Romeo Candido is a Filipino-Canadian artist whose multifaceted toolkit for creative expression has made him an acclaimed and sought-after actor, dancer, composer, and lyricist. His works have resonated with audiences around the world and have been recognized here at home with multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations His new Canadian musical Prison Dancer tells the story of a group of inmates as they navigate life in prison. Directed by Nina Aquino Lee, this co-production with Prison Dancer Inc has just debuted at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta.
Candido’s passion for the performing arts was inspired by his upbringing, which introduced him to Filipino folk dancing as a means of preserving his cultural heritage. “Through my experience with folk dancing, expressing myself through different forms of art became second nature to me,” Candido shares. “This background has influenced my career in the performing arts, where I leverage my skills in storytelling through diverse art forms”
Prison Dancer is about a group of prisoners who create a dance competition inside their prison, in order to win a pardon from the governor. The show was inspired by the 2007 viral YouTube video of 1,500 inmates in a Philippines prison, called the “Dancing Inmates of Cebu”, dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller. To create the story, Candido teamed up with his longtime collaborator Carmen De Jesus, a fellow member of the original Canadian cast of Miss Saigon: “While we enjoyed our time on [Miss Saigon], we couldn’t help but have a critical eye towards the representation of Asian characters in the production. As a result, we always knew that we wanted to write our own stories that would showcase our unique experiences and perspectives.” He got the idea for a Prison Dancer show around the time that he saw the musical In The Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda on Broadway, which he recalls as “the first time in a long time where I saw a musical that authentically told the story of a community”.
Over the past several years, Candido and DeJesus have painted a fictional portrait of the people behind the “Dancing Inmates” phenomenon through Prison Dancer, an award-winning transmedia project that includes an interactive web series, a performative cinematic experience, and a cast recording. They are now revisiting Prison Dancer in the musical, which expands this storytelling with a deeper exploration of the complex characters and their experiences.
The pair co-wrote the book for Prison Dancer, with Candido taking on the roles of composer and lyricist. Working with De Jesus on the musical has been an “amazing experience” for Candido: “We have an immediate shorthand that allows us to communicate effectively, while our different perspectives push us to find the best ideas, always.” Those ideas have powered several iterations of the musical: from a musical in concert, to a simple workshop, to a run at the New York Musical Festival, to the interactive web series. “We thought that the show had reached its limit,” Candido explains, “but the National Creation Fund saw its potential and awarded us funding to develop it into a commercial property”. So with the help of The Citadel Theatre and artistic director of the National Arts Centre Nina Lee Aquino, they workshopped it again to prepare for its Canadian debut in Edmonton. And the duo are ecstatic to showcase their unique vision for Canadian audiences with “an ALL FILIPINO creative team!”
Prison Dancer explores a range of themes, including the power of community, socio-economic issues that lead to poverty and crime, the importance of art as a form of expression, forgiveness and redemption. The musical explores how individuals can find a way to make amends for past mistakes, how art can help us cope with difficult circumstances, and how empathy and understanding are essential for creating a more compassionate society. In summary, “the musical ultimately serves as a reflection on the human experience and portrays the ability to overcome adversity through art and community”.
At the center of the show is Lola, a genderqueer character whose remarkable talent as a singer and dancer propels them into the spotlight. The character was inspired by real-life dancing inmate Wenjiel Resane. Candido describes Lola as someone who “must confront their past traumas and navigate newfound fame after going viral.” Christian, a second key character, made poor choices to escape poverty, which led to his imprisonment. He has just discovered that he is a father. Now he faces a difficult decision: whether to isolate himself from the outside world to survive, or find a way to make it work with his inmate girlfriend Cherish, who refuses to give up on him. Her song “Evermore” is a powerful anthem that Candido calls a centerpiece of the musical.
Of course, not everyone in the prison is supportive of the inmates’ efforts. The show’s primary antagonist is the Warden. The son of a prominent political family, he has been sent to work at the prison to change his public image. Determined to reform the prison, he comes up with the idea to turn the inmates’ rehabilitation exercises into a viral sensation. However, his methods are not as well-intentioned as they initially seem . . . .
The ultimate goal of the show’s creators is to create characters and songs that stay with the audience long after the show – and to do so by fostering a sense of community and shared experience that can be found only in live theatre. Especially coming out of the pandemic, Candido believes “there is nothing quite like the electricity of a live musical theatre show, where the story, music, dance, acting, and design all work together in perfect harmony for a one-time-only moment.” He hopes that audiences will leave the show feeling “expanded” in soul and body, having been moved and inspired by the power of the live performance.
Apart from Prison Dancer, Candido’s most personal labour of love is the 10-part musical TV series Topline (CBC GEM). The project was born out of his need to explore grief and find a way through it, after losing his mother in 2016. He poured his heart and soul into it: creating the music, writing the script, casting the actors, and managing the production. “To that point in my career, [Topline] was the most complete expression of what I can do as a creator.” Topline, alongside The Next Step (BBC), on which he served as co-showrunner, helped to carve out his place as a “song and dance” person in Canada.
Topline has resonated widely and received multiple Canadian Screen Award nominations, which Candido considers an amazing achievement. This month, Topline has its US debut at the prestigious San Francisco Asian International Film Festival, which is the biggest Asian film fest in North America and the place where Candido premiered his debut feature film Lolo’s Child (also a musical) 20 years ago. Candido is excited to see where Topline will take him next, and hopes that more people will soon fall in love with the world and characters of the series.
And he is bursting with artistic – and cultural – pride to see Prison Dancer the musical fully manifested on stage at the Citadel Theatre. For the show reflects Candido’s commitment to telling authentic stories that showcase the unique experiences and perspectives of his community: “As a Filipino-Canadian artist, I feel that it’s essential to showcase our stories and perspectives on stage.There’s a wealth of untapped potential and creativity that exists within our community, and I’m excited to be a part of that movement.”
Prison Dancer runs until May 28, 2023. Reserve tickets on citadeltheatre.com.
© Arpita Ghosal, SesayArts Magazine, 2023
