Lean, The Filipino Musical, Honors an Extraordinary Man

Jocelyn Valle
Philippine Daily Inquirer

14 November98 Saturday Special p.D5

LAST year, it was a musical. This year, it is a double cassette recording that celebrates the life of an extraordinary man—youth leader Lean Alejandro, who was gunned down on Sept. 19, 1987.
      "Maraming kabataan ang namamatay sa drugs, sa hazing, sa mga walang kakwenta-kwentang bagay," laments Gary Granada, the musical's composer and librettist. "Not Lean. He lead a noble life and died a noble death. Ang unang consideration niya—'Paano ako mapapakinabangan ng lipunan?' Ang ginawa niya—'I'll be vulnerable. I'll be accessible. 'Biro mo, natakot ang estado sa isang pipitsuging estudyante? That's the way to live!"
      The musical's cast members and musicians were barely in their teens when Lean was killed, but being in the production has made them understand Gary's sentiments.
      "Namulat ako," shares Mike Villegas, the musical director. "Now I can relate more with what he fought for. And the musical has taught me to fight for what I believe in."

      Bassist Angelo Villegas is similarly enlightened. "Nakaka-inspire siya. Musikero ako and when I play in a club na wala masyadong tao, ang iniisip ko na lang ngayon just like what Lean would say when he would go to a rally with just a few people—'The stage is mine!' As long as he was able to reach one person, feeling niya may na-accomplish siya. That's how I feel now."
      For Cooky Chua, who plays Lean's wife Lidy on stage (but not on tape because her contract with the recording company of her band Color It Red prohibits her to do so), "Siya yung naging standard on having a boyfriend. Naging mabuti siyang ama, napakatalino, napakaconscious sa environment, sa social situation ng bansa. 'Yun ang ideal, kaya nga siguro kinuha siya agad ng Diyos."

      Bayang Barrios sings the parts of Bobby (her role on stage) and Lidy in the album. "Mahirap," she sighs. "Pero sabi ko sa sarili ko na gawin na lang ang natural. Kasi kung mag-pretend ka na si Cooky ka, mas lalong pangit ang lalabas."
      Gary adds, "Enjoy na enjoy ako nung gawin ko ang album ng 'Lean.' Walang masyadong difficulty—pera lang, as usual. It has 27 songs so parang gumawa na rin ako ng tatlong album. Wala kaming orchestra, apat lang kaming musikero, walang keyboardist. Wala ring big-time singers.
      "Pero sa tingin ko, it can stand side by side with the best recorded musicals."
      The person who knows Lean best is Lidy. "The musical and the album are ways to express my affection and my continuing and abiding love for Lean," she explains. "It's been 11 years pero parang napaka-fresh pa rin ng memory ni Lean. And I don't think the pain will ever go away. How I wish he was still around, not just for our daughter but also for the country," she intones.