Fred Said: THEATER, CONCERTS, EVENTS

October 31, 2015

This latest project of Artist Playground is a very unique one. It is a one-woman show entitled "Audire (Listen Carefully)". I purposely did not read any advanced information about it because I wanted to be surprised. It turned out though, that maybe I should have read some background about it. I would have been able to appreciate the project more.

The show opened in total darkness. Four ladies in black came out shaking boxes. When they reached the stage, they placed various items (like toys, accessories, household items, etc...) on the floor upstage. (They would give her different props in each of her four segments in this show.) Enter Ms. Angelina Kanapi in a white dress. She began playing around with the stool and the other things there on the stage. Her unusual choice of words seemingly meant nothing, a flight of ad-libbed ideas. Her strange gestures and facial expressions all seemed as random as her props.

That first segment was very bizarre. There were a lot of incomplete words and phrases. I do not remember much of it. The second segment, we see Ms. Kanapi strumming chairs like a guitar. I felt she meant to act like a drugged out rock star. Finally, after singing what sounded like a Nirvana song, she collapse and convulsed on the floor, then lights out. The third segment, we see Ms. Kanapi tie her hair into to pigtails and begin talking like a bratty child to her yaya. She began jumping up and down as a tot in a tantrum shouting words so foul they sounded so funny. The fourth segment, we see Ms. Kanapi in an sultry and earthy mood. This final part felt like a frank excerpt from the "Vagina Monologues".

Then it was over. I am not going to pretend I totally got what just transpired in the last hour. After the curtain call, Ms. Kanapi thanked the staff who helped her with the show. She was joined on the stage by the artistic director of Artist Playground Roeder Camanag, on behalf of show director Jeffrey Camanag who was sick today. They engaged the audience in a post-show discussion about the performance. In most shows, the play proper was enough to speak for itself. For this particular experimental type of production, this Q&A session was a most essential part to grasp the whole meaning of the show and its very special concept.

It was only a post-show realization for me that Ms. Kanapi totally improvised everything she was doing based on the sounds (music, sound effects, noises, whispers, moans, silence) she heard. This meant that the whole show was actually extemporaneous on Ms. Kanapi's part based on the totally random sounds given her by the sound technician. Every show then will be not be the same as the one before. I did not spoil anything for you by telling you what happened in the show I watched. You will see a totally different one every time. This was an eye-opening revelation that made me see the whole performance in a whole new light. This show was not a case of the schizophrenic emperor's new clothes.

So that is what the title meant. Ms. Kanapi should listen carefully to the soundtrack to react to and spontaneously perform. The audience should listen carefully to the soundtrack to understand where Ms. Kanapi and her various strange antics were coming from.

It was a delight to see Ms. Kanapi performing live.This prime collaboration with the sound man is a pet concept that had been playing in her mind, only to find fruition now thanks to the exploratory thrust of Artist Playground. I knew Ms. Kanapi from her most unusual and quirky roles in indie films I've seen, like "Hustisya" (My Review) with Nora Aunor, a couple Lav Diaz opuses namely "Norte: Hangganan ng Kasaysayan" (My Review) and "Mula Sa Kung Ano ang Noon" (My Review), and just this week "Matangtubig" (My Review). I cannot think of another actress with such a wacky, unconventional yet intuitive soul who can pull this daring type of performance art off.

************

If you want to experience this different type of theater, you can catch the last few shows of "Audire". There is one show on November 4, 2015 at 7pm, then three shows on November 7, 2015 at 3, 5, and 7pm. Tickets at P250. Students only pay P200. Venue of the show is The Little Room Upstairs, Rm. 1701 Landsdale Tower, Mother Ignacia Ave. Quezon City. Look up Ms. Roj Regoso on Facebook for inquiries and reservations.

November 5. 2015

"This is Our Youth" is about three young people living in decadent New York City during the Reagan years. Dennis Ziegler was a hot-headed, sharp-tongued drug dealer. Warren Straub was a mousy, insecure nerd who liked collecting various pop memorabilia. Jessica Goldman was the pretty but feisty and opinionated girl Warren had his eyes on. One night, Warren stole $15,000 from his father and brought the cash to Dennis' flat. While Dennis cooked up a plan to have a night of drugged debauchery with Warren, Warren thought of how he could get Jessica to like him back.

This play written by Kenneth Lonergan debuted 1996 off-Broadway with Mark Ruffalo leading the cast as Warren. It then had its West End debut in 2002, with movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Warren, Hayden Christensen as Dennis and Anna Paquin as Jessica. In its many restagings over the years, Warren had been played by Casey Affleck, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Kieran Culkin; while Dennis had been played by Matt Damon, Chris Klein and Michael Cera.

*****************

Red Turnip Theater Company is presenting their latest project in another venue than their original home in Whitespace. It is called A_Space Gallery, located on the 5th floor of a condo building at #110 Legazpi Street, Legazpi Village, Makati, right behind Greenbelt 5. You can park in the mall and simply walk over. They call this particular show a 0.5. While the show may be smaller in scale, cast and venue, the Turnips promise that it won't be smaller in terms of artistic challenge.

It was a small room with two doors, one for the audience, and one for the actors. There was a performance area in the center, where there was a mattress and a small TV. There was a refrigerator in one corner, a pair of armchairs on one side (with a turntable beside it) and a table on the opposite side. Pillows were strewn around in a circle for the audiences to sit on. Fortunately for the older members of the audience who can't Indian sit on the floor anymore, there were also chairs provided against the walls.

For this Red Turnips production, Nicco Manalo is Warren, Jef Flores is Dennis and Cindy Lopez is Jessica.

I know Nicco Manalo is a very good actor but I knew him only for his work in Filipino language productions. He was very good as the lead character Tabo in "Kleptomaniacs" (My Review). He deserved the Best Supporting Actor award he won for his work in the indie film "The Janitor" (My Review). I was pleasantly surprised that he can also deliver a very effective and engaging performance in flawless American English. Manalo imbued his Warren that naive damaged persona which makes audiences root for him. His tender scenes with Jessica were endearing. His bullying scenes with Dennis were heartrending.

Jef Flores is really having a banner year this year. I only saw him in a lead role early this year in Repertory Philippines "4000 Miles" (My Review). I thought that was star-making performance for this new actor. This was followed by ensemble work in "Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady" (My Review) and "The Normal Heart" (My Review). He is also the Prince in the Rep's currently running production of "Snow White". This guy can really nail those long wordy monologues! In "4000 Miles", he had a lengthy 10-minute monologue, which was impressive. In "Youth", Flores topped that with another mad motor-mouth monologue of 15 minutes or more, which ran the gamut of crazy emotions from Alpha male to nervous wreck, as Dennis went "high with fear."

Cindy Lopez really had to work harder to get her edge in since her role was much smaller and less showy compared to the two guys. Her first scene with Warren was very well-written and delightfully performed together by Lopez with Manalo. That dancing scene was beautiful and romantic. I was maybe looking for a bit more energy from her, as her delivery of lines was rather flat and singsong. Jessica's second scene with Warren was a downer, very puzzling and disappointing for me. However, this may be more a matter about the script than Lopez' acting.

This is only the second play Topper Fabregas directed, the first being "Rabbit Hole" (My Review) also by Turnips. Fabregas revealed that he and co-Turnip Jenny Jamora had long wanted to play Warren and Jessica themselves. (I personally think they can still totally pull this off.) It must have been quite a challenge to block the action in this type of intimate venue where the audience surrounds the actors. After tonight's press preview, some adjustments may still have to be made about the location of the props, which may not be easily seen by everyone in the audience. For example, from where I was sitting, I could not see the sculpture on top of the refrigerator, which turned out to be critical in the story.

Like it or not, the script contains a lot of profanity and talk about drugs, as is already typical with "modern" youth dramas, it seems. There was actual smoking (real pot or not, I would not know) and a scene of cocaine preparation, so this show is not for the very young.

Despite being set in the 1980s, the angst we see onstage can also be so millennial, which is why it works now as it did back then. The musical choices were perfect, making that dancing scene so poignant. The lighting by Joseph Matheu was so subtly done, but the mood was greatly enhanced by it. The actors Manalo and Flores are already at the top of their game even before premier night. This is an funny and engrossing theater experience the way it was executed by Fabregas and his crew.

*******************

"This is Our Youth" will have shows on November 6, 7, 8, 20, 21 and 22, 2015. It will have 8 pm shows on Friday and Saturdays, with 4 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Venue is the A Space_Gallery, 5th floor, 110 Legazpi Street, Makati (Opposite Greenbelt 5). Get your tickets via TicketWorld (https://www.ticketworld.com.ph/Online/thisisouryouth or call 8919999). You can also email redturniptheater@gmail.com for more info.

November 5, 2015

I confess that only know of Narnia from the 2005 film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". I have never read any of the classic C.S. Lewis books. When news about Trumpets releasing a locally-written stage adaptation of the fifth Narnia book "The Horse and his Boy," excitement ran high on social media. I honestly had no idea what the book was about. But I know how Trumpets always came up with excellent stage productions of world-class quality, like "N.O.A.H." and "The Bluebird of Happiness". I know I needed to watch this new show.

Reb Atadero (Shasta) and Joel Trinidad (Bree)

A poor boy named Shasta meets a noble (and talking) war horse named Bree. Bree convinces Shasta to leave his slavehood behind and go with him back to his home in Narnia. Meanwhile, a young girl also ran away from home on her loyal (and also talking) horse Hwin in order to escape an unwanted marriage. The two meet and decide to go to Narnia together to escape their cruel fates. But when they learn that Narnia was in danger of an enemy attack, they pick up their pace and traverse the wide harsh desert in an effort to save Narnia from grave harm. With encounters with kings and queens, doppelgangers, haunted gravesites and a giant lion along the way, their quest was an epic adventure of fantastic action and romance.

Shasta Riding Bree in the Moonlight

With the title alone, we know that a horse will figure prominently in the story. Curiosity was high as to how they will portray this vital character on stage. Once we see Bree for the first time though, we gasped in wonder at how this magnificent animal looked and moved. The pride and bossiness courtesy of Joel Trinidad (and the men behind him) truly made Bree come alive so realistically, imbued with Trinidad's trademark sense of humor. The female horse Hwin was brought to life by Jill Pena (and the men behind her) in the same elegant way. That impressively breathtaking scene when they were "rushing" through the desert was a successful stage illusion with lights care of John Batalla and movement by Dexter Santos. You should see how the horse reared on their hind legs!

Jeremy Domingo (Aslan)

Aside from the horses, as this story was in Narnia, we were also excited to see the majestic revered lion, Aslan. The mechanism within this great beautiful beast looked heavier than the horse as he looked like he was made of wood. Jeremy Domingo's booming voice was kingly, fatherly and awe-inspiring as it should be for this iconic role. There would also be Mr. Tumnus the faun as campily played by Nic Campos, and the Sallowpad, the raven who foretold the future, played by Maronne Cruz.

Justine Pena (Queen Susan), George Schultz (King Edmund)

and Nic Campos (Mr. Tumnus)

Reb Atadero had that face of unspoken wonder and naivete, which made him very good for the role of Shasta. Cara Barredo was feisty and fiery as Aravis, a girl who knew what she wanted and who can take care of herself. The character of the Storyteller grew more and more involved in the story in a most fascinating way, as portrayed by Mayen Cadd and her melodious voice. Mako Alonso was over-the-top villainous as Rabadash. Arya Herrera stole scenes as Aravis' funny and talkative friend Lasaraleen. Steve Cadd had strong presence both as the wily sheik Tisroc, as well as the Viking-like King Lune.

Mako Alonso (Rabadash) and Steve Cadd (Tisroc)

In true Trumpets tradition, the whole production was, in a word, magical. The action began slowly as the Narrator started to tell her story on an empty stage, with just a map of Narnia projected on a simple cloth background (graphic designs by GK Fallarme). But with scene after the scene after that , the audience is transported to exotic lands of opulent palaces, battlements and ramparts. and talking beasts. Mio Infante has certainly outdone himself once again as he created these huge wonderful set pieces that transformed the spacious stage of the Meralco into this whole new fantasy world. Infante was also responsible for the elaborate Arabian-inspired costume design. Puppetry and shadowplay by Otto Hernandez added to the mysterious allure of the scenery and storytelling.

