Composer Jose Mari Chan and musical director Ejay Yatco. Handout 

MANILA -- Singer-songwriter Jose Mari Chan is a gift that keeps on giving.

From his songs, both Christmas songs and love ballads, come the very first Christmas-themed OPM jukebox musical stage play to be staged by Repertory Philippines.

“Going Home to Christmas: A Jose Mari Chan Musical," which is currently running until December 15,  at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza in Makati, serves up 22 songs from the iconic “Christmas In Our Hearts” singer-songwriter’s catalog in a way they’ve never been presented before — on the theater stage, as a soundtrack to a play about family, friendship, romance, and the life of overseas Filipino workers set during the most important holiday season in the country.

“I’m honored that Repertory Philippines selected my body of work as their inspiration for this holiday production,” Chan says. “I’m excited to see all the stories and elements that they weave together to add new meaning and life to my songs.”

Director Jeremy Domingo adds, “it’s an honor that Repertory has received Chan’s full blessing to bring his celebrated songs to the stage, allowing audiences to experience the magic and warmth of his music in a new and dynamic way.”

But it’s not all Christmas tunes. The musical includes scenes inspired by Chan’s non-holiday classics such as “Beautiful Girl,” “Please Be Careful With My Heart,” “Tell Me Your Name,” plus OPM gems like “Hahanapin Ko” that many might not know are Chan tunes (he wrote the music for that 1982 ballad about a long-distance relationship).

It seems that with “Going Home to Christmas,” the trend of using OPM playlists to inspire full musical productions continues in a country that has a wealth of topnotch artists with extensive bodies of work. Among them the movie “I Doo Bidoobidoo,’’ based on the songs of Apo Hiking Society, the highly successful “Ang Huling El Bimbo” featuring the songs of Eraserheads, ‘’Rak of Aegis,’’ “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy,’’ touted as Ang Parokya ni Edgar musical, and “One More Chance” to the tunes of Ben&Ben hits.

In “Going Home to Christmas,” the stories are all very Filipino, with a big gallery of characters that audiences should be able to recognize and relate to. They include a married couple on their second honeymoon, a group of lovelorn best friends, a lolo and a lola, an everyman named Juan, and several hardworking OFWs looking forward to being with their family back in the Philippines to celebrate Christmas.

The huge cast is a mix of theater veterans and millennial performers, all of whom grew up on Chan’s music. Each of them considers it a big honor to be a part of this milestone production. 

For actress Carla Martinez, who is taking on the Lola role, “Going Home” marks her theater homecoming after a 20-year absence. She says she readily agreed to the project when it was offered to her because of Chan.

While Chan is elated with the adulation from everyone in the production — from the cast to the artistic team that includes three award-winning writers — he gives all glory to the very reason for the season.

“I thank the good Lord for the gift of music. I’ve been writing songs since I was 17. My first recording was 'Afterglow,' released in 1967 when I was 22. Since then I’ve come up with 14 albums and my songs have been recorded in the US by American artists and also in Japan and Hongkong. It’s something to be grateful to God for, that the gift of music brings joy to people. It’s not the name Jo Mari Chan. It’s the songs that bring joy.”

And "Going Home To Christmas" will be the perfect gift for those looking for a unique and memorable experience this holiday season.

Tickets to the December 7, 3:30 p.m. show are available here.