Opera and other musical art forms emerged in the 19th century in the Philippines with the arrival of foreign performers. Local theaters like the Zorrilla Theater and Principe Alfonso Theater hosted early operas and zarzuelas. The first Filipino opera, "La Alianza Soñada", was composed in 1902 and presented at the Zorrilla Theater. Notable Filipino operas include "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo" by Felipe Padilla de Leon. The Cultural Center of the Philippines played a key role in promoting Filipino operas. Musical plays drew from adaptations of novels and biographies and featured themes about local history and culture. Broadway musicals