Cara Barredo (Aravis)

Ms. Luna Grino-Inocian is a most talented writer who was able to wonderfully adapt the book for the stage, and we know the Narnia books are not exactly simple material to successfully transpose into other media. She loves Narnia and her writing obviously reflects this. The way her script made the revelations come logically one by one made the story compelling, engaging and easy to understand, despite the multitude of characters with difficult to pronounce names. All the way to the end, we will receive yet another welcome and awesome surprise to cap the whole magical night. (Ms. Grino-Inocian also wrote Trumpets' 1997 musical adaptation of the first Narnia book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", which sadly I was not able to watch.)

Shasta's Vision in the Desert

Congratulations to Director Jaime del Mundo for bringing all this homegrown talent together into one cohesive and memorable project. There were some songs here sung by the Storyteller, as well as touching duet by Shasta and Aravis, but this is not really a musical, as Trumpets was more known for. Del Mundo's gamble on a big project like this has definitely paid off as this would go down as one of Trumpets most artistic accomplishments.

******************

"The Horse and his Boy" opens tonight November 6, 2015 8 pm at the Meralco Theater. The run is very limited, only 9 shows on these dates: November 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22, 8 pm shows on Saturdays with 3 pm matinees Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets (P2000, P1700, P1500 and P800) are available via TicketWorld, or through the Trumpets office, phone number 9014364. A check with TicketWorld site this morning shows the tickets are really fast running out already, so hurry up and don't delay further.

November 8, 2015

Back in August 2015, my daughter wanted to watch this Kpop boy group called Infinite. I had absolutely no idea this group even existed before she told me about them. Tickets sales started September 19, and we bought our tickets on the very first day. She gave me links of their videos to watch and played their songs in the car so I can be more familiar with their music. Their songs were very pop, very catchy in beat, not difficult to like.

On concert day November 7, we were in the MOA Arena by about 6:30 pm. The atmosphere there was very festive with a lot of excited girls. There were still a lot of fans in the lobby because they were not yet admitting people into the VIP sections until 7 pm. My daughter wanted to buy a baller for a friend, but this was already sold out by the time we got there. Some fans were lining up to buy some expensive soda (P150 a glass!) to be able to get a "free" Infinite poster. Some fans were lining up to get a free photo taken at the Pulp booth. Of course, my daughter simply had to line up in both lines as well to get these souvenirs.

While waiting for the concert to begin, they were showing Infinite music videos on the big screens. Fans were already singing along and screaming whenever the face of their favorite Infinite guy was on screen. By 8 pm, the house lights promptly dimmed and the official Infinite Effect tour teaser was projected on the screen. Fans were screaming like crazy with their official lightsticks. The concert was beginning on time!

From the start, Infinite immediately sang four consecutive fast dance hits: BTD, PARADISE (VIDEO), BE MINE (VIDEO), and the song that first grabbed my attention about this group, DESTINY (VIDEO). Infinite is noted for their synchronicity when dancing and it was really very evident. It was a bit awkward to see one of them, Hoya (Lee Howon), sitting out these hard core dance songs there on the right side of the stage. My daughter said he had a foot injury recently hence this odd arrangement. He still sang his parts, but it was obvious he was itching to dance.

They had their obligatory opening spiel, with each boy addressing the audience with their some Tagalog (which of course thrilled the fans) and their limited English. They mostly spoke in Korean, depending on a female interpreter to get their message across. However, the sound system was not so clear in our part of the Arena, so I honestly cannot understand much of what anybody was saying onstage. However, the true fans there, including my daughter, seemed very excited nevertheless whatever it was they said.

After their group ballad number LOVE LETTER (VIDEO), the next set featured individual and smaller group numbers. This started with EVERY DAY (a solo by blond-haired Nam Woohyun). This was followed by the energetic hip hop-flavored song PRETTY by INFINITE H, composed of Hoya and the hyperactive Jang Dongwoo). Too bad Hoya cannot move normally here, but Dongwoo regaled the fans with his athleticism. The next was a solo by the serious and mature-looking Kim Sunggyu called KONTROL (VIDEO). A trio dubbed INFINITE F, composed of the the crowd favorite Myungsoo, tall and lanky Lee Sungyeol and the very boyish Lee Sungjong, followed with their own hit number, HEARTBEAT.

The boys sang a few more newer songs and engaged the audience more closely before they bade the audience their individual goodbyes. I was impressed that some of them really tried to say some Tagalog sentences, not just words! They ended their main set with three consecutive hits: BACK (VIDEO), THE CHASER (VIDEO) and BAD (VIDEO).

When they came back after the calls for an encore, they had another fast song COME BACK AGAIN. Their final song of the whole concert was a tender ballad called TOGETHER. After that song, they made their final bows and bid their final goodbyes amidst the shower of silver confetti falling on them.

November 22, 2015

Late last year, I bought tickets on the afternoon of the first day of ticket sales, and already failed to get the section I preferred. Anyhow, I got good enough seats for my purposes. If you see the poster, the tickets prices were not too high )nothing Madonna 58K-crazy!), so this concert set for May 10, 2015 quickly sold out.

By December 7, 2014 though, there was a surprising announcement of a postponement of this much awaited concert. Sam Smith posted a message online to explain that he had "serious issues" with his vocal cords that needed to be addressed by an American specialist. He adds that this is "horrible" for him and he is truly very sorry. Tickets for the original date will be honored for the new date yet to be announced. By July 15, 2015, the new date was confirmed to be November 21, 2015.

************

We reached the Arena about 7:30 pm. It was different this time. Instead of everyone entering the venue via the entrance on Coral Way like all the previous concerts I had been to before, some of us were diverted to walk all the way around the building to enter via the Marina Way. It was my first time to see that part of the MOA Arena.

When we reached our seats, there was a lone DJ on stage playing electronica mixes. I recognized "Need You Tonight" by INXS as one of the songs in the mix. It was not yet 8 pm yet this front act was already playing. His set ended by about 8:15 pm. He did not speak anytime during his performance. I did not even hear him introduce himself.

Sam Smith on the Screen

By about 9 pm, the house lights dimmed and the show was about to begin. There were flashes of light on the stage whenever Sam Smith's distinct tenor voice started to sing. The first three songs he sang were not too familiar to me but they were very catchy just the same: "Life Support,""Together"and"Leave Your Lover."

In his spiel, he mentioned he about his cancellation, which is why this night is a "specially special night" so intends to sing harder than he does. Since Smith only has one album so far, it was not surprising that some fans knew ALL his songs by heart, singing along with every lyric. Then as the light turned red with designs on the floor, we hear the strains of "I'm Not the Only One," a song that went to #3 in the UK and #5 in the US. The whole audience was singing along with him the whole time during this well-loved song.

Sam Smith candidly told us a lot of personal stories behind the songs in his debut album "In the Lonely Hour", an album that signified himself being as honest as he could in the language of music. He called this album "a diary of mine." The next song is the first "really honest honest song" he wrote, "I've Told You Now." The next song I have not heard before, but it was really rousing and uplifting, "Nirvana." His signature vocals, head tones, and runs were all so especially on point in these poignant songs.

The next two songs were familiar upbeat songs that Smith had. He does not really dance too much in these songs, just like Rick Astley did back then in his upbeat songs. Everybody was singing along to catchy chorus of "Like I Can" (VIDEO) and dancing along to the Sam's dance instructions in the super-groovy "Restart." His next number was a medley of R&B covers including "Tears Dry on Their Own" by Amy Winehouse, "Ain't No Mountain HIgh Enough" by Diana Ross and "Le Freak" by Chic, which featured the strong vocals of his three back-up singers. The lighting effects of the stage were spectacular during this medley.

He then slowed down the pace again, singing two songs that he felt are the heart and soul of his debut album. He talked about falling in love with someone who did not love him back, now that he has moved on from this heartbreak, the resulting songs are now not his songs anymore, but his audience's songs already. The first of these songs is the pensive "Not in That Way," which he mixed with Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love" to the audience's delight. The second is the very popular song "Lay Me Down," (VIDEO) his first hit as a solo artist, hitting #15 in the UK and #8 in the US.

Smith upped the tempo again with his infectious next song "La La La," a #1 song in the UK, #19 in the US, credited as Naughty Boy featuring Sam Smith. He ended his regular set with the only song in his album that was not about love, but about another artist he did not like who sang not for passion but for money. The song is "Money on My Mind," another #1 song in the UK. He mixed in a familiar line from Cece Peniston's anthem "Finally" in the final chorus of that song.

The audience clamored for more as the house lights were dimmed. After a while, the keyboardist started to play a slow melody. Sam Smith came out and said that he will sing his 2012 song with Disclosure called "Latch" (VIDEO), his first US Top 10 hit that peaked at #8. He asked everyone to shine their phone lights as he sang a slowed-down version of this hit song. The next song was a letter his "first boyfriend" which drew cheers from his fans, "Make It to Me." He saved his biggest hit for last "Stay with Me" (#1 UK, #2 US). He called the night "amazing" an opinion which I am sure his audience all shared. That last song gained a new meaning as the fans all wanted him to stay on with them.

The Stage Lights were Spectacular!

Concert was finished in little over an hour only. I was a bit disappointed that he did not sing "Writing's on the Wall" from the latest James Bond film "Spectre." Nevertheless, with Sam Smith's candor, friendliness and his soaring vocals, this is surely one of the best,most sincere concerts I have attended ever.

November 29, 2015

"The Secret Garden" is a 1991 musical with Tony-award winning book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon, based on the 1911 novel of the same title by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I know two songs from this show from previous Broadway concerts, but I had never seen the actual musical performed yet. I was excited when I learned it was being staged by Repertory Philippines, and directed by no less than the renowned Anton Juan. Though I had a basic idea what the story of the novel was, I had no inkling on how it would be told as a musical.

A spirited 10-year old English girl living in India was left orphaned by a cholera epidemic, so she had to be brought back to England to live with Sir Archibald Craven, the widower of her mother's sister Lily who died in childbirth. While Mary was haunted by ghosts of her parents and other departed people in their household in India, her uncle is still grief-stricken with the death of his wife several years back. While she spends her days exploring the house, Mary finds her sickly cousin Colin who had been confined to quarters since birth by his uncle Dr. Neville Craven, as well as her aunt Lily's forgotten garden, closed down since her death. While her Uncle Archie was away, Mary sought to help both Colin and the garden recover their vitality.

For what was supposed to be a production aimed for children, the book and music of this show can be too morose and depressing and even creepy for comfort. Those pale-hued antique-looking costumes and the seemingly sheet-covered sets add to the lonely and dreary atmosphere. Throughout the show, there were several slow monotonous, occasionally dissonant, songs being sung by a chorus of ghosts, including dear Aunt Lily herself included in full white lady regalia. Very young kids can get restless or sleepy with some parts of this.

(Photo Credit: Dr. Phil Fernando)

However, what kept the audience riveted were the performances of the talented all-Filipino cast, who never fail to bring even the most foreign of stories into vivid convincing life. Two children lead this cast: Ashlee Factor (as Mary) and Noel Comia Jr. (as Colin). The two kids did very well indeed. Factor had a harder time earning our sympathy since her character Mary was headstrong and disobedient, yet eventually she also won us over with her perseverance and good heart. Comia on the other hand gave a winningly charming performance despite being in a difficult role that required him to be a miserable cripple.

Among the adult cast members, I would cite Caisa Borromeo and her ethereally pristine soprano as the ghost Lily to be the best vocal performance in this show. Her songs were the most melodious of the lot, namely "Come to My Garden" and the exquisitely beautiful "How Will I Ever Know". Lorenz Martinez had a rather drab role in Archibald, but he gets to showcase his tenor my personal favorite song in the show, "Lily's Eyes", a duet with Noel Rayos, who had just the right touch of sinister as Archie's brother, Dr. Neville Craven. Becca Coates in the role of the maid Martha shines in her featured song number "Hold On". There were probably only two upbeat songs sung by young gardener Dickon (a chipper Red Concepcion), that manage to cheer the dark mood up for a while.

All in all, this was a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, transported to aristocratic England. For me, it was worth it just to see "Lily's Eyes" and "How Would I Ever Know" performed live in the proper context within the play. The more eventful second act is more engaging than the somewhat turgid first act. The magical transformation of the generally gray and colorless set and costumes at the end made for a moving final tableaux which will make you smile.

