Ohm David On Crafting The Stage For SB19 and Francis Libiran’s ‘FAST ZONE’: “A fashion show and a concert: it’s something different.”

Last weekend (October 26, 2025) at the Araneta Coliseum, SB19 teamed up with fashion designer and architect Francis Libiran to pull off their most innovative show yet. Combining the strongest elements of fashion with music and dance, ‘FAST ZONE‘ was a multi-sensory experience, showcasing the best of Philippine art in one grand concert. Furthermore, the night itself celebrated the seventh anniversary of the boy group and served as a celebration for all attendees alike.

Notably, the stage for the show itself was a character in its own right, with its own pulse and heartbeat to contribute to the show. Behind this moving piece of art was none other than set designer Ohm David, whose work you might recognize from productions like the Manila run of Into The Woods, Bar Boys: The Musical, Mula Sa Buwan, and many others. However, notably, this concert would mark David’s first-ever joint production with a P-pop group – the Kings of P-pop themselves, at that.

With that in mind, Billboard Philippines caught up with Ohm David weeks before ‘FAST ZONE’ for an exclusive interview, which covered a range of topics from his personal experience working with SB19 to combining a fashion show and a concert in one space.

Billboard Philippines: There’s about two weeks until ‘Fast Zone.‘ How are you feeling leading up to the event?

Ohm David: Oh my, I’m a bit nervous. It’s my first time working with them (SB19), actually. ‘Fast Zone’ is a collaboration between Francis Libiran and SB19. So, yeah, I’ve worked with Francis before, and he’s cool. He’s nice to work with. But yeah, it’s a special concert. It’s a fashion show and SB19.

You’ve also worked on all kinds of projects before — theater, light shows, and many more. This time, what was it like working on the set of a major concert?

There are so many things to consider. Araneta is a big, big place. I’ve done sets there before, but usually we do it on one side of the stadium, and now we’re doing the entire round. So, things to consider: number one would be the floor. We cannot have models, you know, slipping and all that. But also, we need to show the fans of SB19 what they came for – of course, SB19.

I’m working now with two directors, Ariel Lozada — he’s the creative director — and Paolo Valenciano, who’s a well-known concert director.  Both are cool guys. There are so many out-of-this-world concepts for the show. So it’s a challenge, it’s a challenge that I’m so excited to face, and I’ve been working on it for two months. And now, it’s the week where we prepare and fabricate stuff, and all that. Rehearsals are ongoing.

One of the reasons, I think, it’s not hard, but schedules are tight. They just had their concert abroad. Yeah, and so I think, kung pagod ako, mas pagod sila. (If I’m tired, I’m sure they’re more tired.) 

This is your first time working with a P-pop group as well. What are some parts about working with not just any P-pop group, but SB19, that you had to adjust to in terms of setting up the stage?

Actually, there’s not so much adjustment. I cannot compare them to any other group because I haven’t worked with any other P-pop group. But they’re so down to Earth. You know, the first time I met them, it was just like a barkada (a friend group) and all that. But it’s not that I can do anything I want. No, they have their own insights. They’re great, they’re smart, and behind that is a force of humility.

I think that’s one of the reasons why they are number one. They’re very humble, and they’re very kind, and they accept criticisms and do what they can to change them. In terms of adjustment, I just need to really be aware of how the fans will see them equally, since it’s a round staging. Sometimes they face north, sometimes they face south. I need to be aware of sightlines, especially in this concert, because bigay na natin (let’s give it to them) and the fans are there to see them.

Not only are you working with the group, but you also have to consider their dancers, and you have to consider the models. There’s a lot to be considered with this particular stage design. How did you go about that part?

It’s good that you’ve mentioned that. I think we will be working with more than 100 people, dancers, and models. Yeah, it’s really exciting. In terms of staging, of course, we want to highlight both Francis Libiran’s work, and there’s also this group, Mari Dance. They’re dance majors from UP, my former students, and they’re really good. It’s headed by JM Cabling, who’s, by the way, also in charge of the new musical at Samsung, A Chorus Line. He’s the assistant choreographer

Yeah, there are so many things to consider. Of course, I need to show the fans that this is not just an ordinary concert. We need to level up from what they’ve done before, and what they did before was great already. There’s a lot of pressure, not just for me, but also for the directors, because this is the first time. Fashion and music have always been merged, ever since. And SB19 are trendsetters, but a fashion show and a concert. It’s something different, and we want to showcase both (sides) and to highlight their seventh anniversary. It’s SB19’s seventh, yeah. So, it’s exciting, it’s nerve-wracking, and we only have a few days to set up and all that.

