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Raw and Relatable: Why You Must Not Miss 'Request sa Radyo'

The Philippine staging of Franz Xaver Kroetz's 'Request Program,' locally dubbed 'Request sa Radyo,' shows stage stars Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon like you've nev

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Grace Libero-Cruz

<p>My evening routine is done, and I&#x27;ve dimmed the bedroom lights. But the night is still young to call it a night. Lost in thoughts with my own playlist, I stare at my laptop screen and take a moment to refresh my memory of this woman (played by <strong>Lea Salonga</strong> for the show I watched) in &#x27;<strong>Request sa Radyo</strong>&#x27; and how similar and different we are. I don&#x27;t know her name, her full story, or who she is, but every step in her meticulous evening routine showed traces of her personality, some uncannily mirroring mine. </p><div><br/></div><p>Ahead of the Philippine debut of &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; last October 10, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8dP8NSUjr/?hl=en" target="_blank"><strong>Metro.Style</strong> was invited to its exclusive preview night</a>, a red-carpet event attended by celebrities and personalities like Vina Morales, Nyoy Volante, Mikkie Bradshaw, Christian Bautista, Rajo Laurel, Nix Alañon, and Antoinette Jadaone, among other luminaries in the theater scene. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/400e3e91-6cc2-47fa-8dc1-bd5bf05a8540_5.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Lea Salonga in " Request="" sa=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lea Salonga in &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27;<span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"><em> Photography by Sandro Paredes  </em></span></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>The event was travel-themed, so a VIP Exclusive Boarding Pass was sent to the guests, amping up our excitement. The <strong>Samsung Performing Arts Theatre</strong> was dressed up as an airport with a departure board. In the lobby, a setup with piles of Balikbayan boxes and pieces of luggage around served as a conversation starter and an interesting photo spot. </p><div><br/></div><p>With Lea&#x27;s world-class talent, I knew we were all in for a treat一but how she transported us not to a faraway place but somewhere familiar like the home is understated yet profoundly compelling.    </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/faeb4b3b-23dc-4e21-b745-6d565606fd72_4.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Here&#x27;s everything we loved about &#x27;Request sa Radyo,&#x27; and why we think you <em>must</em> watch it:</strong></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>Its theme is relatable.</strong> What was that play I just watched? Not a single word was uttered for the whole 70 minutes it was on, but the deafening silence spoke volumes about the reality and depth of solitude. In &#x27;Request sa Radyo,&#x27; a wordless drama, actions indeed speak louder than words, and those actions, quirks, or nuances could mean different things to different people. That&#x27;s part of the unique charm of this 1971 theater masterpiece by German playwright <strong>Franz Xaver Kroetz</strong>, remade for the Filipino audience by director/producer <strong>Bobby Garcia</strong> and creative director/producer <strong>Clint Ramos</strong>. </p><div><br/></div><p>If there&#x27;s anything people all over the world share, it&#x27;s loneliness; we all experience it at some point in our lives. The COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, was a life-changing phase that forced people to stay at home, magnifying that feeling of isolation. And today, especially, when discussions about mental health are somehow getting the attention they deserve, the timing of &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; couldn&#x27;t have been more perfect. </p><div><br/></div><p>Factoring in the voyeuristic approach, the stories that lie beneath the actions are up to anyone&#x27;s interpretation, and whatever that interpretation is could be a reflection of the spectator&#x27;s own routine or life. </p><div><br/></div><p>With a familiar setting and story, &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; shows we&#x27;re not so different, you and I, after all. This woman has no name—she could be you, me, a relative, a friend, a colleague, or an acquaintance. And because it&#x27;s relatable, the play stands as a reminder to be kind to everyone. At work, people like this woman may always walk around with a smile on their faces, may be the ones taking care of others, or may have the most stories to share; but at home, they could be alone, with nothing to smile about, no one to talk to about how their day went, <em>and</em> no one to take care of them. For this woman, her only companions are that radio commentator and the music playing in the background. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/a3cd59f7-3ddc-49a1-830c-b3d9af4b3b12_2 (2).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>Though wordless, it&#x27;s compelling and thought-provoking.</strong> I love quotes, and usually, after watching a movie, series, or play, I hinge on statements that made an impact on me. And so, as I got ready to watch &#x27;Request sa Radyo,&#x27; except for knowing it would be a silent play, I didn&#x27;t know what to expect, really. If it&#x27;s a first for you, like it was for me, that&#x27;s part of the charm of it all. I had no inspiring lines to take note of after the show, but I went home with realizations. </p><div><br/></div><p>This woman, brought to life by Lea (and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee <strong>Dolly de Leon </strong>in some shows), is an overseas Filipino worker (OFW), working as a nurse abroad, giving Franz Xaver Kroetz&#x27;s <strong>Wunschkonzert / Request Program</strong> a relatable Pinoy twist. </p><div><br/></div><p>Looking exhausted from a full day at work, she came home to a neat yet empty apartment. She unpacked the items she bought (carefully folding the plastic and eco bags after), made herself some dinner, boiled water (which she later forgot about and ended up heating water in a mug on a microwave instead), played the radio via her tablet, changed her clothes, checked her mails, ate, cleaned up, tinkered with her mobile phone and played a game in it, peed, washed her uniform (only the armpit and neck parts), cleansed her face, brushed her teeth, applied some skincare, relaxed with her color by number pastime, unfolded her sofa bed, prayed before sleeping, and went to bed. </p><div><br/></div><p>When she was finally in bed, the light went out, and someone in the audience said, &#x27;Good night.