EVEN THOUGH last year’s Zsazsa Zaturnnah the Musical... 'Yun Lang! showed that the Ateneo Blue Repertory (blueREP) was back on the physical stage, its new members have not yet had the chance under the spotlight. Cue this year’s Orphie & the Book of Heroes! Given that the last physical newbie production was back in 2019 with Bring it On: The Musical, it was time for the blue newbies to take on the challenge of the stage.

For this reason, I found it surprising that blueREP’s first newbie musical back was an American production by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond which previously ran back in 2014. Staging local plays is already a daunting task, and seeing blueREP newbies take on a foreign production—with its Asian premiere, no less—is certainly no easy feat!

Orphie and the Book of Heroes is a musical based in the world of Greek mythology. Consisting of famous figures in fictionalized form, from Homer (Gabe Apostol), author of The Iliad, to Heracles (Xavier Fernando), god of strength, the play has a rich pool of characters to choose from. However, our heroine, Orphie (LJ Bala & Audrey Sy), is a complete work of fiction that serves as the audience's lens to this interpretation of Greek tales and mythology.

When Hades (CJ Isip) takes Homer—Orphie’s surrogate father—to the underworld, it’s Orphie’s job to find a way to bring him back. This simple yet effectively fun premise allows our protagonist to explore ancient Greece. That sense of fun is made possible by LJ Bala’s standout performance as Orphie, as she steals most of the scenes and musical numbers she’s in. Her ability to carry the different tunes on her shoulders like Atlas while acting alongside her co-stars was certainly bliss to see on stage.

Gabe Apostol, on the other hand, gives the audience something to care about with his portrayal of Homer. He plays the part with such care and wisdom that shows why Orphie would go to such lengths—lengths that would lead our heroine to meet gods that can even steal Orphie’s thunder. I’m talking about one of my favorite performances of the play: Aaron Eubert Nuñez as Hermes.

Nuñez’s performance gives an electric (even if he’s not playing Zeus!) energy to the play that he makes every scene he’s part of an absolute pleasure to watch. His banter with Bala’s Orphie led to a lot of fun moments and setpieces in the play, some of which had incredibly creative executions from the artistic team. As a whole, the cast's performances add a sense of childlike wonder which makes the adventure embarked on all the more amusing.

From the moment you walk inside the theater—lights, music, and gods standing like statues on stage, an atmosphere filled with adventure quickly greets you. Given that director Robert Bradly Hao intentionally wanted the feeling of children playing around, all creative choices from the team certainly came shining through the set. Production Designer Gerard Ma, Costume Designers Tamara Alicia Alves and Darius Hermenegildo, and Set and Props Constructor Adriane Ungriano were all able to create a playground with toys for the actors to shine on. From a blue ball pit that acts as the sea to recycled props feeling like makeshift toys, it truly feels like a child’s wonderland.

Unfortunately, blueREP’s ticket pricing may have prevented fellow Atenean students from watching, given that their lowest price for an individual ticket was Php 550. Ultimately, the musical would have been enjoyed most by fans of the Greek myths of old and the lessons they may teach.

Though the play’s themes may not be the most groundbreaking, its narrative is still quite relevant today. There was care in the handling of Orphie’s story even if it was written a little under a decade ago, most especially from the women of the production. blueREP was able to avoid a regurgitation of pre-existing ideas and instead made sure to pack the themes in a tight bow filled with a whole lot of love.

At the end of the day, Orphie and the Book of Heroes may seem like child’s play with its simplicity and fun, but the effort and heart that the blueREP newbies have put in shows that it was certainly more than that.