Ang Ibong Adarna

A children’s musical.

Synopsis:

The musical is based on the eponymous nineteenth-century Philippine korido or metrical romance, Ibong Adarna. It narrates the "life and history" of a romantic hero, the travails he undergoes, and the obstacles he overcomes in pursuit of his end.

The play opens with Queen Valeriana of Berbanya announcing that the king has six months to live and that only the song of the Adarna can cure him. She has sent her two sons to search for the creature through thirteen towns, but neither son has returned. The king's illness is paralleled by famine throughout the land.

Don Juan, the third and youngest of the royal sons, is confronted with the seemingly inevitable burden of searching for the Adarna: the expectations of his mother and the court, the futility of his brothers' efforts, and the starvation of the townspeople lead him to accept the undertaking of the quest.

At first, Don Juan travels begrudgingly, but he perseveres until the thirteenth town, where he meets a couple mourning their deceased child. They give him further directions toward his destination, Mount Tabor. On his way there, he meets a father who witnessed Juan's older brothers' misdeeds. Juan finds out that his oldest brother killed some townsfolk who gave him a scornful look. His second brother insisted on bathing, oblivious to the severe drought in the area. Undeterred by the townspeople's disgust, Juan travels for a week until he meets a leper on the road to Mount Tabor.

The leper directs Juan to a hermit. The hermit gives Juan detailed instructions on how to capture the Adarna and provides him with an enchanted net and rope. Juan is able to find the tree with the silver stones, with his brothers turned into stone beneath it. Following the hermit's instructions, Juan catches the Adarna. His brothers are brought back to life, but they strike Juan and bring the bird to the king. The bird refuses to sing, and its presence is useless until Juan returns. The Adarna then sings, the king awakens, and Berbanya is redeemed.

Music:

Composed by Lutgardo Labad

Theatre Productions:

First produced in 1969 at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School.

Director: Paul Dumol

Awards:

None

Not published. English and Filipino manuscripts are stored in the Ateneo de Manila Rizal Library Special Collections (Pardo de Tavera Room).