*****************

"The Secret Garden" has five more shows left (Dec. 5 8 pm, Dec. 12 and 13, 3:30 pm and 8 pm) at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices range from P1000 to P500. Check out Ticketworld or call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570.

December 5, 2015

"The Bridges of Madison County" is a popular 1992 novel by Robert James Waller, selling more than 50 million copies worldwide. In 1995, a film version was made starring Hollywood royalty, Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, in the lead roles. In 2013, a musical play was crafted with book by Marsha Norman (who also wrote "The Secret Garden") and music and lyrics by Joseph Robert Brown (who did "The Last Five Years"). Not really too fond of this genre, I was initially not inclined to brave the ever-worsening Makati traffic to go watch it. However, the rave reviews this show got from its first week made it difficult to resist.

From war torn Naples, Italy, young Francesca met American soldier Bud Johnson and decided to go back to the US with him to get married. 18 years and two teenage children later, 1965, Francesca lived a simple farmer's life in remote Winterset, Iowa. One weekend, while the rest of her family was out to the State Fair in the big city for four days, Francesca met a "hippie" National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid who asked her directions to a certain Roseman Bridge which he needed to take pictures of. Feeling an irresistible attraction borne out of her loneliness, Francesca fell deeply in love with Robert and gave in to her passionate desires.

This is a story that would evoke different reactions from men and women. Women see this story as wish-fulfillment for a strong handsome man to sweep them off their feet and rescue them from their humdrum existence. For men though, this is a horror story of what may happen behind their backs if they, as husbands, were not sensitive to their wives' hidden frustrations about their lives. The success of the book and the movie are already proof of the story's connection with its audience. The creation of this musical thirty years after the book came out was further proof of its timeless appeal, mainly for women.

I have long-heard of Joanna Ampil and her singing and acting talents already recognized in the West End in London. However, this is the very first time I was seeing her perform. I was blown away from the very first note that came out from her as she opened the show with her first song "To Build a Home." Her singing was, in a word, glorious. I did not immediately catch that she was Italian as the accent was very subtle, but I did not mind. Ampil was able to fully evoke the loneliness and unhappiness of her character so well that we reluctantly "understand" what she did. This whole show is Ampil's showcase and she carried it with full heart and soul. Francesca Johnson will be her signature role as far as the annals of Philippine theater history is concerned.

Migs Ayesa we first knew from his stint as contestant in the TV search for the new lead singer of INXS. We are fully aware of his soaring rock vocals which he already showed local audiences as the crazy rock star Stacee Jaxx in the Atlantis production of "Rock of Ages." His Robert Kincaid was the ideal paperback romantic hero, a shy silent loner with his sculpted torso who sings well too, the stuff of an insecure husband's nightmares. Ayesa impressibly nailed all his punishing notes down, although his singing voice may tend to be nasal in the higher registers. He also had several effectively quiet moments singing serious sentiments in acapella in songs like "It All Fades Away", which were likewise impressive.

I do not know if this was Nino Alejandro's first major theater production, but he certainly played the role of the cuckolded husband Bud with restraint expected from his inarticulate character, with his open face wordlessly clear of his gradual realizations. His numerous phone call scenes could have been so simple mundane, but with them, Alejandro was able to make us feel his growing anxieties. His featured song “Something from a Dream” was poignantly expressive of his love for his wife.

Neighbors and close friends Charlie (Jamie Wilson) and Marge (Emeline Celis-Guinid) somehow put two and two together when they saw Kincaid's truck parked outside the Johnson farm overnight. These two were a delightfully nosy couple yet they knew their place. Celis-Guinid surprised us with her sultry rendition of a radio love song “Get Closer” in total contrast with the shrill voice of Marge. Wilson can play any character with empathy and homespun charm. He also gets to sing a moving song "When I'm Gone" with Alejandro.

The goings-on of the two Johnson kids, Michael and his rebellious phase (played by Bibo Reyes) and Carolyn and her prize steer (played by MIkkie Bradshaw) were obviously just thrown in to prolong the story, but those petty squabbles between these two tended to make the storytelling a bit messy. There was an additional character, Robert’s ex-wife, Marian, that was not entirely necessary. However, the beautiful Carla Guevara-Laforteza made magic with her one featured song "Another Life”, with guitar playing to boot!

When you first enter the theater, you see a bare stage with a wooden floor and three walls of framed photographs surrounding it. During the course of the play, the company ensemble (Steven Conde, Nel Gomez, Franz Imperial, Yanah Laurel, Abi Sulit and Teetin Villanueva) will be revealing surprises from behind these frames. The props were so simple yet so effective in delineating space and even perspective. You should see how those step ladders become doorways, the refrigerator or Roseman bridge itself. I even like the sink and counter with the realistic carrots. This innovative set design was courtesy of Faust Peneyra.

The songs in this musical were a curious mix of show tunes tinged with Country and Gospel flavors in keeping with its setting in the American heartland. The love songs were quite Pop in style, laced with R&B and Rock. Musical director Ceejay Javier led his orchestra through these various styles. Joseph Robert Brown's style of flight-of-ideas songwriting (which we heard in "The Last Five Years" with mixed results) is clearly dependent on the singer's talents to breathe life and emotion into them. As usual, the Filipino performers rise up to the challenge successfully. Kudos to director Bobby Garcia for another triumphant production!

***************

"The Bridges of Madison County" opened last November 20, 2015 and will be winding up their run on December 6, with two shows at 3 pm and 8 pm. Venue will be at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at the RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Ticket prices from P3000 to P900. Check out Ticketworld.com to buy your tickets.

To get a feel of the music, below is a video of one of the best and most memorable songs from the show, the love duet "One Second and a Million Miles" rendered by the original Broadway stars, Kelli O'Hara and Steven Pasquale:

December 21, 2015

For the year 2015, I had seen and written about 44 theater productions: 12 musicals, 17 full-length plays, 12 one-act plays and 3 experimental productions.

Still, that is only a fraction of everything the very active local theater scene has offered for the general public in the past year. The remarkable array of straight plays of various genre were offered, more than there were musicals. Heavy traffic conditions going to Manila and especially Makati is a very real challenge nowadays. However the passion for witnessing Filipino theater talent and creativity remains a strong incentive for me to catch as many productions as possible. Too bad that I had not been able to see "Time Stands Still,""Saturday Night Fever: The Musical," and "Maniacal" because of schedule conflicts.

I will list here what I feel were the best among those theater shows I have seen and written about for 2015. (My 2014 list was posted HERE.)

I. FILIPINO MUSICALS:

Best: KUNG PAANO AKO NAGING LEADING LADY (My Full Review)

Book by: Carlo Vergara
Music and Lyrics by: Vincent de Jesus
Directed by: Chris Martinez

Mely Moran is a homely hardworking 35-year old woman who gets hired to be the maid of Fuerza Filipinas. Her sister Viva, on the other hand, gets recruited by a nefarious group of supervillains, the Kayumanggilas. Mely and Viva had long been at odds with each other since childhood because of their disparate personalities. However, with this latest and biggest misunderstanding, their unstable and adversarial relationship as sisters results in a conflict that would threaten the very safety of the whole world.

Whatever shortcomings the very complex script may have with all the characters it had to deal with, it is the talent and charisma of the actors that become the crowning conceit of the whole show. Every actor just seemed to embrace their character perfectly, possessing voices that were able to soar with the punishing arrangements. It was one of those rare productions that brought together actors more known for their English plays and those more known for Filipino plays. I found this very exciting.

Other Notable Productions:

Mabining Mandirigma (My Review)
#Popepular (My Review)

Notable Performances:

Bituin Escalante, Kim Molina, Natasha Cabrera, Gianina Ocampo, Nar Cabico and Markki Stroem (Leading Lady), Delphine Buencamino and Antonio Ferrer (Mabini), Vincent Tanada and Cindy Liper (#Popepular), Myramae Meneses (Kanser@35), Cris Villonco (Bituing Walang Ningning), Fred Lo and KL Dizon (Manhid)

II. NON-FILIPINO MUSICALS:

Best: THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (My Full Review)

Book by: Marsha Norman
Music and Lyrics by: Joseph Robert Brown
Director: Bobby Garcia

From war torn Naples, Italy, young Francesca met American soldier Bud Johnson and decided to go back to the US with him to get married. 18 years and two teenage children later, 1965, Francesca lived a simple farmer's life in remote Winterset, Iowa. One weekend, while the rest of her family was out to the State Fair in the city, Francesca met a "National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid who asked her directions to a Roseman Bridge. Feeling an irresistible attraction borne out of her loneliness, Francesca fell deeply in love with Robert and gave in to her passionate desires.

Joanna Ampil was able to fully evoke the loneliness and unhappiness of her character so well that we reluctantly "understand" what she did. This whole show is Ampil's showcase and she carried it with full heart and soul. Francesca Johnson will be her signature role as far as the annals of Philippine theater history is concerned.

Other Notable Productions:

La Cage Aux Folles (My Review)
The Secret Garden (My Review)

*** Foreign Touring Production: Singin' in the Rain (My Review)

Notable Performances:

Joanna Ampil, MiG Ayesa, Nino Alejandro, Emeline Celis-Guinid, Carla Guevara-Laforteza (Bridges), Audie Gemora, Michael de Mesa, Sheila Francisco (La Cage), Caisa Borromeo and Noel Comia Jr. (The Secret Garden)

III. FILIPINO PLAYS:

A. One-Act:

Best: SI MARIA ISABELLA AT ANG GURYON NG MGA TALA (My Full Review)

Written by: Eljay Castro Deldoc

Directed by: Ed Lacson, Jr.

Maria Isabella asks the kite master Sr. Melchor Antebades to make her a kite which could bring her up among the stars, so her love Lorenzo would see her. Sr. Melchor gave her an incredible list of materials she needed to collect all from all over in order to make this kite. Maria Isabella asks her younger friend, a nameless butcher's apprentice, to accompany her on her trip. They never thought that their quest for these materials would take them 60 years!

This script was written by Eljay Castro Deldoc based a book by Dean Francis Alfar entitled "A Kite of Stars" (I have to look for this book!). This was unlike any other play I had seen in the Virgin Labfest before, because of it was a whimsically romantic play for children. It was imaginative the way the fantastic tale was told with puppets and shadowplay. I can totally imagine TP or PETA picking this timeless one-act play up and developing it into a gorgeous full-length production which can run forever to entertain generations of kids for years to come.

Other Notable Productions:

Hintayan sa Langit (My Review)

Notable Performances:

Nonoy Froilan and Edna Vida Froilan (Hintayan sa Langit), Gio Gahol and Acey Aguilar (An Expected), Dido de la Paz and Meann Espinosa (Mapagbirong Haplos)

B. Full-Length: Original Filipino Material or Filipino Adaptation:

Best: MGA BUHAY NA APOY (My Full Review)

Written and Directed by: Kanakan-Balintagos

Leda Santos was very excited that her estranged daughter Aurora Alba was moving back home. To welcome her back, Leda hosted a family get-together in their spacious garden at their mansion in Sampaloc. Invited are Leda's sisters, Lili and Selmah, and their respective families. Leda's artist son Aran was also happy that his sister is coming home, but he was constantly at odds with his mother, even during the party itself. The deeper the night got and the conversations got more intense, long-repressed family secrets all come spilling out, threatening to rip the broken family further apart.

The entire first two acts were but an extended introduction to the main meat of the play in the explosive Act 3. In fact, Act 3 alone is already worth the price of admission for the impressive flow of the dialogue and the array of fine acting on display. Kanakan-Balintagos has written and told an intricate story about how a life full of pain, heartache and suffering in one person affected the life of every person in her immediate family, mixed in with Palawan folklore. This is an uncommonly powerful piece of Filipino theater with distinct ethnic pride.

