Chito Miranda, the lead vocalist of the iconic Filipino rock band Parokya ni Edgar, recently expressed his astonishment and gratitude at the gala night of “Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical.” The musical, which features the band’s hits transformed into a theatrical narrative, has resonated deeply with Miranda and his bandmates, highlighting a journey they never anticipated when they first started playing music together.
During the gala, attended by band members and their high school friends, Miranda shared his initial disbelief at seeing their songs adapted for the stage. “Never, never. Noong opening night, we were hanging out with our high school classmates. They watched it also, and they were all, ‘akalain niyo?’ because they saw how we started. How we started as just a bunch of guys with a guitar and then suddenly there’s a musical. It’s really flattering and overwhelming also,” Miranda recounted.
His initial reluctance to support the project stemmed from a belief that their music was not suitable for theatrical adaptation. However, the final production, which involved collaboration with the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and NWR Theater, changed his perspective. “Salamat sa lahat ng tiwala na gawin itong project na ito. Alam niyo naman na reluctant ako nung start because we didn’t trust our songs but you made something very magical. So thank you very much,” he thanked the team involved.
Miranda was particularly moved by how the musical reinterpreted the band’s songs, giving them new life and deeper meanings that resonated with both the creators and the audience. “It’s a totally surreal experience because they elevated the meaning of the songs for me. I wrote it with a certain sense of how I felt, what the message I was conveying, not just my songs, even the other songs my bandmates wrote. But they gave it a totally different colorful meaning, for me it’s tear-inducing,” he added.
“Buruguduystunstugudunstuy,” named after Parokya ni Edgar’s debut album released in 1997, includes some of the band’s most beloved songs like “Harana,” “Silvertoes,” “Sayang,” and “Please Don’t Touch My Birdie.” The musical began its run on April 26, 2024, and will continue until June 8, 2024, with tickets available across various seating categories.
This musical venture not only celebrates the band’s significant contributions to OPM (Original Pilipino Music) but also showcases the enduring appeal of their music and its ability to transcend traditional formats and reach new audiences in compelling and innovative ways.