Rizal-descendant is lead in "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera"

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Rizal’s descendant, tenor Kuya Manzano, is lead in "Noli Me Tangere: The Opera"

Spanish-Filipino actor Kuya Manzano, a descendant of Jose Rizal, is portraying Crisostomo Ibarra in an opera version of Rizal's novel "Noli Me Tangere."

Staged by Dulaang UP, "Noli" is directed by DUP Artistic Director Alexander Cortez with music supervision by Camille Lopez Molina and Pablo Mariano Molina.


Rizal's novel was published in 1887 in Berlin. The protagonist Ibarra is the son of Spanish Don Rafael Ibarra.

Manzano's lineage:

His great great grandparents: Fausto Barredo married Gabriela Alonso (sister of Teodora Alonso, mother of Jose Rizal)
His great grandparents: Manuel Barredo married Josephine Johnson
His grandparents: Josephine Barredo married Antonio Manzano
His mother: Pinky Manzano

Manzano arrived from Spain five months ago "to find his Filipino side." He’s been performing for the last thirteen years acting and singing in musical theater, zarzuela, opera, spoken theater, television and films in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, and China.

"Noli Me Tangere: The Opera" runs Nov 16-Dec 4, 2011 (Wednesday to Friday, 7pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am and 3pm) at Wilfrido Guerrero Theater, 2/F Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Quezon City. Contact 0917-750-0107, 981-8500 local 2449, 926-1349 or 433-7840.

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