Other Notable Productions:

The Horse and his Boy (My Review)
# R </3 J (My Review)
Arbol de Fuego (My Review)
Juego del Peligro (My Review)
Noli at Fili Dos Mil (My Review)

Notable Performances:

Irma Adlawan (Mga Buhay na Apoy), Joel Trinidad, Reb Atadero and Cara Barredo (Horse), Roco Sanchez and Francesca Go (# R </3 J), Cherie Gil, Jake Macapagal, Angeli Bayani and Divine Aucina (Arbol), Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino, Arnold Reyes and Adrienne Vergara (Juego), Lucho Ayala, Jack Yabut and Neomi Gonzales (Noli at Fili), Jasmine Curtis Smith, Sarah Facuri and Micah Munoz (No Filter), Jojo Cayabyab (Haring Lear)

IV. NON-FILIPINO PLAYS:

Best: THE NORMAL HEART (My Full Review)

Written by: Larry Kramer
Directed by: Bart Guingona

The setting is 1981 in New York City. Writer Ned Weeks is very distressed that many of his fellow gay friends have been dying of a mysterious disease affecting the immune system. Initial evidence points to promiscuous sexual practices among homosexuals as the possible mode of infection. Ned Weeks begins his aggressive and active educational campaign. However, the gay community of that time, including Ned's friends, was very resistant to this idea of changing their habits. The government was not inclined to help in their marginalized cause as the death toll continued to rise.

The caliber of the acting in this ensemble piece of theater was astounding. Every actor in the eight-member cast had their big difficult dramatic moment which they attacked with such deep-seated emotional ferocity. You can feel the boiling frustration within Ned Weeks with Bart Guingona's raw and passionate performance.You can witness the gradual withering away of Felix Turner from a vibrant bon vivant into a pale white ghost with Topper Fabregas' sensitively delicate performance. Roselyn Perez, as polio-stricken, wheelchair-bound Dr. Emma Brookman, gave such a tour de force performance, unforgettable in its sheer bravado, seething with pulsating anger.

Other Notable Productions:

33 Variations (My Review)
4000 Miles (My Review)
This is Our Youth (My Review)

Notable Performances:

Jef Flores (This is Our Youth, 4000 Miles), Bart Guingona, Topper Fabregas, Richard Cunanan, TJ Trinidad and Roselyn Perez (Normal Heart), Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino and Teroy Guzman (33 Variations), Jamie Wilson and Jeremy Domingo (Run for Your Wife), Nicco Manalo (This is Our Youth), Baby Barredo (4000 Miles)

January 22, 2016

Here are the Hot 100 Singles of 2015 as ranked by Billboard Magazine. This year-end recaps are based on Billboard Hot 100 chart performance during between the Dec. 6, 2014 and Nov. 28, 2015-dated charts. This is a list of last year's most popular songs across all genres, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions and sales data as measured and compiled by Nielsen Music, and streaming activity data provided by online music sources.

1UPTOWN FUNK!, Mark Ronson Ftg. Bruno Mars (#1 for 14 weeks, Jan - Apr)
2THINKING OUT LOUD, Ed Sheeran (#2, Jan)
3SEE YOU AGAIN, Wiz Khalifa Ftg. Charlie Puth (#1 for 6 weeks, Apr - May)
4TRAP QUEEN, Fetty Wap (#2, May)
5SUGAR, Maroon 5 (#2, Mar)
6SHUT UP AND DANCE, Walk the Moon (#4, May)
7BLANK SPACE, Taylor Swift (#1 fr 7 weeks, Nov 2014 - Jan)
8WATCH ME, Silento (#3, Jul)
9EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY), The Weeknd (#3, May)
10THE HILLS, The Weeknd (#1 for 6 weeks, Oct - Nov)

11CHEERLEADER, OMI (#1 for 5 weeks, non-consec, Jul - Sep)
12CAN'T FEEL MY FACE, The Weeknd (#1 for 3 weeks, non-consec, Aug - Sep)
13LOVE ME LIKE YOU DO, Ellie Goulding (#3, Mar)
14TAKE ME TO CHURCH, Hozier (#2, Dec - Jan)
15BAD BLOOD, Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar (#1 for 1 week, Jun)
16LEAN ON, Major Lazer & DJ Snake Featuring M0 (#4, Aug)
17WANT TO WANT ME, Jason Derulo (#5, Jun)
18SHAKE IT OFF, Taylor Swift (#1 for 4 weeks, non-consec, Sep -Nov 2014)
19WHERE ARE U NOW, Skrillex & Diplo With Justin Bieber (#8, Jul)
20FIGHT SONG, Rachel Platten (#6, Aug)

21679, Fetty Wap Featuring Remy Boyz (#4, Oct)
22LIPS ARE MOVIN, Meghan Trainor (#4, Dec 2014)
23WORTH IT, Fifth Harmony Featuring Kid Ink (#12, Jul)
24POST TO BE, Omarion Featuring Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko (#13, Dec 2014)
25HONEY, I'M GOOD., Andy Grammer (#9, Jun)
26I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, Sam Smith (#5, Dec 2014)
27GOOD FOR YOU, Selena Gomez Featuring A$AP Rocky (#5, Oct)
28ALL ABOUT THAT BASS, Meghan Trainor (#1 for 8 weeks, Sep - Nov 2014)
29STYLE, Taylor Swift (#6, Mar)
30HOTLINE BLING, Drake (#2, Oct)

31HEY MAMA, David Guetta Featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack (#8, Jun)
32G.D.F.R., Flo Rida Featuring Sage The Gemini & Lookas (#8, Apr)
33WHAT DO YOU MEAN?, Justin Bieber (#1 for 1 week, Sep)
34PHOTOGRAPH, Ed Sheeran (#10, Sep)
35HELLO, Adele (#1 for 10 weeks, Nov - Jan 2016)
36STITCHES, Shawn Mendes (#4, Nov)
37TALKING BODY, Tove Lo (#12, Feb)
38JEALOUS, Nick Jonas (#7, Jan)
39TIME OF OUR LIVES, Pitbull & Ne-Yo (#9, Mar)
40LOCKED AWAY, R. City Featuring Adam Levine (#6, Oct)

41SOMEBODY, Natalie La Rose Featuring Jeremih (#10, Apr)
42FOURFIVESECONDS, Rihanna & Kanye West & Paul McCartney (#4, Feb)
43CENTURIES, Fall Out Boy (#10, Feb)
44MY WAY, Fetty Wap Featuring Monty (#7, Aug)
45TAKE YOUR TIME, Sam Hunt (#20, Apr)
46ANIMALS, Maroon 5 (#3, Nov 2014)
47I DON'T F**K WITH YOU, Big Sean Featuring E-40 (#11, Nov 2014)
48B**** BETTER HAVE MY MONEY, Rihanna (#15, Jul)
49FLEX (OOH OOH OOH), Rich Homie Quan (#26, Jul)
50NASTY FREESTYLE, T-Wayne (#9, May)

51ONLY, Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown
52ELASTIC HEART, Sia
53COOL FOR THE SUMMER, Demi Lovato
54RENEGADES, X Ambassadors
55I DON'T MIND, Usher Featuring Juicy J
56LOVE ME HARDER, Ariana Grande & The Weeknd
57WILDEST DREAMS, Taylor Swift (#5, Nov)
58STAY WITH ME, Sam Smith
59YOU KNOW YOU LIKE IT, DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge
60UMA THURMAN, Fall Out Boy

617/11, Beyonce
62THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS, Selena Gomez
63GIRL CRUSH, Little Big Town
64SLOW MOTION, Trey Songz
65DRAG ME DOWN, One Direction (#3, Aug)
66TRUFFLE BUTTER, Nicki Minaj Featuring Drake & Lil Wayne
67ONE LAST TIME, Ariana Grande
68CHAINS, Nick Jonas
69ALL EYES ON YOU, Meek Mill Featuring Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj
70NO TYPE, Rae Sremmurd

71RIPTIDE, Vance Joy
72CLASSIC MAN, Jidenna Featuring Roman GianArthur
73EX'S & OH'S, Elle King (#10, Nov)
74DEAR FUTURE HUSBAND, Meghan Trainor
75MARVIN GAYE, Charlie Puth Featuring Meghan Trainor
76LIKE I'M GONNA LOSE YOU, Meghan Trainor Featuring John Legend (#8, Dec)
77HABITS (STAY HIGH), Tove Lo
78THE HANGING TREE, James Newton Howard Featuring Jennifer Lawrence
79COCO, O.T. Genasis
80BANG BANG, Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

81LAY ME DOWN, Sam Smith
82TUESDAY, I LOVE MAKONNEN Featuring Drake
83HIT THE QUAN, iLoveMemphis
84DOWNTOWN, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz
85HOUSE PARTY, Sam Hunt
86AYO, Chris Brown & Tyga
87KICK THE DUST UP, Luke Bryan
88BLESSINGS, Big Sean Featuring Drake
89BUDAPEST, George Ezra
90CHANDELIER, Sia

91HEARTBEAT SONG, Kelly Clarkson
92DON'T, Ed Sheeran
93GHOST, Ella Henderson
94HERE, Alessia Cara
95WAVES, Mr. Probz
96EL PERDON (FORGIVENESS), Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias
97SHE KNOWS, Ne-Yo Featuring Juicy J
98NIGHT CHANGES, One Direction
99BACK TO BACK, Drake
100HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE, Calvin Harris & Disciples

January 24, 2016

Thanks to my daughter, I have seen my third K-Pop concert within the last 10 months! First it was "Best of Best" (with Super Junior and Girls Generation) last April, then Infinite last November, and now this one. I thought the start of the promotion of this concert was so good. Flyers announcing it were distributed to still giddy fans coming out of the Infinite concert at the MOA Arena.

The excitement was so high such that seats quickly ran out during the pre-sale for Globe subscribers the day before the actual public sale! Consequently, I was only able to get front row Gen Ad tickets at the extreme side (Section 517). Due to public clamor, a second concert day was opened to accommodate thousands of disappointed fans (much like that of One Direction and Madonna).

I had to take a leave from work that whole Saturday in order to do my chaperone duties. That morning, my daughter had a volleyball match in a school in Manila with her varsity team. From there, after a quick takeout lunch, we went directly to SM MOA area already, together with my son who was going to experience his first KPop concert. Traffic was not as bad as we were afraid of, so we got there in less than an hour.

Fan Merchandise and Giveaways

There were already so many girls also walking around wearing their EXO shirts, proudly displaying their EXO stuff. It turns out that my daughter had prizes to pick up from various fan group raffles she joined on Twitter. These giveaways were scattered all around the MOA from the E-Com Center to the main mall to the Arena itself. It felt like we joined an scavenger hunt walking around looking for these meetups -- exhausting for the senior chaperone, haha!

We ate an early dinner by 5:30 pm before heading off to the Arena. Of course, there were already so many people there. It was only past 7 pm before they allowed fans to enter the concert venue proper. The last fans allowed to enter were the ones in the standing room VIP sections around the large stage set up on the floor. The fans were really very very high with anticipation. They were cheering every video that was shown on the screens -- from S.M. Production ads as well as MOA Arena concert rules VTR.

Ocean of Silver

By 8 pm, the house lights dimmed and the venue became a shining ocean of silver lights. The official elaborate space-themed concert intro video began to play accompanied by the fangirls' screaming pandemonium reverberating all over.

The boys entered the stage wearing gold coats over white shirts and black pants. The opening salvo was a trio of big hits "Overdose,""History" and their new hit from 2015 "El Dorado." From the get-go, we already got a dose of the problems which we will plague our concert experience for the rest of the night.

One, the sound quality in our section was terrible. I barely hear anything from the boys at all. I can only recognize songs when the audience was singing the words along. The loud singing of the crowd also made the boys' singing practically inaudible in our area.

Second, the fans in the back row of the Upper Box in front of us were very inconsiderate. Instead of staying on their seats, these girls ran over to the stairwell in front of them and covered our only view of the projection screen. No amount of shouting at them by the entire Gen Ad section behind me would make them budge until most of them sat down much later in the show. A particularly stubborn and shameless girl with a brown backpack and iPad NEVER sat down. Not a few people around me were taunting her to jump. A few wanted to throw her water bottles to hit her, but no one actually dared.

The first time the boys lined up onstage to talk to the audience, the sound problem and our inability to see them close up on the big screen continued to plague our enjoyment of the show. We barely heard them speak. To make matters worse, the female English interpreter had a thin squeaky (think Mickey Mouse) which was unintelligible as well. I personally did not understand anything said in these spiels, and there were four of them throughout the show. I only saw their faces in the last one, just before the show ended, only because by then those pesky girls in front of us had already sat down.

