Skip to content Skip to sidebar Skip to footer

Rock-opera ballet returns tonight for a limited three-show run

HomeAll PostsEntertainmentRock-opera ballet returns tonight for a...
Food & Culture Fix radar ReelsMarch 28, 2026
A snapshot of the country's first Filipino rock-opera ballet in action. Choreographed by National Artist Alice Reyes, the production is celebrated for its "genre-blurring" style—where classical ballet and modern dance meet the raw power of a live theatrical concert. Photographs by Kenneth M. Del Rosario

Alice Reyes’s Tales of the Manuvu opens at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati, for a rare staging this March 28 to 29.

Alice Reyes’ “Tales of the Manuvu” is returning for a limited run tonight, March 28—bringing back one of the most distinctive works in Philippine stage history.

First premiered in 1977, it is widely recognized as the country’s first Filipino rock-opera ballet, reimagining Indigenous Manobo creation myths through dance, live music, and theater. The story unfolds around the origin of the world, weaving gods, humans, and nature into a sweeping narrative of creation and conflict.

Swipe left or right to view the photos below

Dancers from the Alice Reyes Dance Philippines and the UE Silangan Dance Troupe bring the creation myths of the Manobo people to life at the Proscenium Theater. This 2026 revival of "Tales of the Manuvu" maintains the "rock-opera" grit of the 1977 original, blending high-intensity contemporary movement with a live, soaring score.


The genre-blurring spectacle

What makes it especially compelling is how many styles it pulls together: classical ballet, contemporary movement, and folk-inspired choreography all sharing the same stage language, layered over a live rock-opera score.

While dancing is front and center, the production leans heavily into live singing, featuring the UP Concert Chorus and the University of the East Silangan Dance Troupe, giving it the scale of a full theatrical concert as much as a ballet.

A collaborative masterpiece

Choreographed by National Artist Alice Reyes, with music and libretto by key Filipino creative figures, the piece feels expansive, energetic, and deliberately genre-blurring.

A limited run of just three shows makes this a weekend activity in Makati that’s rooted in mythology but staged with a very modern pulse—March 28 and 29 only at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

Beyond the choreography, the power of Tales of the Manuvu lies in its live vocalists. Shown here are members of the UP Concert Chorus during the limited 2026 run at the Proscenium Theater. Their performance of the rock-opera score provides the "modern pulse" to Alice Reyes’ choreography, transforming the ballet into a full-scale theatrical concert that bridges indigenous Manobo myths with contemporary rock grit.
 
 

National Artist Alice Reyes brings the legendary Tales of the Manuvu back for a limited three-show run at the Proscenium Theater, blending Manobo mythology with rock music and classical dance.

 

 
 

READ:

Tags:

You May Also Like

I Fell, It's Fine - cast and director
Screen Sense
Women of “I Fell, It’s Fine” speak out vs misogyny
March 16, 2026
Inigo Pascual at the Awit Awards
Soundwave Scans
OPM evolves: big wins for BINI, SB19, Ben&Ben, Lola Amour at 38th Awit Awards
November 17, 2025
Facebook Instagram X-twitter Tiktok Youtube