'Florante at Laura' will gather some of the country’s highly esteemed creatives in music, literature, ballet, and stage production. Handout

MANILA -- “We tell the story without having to say a single word.”

That was what prima ballerina Lisa Macuja told ABS-CBN News when excerpts of Ballet Manila’s newest production, “Florante at Laura,” was presented recently.

A literary masterpiece written by Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar in 1838, “Florante at Laura” was earlier presented on the big screen, television, theater and even puppetry. This is the first time an original ballet will be performed onstage. 

“Everything that is essential to the story is told,” said Macuja, who is Ballet Manila’s artistic director. “The audience is going to understand what is going on. There were 15 battles, but we chose the important ones.

“It is very clear from the excerpts that were presented in the media conference that there is a magnificent and epic story and that is what we’re trying to tell without having to say a single word.

Getting the music for “Florante at Laura” from National Artist Ryan Cayabyab was Macuja’s dream and goal. “But I will not deny that I was scared to ask him,” she said.

“Last year, we were exploring the ballet and there were several names that came up. Several meetings happened with other composers last year and they even submitted samples of their works.

“It just didn’t click for us (Ballet Manila’s longtime principal dancer and artistic associate) Gerardo Francisco, British choreographer Martin Lawrence and myself.” 

Francisco and Lawrence insisted: "Can’t we really get Mr. C to do the music?”

“Florante at Laura” is not Cayabyab’s first project with Ballet Manila. He did “Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin” (2004) for “Mga Kwento ni Lola Basyang,” the last ballet choreographed by the late Tony Fabella before he passed on. 

“Mr. C, at that time, gave us a fantastic deal,” Macuja shared. “He said, ‘You know what, just give me P5,000 for every performance and I’m fine. I wanted to say, ‘Can we have the same for ‘Florante at Laura?’

“Mr. C was sometimes surprised he would receive P10,000. He asked ‘Saan ito galing?’ I told him we did two performances of ‘Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin’.”

“Ang Mahiwagang Biyulin” is a 24-minute, one-act ballet that was not orchestrated. The music was arranged by Arnold Buena.

“When Mr. C was my guest in ‘Art2Art, after we taped our first episode, I sneakily sat him down and told him that we have this project ‘Florante at Laura’,” recalled Macuja.

“Then I asked him, ‘Would you be free to make the music? We are aiming for an October world premiere.’ I was already counting the months to October.

“I was floored when he said yes. Okay, let’s do this. We’re on. But warned, ‘Just don’t expect anything from me until after Holy Week.’ I wasn’t expecting him to say yes. I know he was very, very busy.”

Act I was done in 10 days, then eight days for Act II. “But that was cumulative,” clarified Cayabyab. “That didn’t happen in 10 days straight. I sat down for six to seven hours just writing, writing and writing before I called it a day,” he said.

“Then maybe, if I’m so ganado when I woke up the next day, I will work again. I just stopped when I came to the war part. I ran out of ideas. So if you asked me if I’m expensive, (I’m) very expensive.

 “But I told Lisa, I was not going to charge her for writing a ballet, because ‘Florante at Laura’ is my gift to the Filipino people. That’s ‘Florante at Laura.’”

Many of Cayabyab’s big works are dedicated to his art or the people. “As long as meron akong matanggap na labada, concerts here and there, that can pay for my bills." 

Surprisingly, Cayabyab found it really “easy” to create the music for “Florante at Laura.” 

“The script, the libretto, the story was already there,” Cayabyab said. “If the story says love scene, that can easily have three minutes of music. If you read battle, that’s two minutes. The pas de deux of father and son fighting over one woman, was great.

“For me, that was enough impetus to write music that’s why I already have a guide. Everything was already in front of me. I just have to write the music.

Cayabyab breathes life into his original compositions, interpreted by the Orchestra of Filipino Youth (OFY) under the baton of Toma Cayabyab.

“Everything was a surprise and wonder for me,” said the National Artist. “I challenged myself into accepting this landmark ballet production and I hope that it becomes an important legacy for all of us involved in it.”

"Florante at Laura" will be staged at the Aliw Theater on October 12 at 8 p.m., and on October 13 and 19 at 5 p.m.