionary work in Guam.
The musical was staged in honor of the saint, which tells the story of his humble beginnings, missionary work, and martyrdom. It ran continually from 2014 to 2020, culminating at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan City, in 2020. It eventually won the Best Musical Revival nod at the Aliw Awards that year.
In 2021, BroadwayWorld Regional Awards named Santos as Best Performer of the Decade, Ramilo as Best Director of the Decade, and Joey Nombres as Lighting Designer of the Decade.
“The musical and album aim to capture the ‘heart and soul’ of Calungsod’s story, and his unwavering devotion to spreading the Christian faith in the 17th century,” said Ramilo, who also wrote the musical’s libretto and directed the stage production.
Besides Santos, the cast recording also reunited the 2020 production’s principal cast: Kuya Manzano (Father Diego Luis de San Vitores), Hutch Perales (Matapang), Lablin Layson “Vince” Vicentuan (Choco), Oscarlito JR Baccol (Hirao), and Heidi Arima (Mother).
They were joined by Donyl Alcantara, Mark Jhonsen Moises Bognot, Jesu Miguel Tan, Maria Krischellei Robles, and Franceska Danielle Delica.
The tracks include the ensemble piece, “Celebrate,” “I Offer My Life, and “The Journey,” the last two performed by Santos.
“It’s an honor to bring the spirit of Pedro Calungsod to life through music…This album is our way of keeping his story alive and sharing his message of faith, courage, and sacrifice with a wider audience,” Santos said.|
