''Rama at Sita – The Musical'' is a 1999 full-length OPM Filipino musical in the Tagalog language. It is an adaptation of the 1980 Filipino rock opera ballet by three National Artists

Bienvenido Lumbera Bienvenido L. Lumbera (April 11, 1932 – September 28, 2021) was a Filipino poet, critic and dramatist. Lumbera is known for his nationalist writing and for his leading role in the Filipinization movement in Philippine literature in the 1960s, ...

Ryan Cayabyab Raymundo Cipriano Pujante Cayabyab (born May 4, 1954), known professionally as Ryan Cayabyab (), is a Filipino musician, composer and conductor of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). He was the Executive and Artistic Director for several years fo ...

, and

Alice Reyes Alice Garcia Reyes (born October 14, 1942) is a Filipina dancer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer. The founder (together with Eddie Elejar) of Ballet Philippines, she received since June 20, 2014 from the Philippine President Benign ...

entitled, "Rama, Hari", based on the Indian epic

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

topbilled by

Kuh Ledesma Maria Socorro "Kuh" Hashim Ledesma (born March 16, 1955) is a Filipino singer and actress. Regarded as “''OPM's'' ''Pop Chanteuse''”, she is noted for her "masterful" and "rich distinct vocal style." With a career spanning over 40 years, L ...

and

Basil Valdez Basil Salvador Valdez (; born November 8, 1951) is a Filipino singer. He has received several Tinig Awards and the 1991 Tanglaw ng Lahi Award from Ateneo de Manila University. Biography Valdez recalled in a 2024 interview that his impromptu ...

. The production was directed by Leo Rialp and is considered the most expensive theatrical production in the Philippines to date.

Productions

''Rama at Sita – The Musical'' premiered on February 4, 1999, at the University Theater in

Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...

under the stage direction and stage design by Leo Rialp and the musical direction of Danny Tan. The choreographer was Agnes Locsin. The musical starred

Ariel Rivera Jose Ariel Jimenez Rivera, professionally known as Ariel Rivera (; born September 1, 1966), is a Filipino singer, songwriter and actor. Rivera was born in Manila, Philippines but has since migrated with his family to Canada. He has since be ...

and

Lani Misalucha Lani Bayot Misalucha (; born Lani Dimalanta Bayot (born August 3, 1969) is a Filipino singer. Known for her vocal range, powerful, emotive vocals and ability to sing opera arias, she has been referred to as " Asia's Nightingale". Her music h ...

in the title roles, with Jaya as

Surpanakha Shurpanakha (Sanskrit: शूर्पणखा, , ), is a ''rakshasi'' (demoness) in Hindu epic. Her legends are mainly narrated in the epic ''Ramayana'' and its other versions. She was the sister of Lanka's king, Ravana, and the daughter o ...

and Robert Seña as

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

. The musical is one of the most expensive ever produced in Philippine entertainment history with a budget of Php 40 million, and the actor Franco Laurel was among the producers. Philippine fashion pillar Patis Tesoro served as costume designer.

Synopsis

While

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

is supposed to inherit the throne of his father King Dasaratha of Ayuthaya, his father's favorite wife Queen Kaikeyi pressures Dasaratha to fulfill the latter's promise to grant her two wishes. Kaikeyi wishes for her son, Bharata, to become king and to send Rama into exile along with his loyal brother

Lakshmana Lakshmana (, ), also known as Laxmana, Lakhan, Saumitra, and Ramanuja, is the younger brother of Rama in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. He is considered as an incarnation of Shesha, the lord of serpents. Lakshmana was married to Urmila, and i ...

. In their pursuits, they meet

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

, and the evil siblings Ravana and Surpanakha try to lure the couple into becoming their partners.

Musical numbers

; Act I * Sadyang Pinagtagpo ''(Vishvamitra, Ensemble)'' * Huwag Takasan ''(Rama)'' * Kaya Ko ''(Bharata)'' * Halina sa Mithila ''(Rama, Lakshmana, Vishnamitra, Indrajit, Janaka, Ensemble)'' * O Kay Dami ng Babae ''(Lakshmana, Ensemble)'' * Sana siya na nga ''(Rama, Sita, Lakshmana)'' * Iisa ang Tibok/Awit ng Pagsinta ''(Rama, Sita, Vishnamitra, Ensemble)'' * Ang Sumpa ng Patay ''(Dasaratha)'' * Tayo Na, Nariyan Na ''(Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Kaikeyi, Dasaratha, Bharata, Ensemble)'' * Ako'y Iyong Iyo ''(Rama, Sita)'' ; Act II * Buktot, Ako'y Buktot/Harot, Ako'y Harot ''(Surpanakha, Ravana, Maricha)'' * Type Kita, Rama ''(Surpanakha)'' * Ginoong Ermitanyo ''(Sita, Ravana)'' * Tingnan Mo ang Aking Byuti ''(Surpanakha)'' * Kaya N'yo Bang Tumagal ''(Surpanakha as Sita)'' * Magbalik Ka Na Mahal ''(Sita)'' * Tagistis ng Ulan ''(Rama)'' * Sadyang Pinagtagpo/Huwag Takasan eprise'' ''(Rama, Vishnamitra, Ensemble)''

Characters

*Rama – crown prince of Ayuthaya; son of Dasaratha and husband of Sita *Sita – princess of Mithila; daughter of King Janaka; wife of Rama *Ravana – evil king of Lanka *Surpanakha – sister of King Ravana *Lakshmana – brother of Rama *Dasaratha – king of Ayuthaya *Kaikeyi – favorite wife of King Dasaratha *Bharata – son of Queen Kaikeyi; regent of Ayuthaya

Cast

Awards and nominations

References

{{reflist Philippine musicals 1999 musicals Musicals based on religious traditions Works based on the Ramayana