Irene Marcos Araneta didn’t want it en grande. Perhaps she remembered her wedding... or Bagong Anyo... or little Persepolis?

At any rate, she thought a “tribute” to her mother as founding chairman of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on its 40th anniversary would be too presumptuous, but then again she didn’t want a pastiche, a quilt or a grade school-like program where the numbers are stitched together like a daisy chain.

What came out of “Imelda: Muse and Madness” as conceived by Alexander Cortez and Floy Quintos was as they described it a two-part “tapestry,” a “distillation of images.”

The first part featured the “serious” musicians (opera, piano, violin, flute, ballet) performing solo with PPO backing under the inspiration of the Muse. Cecile Licad, Raul Sunico, Coke Bolipata, Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Camille Lopez, Joseph Esmilla, Aileen Cura, Jonathan Velasco, Antonio Maigue and Rachelle Gerodias were more than inspired.

The second part was meant to be the fun part, the promised Madness: A fashion show of Imeldific ternos, a clutch of children’s choirs, UP Madrigal Singers, Bayanihan, Candice and Carissa Adea, Ballet Philippines.

Weaving the threads of dance and song was the figure of a young ballerina – guess who she was supposed to represent? – wandering between past and future, between “joy and sadness.” From the libretto: “Do you dream of going home? Will you face the past alone? Muse and madness, who will take you home?”

Mrs. Marcos, seated in the center of orchestra center, not in the box which was once hers by right of “Torrens Title” as FL (first lady) looked every inch the proud and happy honoree. When Rep. Bongbong Marcos went up the stage and opened a short speech with the title of the show, chuckling as he did so, all heads turned to look at Madam. Obviously delighted, she gamely pointed at her left temple with her left index finger to indicate some degree of merriment by lunacy.

As a footnote, the congressman said the night’s entertainment would engage the talents of 300 performers. If this was still the Marcos era, their numbers would more likely have been 700, even 1,400. And would anybody have dreamed of such a subversive title?

As they say, “All things come to those who wait.”