The powerful steampunk musical Mabining Mandirigma is set to return this year!
Brought by the Black Box Theater, the organizers officially revealed its full cast as part of the production’s 10th anniversary and Tanghalang Pilipino’s 39th season finale.
Originally staged in 2015, Mabining Mandirigma follows the life of Apolinario Mabini, the brains behind the Philippine Revolution and the First Philippine Republic. The play focuses on Mabini’s character and intellectual tenacity amidst the war as he fights for independence.
Told through a bold aesthetic, the musical is told through an anachronistic steampunk aesthetic, with Mabini at the center—challenging Filipinos to rise above personal ambition, divisions, and loyalty in the pursuit of holistic nationhood.
For its 2026 staging, Shaira Opsimar takes on the role of Apolinario Mabini. Arman Ferrer and David Ezra will alternate as Emilio Aguinaldo, while Tex Ordoñez-De Leon plays Mabini’s mother, Dionisia. MC Dela Cruz and Roby Malubay portray the Ilustrados. The ensemble features members of the Tanghalang Pilipino Actors Company, including Marco Viaña, Jonathan Tadioan, Lhorvie Nuevo Tadioan, Mark Lorenz, Sarah Monay, Heart Puyong, Earvin Estioco, Gelo Molina, Rey Correjado, Ynna Rafa, Anya Evangelista, Sofia Sacaguing, and Murline Udin.
The steampunk musical is written by National Artist Nicanor Tiongson, known as a critic and creative writer, and a former artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines; with music by Joed Balsamo, a composer and musical director known for being recognized recently for his ballet Crisostomo Ibarra at the 2021 Classic Pure Vienna Composition Competition. The upcoming staging will be directed by Chris Millado, a playwright, curator, and organizer.
With its multiple revivals across Tanghalang Pilipino’s run, Mabining Mandirigma shows significance in the reframing of Mabini’s heroism, not only as the “Sublime Paralytic” but also as a powerful thinker crucial for the country’s nation-building.
Catch the show from March 7 to 29 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City and visit ticket2me.com for more information.