The Journey Continues

In this captivating, inspiring and vibrant musical, discover the story about Buddha – a young prince who renounced his royal status and luxurious life to seek enlightenment. 

The Musical tells the story of a prince named Siddhartha who was born 2,600 years ago in an ancient India city known as Kapilavastu. At birth, a seer prophesied that Siddhartha would either be a skilled leader like his father or a great spiritual teacher. Upon hearing this, King Suddhodana did everything in his power to ensure the kingship of his son. 

Siddhartha soon grew to be a fine young man within the confines of the palace walls, oblivious to the reality of pain and suffering in the real world. But one day, as Siddhartha was exploring the kingdom, he witnessed old age, sickness and death. Seeing these made him renounce his royal status to find the root cause and the end of suffering. 

For six years, he practiced austere meditation in the forest until he realized that extreme practices will not provide him the answers to all his questions. He decided to sit and meditate under a bodhi tree where he stayed until he achieved enlightenment and became the Buddha.

The insight Siddhartha gained became the basis of the teachings that is still kept alive by millions of people today.

The Beginning of Siddhartha the Musical

Siddhartha: The musical was produced through the collaboration of Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Chu Un Temple in Cebu, Philippines and the Cebu chapter of the Buddha’s Light international Association (BLIA) in 2007. Depicting the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Indian prince who became the Buddha, the musical features original songs based on the writings of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. Propagating compassion and oneness, it has made the Dharma (the teaching of the Buddha) accessible to more people.

To date, the musical has been staged a total of 100 times and attracted more than 100,000 audiences. It has been shown in Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Bacolod, Taiwan, United States, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. The cast of over 70 volunteer actors and dancers showcases the musical and performing talents of Filipinos, particularly Cebuanos. In November 2013, the entire cast and crew of Siddhartha: The Musical were invited by FGS Hsi Lai Temple to perform in southern California as part of the temple’s 25th anniversary celebration. The production also traveled to northern California and other parts of the U.S. Proceeds from the shows were used toward rebuilding structures damaged by the earthquakes in Bohol, Cebu , as well as in relief operation for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Our Dream School—Guang Ming Institute of Performing Arts (Cebu)

A dream was ignited when Ven. Master Hsing Yun visited Chu Un Temple in Cebu. His love and compassion for the Filipinos built a safe space for budding artists not only in Cebu, but the whole Philippines.

Prince Siddhartha the Musical has been staged in different theaters and schools all over the world for eleven years and counting. The story of the life of Buddha has been portrayed by homegrown Filipino artists who also come from various religions. Despite this diversity, the cast are united in the goal of spreading Humanistic Buddhism to the people through performing arts. Ven. Yung Guang, the head abbess of Fo Guang Shan Philippines, has thought of extending the network of inspiring more Filipinos with the dharma by establishing a performing arts school. Guang Ming College, the first school built by Fo Guang Shan in the Philippines and the fifth of their university consortium has produced its first batch of performing arts graduates in 2018.

Cebu is a home court to the cast of Siddhartha the Musical, and many other astonishingly talented individuals. To fulfill further the vision of Ven. Master Hsing Yun to fostering talents through education, Ven. Yung Guang has brought the opportunity to Cebuanos as Guang Ming Institute of Performing Arts-Cebu is on its way to making dreams come true.

Come March 2019, GMI Cebu will soon be housing Cebuano talents who have the heart for performing arts- singing, dancing, acting, costume designing, and many more. Currently, several workshops and classes have already been conducted, and surely, more will be offered to the gifted, talented and committed Cebuanos who are ready to take on the learning journey.

If you used to be the kind who would love to give your passion a try but are too afraid to do so, this may be your chance to shine. With inspiration, effort, and discipline altogether, you are ready to face the world doing the thing you love to do most. With your passion ablaze and GMI Cebu by your side, you will be the instrument to inspire the hearts and lives of other people. Get the right people to guide and help you in GMI and you shall find your light.

World Class Performances in the International Stage

From its humble beginnings, Siddhartha the Musical has attracted artists and performers who have performed in the international stage. Siddhartha the Musical has so far performed in the following countries:

• Philippines – Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Bacolod (2007-present),
• Taiwan – Kaohsiung, Taichung, Keelung, Tainan, Taipei (2008-2013 & 2016-present),
• Singapore (2015),
• Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur (2015),
• Hong Kong (2015),
• Macau (2015),
• United States – New York, Houston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles (2013 & 2018),
• New Zealand – Christchurch (2016),
• Japan (2016), and
• Australia – Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney (2017).