CHEN

CHANYEOL

The following numbers (like "Don't Go" and the set following it) were danced in the hexagonal stage at the end of the long catwalk from the main stage. The audience was enthralled by the elevating sections of that stage and the colorful lights show further enhancing those songs. The boys paired off by twos in various parts of the stage and had spot dance routines with each other.

The dancing, the stage design and the lights were amazing, but unfortunately the singing could not be heard clearly from where we were. Ending this section in a unique fashion was the gentle ballad "My Answer," sung by D.O. and Suho with Baekhyun playing the piano on a small stage that moved around the main stage.

BAEKHYUN

SUHO

During the break, the boys changed into dark red coats and black shirts underneath. Unfortunately for us, we hardly saw this next set of songs (like "The Star" and "Exodus") because they were being performed on a tiered metal frame located deep on the main stage. The tickets of these seats beside the stage with partially obstructed views should really be sold at a lower price that the other seats in that level. It is not definitely not the same concert experience here on the fringes.

For the next set, the boys came out wearing funny-looking red Mickey Mouse-like ears, singing songs like "XOXO". Of course, the girls in the audience found it all very cute. I was chuckling to myself as I wonder what the boys themselves really feel like during this section of the show. After this, there was slight break when the boys teased their female fans by changing their brown shirts into white t-shirts behind a white screen on center stage. They then charged out of the screen in a rain of golden confetti, and sang a couple more songs. Then went to sing some Christmas-themed songs, like "Miracles of December."

KAI

XIUMIN

The next segment of the show was the most visually spectacular. There was this diamond-like metallic pod that Chen entered in the middle of the hexagonal stage. Then he DJ'ed renditions of high energy remixes of hits like "Drop That" and "Let Out the Beast" among others that had the audience jumping. The lighting of the stage during that part was psychadelic and exciting. Too bad the sound quality of the audio never improved.

In the next segment of the show, the boys changed into grey-striped coats over a white t-shirt and black pants or shorts. The next three big hit songs "Call Me Baby", "Growl" (VIDEO) and "Love Me Right" (VIDEO) were accompanied with some very nifty dance moves. This was my personal favorite part of the concert.

SEHUN

D.O.

The boys came back on stage to say more messages to their fans. Mercifully, we can now see their faces on the big screen because those inconsiderate girls in front of us (except the brown backpack girl) sat down on the floor. It was only now that I can see their faces more clearly and take photographs of them.

They sang "Sing for You" and a couple more ballads and suddenly, without warning, it was already the end of the show. You will see what obstruction I mean when you watch the video. It was really very annoying. However, I did not realize this part was already the encore part of the show. The final song "Angel" was the final song of the whole show. There was a big shower of confetti all over the theater to mark the end of another extravagant and very successful Kpop show.

Final Shower of Confetti

As this show ended, I was impressed with the boys' skill in dancing and the elaborate production value. Too bad though that I was not actually able to hear them sing. I was disappointed how this show turned out for us up there in Section 517. Actually we had the same bad experience when we watched the NKOTBSB show in approximately the same place, and barely heard the music nor the singing.

Therefore we conclude that we should never again watch a show in those nether-sections presumably behind the speakers of the SM-MOA Arena. I wonder if the Arena technicians are aware of this sound issue which apparently never addressed all these years. The price of those seats are the same as the other seats in Gen Ad and so people there should hear the same thing everyone hears around the whole Arena.

February 7, 2016

As their followup to the phenomenal success of "Rak of Aegis" which ran for two hundred shows (or even more), PETA decided to mine the musical and lyrical legacy of another iconic Filipino artist -- hip hop legend Francis Magalona. Decidedly, the subject matter of FrancisM's rap songs are very serious social and political commentary which makes it a natural fit with PETA's socio-educational advocacies. The title alone announces proudly the nationalistic fervor of this play.

It is 2096 and what is left of the Philippines is contained within the confines of a metal dome called the "Stormdome". Led by their ruler Grand Vidame Inky, the rich live in clean and white comfort in Lumino City. The poor live in dank and dirty darkness in the bowels of Diliman City, scavenging and recycling the garbage of the elite. Those caught plotting against the ruling class though would lose all their memories via a cruel process called "reconditioning".

A rebel group called Tropang Gising led by the feisty Sol plot on overthrowing the Grand Vidame to reverse the status quo. Inky's children, the impulsive Chino and the idealistic Diane were also coming to their own respective realizations about their mom and her ruling style. One fateful day, these young people meet Mang Okik, a mad ancient hermit who knew Inky's father Rasputin, the old man tells them about the Philippines and her heroes they never knew, before the Stormdome was ever built.

Vidame Inky sings "Mga Kababayan Ko"

The unnerving action begins during the National Anthem itself. While the audience was singing, taser-toting guards of Lumino (called Protektanods) were ordering us to stop singing. It is not common that we see a dystopian play in Filipino, so the futuristic setting and culture they present was very interesting. The starkly and diametrically contrasting fashion sense of the rival cities, white vs. black, was a bold statement in itself.

Thankfully, the language was not as exclusive for each city. All the characters in both Lumino and Diliman knew how to talk in Filipino, as well as in English. Those in Lumino though were more comfortable in speaking English, but they were not averse to speaking in Filipino, accented with twang as it may be. Having to sing the songs of Francis M made it necessary for the citizens in both cities to be well-versed in both Filipino and English.

Sol and Diane sing "Kaleidoscope World"

Myke Salomon, who won accolades from his first stint as Musical Director for "Rak of Aegis," is bound to earn more recognition for this project with his inventive re-arrangement of the Francis M songbook. I admit I was not too familiar with all the FrancisM songs used in this play. "Mga Kababayan Ko" was a rousing opening song number. "Kaleidoscope World" became a lullaby which would be a key to remember erased memories. "Meron Akong Ano,""Ito Ang Gusto Ko" and other less familiar raps and ballads were given a striking new arrangement as conversations involving different characters, either duets, quartets or as an ensemble. The cast were all very good in both singing, rapping and acting aspects.

Gold Villar gave an impressively strong and athletic performance as Sol. Her female perspective on this role will definitely be different from the attack of her male alternate for the same role, Nicco Manalo. Manalo had previously done a rap musical with a political tone before in Tanghalang Pilipino's "Kleptomaniacs," also playing a poor guy from a squalid neighborhood.

Raffy Tejada gave a very moving performance as Mang Okik, laced with just the right amount of humor. (His alternate is another theater veteran Bodjie Pascua.) His history lesson scene was truly a critical turning point in the narrative of this play.

John Moran had a very strong tenor which he put to great use in his role as Poy. His scene mourning the loss of a dear friend was heartbreaking with his plaintive Filipino-reworded version of "Cold Summer Nights". (His alternate is Nar Cabico.)

Chino, Vidame Inky and Diane

Che Ramos-Cosio was beautiful yet imperious as Vidame Inky. I saw her first in an indie film "Mariquina" and as a supporting character in Red Turnips'"Rabbit Hole". Here she really breaks loose with a powerful and memorable performance. (Her alternate is Carla Guevara-Laforteza, whom I have not seen in a Filipino play before, so that should be interesting.)

Justine Pena was the voice of our conscience as Inky's frustrated daughter Diane and she was able to earn our sympathy for her plight. (Her alternate is Giannina Ocampo, who should also do very well.)

Ever-reliable Gio Gahol debuts in this show as Inky's brash son Chino. His best moment was "Living in the Wild," a powerful rap duet with his sister Diane which Gahol and Pena nailed so well. (His alternate is Paolo Valenciano.)

In smaller roles in this show were: Jef Flores (as Winston), Gab Pangilinan (as Chelsea), Jet Barrun (as Nazty), Lee Viloria (as Kat), Roi Calilong (as Bogs), Gimbey dela Cruz (as Yaya) with Yesh Burce and Ian Segarra rounding up the ensemble list. Alternating in these roles are: Norbs Portales, Anj Heruela, Anna Luna, EJ Pepito, Jason Barcial, Nica Santiago, Raflesia Bravo, and Lance Busa, respectively.

Being educated by Mang Okik

The first thing you notice upon entering the theater is the imposing scaffolding of metal occupying the stage reaching all the way up to the ceiling. This was a grand brainchild of production designer Gino Gonzales. The lighting design of Ian Torqueza was very haunting and cinematic, particularly during the climax and denouement in the final act. Multi-talented Delphine Buencamino was responsible for the energetic choreography. Teresa Barrozo handled the sound chores creditably as always.

The pacing of the storytelling in Act 1 was rather slow on the build up, and you may feel the lag. However, when the character of Mang Okik came on the stage and gave his history lesson, the story becomes clearer and you will realize with awe how big this whole scenario is. The whole Act 2 will keep you on the edge of your seat up to that explosive climax, when the audience exploded into spontaneous applause.

Director Nor Domingo successfully achieved the futuristic vision of visionary writers Mixkaela Villalon and Rody Vera, with the music and lyrics of Francis M fitting right in perfectly. The patriotic message it proclaimed was unmistakable, clear as crystal. Big kudos to cast and crew for another audacious and timely production!

The Final Tableau

February 8, 2016

Since I was younger, I am a big fan of detective books and films, from the Hardy Boys to Agatha Christie to Arthur Conan Doyle. That was why when Repertory Philippines announced that their first play for this their 49th season was a whodunit-comedy entitled "The Game's Afoot" (written by Ken Ludwig and first staged in 2011), I was excited to go see it. However, because of busy schedules at work, I was only able to watch it yesterday, on its very last day of the run.

William Gillette was a stage actor best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the 1930s. He was injured by a real gunshot during the curtain call of his final performance in New York. So while convalescing from his injury, Gillette invited a few friends over for a Christmas Eve dinner at his isolated Connecticut mansion. When an actual murder happens that evening, Gillette literally donned his Sherlock Holmes garb to figure out who the killer is.

The guest list include William's mother Martha and William's co-stars in his latest play - veterans Felix and Madge Geisel, the debonair Simon Bright and the ingenue Aggie Wheeler. The plot thickens when vicious gossip-mongering reporter Daria Chase makes an appearance. As expected there was a lot of witty repartee and puzzling plot twists to make this a pretty engaging and entertaining, albeit old-fashioned, ensemble play.

The Cast

Seated: Joy Virata, Paul Holme, Pinky Amador

Standing: Pineda, Eckstein, Domingo, Flores

(photo from Rep Phil FB page)

I think Paul Holme could do parts like William Gillette blindfolded already. He was so much into Gillette's skin, it felt like he was actually playing himself as he snugly fit into that Sherlock Holmes cape. Jeremy Domingo is so comfortable in these bumbling best-friend roles like Felix, much like his character in "Run for Your Wife", only wearing a tux this time. Jay Glorioso is cozily doing these mother roles once exclusively Joy Virata's turf. (Ms. Virata actually alternates in this role.) It was fun to finally see Hans Eckstein play a numbskull character like Simon.

I did not recognize Pinky Amador as she arrogantly strutted onstage as the arch, bitchy and scandalous Darla Chase. Ms. Amador can really transform into these interesting characters she picks, as she always had in her other plays like "August Osage County" and "Piaf." That role that the juiciest lines and the most surprising (and hilariously macabre) scenes. This was truly the centerpiece role of the whole play, and Ms. Amador absolutely commanded it.

The rest of the roles were filled by promising newer names: Mica Pineda (as Aggie), Christine Flores (as Madge) and Natalie Everett (as the Inspector). Pineda and Flores looked and acted very convincingly as glamourous Broadway stars of the 1930s. Ms. Everett looked so awkward and unlikely as a pioneering female detective (which may be how the role was originally described), but she got to deliver some pretty funny lines as this cop was also a frustrated actress.

The spectacular set for the opulent Gillette mansion

I felt this play was also very interesting because the story involved theater people and their quirks and idiosyncrasies. Since I write about theater, one line by Martha Gillette really stood out for me. "She's cruel. She's evil. She is a theater critic, you know." This line had me laughing out loud like a crazy person. Subtle wit like this is truly hard to come by these days.

