At first glance, Mula sa Buwan appears to be the typical unrequited love story that we all heard before: a guy who falls in love with his childhood friend, who happens to fall for a different guy. Loving someone from afar must be the most painful kind of love there is. However, this musical is far from typical.

Mula sa Buwan is the Filipino adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, a French piece written by Edmund Rostand. Originally set in 17^th century France, the play takes us to Manila on the cusp of World War II, an important part of the country’s history. Aside from fighting for love and friendship, they also fight for their lives.

Cyrano, the long-nosed poet and cadet from ROTC, is madly in love with his childhood friend, Roxane. However, it is the new recruit, Christian, that catches her eye instead. The two men cannot be more different from each other. Cyrano possesses wit and intellect, whereas Christian has good looks and nothing else.

The two men in Roxane’s lives can be likened to the moon and the sun, with Cyrano as the moon being overshadowed by Christian, the sun. Roxane expresses her feelings for Christian to Cyrano, her good friend. Being selfless and putting Roxane’s happiness first, Cyrano agrees to lend his words to Christian and let their love develop, even though it is very painful for him.

The play also focuses on showing a believable setting for love in the midst of war. The hardships and struggles of Filipinos during the Second World War set this musical apart from all the other love triangle stories there is. It tackled the tragedy, danger, and struggles of the era, even including an authentic event that happened in Filipino history – the Bataan Death March. It also remains relevant as it discusses timeless themes: hope, dreams, love, and loss, which makes it very relatable to any audience.

This passionate musical about love and defiance showcases a very talented cast. Reprising their role as the iconic Cyrano are Nicco Manalo and Boo Gabunda. The role of his beloved Roxane is played by new additions to the lead cast, Gab Pangilinan and Cris Go. Edward Beñosa reprises his role as the handsome Christian and now alternates with Myke Salomon.

Mula sa Buwan is made possible with the beautiful material by director Pat Valera (book and lyrics) and Wiliam Manzano (lyrics and music). The kundiman and pop rock-inspired music give the musical a fresh Filipino take. The play makes use of what can be deemed as “old-fashioned” music forms such as kundiman, zarzuela, and harana.

Fly to the moon and back with Mula sa Buwan musical! For those who missed out on the previous runs of the show, this is the chance to see it. The limited sixteen-show run of this heartbreaking original Filipino musical is from November 9 to 25 at the Hyundai Hall in Ateneo de Manila’s Arete.