Rep returns with online Christmas tale
AFTER a year in hiatus forced on it by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Repertory Philippines (Rep) is back with a holiday-themed showcase — The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off! — which is an online milestone for both the theater company and Philippine theater.
The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off! is the Filipino theater production and the first Rep Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA) show to be available on streaming platform Broadway on Demand (BOD).
Screening from Nov. 12 to Dec. 12, The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off! combines the time-honored tradition of Christmas cookies with the popular phenomenon of reality TV baking competitions. The story follows eight young cookie chefs from all over the country who battle it out for first prize at the Cookie Coliseum. As the chefs are eliminated one by one by three celebrity judges, feelings of intense rivalry give way to the virtues of charity, family, and forgiveness.
“Repertory Philippines is very excited to be the first Philippine theater company to film a production for streaming on an international platform, Broadway on Demand (BOD). This international streaming platform is the streaming partner of the performance rights holders of The Great Christmas Cookie Bake Off,” Liesl Batucan, Repertory Philippines’ Artistic Director, told BusinessWorld through Messenger.
“BOD was the perfect choice and a wonderful and fresh opportunity to bring our young Filipino talent to the global arena,” she added.
Created with the streaming audiences in mind, The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-off! is directed by RTYA Creative Director Joy Virata. The musical’s cast includes Becca Coates, Tim Pavino, Jep Go, Jillian Itaas, Luigi Quesada, Rachel Coates, Justine Narciso, Steven Hotchkiss, Carla Guevara Laforteza, Jamie Wilson, Arnel Carrion, and Hans Eckstein.
“Filmed and rehearsed with the strictest of health and safety protocols, our Rep Theater for Young Audiences’ newest online offering is aimed at bringing much-needed messages of joy, friendship, forgiveness, and love to children of all ages,” Ms. Batucan said.
With video production directed by Treb Monteras, the production’s set design is by Ed Lacson, lighting design is by John Batalla, costume design is by Bonsai Cielo, and choreography is by Deana Aquino.
“We Filipinos love Christmas, and this delightful show is a sweet way for families to bond, especially in these times,” Ms. Batucan said.
Ticket cost P700 (regular) and P1,000 (family/household). Each ticket gives 24-hour access to the musical, which can be accessed via computer or mobile device through a web browser or via tablet or smartphone through the Broadway on Demand app on the App Store and Google Play. Broadway On Demand is also available on AppleTV and Roku.
For updates, log on to www.repertoryphilippines.ph, like and follow Repertory Philippines on Facebook and Instagram. Educators and school representatives who are interested in the show can e-mail the theater company at sales@repphil.org. — MAPS
