Undaunted, a musicale on the Lopez Family

UndauntedThe saga of one of the Philippines’ most successful business families comes to life in “Undaunted,” a musical that chronicles the story of the Lopezes of Jaro, Iloilo as seen through the eyes of Oscar M. Lopez (OML).

OML, his late brother Geny and youngest brother Manolo are the main characters in “Undaunted,” and the opening scene shows them at the funeral of their father, Eugenio Sr., in 1975. Also present are their mother Nitang and younger siblings Manolo and Robby, and Fernando (Nanding) and his wife Mariquit.

Even as he grieves, OML is seized with a desire to memorialize the life lessons imp arted by his father. “Knowing our roots assures survival amid today’s swift changes. On the conviction that knowing your family roots provides the best defense against being carried away by the winds of change, I studied the history of our family…,” he says. Through vignettes from the lives of their ancestors, the audience discovers the Lopezes’ role in pivotal events in the country’s and Iloilo’s history. “Undaunted” also chronicles how, with vision and daring, Eugenio Sr. and Nanding cultivated the Lopez family fortune and ho w they harnessed it to benefit the less fortunate. “…The reason we have lasted so long really comes down to the values passed down to us by the older Lopezes: values like family unity, honor, integrity, loyalty, nationalism, entrepreneurship, and a strong work ethic,” OML emphasizes.

The musicale was originally conceptualized to celebrate the Lopez Group’s 80th founding anniversary in 2008, Undaunted was re-written to take on the point of view of Lopez who himself wrote and published the family genealogy contained in a book launched in 1982.
A full theatrical in two acts, the cast is headed by theater director-ac tor Audie Gemora, who portrays the role of Lopez. The other cast members are professional theater actors, the Lopez grandchildren and 12 employees from the different businesses of the Lopezes who will be part of the ensemble. Cedie Lopez-Vargas, head of ABS-CBN Logistics also dances with the cast. The Stages Production Specialists Inc. team behind “Undaunted” includes Palanca winner and Cent ennial Literary Prize winner George de Jesus III as librettist and director; Roy del Valle as composer, arranger and musical director; Mio Infante as stage designer; costume designer Kalila Aguilos; multimedia designer G.A. Fallarme; choreographer Erwin Flores; lighting designer Dong Calingacion; and producer Alvin Trono.

Watch video clips:

Turning of Time (Act One, Song 2) 8:40
After the series of events during martial law (Eñing's passing, Geny in prison and sequestration of their assets by the Marcoses), Oscar Lopez decides to trace their family history. He traces the family tree of the Lopezes, zeroing on the Benito branch. "Knowing your roots assures survival amidst today's swift changes. On the conviction that knowing our family's roots will provide the best defense from being carried away by the winds of change." - Oscar Lopez

Threading the Past with the Future (Act One, Song 3) 3:43
Introduction of the lead Lopez family members.

Bridges (Act One, Song 9) 5:09
Bridges narrates the growth and diversification of the Lopez family business from sugar and politics to power, publishing and television. Bridges is the metaphor used for growth, bridging one business to the next as well as bridging the Filipinos through power, information through publishing and infotainment t hrough television.

A Storm is Brewing (Act Two, Song 2) 4:16
This is the second number in Act 2. As the Lopezes reach their zenith by the end of the '60s, President Ferdinand Marcos ushers in the 1970s by declaring Martial Law. The country is thrown in chaos. The Lopez businesses are sequestered and Geny Lopez is jailed. National events escalate and the spark of the People Power revolution comes in the form of the assassination of Ninoy Aquino.