GIBBS CADIZ

Dinner and dancing under a Bedouin tent

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0000

Off on a trip, sharing this vid with you for now. More on the Bedouin, the fabled nomadic Arab ethnic group, here.

Before this dinner in the middle of the Palmyra desert the only Bedouin I was familiar with was the impossibly glamorous Egyptian star Omar Sharif in Lawrence of Arabia. (But at least he was a native of the region. The nascent Saudi Arabia's King Faisal was played in the movie by that most British of actors, Sir Alec Guinness.) By the time the festivities were over, I was looking at the Bedouin with entirely new eyes.

There was food, wine, music, dancing, story-telling--quite a thumping, fascinating peek at an age-old culture that has, in many ways, also transformed into a tourist product. The ancient Bedouin, long nomads across the vast deserts of Arabia and Africa, have by and large settled and become domesticated. The tent we ducked under for our mass dinner was actually a restaurant; the Bedouin have learned to package their culture and traditions for visitors, much like the Igorots dressing up in their finery to be photographed in Baguio.

Still, it was an atmospheric, mind-altering experience tasting a bit of that culture. Watch the video to know why. And see how my Flip camera is unable to peel itself from the young Syrian dancer who looks like a rough-hewn Gael Garcia Bernal. Strictly in terms of looks, maybe David Lean's casting of a Hollywood heartthrob as a Bedouin wasn't such a stretch, after all.

Video: Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo in A Little Priest

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Ha! Managed to upload one vid today, this taken from the Rep presscon for Sweeney Todd some three weeks before the show opened. The clip comes quite late--the musical's on its third week--but not that late, with three more weekends to go, including this weekend. Audie and Menchu's offstage A Little Priest was shown on some TV newscasts, but only in snippets. Here it is in full--and watch the final moments.

Fabcast: The Talented Mr. Ripley, aka Careful, careful!

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:02:00 +0000

That's what we called the guy who broke CC's heart. What, another sob story? Not quite. As Migs explains:

Corporate Closet (CC) is one of my smartest, most accomplished friends. He is a CEO of a billion-peso company, graduated at the top of our MBA class, and if you have the chance to talk to him even casually, you will not fail to notice that he is sharp of mind and wits. But, as his own story shows, even the sharpest, most intelligent beings have hearts that aren’t exempted from falling; and sometimes falling foolishly.

How foolish? Well, CC fell for someone online. But that's not the entire story. He was seduced into it, too. What made the story so fascinating, at least for me, was the whole elaborate web of deceit the other party wove so patiently to make everything sound plausible--the weeks of exciting online chat leavened with attractive pictures, private glimpses into family life and whereabouts, plans for meet-ups (the Filipino guy was based in New York), even the exact flight details for when they were supposed to meet at last at the NAIA airport. Only for CC to get stood up, with Belgian truffles and Ecuadorian roses (bought at the guy's request!) wilting in his hand.

What the fuck, right? Who in his right mind would play such a mean, intricate trick on another person halfway around the globe, and for what purpose? (Oo, nag-init ulo ko!) More, should CC's experience serve as a cautionary tale for others trawling for romance online? Or was he simply unlucky?

Listen, learn and laugh with us as we try to come to grips with this particular kahibangan--este, kaganapan.

Part 1

Download this fabcast (right click and save)

Music credits:
Imaginary Lover by Atlanta Rhythm Section
Live To Tell by Madonna

Part 2

Download this fabcast (right click and save)

Music credits:
Live To Tell by Madonna
Right Here Waiting by Richard Marx
Already Gone by Kelly Clarkson

Part 3

Download this fabcast (right click and save)

Music credits:
Crazy In Love by Beyonce
Why by Annie Lennox
Promises, Promises by Naked Eyes
Weekend In New England by Barry Manilow
Kung Ako Na Lang Sana by Bituin Escalante Get Lost by Patrick Wolf

The top-notch production values c/o McVie, as usual.

Casting call for Spanish- and Chinese-looking actors

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

A foreign indie film to be shot outside Manila is looking for the following additional actors:

ZUÑIGA--Spanish, 30’s, a pícaro who is always out for an advantage MOON--Chinese from Canton, 20’s, round and good-natured CHOP-CHOP--Chinese from Canton, 20’s, wary, skinny

ZUÑIGA should be able to speak Tagalog a bit. MOON and CHOP-CHOP should preferably be Cantonese-speaking.

