𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟖 𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫

“Star and Cloud: The Musical” makes its highly anticipated return to the Cebu stage on February 8, 2026, at the Centerstage of SM Seaside City Cebu. The performance serves as a special local preview ahead of the production’s world tour in Japan and Taiwan, marking a significant milestone for Cebuano musical theatre on the global stage.

Written and directed by award-winning songwriter Jude Gitamondoc, “Star and Cloud: The Musical” retells the life of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan. Inspired by the biography Bright Star, Luminous Cloud by Fu Zhiying, the musical weaves music, movement, and storytelling to illuminate the values of compassion, wisdom, harmony, and coexistence at the heart of Humanistic Buddhism.

 

Gitamondoc shared his excitement for the restaging and the production’s expanding international journey. “It is truly an honor to bring Star and Cloud back to the Cebu stage before sharing it with audiences abroad. This time, the journey continues not only in the Philippines and Taiwan, but also in Japan,” he said.

 

With a renewed focus on inspiration and artistic purpose, the production remains grounded in its core mission: to move audiences through a story of service and humanity. Performed by an all-Cebuano cast and creative team, “Star and Cloud: The Musical” stands as both a theatrical achievement and a testament to Filipino artists finding their voice beyond borders.

 

The musical is also a heartfelt tribute to Venerable Master Hsing Yun, whose vision created a nurturing home for artists through the Siddhartha Theatre. This restaging further honors the 100th birth year of the Venerable, following his passing in 2023, celebrating a life whose teachings continue to resonate across cultures and generations.

 

First staged in 2024 to strong critical and audience reception in Cebu and Taiwan, “Star and Cloud: The Musical” returns with renewed energy, welcoming new cast members while preserving the spirit that first captured hearts.

 

Star and Cloud stars Gabriel Gomez, reprising his role as Venerable Master Hsing Yun, alongside Neil Jabido, who returns as Jinjue. The role of Li Guoshen will be portrayed by two alternating rising talents, Simeon Lawas and Jordan Gacayan.

 

The production brings together a distinguished creative and production team led by Joer Gallur as Dance Director and Junrey Alayacyac as Movement Director, with Lee Anthony Pada as Lighting Designer and Technical Director alongside Ivy Gallur (Production Manager), John Mark Cabaluna (Production Assistant), Paul Lambert David (Head Stage and Props Manager) with Kierven Amacna (Stage Manager 1) and John Rashed Booc (Stage Manager 2). Music arrangements are by Sean Gonzales, with additional arrangements by Ralph Joey Cabusas and Felipe Angelo Calinawan. The creative team also includes Leana Marie Ruiz (Projection Design), OJ Hofer (Costume Consultation), Giselle Abalos (Costume Management), Mysue Tantiansu (Business Management), Barret Richards (Vocal Training), Lenie Lañojan (Social Media and Promotional Design), Rio Delizo (Content Design), and Alan Rico (Production Profile Photography), under the guidance of Venerable Chueh Lin and Venerable Yung Guang.

 

As “Star and Cloud: The Musical” prepares to journey beyond Philippine shores, its February 8 Cebu staging stands as a powerful homecoming, honoring its roots while opening the path toward a wider international audience.

 

For seat reservations, message the Chu Un Temple Official Facebook Page or contact (032) 265-7744.

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Additional Announcements

In celebration of the values and inspiration behind Star and Cloud: The Musical, Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple also announces the Star and Cloud Competition, open from now until February 28, 2026.

Written Works Contest

●          Primary (小學組): 300–600 words

●          Secondary (中學組): 600–1,000 words

●          Adult (成人組): 1,000–1,500 words

●          Format: A4 portrait, font size 12, 1.5 line spacing

Illustration / Drawing Contest

●          Size: A4 or A3

●          Medium: Any (hand-drawn or digital)

●          Description: 50–100 words

Poster / Visual Design Contest

●          Size: A3 portrait

●          Resolution: 300 dpi

●          File Format: PDF / JPG / PNG

●          Concept Description: Within 100 words

Submission Guidelines

1. Physical submissions:
   Chu Un Temple
   246 V. Rama Ave, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines
2. Digital submissions:
   fgschuuntemple@gmail.com

Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple likewise invites the public to join the Chinese New Year 2026 Countdown Celebration on February 16, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 12:00 MN, at Chu Un Temple. Entrance fee is ₱30 only. Festivities include booths, performances, Chinese costume rentals, fireworks, the traditional bell ringing and many more to welcome the new year.

Director's Note

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

The long and sometimes lonely process of writing Star and Cloud began after the debut of Siddhartha in 2007. Seeing the impact of that production, my good friend Venerable Master Cheuh Lin encouraged me to write another musical—this time as a tribute to the life of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, founder of Fo Guang Shan.

I agreed in spirit, but in practice, I struggled. By 2010, I had only a rough outline and four songs—one of which was eventually removed. Progress was slow and uncertain. I often questioned how a Filipino writer like me could meaningfully connect with the life of an extraordinary Buddhist monk in Taiwan. I doubted whether I had the clarity or skill to tell his story honestly.

The turning point came much later, in 2013, after the passing of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. By then, his influence had already begun to quietly shape my own life. When I read his final letter, An Honest Revelation, something became clear: the best way to tell his story was to let the Master speak for himself.

From that moment on, the process changed. The story and the songs began to come more naturally, almost as if I were being guided. While this musical tells the life of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, it does not place him alone at the center. Instead, the Sangha—the community he built, the ensemble we gathered—takes center stage. The heartbeat of the show is not individual greatness, but the collective effort of people choosing to live with compassion.

Even so, just days before the show’s debut in 2024, I was still searching for its spine. What were we truly saying? How could an epic lifetime be distilled into one clear idea?

The answer came only after I watched a recording of the completed show. With some distance, I finally understood its core: this is the story of a young boy who set out in search of a home and, in the process, built a home for countless others—including me.

I was raised Catholic, lost my parents at an early age, and spent much of my life searching for a place to belong. Through the writing of Siddhartha, I found that home in Humanistic Buddhism.

In 2013, Venerable Master Hsing Yun built Siddhartha Theatre as a home for Cebuano artists. In 2024, we devised Star and Cloud as our way of saying thank you to our Venerable Master.

That is where my own life meets the life of Venerable Master Hsing Yun—and where this story became deeply personal for each and every artist involved in this production.

That realization inspired one final song: “You who walked in search of a home / You built for us a home of our own / You who walked in search of a father / Became father and teacher to us all / Master, we thank you.”

I am now convinced that I was not alone—that Venerable Master Hsing Yun was with me throughout this process from the very beginning, quietly guiding me, often in subtle and unexpected ways. He wanted his story told not as a monument to himself, but as a living example of what kindness can do for the world. Indeed, as I often say, kindness is the revolution.

To be entrusted with telling his story is an honor we accept with deep gratitude. Star and Cloud is an offering made with so much love for Venerable Master Hsing Yun. I hope that audiences may find, as we did, a sense of home within his life.

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Jude Gitamondoc a Cebu-based playwright, songwriter, and director whose work bridges musical theatre, personal inquiry, and community storytelling. He is now a non-practicing Catholic and a non-Buddhist practitioner, which means he approaches faith with openness and sincerity and questions absolutely everything.