This month, Giacomo Puccini's monumental opera Turandot will come to life at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) through the hard work and vision of a spectacular creative cast and production team.

One of the most difficult operas in the Italian repertoire to produce, Turandot is grand on every level—it is emotional, it is dramatic, and it is a story that resonates with its audience on a deep level. The staging of Puccini's final opera in the country comes at such an opportune time, then, to close out 2022—a year that marked a much-awaited return to the theater—and also be one of the last outstanding shows in CCP before its scheduled refresh and renovation.

As the epic opera's dates draw near, Metro.Style took the time to sit down with Margie Moran-Floirendo, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, about the sheer importance of instilling a love for performing arts in the youth, and what she thinks the Filipino audience will love about Turandot.

'[Turandot] encompasses all the art forms: we have dance, we have storytelling… and all your emotions are seen in that opera. There’s love, there’s sadness, there’s comedy, there’s laughter, there’s tragedy,' says Margie on the Puccini opera's appeal to the Filipino audience

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On the importance of cultivating a love for art in all its forms in the youth, Margie shared: 'First of all, in my experience, I was exposed at a very young age—at the age of 8 years old to the opera and to other art forms, music especially, such as symphonic orchestra, dance. And it has been proven that if you don’t expose the child at a very young age, you lose a generation of art enthusiasts. And a new generation of [an] audience, because we grow and develop new audiences all the time. So if you miss that, we miss a whole generation of music lovers. That’s why it's very important.'

'I’ve exposed my children also to opera, and they look for it. And it also has been proven that when children are exposed to the arts, in general, they are more perceptive in school. They are more intelligent because they research. Their brains open up to new art forms,' she added.

One of Moran's big advocacies is fostering a love for the arts, in particular, performing arts, in the youth. 'It has been proven that if you don’t expose the child at a very young age, you lose a generation of art enthusiasts. And a new generation of [an] audience, because we grow and develop new audiences all the time,' she said.

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When asked why she thinks this particular opera will resonate with the Filipino audience, Margie said that she believes Turandot will ultimately resonate with anyone who will watch and experience it.

'Turandot is very easy to understand. And it encompasses all the art forms: we have dance, we have storytelling… and all your emotions are seen in that opera. There’s love, there’s sadness, there’s comedy, there’s laughter, there’s tragedy. So, you experience everything in that opera, as is in other operas but especially in Turandot. And the sets are massive. Beautiful costumes. And it’s [set] in Asia! So the story will resonate with our youth and with our audiences.'

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Turandot is a project by presenters Cultural Center of the Philippines, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc., and Rustan Group of Companies, with the Italian Embassy as major sponsor.

Prices for the tickets of Turandot are as follows:

Gala Night, December 9, 8:00 p.m. Orchestra Center (Php 6,000), Orchestra Sides (Php 5,000), Balcony I Center and Balcony I Sides (Php 2,500)

Matinee, December 11, 3:00 p.m. Orchestra Center (Php 4,000), Orchestra Sides (Php 3,000), Balcony I Center and Balcony I Sides (Php 1,500)

To inquire and purchase, contact any of the following:

Lulu Casas 09175708301; lgcasas@rgoc.com.ph

Maricar Alamodin 09175384508; esalamodin@rgoc.com.ph

Rustan’s Customer Service:

Rustan’s Makati - 8813-3739 Loc 280

Rustan’s Shangrila - 8633-4636 Loc 400

Rustan’s Alabang - 8850-5592

Rustan’s Gateway - 8931-2460

CCP Box Office 8832-3704

Ticketworld 8891-9999

SM Tickets 8470-2222; 0917-870-2222; customercare@smtickets.com

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