Please e-mail resume, picture and contact details to vives@http://www.facebook.com/l/9caa3;arkeofilms.com. VTRs will be held on Tuesday, Dec 1, afternoon. Venue to be announced.

Bolle, ballet god

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle photographed by Vanity Fair contributing photographer Bruce Weber for his new book, Roberto Bolle: An Athlete in Tights. From the VF page:

Born in Casale Monferrato, Bolle began training in 1994 at Milan's Theatre La Scala Ballet School, where he was chosen by Rudolf Nureyev to dance the part of Tadzio in “Death in Venice.” Since 2007, Bolle has danced with American Ballet Theatre, where his repertoire includes Albrecht in “Giselle,” Des Grieux in “Manon,” Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet,” Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake” and Aminta in “Sylvia.”

I have his Swan Lake and The Nutcracker on DVD. Must watch them. Tonight.

Video: Lea Salonga sings Memory

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Not my video, sadly. What the dickens is wrong with YouTube? I've been unable to upload my newer vids. Thanks to thewarrior119 for this clip, the first one to appear online, I think... At the presscon this afternoon for Cats (an Australian production of the Lloyd Webber musical opening in Manila July 2010; Lea will play Grizabella, the faded Glamour Cat), Lea said she's never sung Memory before--not in a concert, album or TV guesting. Enjoy this first look then.

Koro Ilustrado in concert Dec. 2

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

The all-male choir Koro Ilustrado invites everyone to watch their launching concert, "Koro, Klasik, Krismas!" on December 2, 2009, Wednesday, 8 p.m. at the PhilamLife Theater on UN Avenue, Manila City.

The concert features co-conductors Edmund Alan Piquero Jr. and Anna Abeleda-Piquero with a repertoire of classical songs, standards and well-loved Christmas choral music.

The concert is supported by the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Jollibee and Cover & Pages. Tickets at P300 each. For inquiries, call 025024508 or e-mail koroilustrado@yahoo.com. Visit www.koroilustrado.weebly.com

Shoplifter, 'bogbog-sarado!'

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:03:00 +0000

Sign in one of my suki DVD stalls at Makati Cinema Square. It says:

SHOPLIFTER (10X PRICE) PER DVD YOU PAY OR “SPUNK” “KICKING” (BOG2 SARADO) PENALTY. OK. SO BEWARE WE HAVE HIDDEN CAMERA.

The warning, of course, kicks better in its original scrawl than when quoted. Not only should it dissuade larcenous hands, it also goes well with a sub-genre of items sold here, those DVDs on crack.

Incidentally, below that warning are displayed the latest arrivals: Paolo Sorrentino's Il Divo, Ken Loach's Looking For Eric, Atom Egoyan's Adoration, Florian Gallenberger's John Rabe, Lars Von Trier's Anti-Christ and the Criterion Collection edition of Godard's Pierrot Le Fou.

Yes, Alice in Wonderland is in Pasong Tamo corner Pasay Road, Makati.

Annamanila: from blogger to book author--at 66

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

I once complimented my friend Annamanila about her blog, Ode2Old, with these words:

With wit, charm, heart and grace, she shows by example how senior denizens like her can live active, fully engaged lives without fear of technology, modified mores or the disruptions of changing times. There's no better compliment I can pay Anna than to say that I'd like to live my senior years the way she's living hers now.

Yes, Anna is a sixty-something retiree who has fully embraced blogging and the Internet. Her blog is a font of wise, graceful, humorous writing about relationships, family, motherhood, the thrill of learning new things, growing old yet feeling okay about it, surviving life by refusing to be a stuck-up. One of her readers said Annamanila's writing reminded her of author Anne Tyler (The Accidental Tourist, Breathing Lessons, etc.)

Well, Annamanila will soon have something else in common with Anne Tyler. Her blog entries have now been put together into book form, called In Another Dress. From the invitation that brightened up my inbox this morning:

“In Another Dress,” a compilation of stories and essays celebrating growing old and going into retirement from [the blog] ode2old.blogspot.com, published by Extempo Publications Enterprise, will be launched on Friday, November 27 at the University of the Philippines Institute for Small-Scale Industries, Diliman, Quezon City.

