Frank Rivera’s ‘Ambon, Ulan, Baha’ to stream online after limited September run

The Metropolitan Theater will livestream the modern zarzuela on Oct. 10 at 7 PM via Facebook.

Missed the revival of Frank Rivera’s modern zarzuela “Ambon, Ulan, Baha” last month?

You can catch it online this Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 PM, when the Metropolitan Theater livestreams the production on its official Facebook page.

First written and staged as “Kaingin” in 1976, the work was expanded into the full-length zarzuela “Ambon, Ulan, Baha” two years later.

The ethno-pop-rock production follows young couple Nonoy and Inday in Barrio Magubat. Their future becomes entangled with a logging concession run by Don Calixto and his son, Dr. Anton, setting off a chain of events that culminates in a devastating flood across the barrio.

The Metropolitan Theater last staged “Ambon, Ulan, Baha” in 1992. The production returned to the historic venue in September for a limited revival that ran for just one weekend.

Rivera returned as the zarzuela’s playwright and principal composer, with CJ Andaluz directing the restaging.

CJ Navato and Thea Astley took on the lead roles of Nonoy and Inday, while Anton Juan and Rendell Sanchez portrayed Don Calixto and Dr. Anton, respectively.

The supporting cast included Nazer Salcedo, Onyl Torres, Shermaine Santiago, and Sweet Buchanan, alongside ensemble members Beng Jordan, Jerome Ferguson, Joseph Sy, Jonathan Montes, Lian Silverio, Peachy Dumaya, and Phil Panganiban.

The production team also included Pipo Cifra for musical arrangement and direction, Anthony Cruz for choreography, Ohm David for production design, Raqs Regalado for costume design, Charlotte Despuez for lighting design, and Roman Cruz for technical direction.

In a previous statement, Andaluz said what once seemed like a cautionary tale “has become our present reality.”

“We are no longer standing at the water’s edge,” he said. “As Filipinos, we have found ourselves increasingly immersed in floods, both literal and metaphorical, that continue to devastate our communities, our livelihoods, and our everyday lives.”

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