Tovic Salvador

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Little Red Riding Hood

Jeeves De Veyra

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

The Theater at Solaire recently hosted a historic triple threat collaboration of theater, dance, and orchestral music between Repertory Philippines, Ballet Philippines, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra.While the three companies have worked with each other in some way, this is the first time they really shared the stage. Prior to the show, Mindy Perez Rubio, president of Repertory Philippines, shared that it was always her dream to bring the children’s ballet, &quot;Peter and the Wolf,&quot; to the Philippines citing her time in San Francisco where this was held annually during Christmas. It was no easy feat because the work needed strong dancers and orchestral music to do it justice. Rubio asked the MSO, represented by Board of Trustees president Maan Hontiveros, and Ballet Philippines, represented by CEO and president Kathleen Lior-Lichtenstein, to which they readily agreed.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755855400289Elian Santos plays Peter in REP&#x27;s Peter and the Wolf.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Elian Santos plays Peter in &#x27;Peter and the Wolf&#x27;. HandoutRussian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s children’s ballet tells the story of Peter, a naughty little boy and his animal friends’ encounter with a nasty wolf. Through the short ballet, Prokofiev teaches children the different instruments in the orchestra by associating each character to a particular instrument. Guided by Rep’s artistic director Jeremy Domingo, the production is engaging, leaning more on mime than dance.&quot;</div>In the San Francisco production, Rubio fondly talked about having celebrity narrators like Sean Connery and Robin William. Not to be outdone, they tapped local luminaries like Maria Ressa, Maan Hontiveros, Liza Chan-Parpan, Tim Yap, and Karylle Tatlonghari. For the show I watched, Ressa traded her usual serious tone and eased into children storyteller mode synching her narration with the music.While &quot;Peter and the Wolf&quot; may have been too barebones for adults, the laughter from the children in the audience indicated that the three companies successfully entertained their target audience.As &quot;Peter and The Wolf&quot; was a short ballet, they wisely made the evening a double feature with &quot;Little Red Riding Hood,&quot; a one-hour ballet exquisitely choreographed by Ballet Philippines’ artistic director Mikhail Martinyuk. This was a full-fledged production complete with more elaborate sets, also designed by Martinyuk. From that breathtaking pas de deux of Red Riding Hood and the Wolf to the appearance of the company’s younger members, the ballet was spiced up with awesome and aww-some moments that truly show off the beauty of ballet.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755855364607Jemima Reyes-Ocampo as Little Red Riding Hood and Rudolph Capongcol as the Wolf 2.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Jemima Reyes-Ocampo as Little Red Riding Hood and Rudolph Capongcol as the Wolf. HandoutWhile the orchestrations of &quot;Peter and the Wolf&quot; may have been too simple, the pieces used in &quot;Red Riding Hood&quot; allowed the MSO to fully flex and unleash the power of the orchestra. It was a treat to listen to such heavenly music within the superior acoustics of the Theater at Solaire.</div>The program was brilliant that they used familiar pieces, some because of childhood memories from old Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd cartoons to music being used in scores in bits of pop-culture cinema and television.I heard many people say that this was a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. And I sure hope that isn’t the case. While it may seem that the kids were the ones who most enjoyed it, I’m sure there were grown-ups who were as awed and charmed by this tour-de-force of Filipino performing arts.Here’s hoping for more regular triple-threat productions like these in the years to come.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1755855325047The company of peter and the wolf.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The company of &#x27;Peter and the Wolf.&#x27; Jeeves de Veyra</div>

Repertory Philippines, Ballet Philippines, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra shared the stage for the first time at Solaire in a tour-de-force of music, dance, and theater.

Repertory Philippines, Ballet Philippines, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra shared the stage for the first time at Solaire in a tour-de-force of music, dance, and theater.

Review: Peter and the Wolf, Red Riding Hood highlight triple-treat show

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Review: Peter and the Wolf, Red Riding Hood highlight triple-treat show

Jeeves De Veyra,

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

Published August 24, 2025 02:03 PM PHT

Read More:

review

Solaire

Peter and the Wolf

Little Red Riding Hood

Repetory Philippines

Ballet Philippines

Manila Symphonyn Orchestra

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