Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Ganiel Krishnan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Veteran singer-songwriter Rico Blanco was in awe after attending the musical Liwanag sa Dilim, staged by 9 Works Theatrical, which featured his iconic songs as the primary soundtrack.The OPM icon admitted he was still processing the experience, describing it as a “hell of a story.”“I’m still processing everything that happened. Hell of a story—that’s all I can say. I can’t really say more than that,” Blanco said in an interview after the show.Blanco, whose music has defined generations of Filipino listeners, shared that while he was aware of the premise of the musical, he was unprepared for how it unfolded on stage.“I didn’t really expect that. I knew the premise, but I didn’t know how it was gonna go. It was really cool,” he said.Blanco was deeply immersed in the performance, and appreciated the brilliant acting, musical arrangements, and fresh interpretations of his songs.“I was just really focused on what was happening and following everything that was going on stage—the brilliant acting, the singing, and the musical arrangement. Just hearing my songs for the first time in this new context, I’m still processing it,” he explained.The experience made Blanco reflect on his songwriting journey, as the musical gave his compositions a new life and meaning beyond his original intent.“I’m kinda proud that I wrote those songs and what they’re singing. And after seeing what they did with it—with the songs—almost all the songs were arranged differently, and it’s so cool to see them used in a different way to tell a different story from what I originally dreamt and planned when I was writing those songs. Some songs became the opposite of what I meant them to be used for. Ang galing!” he said.When asked about the message audiences could take away from Liwanag sa Dilim, Blanco shared how the production transported him to another universe, providing a much-needed escape from the stresses of daily life.“Nadala ako sa ibang universe, eh. And I suppose, personally, we all go through life, stress, and whatnot. This was a really nice escape for me—to get transported to this universe. It’s something other people can experience. It’s not here forever. That’s the magic of musicals—you really have to catch the show,” he added.“Liwanag sa Dilim” will run at RCBC Plaza in Makati until April.

Veteran singer-songwriter Rico Blanco was in awe after attending the musical Liwanag sa Dilim, staged by 9 Works Theatrical, which featured his iconic songs as the primary soundtrack.

Veteran singer-songwriter Rico Blanco was in awe after attending the musical Liwanag sa Dilim, staged by 9 Works Theatrical , which featured his iconic songs as the primary soundtrack.

Rico Blanco attends ‘Liwanag sa Dilim’ musical, calls it a ‘hell of a story’

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Rico Blanco attends ‘Liwanag sa Dilim’ musical, calls it a ‘hell of a story’

Ganiel Krishnan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 07, 2025 01:18 AM PHT

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Updated Mar 07, 2025 09:59 AM PHT

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Liwanag sa Dilim

Rico Blanco

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