Masarap, madaling kantahin ang lumang tugtugin

Last weekend, Globe Live and 9Works Theatrical opened the doors of the Maybank Performing Arts Theater. Once the audience took their seats and the lights dimmed and the music started, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! began and we as an audience were transported to a world where bellbottom jeans are the staple, afros are the thing to rock and the prints are as dizzying as they are beautiful.

On the surface, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is a story of a group of friends that lived and grew up in the 70’s. Together, they wade through romance, school, their parents’ expectations, their passions and their talents. Littered throughout the nostalgia-filled script are songs from APO Hiking Society, which take us further back to the decade that means so much to our history.

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The story

Set largely on a college campus, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! touches on the lives of seven boys, their families and their girlfriends. They challenge the status quo on love and life, questioning what one should do and shouldn’t do at a time that was equally as challenging.

Do you follow your passions or your parents’ expectations? Do you sacrifice everything for the girl you love on an uncertain future? Can you look at your friends, see what they’re doing and say, “No thank you, this isn’t right for me”? How far would you go for security, freedom and the right to pursue what’s yours?

The songs

Amidst all these questions, beloved songs from APO Hiking Society are carefully placed and intelligently cut to give a feeling of nostalgia that is both welcoming and eye-opening. Those who know the songs growing up will be brought back to a time they probably haven’t visited in a while. Meanwhile, younger generations who picked up on lyrics and melodies will finally understand the setting and inspiration for the words they might carelessly sing to.

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The experience

The undertakings of Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! are by no means light and shallow. Despite this, however, the cast, crew and production team successfully give their audiences a great viewing experience. The colors, characters, songs and surprisingly placed punchlines add to a whimsical feel that is evident throughout the musical.

You walk in the theater abuzz with expectations, probably singing your favorite APO song in your head (or out loud). But when you walk out, you walk out with a feeling of friendship that envelopes you—and that same song still stuck in your head.

Produced by Globe Live and 9Works Theatrical and co-presented by Frontrow and Fox Life, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! will be showing all weekends of August. Get your tickets now with Ticketworld.