The author, a 66-year old retiree who used to be a UP researcher, writer and editor who now goes by the pen and blog name Annamanila, reveals in story after story how she went into blogging as a hedge against retirement jitters and that, sure enough, it turned out to be something she could do with a passion well into antiquity “as long as rheumy eyes can still squint and arthritic fingers touch type.”

In her pieces, she reminisces about lost youth, pays tribute to people important to her, philosophizes about her losses, makes mountains of small mounds of achievement, laughs at her spotty record as mom-wife-friend-worker, and broods over left-over dreams and aspirations.

Annamanila says she began writing her ode-to-old stories hoping to discover the secret to being old and happy but admits she has not found this after two and half years trying. Nevertheless, she has learned “without doubt that if I loved myself, I shouldn’t care how old I get.”

“In Another Dress,” whose title is a take-off from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Age, much like youth, is opportunity, though in another dress,” is divided into four sets of stories: (1) To Keep the Heart Unwrinkled; (2) Simpering, Whimpering, Blundering Youth; (3) My Spotty Mom Record and Other Middling Stories; and (4) Tales of Women in Love and in Trouble (as told to Annamanila).

The launch will be graced by UP Regent Nelia Teodoro Gonzalez and Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation President Paterno V. Viloria. Friends of Annamanila, like Maria Adela Arroyo Santiano and Noemi Lardizabal Dado, both writers, will also talk about their impressions of the book.

Disclosure: Anna invited me to be one of the readers during the launch. I wouldn't be in town on that date, however, and so had to pass with much regret. One thing is sure--some of my friends will get a copy of the book this Christmas. Good reads always make great gifts.

2009 PaperClay Nationwide Art Competition for kids

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

JNBM Amazing Arts Philippines, Inc. (JAAPI) and the Department of Education (DepEd) recently launched the “Husay Ng Batang Pinoy” 2009 PaperClay Nationwide Art Competition, and its first celebrity endorser Sam Concepcion, at the Manila Ocean Park.

JAAPI has been offering art workshops for kids and the entire family like basic drawing, painting, sculpting, and other creative crafting. In 2005, JAAPI launched its PaperClay Art, a one-of-a-kind, proudly Philippine-made product.

PaperClay is an art medium that has the consistency of moist colored paper with a hint of clay that could be applied to any surface--wood, paper, glass, ceramics, even metal. Using two sticks for its application, without the need for adhesives, PaperClay will turn into a beautiful piece of embossed textured art.

The “Husay Ng Batang Pinoy” 2009 PaperClay Art Competition, with the theme “Ako Para Sa Kalikasan,” is open to all Elementary and High School students (both in public and private institutions) enrolled in the current school year. The competition has three rounds: (1) Competition among DepEd Divisions (October 19 to December 31, 2009), (2) Regional Selection (January 4 to 31, 2010), and (3) National Selection (February 1 to 13, 2010).

Each contestant will be given a JNBM PaperClay Art competition kit. Contestant can mix PaperClay with other art media, including poster paint, acrylic paint, water color, poster color, colored pen and pencils, and other recycled materials.

Criteria for judging are as follows: Adherence to the Theme (30 percent); Originality, Freshness, Novelty and Inventiveness (25 percent); Creativity, New Forms, and Imaginative Interpretation (20 percent); Composition and Combination of Elements (15 percent); and Visual Impact (10 percent).

Grand winners from the Elementary and High School divisions will win P50,000 each.

Sam Concepcion, DepEd youth ambassador, endorses JNBM PaperClay Art and the nationwide competition.

“I usually explore my creativity through music by playing the piano or guitar or performing onstage. PaperClay Art is my newest creative outlet. It stimulates the imagination, and encourages self-expression, and quality bonding time with family members,” Sam said.

“I strongly encourage the youth to join the 2009 PaperClay Art Nationwide Competition. It will be a very effective way to channel their creativity into something that can make a difference. Not only will they be able to hone their talents in the process, but they will also be able to spread the word about the conservation of the environment.”

