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(From left) 'Jeproks the Musical' director Frannie Zamora, musical director Joed Balsamo and librettist Nick Pichay

Article (news)

Leah C. Salterio

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1763456203760att.u2gcwHvf1WCWRmB7lbAAQ6yzcoHRGmrys1eoKLKMk2c.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="(From left) &#x27;Jeproks the Musical&#x27; director Frannie Zamora, musical director Joed Balsamo and librettist Nick Pichay. Handout"/>(From left) &#x27;Jeproks the Musical&#x27; director Frannie Zamora, musical director Joed Balsamo and librettist Nick Pichay. Handout</div>When Frannie Zamora accepted the offer to direct “Jeproks, the Musical,” inspired by the songs of Pinoy Rock icon Mike Hanopol, he enlisted lawyer and Palanca award-winner Nick Pichay to work as librettist for the project.“I’ve known Nick for more than two decades,” said Zamora. “I even acted in his musical play, ‘Dandansoy.’ They used rondalla as musical accompaniment. That was more than 20 years ago.”Zamora reached out to Pichay last April to offer him the “Jeproks” musical. Once onboard, Pichay spent a little over two months completing the script.“I write slowly,” Pichay admitted. “I have many revisions. When I get the hang of it, I can write fast.”“When Mike was telling his story to me, I told him ang ganda ng buhay niya,&quot; the playwright recalled. &quot;His father didn’t want him to be a rock star and musician. That was surprising because his father was also a musician. The father was performing in an army band. So I played around his story with that. Mike wanted to become a musician even if his dad didn’t want him to become one.“That was the germ of the story. What if a young boy wanted to become a musician, but his dad doesn’t want to allow him to become one?”But “Jeproks” is not the life story of Hanopol, Zamora quickly clarified; but rather the jukebox musical was inspired by the rocker&#x27;s songs. <div> Song selection</div>Hanopol drew up a checklist of songs for the musical, and Pichay carefully listened to each selection.“We used 18 to 20 songs that Mike composed, plus two songs of Hagibis – ‘Katawan’ and ‘Legs,&#x27;&quot; Zamora said. “I just decided on what to use based on the narrative, what is more appropriate and apt for the narrative.”Joed Balsamo serves as musical director for “Jeproks,” drawing from Hanopol’s catalog and shaping the arrangements to fit Pichay’s script and Zamora’s vision. “It was really a collaboration,” Zamora emphasized.“I bow to Jed,” Pichay said. “He insisted that I write the script first. I have an idea what to do, but there is always an additional eye from the musical director. I believe Jed and I have very good dynamics. The usual musical starts a song with the dialogue of one character. Here in ‘Jeproks,’ that’s not the case. The start of the dialogue for one scene is not the beginning of song. I find that corny.”Balsamo previously worked on two jukebox musicals -- “Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko” for Ballet Philippines in 2016 featuring the songs of VST and Company; and “Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier and Edgar Jopson,” based on the songs of The Dawn in 2009.“The challenge here in ‘Jeproks,’ I was not quite familiar with the entire catalogue of Mike Hanopol, compared to the catalog of VST that I really know,” admitted Balsamo. “After reading Nic’s libretto, I had to listen to the music of Mike Hanopol. When I listened to the original arrangement, I had to do my job to tweak the music a bit in one way or another. As much as possible, I want to keep tinges of the original songs so they will not be totally lost.“I also don’t want the generations who know the songs of Mike Hanopol to not recognize the songs anymore. That’s not the point of watching a jukebox musical. You should still hear something familiar. I want to strike a balance between the generation who knows the songs of Mike and those who still don’t know.”Zamora echoed that desire to connect across generations.&quot;I’m hoping that with this showcase of the songs of Mike Hanopol, the younger generation, the Gen Zs and millennials, will be aware of the songs of Mike. I hope they can relate,&quot; added Zamora, pointing out that one of Hanopol’s songs, “Balong Malalim,” which hits differently today in light of the anti-corruption protests. “I get goose bumps when I hear David [Ezra] sing that,” Zamora said. “Wala pa ‘yung flood control controversy, tapos na ang script.”<div> Cast and staging</div>Ezra leads the cast with Jett Pangan, Nino Alejandro, Jeffrey Hidalgo, Geneva Cruz, and classical singer Shiela Ferrer, backed by a 15-member ensemble.“&#x27;Ibarra’ had bigger cast two years ago,” Zamora said, referring to his previous musical adaptation of Jose Rizal&#x27;s &quot;Noli Me Tangere&quot; with Piolo Pascual in the title role, also staged at the GSIS Theater. “The 21-member cast of ‘Jeproks’ is manageable for me.&quot;Zamora is very pleased with the professionalism of his hand-picked cast. “You don’t just consider the talent of the artists,” he said. “It’s really the attitude.“When I choose my cast, attitude first. Then talent. You can teach talent. Attitude, you cannot teach that. We are about to wrap up our rehearsals and we didn’t have any problem with the cast. No one is having problems with each other. No one comes in late.&quot;Beyond the cast, the production itself required a significant investment. The stage alone cost the production a whopping P700,000 for the musical in a 600-capacity theater. A seven-piece live band will be onstage for the show. “Walang silbi ang musical if you don’t use live musicians,” said Zamora. “It’s a no-no for a musical to use canned music or minus one. Francis de Veyra, the nephew of Mike Hanopol, acts as the co-musical director of ‘Jeproks.’”Hanopol will have a one-time, special participation during the opening night on November 20, where he will perform “Laki sa Layaw” for the audience. “It’s hard to manage an 80-year-old artist,” said Zamora. “But he still accepts bookings for performances and other engagements. He goes as far as Mindoro for gigs. But he sings sitting down.&quot;<div> </div><div>“Jeproks the Musical” runs from November 20-29 at the GSIS Theater.</div>

How director Frannie Zamora, librettist Nick Pichay, and musical director Joed Balsamo built a musical aimed at connecting Pinoy rock classics with Gen Z and millennial audiences.

How director Frannie Zamora, librettist Nick Pichay, and musical director Joed Balsamo built a musical aimed at connecting Pinoy rock classics with Gen Z and millennial audiences.

How Mike Hanopol’s songs inspired new musical 'Jeproks'

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How Mike Hanopol’s songs inspired new musical 'Jeproks'

Leah C. Salterio

Published Nov 18, 2025 05:57 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 18, 2025 06:12 PM PHT

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Jeproks the Musical

Mike Hanopol

theater

Frannie Zamora

Nick Pichay

Joed Balsamo

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