We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there is something magical in watching music performed live and something really special in the beauty of theatre.

‘Sa Wakas’ is no exception: the great telling of an all-familiar story, the kundiman-like numbers from well-loved rock band Sugarfree, the unexpected punchlines here and there, and a powerhouse of talented performers weaved together a masterpiece so unique as a work of art, yet so relatable as an experience.  After coming back again (and again) onstage due to very insistent popular demand, the bittersweet story of Topper, Lexi and Gabbi is being told for the third and final time at Power Mac Center at Circuit Makati from April 2 to May 27.

Yes, you only have a few days left to catch them onstage, and with the show's producers busy with an equally exciting project, it looks like we won't be hearing about a re-staging for quite some time. So while we already know that the play is about a relationship that has fallen apart, we’ve got a list of songs from the musical enough to make you catch the last few shows before they truly bid good bye:

Kandila/Unang Araw Na Wala Ka Na

“Sorry, ‘di kita hinabol."

Of all the scenes in the play, this painful mash-up gives most justice to the minimal stage set. The blocking for the scene was thought of in a way that it maximized all areas onstage. The use of props, albeit minimal, highlighted the gloom the song brought out. The lighting was executed beautifully as it gave emphasis on Topper’s remorse and Lexi’s hurt. Pepe Herrera and Vic Robinson may have very different interpretations of the same character they portray, but their rendition of ‘Kandila’ both showed Topper as a man so overwhelmed with sadness that you’d forgive him for what he did (well, for a short while, at least).

Burnout

“Tinawag kita / Sinuyo kita / ‘Di mo na narinig, / di ko na nadama."

A hit to a generation who thrives in emotions dug out from deep within, this song made waves with its catchy tune yet morose lyrics. And while it has been performed as a cover by many musicians (including Ebe Dancel himself as part of 3D), the interpretation of this piece during the show is refreshing: it was The Last Song. The couple’s angry good bye, the musical arrangement made to cause wincing instead of head bopping, and the lyrics were strewn around to cause pain instead of regret. As Lexi sings the last few lines, you’d feel caught up in the hopelessness of their situation.

Mariposa

“Think of us as a…beautiful mistake.”

A guitar played solo in a bar, a drink poured in a whiskey glass, and a girl, singing to pass time while waiting — no sight can better personify loneliness than Gabbi and her rendition of ‘Mariposa.’ It is through this song that one can relate to the woe of a woman, beautiful, successful, and the world at the palm of her hand, who feels so alone. This might not justify her being with a man who has promised his love to another, but it paved the way to understanding why she allowed herself to be put in that situation. After all, loneliness needs no explanation. 

Ang Pinakamagaling na Tao sa Balat ng Lupa

“Dahil mali ka at lagi siyang tama.”

Comical both in musical adaptation and artistic interpretation (Notice those Chuwariwaps!), this irony of a song puts stress not only on how different Lexi and Topper really are, but also on how similar they feel about the relationship. Compared to the other heavy-hitting tunes, this song is a breather, yet it shows everyone a glimpse of the chaos that is going on inside the characters’ minds, the very source of the resentment heard from the previous songs performed.  

Wala Nang Hihilingin

“Kung marinig mo ang tibok ng aking puso…”

In the midst of all the hurt, suffering and betrayal, was there really a time when the show’s couple truly loved each other? Lexi’s sweet lullaby to a sleeping Topper is proof that the determined doctor, eager as she was to be the best, still held her boyfriend close to her heart. It is through this song that the audience is reminded that people show their love in more ways than one. What the busiest ones need is a chance to do so.

'Sa Wakas: the Musical' will have its last few shows on May 25, 26, and 27 at the Power Mac Center in Circuit Makati. Get your tickets here.