This is the type of play that only Repertory Philippines can deliver so well. As evidenced by the near full house in yesterday afternoon's final matinee show, there is still a healthy market for these traditional genres of theater. The Rep is approaching 50 seasons of existence, and it remains to be relevant today. This is despite the emergence of more modern and much edgier theater fare in Manila's very vibrant theater scene now, itself a fruit of Repertory's pioneering efforts.

***************

As a bonus for watching yesterday afternoon's finale show, we were also able to see and hear Rep stalwarts Joy Virata and Baby Barredo pay tribute to the late Ms. Zenaida Amador, whose 83rd birth anniversary they celebrated yesterday. It was Ms. Amador and her signature brand of theater discipline who raised Repertory Philippines up from its shaky birth to the institution it is now. It was interesting to hear Ms. Virata estimate that probably 70% of local Filipino theater actors/crew members became part of Repertory Philippines.

February 25, 2016

She is an artist whom fans in our country had been wanting to see for the past thirty years. When it was announced middle of last year that Madonna was finally coming to the Manila for a concert, everyone got very excited. The extravagant P58,000 per seat in the VIP section apparently did not matter. The February 24 date quickly sold out. Just like the One Direction and the EX-O concerts before it, a second date was also opened on February 25.

On concert day itself, the MOA Arena was full of very excited fans of all ages, but mostly children of the 80s and 90s whose long wait to see their Queen of Pop was finally becoming a reality tonight. There were fans who dressed up for the occasion. I saw girls who wore the "True Blue" look, the "Cherish" look, the "Like a Virgin" look. I also saw guys who wore "Take a Bow" matador coats, as well as several transvestites who came in very daring "Express Yourself"-style drag outfits.

By 8:30 pm, a lady DJ named #DJMaryMac took to the stage to warm up the audience. Whenever she played songs from the 80s, notably Whitney's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", everybody got excited and even sang loudly along. However, most of the songs she played were of the modern EDM genre. In fact by the one hour mark, people began to get impatient when her set began to last so much longer than typical front acts. Her set ended 1-1/2 hours later at about 10 pm! As her table and gear were being dismantled to clear the stage, a voice announced that we will have to wait 30 minutes more before the show will begin. A loud groan was heard from the audience, and people started to file out of the theater for a snack or souvenir or a trip to the bathroom.

By about 10:45 pm, the house lights were finally dimmed and people started to scream loudly. I personally felt like I had butterflies in my stomach much like I was about to have a big plunge drop on a roller coaster. The anticipation was quite exhilarating at that point.

The opening song"Iconic"(from the "Rebel Heart" album) was the most elaborate concert production number I have ever witnessed, where Madonna entered in a glittery cage. From that opening number alone, you can already see that this will not be an ordinary concert in terms of its elaborate lights, its colorful costumes, its innovative stage design and props, its complex choreography. This was followed by another song from the last album, "Bitch I’m Madonna"(VIDEO) with its Japanese flavor and racy language. With this song, we are already warned that this concert will still be Rated R. Madonna's age of 57 did not mean jher mouth had mellowed in terms of attracting controversy.

Her very early hit "Burning Up" followed next, with Madonna playing an electric guitar centerstage. The next song "Holy Water" had those Catholic images which had long been Madonna's favorite whipping boy. The stage had four poles (which just had to have crossbars near the top) and her dance mates were four dancers dressed like nuns. Her big hit "Vogue" was thrown into the mix to the delight of the audience. This set ended with "Devil Pray" where Madonna was writhing on the floor of the raised stage with her hands tied together by a red rope.

After an interlude with some elaborate special effects of air and fire, the next set had Madonna and her dancers in an auto mechanic shop in another big dance showcase "Body Shop." She then addressed the surprised audience with a spiel generously peppered with "M-F" bombs! She even wanted the audience to answer her questions with a "F - yeah!" She then took up her ukulele and sang her sweet old song "True Blue". This segued to an energetic rendition of one of my personal favorite upbeat songs, "Deeper And Deeper".

A metallic spiral staircase appeared over the heart-shaped stage and Madonna performed the dramatic "HeartBreakCity" with one of her male dancers, ending in an impassioned "Love Don’t Live Here Anymore." This set ended with a simple version of her classic signature song "Like A Virgin" but this one had everyone on their feet singing and dancing along. The big productions were reserved for the newer songs she is promoting.

The next interlude had four beds with four couples doing those sexy suggestive moves to the sultry songs "Justify My Love" and "S.E.X."

Madonna and crew came out in Spanish matador-inspired costumes to perform "Living For Love". This dissolved into another sweet classic"La Isla Bonita" (VIDEO). She walked to the heart stage, put on her acoustic guitar and unexpectedly sang what I thought was her most obscure #1 song, "Who’s That Girl." The next song again had everyone up on their feet dancing and singing at the top of their voices-- "Like a Prayer"! She was very effusive with her thanks to the audience before she sang the title song of the tour "Rebel Heart."

The next interlude set to the tune of"Illuminati" had the dancers in tuxedos with coat tails. But what set this number apart were the dancers on tall poles who were bravely swaying in all directions. That act was truly breathtaking to witness.

Renditions of #1 hit "Music" and "Candy Shop" (from the "Hard Candy" album) followed with a 1920s nightclub setting and costumes. Another classic hit "Material Girl" was sung on a hydraulic stage with lighting effects. She then took a small bouquet and threw it to the audience. A girl named Zorina (?) caught it. I thought Mads would call her up on stage, but oddly this did not happen. Madonna then sat on a raised mini-stage in the middle of the central stage, and surprised the audience by solidly singing a French torch song "La Vie en Rose."

Her dancers then escorted a tall blonde-wigged transvestite chosen from the audience to dance "Unapologetic Bitch" with the Gay Icon herself. After the number, Madonna chatted with her giddy guest, who called herself "Super Starlet" (VIDEO). Again, the conversation took a raunchy turn when Madonna naughtily gave Super Starlet a banana and a straw as gift souvenirs. Then the words "Bye Bitch" was shown onscreen, and everyone just cleared out of the stage without warning.

The house lights were not yet being turned on, so the audience knew there would be another song at least to end the show. It would be her joyous early hit "Holiday." Madonna courted controversy here by wrapping a Philippine flag around her waist while dancing. I was really hoping the flag would not touch the floor as it dangerously swayed down so closely. She eventually gave the flag to one of the dancers. These dancers would later display the flag horizontally with red side up, which they corrected promptly, thankfully. The song ended with Madonna being lifted upwards by a cable, where she bid her final goodbyes. The show ended at exactly 1 am, making it the latest show I have ever seen.

This would count as one of the most unforgettable concerts I have seen, and you know I have seen a lot. The lights, graphics, stage design, choreography were out of this world. (I know I should already expect anything from Madonna, but the bad language can still be sort of off-putting, until you eventually get used it being repeated so often throughout the show, up to her very final words while hanging on the cable.) Her vocals were not really the highlight here, but it was her grandiose showmanship and her one-of-a-kind artistic vision joyously celebrated in her music and dance. This extravagant and ostentatious show of the Queen was indeed worth the 32 year wait!

POSTSCRIPT: The concert on Day 2 followed the same order of songs, except for two significant changes. Instead of singing "Who's That Girl" and "Like a Prayer", Madonna sang a medley of "Dress You Up/Into the Groove/Lucky Star" and, in celebration of EDSA Revolution Day, a song she said she has never sung live for 30 years "CRAZY FOR YOU"!

February 27, 2016

The Red Turnips new show is being staged in a new theater venue, the Power Mac Center Spotlight Theater, which is located on the second floor of Circuit Lane in Circuit Makati. The venue is elongated with the audience seated on two parallel rows along the horizontal axis of the room with the stage in the middle. There was one main hexagonal raised stage in the middle of the room, with several smaller "stages" scattered on either side. There were nylon cords creating a web around the area occupied by the stages. The whole area is bathed in blue light.

I always look forward to new productions by Red Turnip because the plays they choose to stage are very challenging -- both for the actors to perform and for the audience to take in and digest. This new show "Constellations" definitely fits that mold. This play had only two actors and the words the exchange in their conversations to hold your attention for 80 full minutes straight, hardly anything else. And boy, how they nailed this. My attention was not only held, it was riveted.

The synopsis is very simple, deceptively so. Marianne is an astrophysicist. Roland is a beekeeper. They meet at a party. They fall in love and live together. They deal with various problems life throws at them, from affairs to mortality. This was told in little episodes, not in chronological order. It will be up to you to figure out what their real personalities are. It will be up to you piece the whole story together.

From the very first scene, you will instantly see how this play was going to be different from anything. The same lines were repeated over and over. However, there would be different responses to the same question. There would be different emotions and voice inflections to accompany the same words. These differences in delivery or words used, small or insignificant as they would seem, lead to different outcomes. In this play, we actually get to see the various "what-if" scenarios and what happens afterwards.

The actors for this play practically had to be schizophrenic, quickly shifting from one emotion to another at the ring of a bell. Cris Villonco set the pace for the play with her very fluid shifts from flighty millennial to smart scientist to drama queen. There was no doubt that she could pull this role off, and she certainly did. I have only seen JC Santos in Filipino productions before, so his performance here in English was a remarkable revelation. He was certainly able to keep up with Villonco's frenetic pace and make his own memorable moments.

Relativity and romance may seem to be an unlikely pairing for a play, but young British playwright Nick Payne shows us that it can be done with astonishing effect. This play debuted in London in 2012 (with Sally Hawkins and Rafe Spall) and brought to Broadway in 2015 (with Ruth Wilson and Jake Gyllenhaal in his Broadway debut), both productions receiving critical acclaim for the actors and the writer.

For this local version, director Rem Zamora fully harnessed the best of his two actors and presented the material in the most hypnotic fashion. The lights (John Batalla), set (Ed Lacson, Jr.) and sound (Teresa Barrozo) were unobtrusive as they should be for a play like this. Everything had to be toned down in order to fully showcase the actors and their words they say and how they say them. All the technical aspects worked together successfully for this full enhancing effect to create the "multiverse" where this play existed.

***************

Red Turnip Theater's CONSTELLATIONS opened last February 12, 2016, and will run on weekends until March 6 at the Power Mac Center Spotlight Theater in Circuit Makati located at Level 2, Circuit Lane, A.P. Reyes Ave., Makati City. Tickets are available through TicketWorld (all outlets, call 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph) or Red Turnip Theater at redturniptheater@gmail.com.

March 1, 2016

It was a Saturday night when I went to catch this show on its second weekend. While I have attended shows where the Onstage Theater was not full, but this one was the saddest attendance I have seen. I was dismayed to see that there were less than twenty people inside when I entered the auditorium. The Rep really needs to improve their publicity it seems, especially for shows with a relatively obscure title or playwright. There was so little I see about this new play of theirs in regular or social media. Nevertheless, the stage looked very good, so I was determined to stay and enjoy their show, as I usually do.

The stage only had one big square platform in the middle, and every other surface was coated in white to simulate snow. I thought this set design by Coco Anne and Baby Imperial was simple yet very well done. Together with the windy sound effects (by Jethro Joaquin), the bluish lights and the "steam" behind the characters (by John Batalla), the winter illusion was complete and realistic. The emptiness of the auditorium made the desolation of the setting even more felt.

"Almost, Maine" by John Cariani is a collection of unrelated vignettes about 21 characters who lived in an imaginary town in the northeasternmost tip of the US, where winters were harsh and where the Northern Lights play in the sky. There were only two characters in each scene, except one with three. All the scenes tackled various aspects of love -- falling into love, falling out of love, regretting love, hurtful love, hopeful love, affirming love. These 21 characters were played by 4 actors, upon whose charisma the success of this simple yet whimsical play rests.

Reb Atadero is really very good in playing eccentric characters, just like he did in his breakthrough role of Benjamin Braddock in "The Graduate" (also by Rep 3 years ago). Among the four actors on the stage, I thought Atadero was best able to project the strangeness of the situations being depicted in the vignettes assigned to him. He was very good as East in the scene called "Her Heart" and as Danny in the scene called "Story of Hope". He had this Jesse Eisenberg vibe going on which makes his stand out from the rest.

Jamie Wilson is such a veteran already with all these unusual roles he is given to play. Only he could have pulled off the role of Pete in that weird "Prologue-Interlogue-Epilogue" scenes or as Steve in the scene called "This Hurts" with his trademark teddy-bear innocence and charm. Wilson's age may sometimes get in the way of roles like Chad in "They Fell" or Dave in "Seeing the Thing", where a younger millennial actor may have been better cast.