&#x27; Except it didn&#x27;t seem like a good night for her. She woke up in the middle of the night一bothered, confused, lonely. The following scenes were short but not sweet; one could feel the bitterness of her pain even beyond the show, leaving audiences quite speechless but noticeably in awe. For some, this could very well be just one of those ordinary nights, but for this woman, the day may never come. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/975fd350-29fe-4cdb-b450-360b6ac4cecd_1 (2).jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>The setting is intimate, appealing to the audience more deeply.</strong></div><p>In today&#x27;s fast-paced world, where we&#x27;re surrounded by noise, watching &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; is a welcome break一a quiet moment that gives some peace of mind <em>and</em> stirs the mind, too. The storytelling, which focuses on the mundane aspect of solitary life, flows naturally. In its intimate setting, where there is technically no stage but a compact apartment setup right smack in the middle of the theater, nothing feels staged. </p><div><br/></div><p>The set is so close to the audience that the awkward silence in some instances was inevitable and, on some level, welcome; someone coughed in the audience and I swear it looked like Lea reacted to it spontaneously as if looking out the window pensively, and it appeared seamless in the scene. </p><div><br/></div><p>In &#x27;Request sa Radyo,&#x27; there&#x27;s a quiet intensity, and every sound the woman makes with her appliances, furniture pieces, and other home items is elevated: how loudly she shuts that kitchen cabinet door or closes the toilet lid, how silently she puts down her condiments caddy on the table or moves a wooden cabinet to make space for her sofa bed. </p><div><br/></div><p>One&#x27;s takeaway from the show could also depend on where one is sitting, giving different experiences from different perspectives. In my case, I was in the section with a full view of her living room. Her bathroom was by a corner, and from where I was sitting, Lea faced us whenever she looked in her imaginary mirror. And that allowed us to appreciate her facial expressions better, inviting audiences to deduce stories that could explain why she acted and reacted the way she did in certain circumstances. (Well, it&#x27;s not everyday, too, that you see someone legendary like Lea Salonga, makeup-free, going about her bathroom routine.) </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/f068ceed-6a0c-4bbe-8545-4832583d8a4b_3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p><strong>Lea Salonga showcases method acting at its rawest and finest.</strong> Multi-awarded Filipino-American costume and set designer and producer Clint Ramos was right: &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; shows actress-singer and Tony and Olivier winner Lea Salonga like we&#x27;ve never seen her before. </p><div><br/></div><p>We love listening to Lea sing, but here, people will only see her jamming to Bamboo&#x27;s &#x27;Hallelujah&#x27; on the radio by only mouthing the lyrics, pretending to strum a guitar, and jumping while at it一imagine that. </p><div><br/></div><p>Still, Lea is Lea, so trust that she will deliver. The challenge for &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; is to <em>not</em> bore the audience; so, when you have Lea (or Dolly) as the star of the show, it&#x27;s pretty hard to get bored. In place of her world-class singing voice, her command of the scenes through her facial expressions and effortless precision in movement takes center stage. </p><div><br/></div><p>I may not have seen the show of Dolly de Leon, who alternately performs in this solo piece. But, I&#x27;m sure she strikes differently here as well, what with the <em>Triangle of Sadness </em>(the movie for which she was recognized globally) having her deliver powerful lines and intense acting. </p><div><br/></div><p>Lea entered the theater, the apartment for this matter, not as Lea Salonga but as this woman who&#x27;s alone <em>and</em> lonely; she imbibed her character impeccably, making her portrayal believable and powerful in its simplicity. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img loading="lazy" src="https://assets-metrostyle.abs-cbn.com/prod/metrostyle/attachments/aa179585-fd6e-4448-8dab-e2ccd6162e73_6.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt=""/></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Sometimes, the most impactful stories are truly not the grand ones but the ordinary narratives that seem too mundane to tackle. &#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; explores a theme that&#x27;s as universal as it is timeless, and it did so extraordinarily.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>&#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; has a strictly limited engagement with 20 performances that started from October 10, 2024 until October 20, 2024 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theatre in Makati City, the Philippines. Lea Salonga and Dolly De Leon will perform the solo piece in scheduled alternating performances.</em></div><div><em><br/></em></div><div><em>&#x27;Request sa Radyo&#x27; is presented by Ayala Land, John B. Echauz &amp; Joanna Silayan-Echauz, Bobby Garcia and Clint Ramos, BPI as the official bank partner. Support provided by Ayala Corporation, AC Health, Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, Philippine Airlines, the official carrier, and Seda, the official residence.</em></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><em>For more info, visit <a href="https://www.requestsaradyo.com/" target="_blank">the play&#x27;s website</a>. Buy your tickets <a href="https://premier.ticketworld.com.ph/shows/show.aspx?sh=REQRADYO24" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/people/celebrities/lea-salonga-dolly-de-leon-advice-for-actors/39021" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon Share Pieces of Advice for Aspiring Actors</a></div><div><strong>Related Story: </strong><a href="/people/celebrities/lea-salonga-mom-ligaya-manifested-madame-tussauds/38937" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Lea Salonga&#x27;s Mom Ligaya Manifested Her Madame Tussauds Wax Figure</a></div>

The Philippine staging of Franz Xaver Kroetz's 'Request Program,' locally dubbed 'Request sa Radyo,' shows stage stars Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon like you've never seen them before 