You’ve touched on this previously, but what was it like collaborating with the group themselves? Did the members have any creative input for the stage?

Oh, yes, definitely. You cannot just spoon-feed them everything you want. No, they have insights, conceptually, visually, they know what they want. It’s good enough that when I showed my design, they liked it. But, of course, after that, they had some insights, they wanted to change some things, add some things. And that’s a good thing with SB19. They’re so collaborative. They do not have the mentality that “I’m a star, and I want to do it my way.” No, they’re not like that.

I think that’s what excites me and excited me in the first place. Of course, being my first time working with them, I was a bit not scared, not frightened. You know that feeling when it’s your first time, and you’re still treading the waves. But once they opened their mouths, once they saw the design, and they gave their insights, I realized that these are cool kids. They know what they want, they’re very humble, and yeah, I enjoy working with them. 

How did they help shape the set itself?

In terms of the set, not the whole look, but they wanted to have meaning for songs. So, they were very particular about how it would look for each song. So, in my set, it’s a bit transformative; it transforms. So, they wanted to know how this set piece will look together with the songs and together with the models. They’re not there just to shine and do their thing. No, they wanted the whole package. They are mindful of the models, the dancers, and, of course, themselves in the whole look. I respect that. I like that.

When looking at SB19’s artistry and their grand title as the “kings of P-pop,” what are some important visual elements that you needed to incorporate into the overall design? Especially since you mentioned that they wanted the visual aspects to shift with each song.

I had to listen to all the songs. So, while I was doing it, I was thinking of the design. That, in a way, shaped the thought process. Also, a big help was Ariel Lozada, the fashion director. I’ve worked with him many times, from Francis Libiran to the Bench Charity Gala. I’ve worked with him so many times, and I like his ideas a lot. Together with them, the three of us, and of course the group, we were very mindful of what the set would say together with the songs. It’s not just there to be beautiful. It’s not just there to highlight a person. It’s there for the music, and it’s there because of what it means. I hope you see it at the concert.

Moreover, this isn’t just any ordinary concert, as we’ve already touched on quite a bit. It’s a fashion concert in collaboration with Francis Libiran. So, given his background in architecture as well, I wanted to know what his creative involvement in the overall stage design was like.

As I’ve said, Francis is really easy to work with. For this concert, for this work, he and Ariel showed me his outfits and his designs, and his thought process going into that. It’s a bit rock and pop and all that, so it’s really nice. And yeah, we just hit it off. When I showed the designs, he liked them. He gave some input on color, saying that it shouldn’t be too much. Because of course, it’s a fashion show, so ang bida ang mga damit. (The clothes are the stars). We didn’t want the colors of the set to either match the dresses and the outfits or to totally disrupt the flow of the whole thing. 

It’s not such a big change. It’s not such a big comment, but it helped a lot in terms of color, in terms of lines, all that.

So, how did you go about blending the fashion aspects of the show with the overall set?

Well, as I’ve said, I’ve been working with fashion shows for quite some time. Hindi naman siya formula. (It’s not a formula) Working with Ariel is never a formula. He really knows what he wants. And what’s important, I think, is that ang bida ang clothes (the clothes are the stars), right? In terms of the fashion show, ang bida ang clothes (the clothes are the stars). The set is not there to get the spotlight from the clothes, from the designs, or from fashion. If this were a play, the set is there to push the story forward. 

What are the most central storytelling aspects about this stage design that you hope the audience will see as a part of the overall narrative of the show?

I cannot divulge the songs that they’ll perform, but this show will have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like watching a musical. All the elements will come together and will push the concept, the story of what we want to say, forward. I think it’s clear enough. I cannot say anything about the songs. It’s a surprise for the fans, of how we will tell each story, each song.

In the creation of the set, were there any new techniques or technologies that you experimented with? How did this build into the overall design? 

It’s good that you asked that because wala na akong iniisip, but ‘yun these days. (I haven’t thought about anything but that these days.) It’s a highly technical show. And we didn’t use new things, new gadgets, no new gadgets. It’s old school, but shown or told in a different way. 

Interesting! Are there any hints you can give?

It’s like watching Transformers. You’ll see the set transform with every song. 

That’s very in touch with the teasers I’ve been seeing. They seem really dystopian-esque.

Dystopian, futuristic. In even the fashion, it will be like that. 

If you had the opportunity to work with SB19 for another concert, what kind of set would you like to give them?

I think if they do get me in the future, I want to showcase their roots, where they came from, their history. Since we’ve shown them and who they are in the present and who they want to be in the future, I think it’s about time to look into the past.