Caisa Borromeo was in three straight scenes in the first act. Her performances were good, but nothing that really grabs you. Her best scene would be that in "Story of Hope" where she really shone as Hope, the girl who goes back to her hometown to finally answer the question of a suitor she left hanging years ago. This was the only scene that I felt chemistry between Borromeo and Atadero, barely felt in their two other scenes together. "Getting It Back," the last scene of Act One also with Borromeo and Atadero, did not work for me.

Natalie Everett works very hard to make her roles pop, but with inconsistent results. I thought the role of Rhonda in "Seeing the Thing" was not really fit for her as her acting efforts were very evident. That scene was not comfortable for me to watch and it was even the very last scene. However, in total contrast, she was really so good as Marci in the scene called "Where It Went." Her subdued, natural yet powerful performance in that scene alone made up for everything else.

Overall, Rep's production of "Almost, Maine" as directed by Bart Guingona is an "almost" success. The general feeling is good, but it was a mixed bag. When it works, it really works; but some scenes did not really fly. Being love stories, this depends heavily on the chemistry between the cast members, which was not always there. The various roles assigned to the cast members did not always feel right for them -- be it by look, by age, or by personality --which may affect the success of their scene as it toes the line between cute and corny.

Still, the script and production as a whole were very charming in their own odd little way, and is certainly worth checking out for fans of quirky rom-com films and plays. This should be seen by more young people for whom themes like these would definitely connect more. That empty Saturday night when I watched it was just a one-off fluke. That really should not happen again in the next two weeks of this play's run. It deserved more love than that.

*****************

“Almost, Maine” plays Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm, with Saturday and Sunday matinees as 3:30 pm, until March 13 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legazpi St., Makati City. For tickets, call Repertory Philippines at 8433570 or TicketWorld at 8919999. Ticket prices range from P400 to P800.

March 12, 2016

"Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L. James had been criticized for its embarrassing writing style from the time it hit the bookstores. Yet all of those negative criticisms did not prevent it from being a huge bestseller especially among bored housewives of the whole world. The 2015 film version was also much maligned for its further mangling of the already English-mangling book. It was no surprise that parodies of this book popped up in all forms of media in response of its hilariously contrived story and lines. In the past five years there had been three such stage parodies that were spawned. One of them is here right now.

Three ladies, Pam, Bev and Carol were having their book club meeting. Pam suggests “50 Shades of Grey”, and the three enter the world of dorky college virgin Anastasia Steele and her sexually quirky, contract-wielding beau Christian Grey. Of course, being a parody, the script by director Al Samuels picked out all the unintentionally funny parts of the book and blows them up in full LOL effect with blatantly raunchy songs and racy choreography. Theater fans will enjoy the references to "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables." Assistant director Robbie Guevara of 9Works augmented the script with some witty Filipino pop references (so funny when delivered by the American cast).

Karel Marquez was a perfect casting choice as Anastasia. Her pretty face and expressive eyes exuded genuine innocence. Her clear Disneyesque voice managed to make her double-entendre filled song of yearning "There is a Hole Inside of Me" actually sound inspirational despite the very naughty lyrics. Those fans who recall her as Gabriella on "High School Musical" or Belle in "Beauty and the Beast" need not worry as this Anastasia does keep most of her clothes on. (US stage actress Brenna Wahl alternates in this role.)

The big "surprise" of this parody will be the way they portray Christian Grey. When I saw that Lorenz Martinez was going to play Grey, I cannot imagine how it would be. Seeing this actor in films like "Heneral Luna" and serious musicals like "Lorenzo Ruiz" and "Secret Garden," I felt Martinez did not exactly fit the book description of how Grey was supposed to look like. From his first scene though, you'd totally get the seeming casting anomaly and how it was comedy gold. His solo number "I Don't Make Love" is practically X-rated, not only because of profanity it contains and perversion it celebrates, but also for that shameless torso-baring red singlet he wore throughout that number. (American alternate Greg Kata played Grey in the Las Vegas version so it also should be interesting to see his attack on the role.)

Bituin Escalante is as scene-stealing as ever because of her strong stage presence and stronger vocal chops. Good thing she had that one spot solo in one of the ensemble song numbers and she makes those few minutes some of the most memorable in the whole show. As the depressed and repressed housewife Carol, Escalante would delight us with her comic antics, especially when Carol "blooms" towards the end, aggressively engaging a young guy from the audience.

Tall, statuesque Chloe Williamson plays Pam. She surprised the unexpecting audience when she rips out her Idina Menzel-like vocal calisthenics in Act 2 when she leads the singing of the show's main theme song "50 Shades." Kaitlyn Frotton gets to play two characters, housewife Bev and Anastasia's slutty roommate Katherine. She is game and funny, especially in that wild side scene with fellow cast member Chris Hodgson and one audience member from the front row.

When you see him onstage, you'd think George Schulze, who plays Anastasia's flamboyant admirer Jose, was one of the foreign cast because of his looks. However, this guy is actually Filipino, and had been a professional stage actor since 2008. Admittedly, I had only noted him once before in "A Horse and His Boy" where he had a very minor role. His turn as Jose gave Schulze a much bigger opportunity to display his flair for comedy and singing.

Chris Hodgson, Isaac Saleh and Casey Rogers played the minor side characters, as well as helped moved the furniture and various set pieces on stage. However, they are really eye-catching mainly because of their barely-there costumes. In fact, in most posters and promo pictures of the show you see them (and their chests and abs) to catch the audience's attention, and not really the main actors.

The nature of this show is not a secret. This show is about sexual deviancy so expect it to be frank and graphic about it. This is definitely not for closed-minded, ultra-conservative prudes. Yes, some cheesy jokes and suggestive song lyrics may make you groan. It is a parody after all, so do not expect high-brow stuff. For the most part though, the humor is surprisingly good-natured and light-hearted. The actors were all engaging and genuinely having fun and this was infectious. For people who are open about these adult themes as well as vulgar, risque comedy, this can be fun show to watch and enjoy.

************

"50 Shades! The Musical Parody" was only supposed to run from February 12 -28, 2016. However, because of audience demand, it had continue to run in March, and will continue to show up to next weekend: March 18 (8 pm), March 19 (5 pm and 8 pm) and March 20 (Palm Sunday, 3 shows 2 pm, 5 pm and 8 pm.). Show venue is at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater at the RCBC Plaza in Makati. Show is Rated R-18.

TicketS via Ticketworld. Prices: VIP FRONT ROW: Php 5,000.00, VIP: Php 4,500.00, ORCHESTRA CENTER: Php 4,000.00, ORCHESTRA SIDES: Php 3,500.00, LOGE: Php 2,500.00, BALCONY: Php 1,500.00.

March 27, 2016

When they started selling tickets to this show last September 2015, I made sure I bought tickets on the first day out. However, due to work, I was only able to buy tickets late that afternoon. The run of this show will start March 11, 2016, which was during the kids' final exams. On March 16-23, we were going to be travelling as the family. Therefore March 26 was the earliest Saturday matinee show I could buy at that time, and it was Black Saturday. The only good center seats were already way up in the balcony area, but I grabbed them just the same.

The story (by Victor Hugo, the music (by Claude Michel Schonberg) and the songs of this play (original French lyrics by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, translated to English by Herbert Kretzmer) were very familiar to me already. I had heard and sung along with the soundtrack album way back in the 1980s. In 1993, we watched in awe the Repertory Philippines all-Filipino production staged at the Meralco with Cocoy Laurel as Jean Valjean. That show had the barricades scene done on a rotating stage which was unforgettable for me. In 2012, I rated the film version of the musical by Tom Hooper (with Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean) as my personal pick for the Oscar Best Picture that year.

Jean Valjean went to jail for 19 years for the crime of stealing a loaf of bread. When he was released, he broke his parole and changed his identity, which became cause for the obsessive pursuit of police officer Javert. Years later, he became the owner of a factory where an unfortunate woman named Fantine worked. When Fantine dies, Valjean took it upon himself to adopt her daughter Cosette and raise her like his own. Several years later, when Cosette was a teenager, she meets and falls in love with an earnest student Marius. Then, the tumultuous June Rebellion of 1832 breaks out in Paris.

In this touring production, the performers were a multinational mix from the UK, US and Australian shows. Their exceptional singing voices were as expected, capturing all the familiar vocal styles and timbers we have heard and loved since the Original Cast recording, with the actors giving their roles their own personal nuances.

Aussie Simon Gleeson was a powerful Jean Valjean. Of all his lung-busting song numbers, for me, his best song was the perfectly rendered "Bring Him Home". Broadway's Earl Carpenter matched Gleeson well as the conflicted Javert, with his excellent renditions of "Stars" and "Javert's Soliloquy". Cameron Blakely and Helen Walsh played the irrepressible Thenardiers, very effective as the comic relief antagonists. I was disappointed when I did not see the name of Rachelle Anne Go on the cast list in the theater lobby. For this show, the tragic Fantine was played by Jessica Daley.

Emily Langridge and Paul Wilkins played lovers Cosette and Marius, with Kerrie Anne Greenland as the third wheel Eponine. I really liked how they staged "In My Life" which segued into "A Heart Full of Love" with the gate, the wall, and the balcony. There were no actual furniture on stage for Marius' lament "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" but the drama of the song was not diminished a bit with the interpretation done here with candles.

The pacing of the show was at a faster than usual clip, with efficient transition of scenes with their respective set pieces. Along with the lighting and smoke effects, the video backgrounds gave a magical illusion depth to many scenes, making them look bigger than the actual limits of the stage. This was best seen in that scene when Valjean carries the injured Marius through the Paris sewers up to the scene when Javert jumps into the River Seine. Too bad there is no rotating stage for the barricades scene in this particular production.

I do not know if I am just imagining it, but the songs were seemingly sung with a faster tempo than I was expecting. I felt this sucked some of the soul out of the Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream" and Eponine's "A Little Fall of Rain", interpretations which I found oddly lacking. For me, Greenland's interpretation of the iconic song "On My Own" felt more angry than pained, which did not feel right for me.

Despite seeming too dark or somber, I feel this dramatically-charged production will effectively make you appreciate why this show possesses such timeless appeal. The show-stopping "One Day More"ending the first act (with the distinctive marching choreography) and the tear-jerking "Finale" (with the ghostly vocal effects) were very well-staged indeed. These two big scenes will really linger in your memory long after the show.

The extraordinary music and the powerful songs of this musical will definitely endure for generations. Watching this epic musical unfold on stage with live orchestral music and live singing is so much better than just watching it onscreen as a movie or concert video. You simply must hear these people sing LIVE!

**************

“Les Miserables” opened with a gala night on March 16 at The Theater at Solaire in Parañaque City. It will run up to April 24. Performances are from Tuesdays to Sundays at 8 p.m. with matinee performances at 2:30 p.m. for Saturdays and Sundays. Show runs 2 hours, 55 minutes (with one 15-minute interval).

Tickets are available at ticketworld.com.ph. Prices are as follows: P7,000 for VIP, P5,800 for A Reserve, P4,50) for B Reserve, P3,350 for C Reserve and P1,750 for D Reserve.

April 7, 2016

My wife and I first watched Il Divo back in 2007 when this new pop-opera glamour boy band had their first Manila concert at the PICC (MY REVIEW). That concert was attended by no less than then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Two years ago, they had another one day concert at the Newport Theater at Resorts World Manila. That one had no less than Ms. Lea Salonga as special guest star. I was not able to watch that one.

This year, the publicity for their new concert was not too aggressive. I did not know about it right away. I did not really think of watching it at first since I had seen them before. However, my aunt wanted to go see them and treated me to go with her. Why would I say No to an offer like that?

When I bought the tickets at SM Tickets last February, the venue was at the MOA Arena. The cheapest seats were Lower Box, as the Upper Box and GA were not offered. However, by the last week of March, there was some unverified news that the venue had been moved to Meralco Theater. A phone call from Ticketworld just two days ago confirmed this major move. The cheapest lower box seats were now the side balcony seats at the back of the auditorium.

