Cats the musical, one of the longest running Broadway shows ever, is based on T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats”. The story begins as Jellicle cats come out on a special night of the year, The Jellicle Ball. One by one they tell their story to their highly revered Old Deuteronomy. In act one, it is said that cats get to live up to three names: the one they are born with, the one they are known by i.e. their nickname, and finally the one that they earn when they are reborn. Such was the case of Grizabella, the old cat who was shunned until Deuteronomy recognized her and encouraged the other cats to do the same. That was after he was restored by magic through Mister Mistoffelees after he was kidnapped by Mr. Macavity.
With actors in skin-tight catsuits, Ballet is the main attraction of the play. The entire show is composed of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical score, with no talking parts outside the songs. Often criticized for its simplistic storyline, for being a two act play with a slow progression at that, Cats is a polarizing piece. The multitude of characters hardly gives us the chance to get to know them in depth. Nevertheless, it deserves our respect for its excellent artistry and execution. Love it or hate it, one may yet enjoy Grizabella, formerly played by Lea Salonga, and recently Joanna Ampil, belting out “Memory”. All the while, The moon stands out as the only thing standing still in the junkyard with its ability to transform. But that isn’t the only surprise that graced the stage in Cats.
At jellicleblog.com, Orly Agawin writes,
Here's the original lyrics of this version of Memory (as sung by Silabub just after Moments of Happiness):
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight.
Let your memory lead you. Open up, enter in.
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is,
Then a new life will begin.
But in Manila, this is what we heard…
Translated version:
Liwanag, harapin ang liwanag.
Ang iyong alaala ang gabay na sundin.
Sa liwanag, ligaya ay matatagpuan.
Bagong buhay ay darating.
This translation (by Pete Lacaba – uncredited) is currently a solemn show-stopper in the Manila production of Cats. The Filipino audience took some processing during the first few lines, thinking that they're still hearing English lyrics; only to realize that the entire Jemima stanza was in Filipino.
Talk about multilingualism!
Taray diba?!.
Agawin, O. (2019). Liwanag...harapin ang liwanag... - The Jellicle Blog. Retrieved 20 November 2019, from http://www.jellicleblog.com/2010/08/liwanag-harapin-ang-liwanag/
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