*******************

Since it was a Wednesday night, the concert did not begin on time. By 8 pm, people were still arriving or eating the expensive dinner being served in the lobby. The audience of this concert was decidedly more high-society, well-dressed and well-coiffed. Most of them were ladies and matrons on a girls-night-out, which is Il Divo's target demographic.

The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra (under the baton of Gerard Salonga) began to play the Overture when the house lights dimmed and the video wall began to show images of Il Divo. The quartet came out to the applause of their fans to a tune of familiar opening song -- "Bésame Mucho". I was more excited with the next song because it was a Spanish version of the Gloria Estefan hit "Don't Wanna Lose You," sang with Carlos at the piano. I had not heard this version before, and it was very good.

After this, the guys explained that their new "Amor Y Pasion" show will be departure from their previous concerts because there will be a lot of songs in Spanish and they will actually be dancing. You already get the vibe that this show will be less formal and the guys were goofing off a lot, cracking jokes. They then sang a series of Spanish songs: "Contigo En La Distancia,""Abrázame,""Quién Será" (their version of "Sway") and "Historia De Un Amor." They ended this set with a big hit of theirs "Caruso."

Throughout the show, each of Il Divo got to sing a solo spot. First up was Swiss tenor Urs Buhler. Honestly his was the most indistinct voice of the group for me since he mostly sang harmonies. It was good that we finally hear him sing on his own. He chose to sing "Das Land Des Lachelns," an aria made famous by Fritz Wunderlich, a noted German tenor who died at the age of 36.

The following numbers were all familiar English songs; "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"(with the grand background of the presidential palace),"To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before," (with sexy dancing partners) and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (VIDEO).

Spanish baritone Carlos Marin stepped up for this solo spot. His intro was very laid back and funny, confessing that he was the only unmarried guy in the group. Carlos chose to sing Frank Sinatra's "New York New York" with such charm and verve. After his song, the other three came back onstage to sing another Sinatra classic "My Way" to close the first half in spectacular fashion. A 20 minute intermission followed.

Part Two opened with another series of Spanish songs, "Quizás, Quizás, Quizás,""Por Una Cabeza,""Volver" (a tango song). This set ended with their version of Bryan Adams' #1 song "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman", impressively with Urs and Sebastien on guitars. The guys then goofed around some more talking about their tour experience in Latin America and delivering cheesy pick-up lines, very cheesy. LOL! They then sang one of their rare original songs, "Isabel."

With the Eiffel Tower lit in red, white and blue in the background, French pop tenor Sebastien Izambard sang songs from La Môme Edith Piaf, notably"If You Love Me, Really Love Me." He gave such a passionate and strong performance I did not expect from him because he seemed to be quiet and shy than the other three.

The next set of songs was a series of abridged versions of their earliest hits, "Every Time I Look at You,""Mama,""Passera" (my personal favorite Il Divo song), ending with a powerful rendition of "Somewhere" from "West Side Story." I am sure this nostalgia portion was the part many fans enjoyed the most.

For his solo spot, the wacky American tenor David Miller chose to impress the audience with his version of "Nessun Dorma." Boy, did he nail it! He blew us away with his soaring and triumphant rendition. Some people even spontaneously gave him a well-deserved standing ovation. (VIDEO)

The show proper ended with their upbeat version of "Regresa A Mi," the Il Divo version of Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart." After clamors for an encore, Il Divo returned on stage with white blazers to sing "Himno de la Alegría" and finally, "Time to Say Goodbye."

April 10, 2016

"Stepping Out The Musical' was developed by Richard Harris based on his own 1984 straight play of the same title, with music is by Denis King and lyrics by Mary Stewart-David. It had a respectable run in the UK 1996 to 1998.

Mavis ran a tap-dancing class every Thursday night, with her pianist Mrs. Fraser. Her students are a motley group of women (plus one guy) who were there to escape the humdrum routine of their daily lives, not really to become great dancers. She has to get them ready for a charity show where they were invited to perform. While Mavis is sensitive to her students' needs, she herself was wrestling problems about her bum of a boyfriend.

Dorothy is an old maid who spends her days taking care of her invalid mother. Lynne is a nurse taking care of old ladies in a home. Maxine is a motormouth gossip who never loses an opportunity to make a sale. Rose is a flashy "fat and forty" housewife who had styling problems with her hair. Sylvia is an overweight girl with two left feet when dancing. Vera is a fussy British lady with a frank attitude. Andy is an aloof shrinking-violet with an absentee husband. The lone guy Geoffrey is a widower trying to recapture memories of his late wife who loved to dance.

The show is a talky melodrama which delves into the lives of these lonely women (and man). Everything is actually quite garden-variety mundane though, nothing too remarkable. You can get definitely the episodic feel of "The Love Boat" or "Knots Landing" in the cheesy soap-opera dialogue. None of the songs really stick with you after the show, even if some of them sounded good while they were being sung. For me, the best of the 15 songs in the show is "Loving Him," sung by the martyr-wife trio of Vera, Mavis and Andy towards the end of Act 2. But I cannot hum it anymore when I came out of the theater.

The main factor that made these lines and songs succeed in this production was really the performance of the talented Filipino cast.

It was such a joy to see Ms. Joy Virata do comedy again. No matter how annoying her character Vera got, Ms. Joy can pull it off in such a way that you'd smile every time she's on stage. I can never forget that scene when she entered the stage bedecked like a second-place trophy -- precious!

The role of Mrs. Fraser could have been a walk-on role for a lesser actress. but Ms. Sheila Francisco stole her scenes with her acerbic sarcasm and her idolatry of Irving Berlin. Silver-haired Ms. EJ Villacorta returns to the Rep stage as Maxine after a prolonged absence. She still has very strong stage-presence and singing pipes, which was most evident in her solo number "Just the Same."

There is simply no way to ignore Ms. Bituin Escalante when she is onstage. Standing out is effortless for her, so she is a natural choice as the bombastic Rose. Her spectacular solo spot in Act 1 "Don't Ask Me" is one of the most-applauded numbers of the whole show.

There is also no way not to notice Raymond Concepcion in the role of the only thorn among the roses, Geoffrey. He has that nerdy gentleman air down pat as required of his role of a shipping insurance guy, and his sensitive side shows when he interacts with the ladies. Mr. Concepcion is very versatile as an actor and singer. The last lead role I saw him tackle was that of transgender Bernadette in "Priscilla Queen of the Desert," alternating with no less than Jon Santos!

The faces in the lead roles were new to me. Angela Pineda (as Mavis) was very realistic as a frustrated dance instructor, both physically (with her grace and posture) and attitudinally (you feel her love for dance). Christine Flores captured the pained anguish of loneliness within her character Andy. Her delicate soprano fit so well with the psychologically-fragile and physically-scarred character she was playing.

The other ladies in the class were played by Natalie Everett (as Dorothy), Cara Barredo (as Lynne) and Ms. (yes, she's female) David Shawn Delgado (as Sylvia).

"Stepping Out the Musical" is directed by Jaime del Mundo. Musical direction is by Ejay Yatco who led the live orchestra at the pit. The 80s chic leotard costumes were by Mindy Perez-Rubio. The set consisting of the rundown dance hall, the neighborhood cafe and bar was designed by Miguel Faustmann. The lighting design by John Batalla was effective as ever. The tap choreography by Rose Borromeo is fun to watch, especially that grand finale.

***********

The show runs April 1-24, 2016 at Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1 Mall, Makati City. Schedules are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8PM, and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3:30PM. Call 843-3570. Tickets also available through Ticketworld at 891-9999 or ticketworld.com.ph.

April 11, 2016

I have been reading theater buffs and actors rave about this play called "Pillowman". Filipinos got a taste of how good it was back in 2014 when Sandbox Theater Collective staged a reading in PETA. I was out of town that Halloween week so I failed to catch that performance. This year, Egg Theater Company actually stages the full show for the first time in Filipino language.

I first heard of the Egg Theater Company last year when it had its maiden outing called "Maniacal" to excellent reviews. Unfortunately, I had not been fortunate to watch any of its limited runs. This new company is composed to theater artists Kristine Balmes, Renante Bustamante, Martha Comia, George de Jesus III, Mara Marasigan, Paolo O'Hara and Alvin Trono. Its vision is to produce contemporary adaptations of various straight plays translated into the Filipino language.

The play is about Katurian, a young writer who had written some stories about gruesome murders involving children. Tupolski and Ariel, policemen investigating a couple of real-life child murders noted details disturbingly like how Katurian described them in his stories. They pick up Katurian for questioning, but he was not confessing to anything. Katurian's cognitively-impaired brother Michal was brought in to pressure Katurian even more.

Katurian Awaits His Interrogation

The theater space in the Pineapple Lab is a confined rectangular room. There was a small white stage in the middle of the room, with two rows of chairs all around for the audience. We see the actors and all the action up close. The walls will also be used to show eerie artwork about Katurian's sick stories, including the titular Pillowman. (Joee Mejias was responsible for the these projected drawings, as well as the haunting musical score.)

This was not an easy play to watch. The very topic of child killings alone is already dark and disturbing in itself. Listening to those macabre stories with innocent-sounding titles like "The Little Apple Men" or "The Tale of the Town on the River" were just sickening! This was compounded further by more grim topics of mental retardation and police brutality. The room was claustrophobic. The action was very physically intense and violent. You feel like you are inside that interrogation room yourself witnessing torture and murder. These were the stuff of which many nightmares are made.

The Pillowman on the Wall

The actors performed like a seamless ensemble. Everyone was invested very seriously in his respective roles, so that they seemed to be the actual characters, not actors. Gabs Santos knew he had the whole play on his shoulders as Katurian and he gives a solid electrifying central performance. Renante Bustamante (as "good cop"Tupolski) and Acey Aguilar (as "bad cop"Ariel) complemented each other perfectly as the sarcastic and sadistic investigators. Paul Jake Paule believably had the childlike innocence of deranged man-child Michal right there in his big round eyes. His line delivery was chillingly realistic.

Kudos to Mr. George de Jesus III, who was responsible for directing this show, as well as translating Martin McDonagh's controversial material into vivid Filipino. I am not sure about the original English text, but this Filipino text had some sense of humor in it, which was welcome considering the gravity of the dire topics. The play is long, with a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, but the way de Jesus told the story with the effective ensemble acting kept the audience riveted to every word, diabolical as they were. This is hardcore stuff, not for the faint of heart.

*****************

"The Pillowman" had shows last April 8 -10, and will play for one more weekend from April 22-24 at 8 pm. The venue is at Pineapple Lab, located on 6071 R. Palma Street, Poblacion, Makati, near Powerplant Mall in Rockwell. For ticket inquiries, contact 09178440520 or check out the FB page of Egg Theater Company.

Review of Artist Playground's AUDIRE: Sonic Sponteneity

Review of Red Turnips THIS IS OUR YOUTH: Hip and High

Review of Trumpets' THE HORSE AND HIS BOY: Spellbinding and Spectacular!

Recap and Videos of INFINITE EFFECT MANILA 2015: Synchonized Sensation

Recap and Videos of SAM SMITH Live in Manila 2015: Sincere, Soulful and Sentimental

Review of Repertory Phils THE SECRET GARDEN: Melancholic but Moving

Review of Atlantis' THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY: Lyrical Loneliness

My Yearend Roundup: The BEST of PHILIPPINE THEATER 2015

THE BILLBOARD HOT 100 SONGS OF 2015!

Recap of EXO PLANET #2 The EXO'luXion MANILA Day 1: Solid Show, Sorry Sound

Review of PETA's 3 STARS AND A SUN: Futuristic FrancisM Fervor

Review of Repertory Phils' THE GAME'S AFOOT: Wacky Whodunit!

Recap and Videos of MADONNA REBEL HEART TOUR MANILA DAY 1: Quintessential Queen!

Review of Red Turnips' CONSTELLATIONS: Romance and Relativity

Review of Repertory Phils ALMOST, MAINE: Quaint and Quirky

Review of 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL PARODY: Dirty Delights

Review of LES MISERABLES at Solaire: Somber Yet Still Scintillating

Recap and Videos of IL DIVO Amor y Pasion Tour 2016 Manila: Dancing Divos!

Review of Repertory Phils' STEPPING OUT: Therapeutic Tap-Dancing

Review of Egg Theater Co.'s PILLOWMAN: Heavy and Hardcore