Sam, a STAGES/Star Magic talent, won the grand prize on ABS CBN’s “Little Big Star” (2006). Since then, he has graced kids and teen magazine covers (KZone, Candy), teen TV (Myx, Boystown), teen dance group Gigger Boys, various print and TV endorsements (Bench, Smart My Sandbox, Tang Fruiteaz, now JNBM PaperClay Art), the cast of Disney’s “High School Musical On Stage” and Trumpets’ “N.O.A.H,” the soundtrack of Dreamworks’ hit animated movie “Kung Fu Panda,” among others.

He was also awarded hottest “Candy Cutie” for four consecutive years (2006-2009), Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards’ Pinoy Wannabe Awardee (2006), and more recently United Nations Association of the Philippines (UNAP) Young Achiever Awardee for Entertainment (2009). He is set to launch his newest solo album under Universal Records in early 2010.

For more details about the JNBM and DepEd’s 2009 PaperClay Art Competition, contact (632) 5027423, 4968849 or 4969100. E-mail jnbmartcafe@yahoo.com.ph or visit www.jnbmamazingarts.multiply.com.

It’s Sweeney Todd--so where’s the tension?

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11.23.2009

Expertly sung, technically polished, thrilling in moments--but also safe and bloodless

WHAT BECOMES OF A “Sweeney Todd” in which the spotlight burns more brightly not for the titular demon barber of Fleet Street but for his sidekick, Mrs. Lovett?

That is the dilemma implicit in Repertory Philippines’ production of the Stephen Sondheim musical masterpiece, otherwise agreeably staged and now running at Onstage Greenbelt 1 until Dec. 13. Audie Gemora is in excellent voice as Sweeney; his is a proficient, assured performance of a most challenging role. It’s not bad at all, only... small.

Next to the incandescent Menchu Lauchengo-Yulo as Mrs. Lovett--in what must rank as an unqualified peak in the actress’ 25-year-plus career in musical theater--Gemora’s measured turn feels neither urgent nor transcendent, lacking what the British critic Michael Billington calls “that most exciting of theatrical qualities: danger.”

Weakly played
Perhaps it’s not entirely Gemora’s fault. The absence of any sense of malevolence extends beyond his methodical Sweeney. He’s missing, for instance, a convincing villain to rage against.

Roger Chua’s Judge Turpin, more avuncular grandpa than lecherous tyrant, is weakly played. In “Pretty Women”--essentially a snapshot of the dark magic at the heart of “Sweeney Todd” with its brilliant blend of terror and tenderness, malice and sweetness--Chua is swamped by Gemora, a lopsided match that deflates a melodic highlight in Sondheim’s unapologetically modernist score.

Neither the faux showman Pirelli, whom Robie Zialcita turns into a cuddly chap, nor Robbie Guevara’s Beadle (with his curiously strained vocals, especially in “Ladies in Their Sensitivities”) supply the requisite frisson of menace in their confrontations with Gemora’s Sweeney.

Instead, that undertow of dread, of something not quite right in the fog and filth of this corner of Victorian London, comes from two unexpected sources whose sharp turns help foreshadow the unraveling of the melodrama: Marvin Ong’s superb Tobias and Liesl Batucan’s unnerving Beggar Woman.

Ong, a young actor making his professional debut in this production, lends the show a warm, heart-clutching moment with a beautifully sung “Not While I’m Around.”

Two other actors make their mark with strong voices: Franco Laurel as Anthony and Lena McKenzie as Johanna. Alas, as young lovers they evince no chemistry. And McKenzie’s dulcet tones (in coloratura numbers such as “Green Finch and Linnet Bird”) are accompanied by poor diction; she is hardly intelligible.

Gripping
In media interviews, Gemora, director Michael Williams (Baby Barredo co-directs) and company have repeatedly served assurances that this “Sweeney Todd” would be nothing like the operatically bloody Tim Burton movie version.

They are right--but they seem to have swung a bit too far in the opposite direction. Theirs is a bloodless “Sweeney Todd,” expertly sung, technically polished, thrilling in moments (in fact, a good number of moments; the chorus and the FILharmoniKA Orchestra under conductor Gerard Salonga both sound particularly voluptuous), but altogether safe and discreet--gripping mostly for the scale of the material and the care with which they have approached it.

It’s fair to cite Rep’s achievement here; no other local theater company today has the comparable skill and deep bench of musical talent to mount this juggernaut--“the Olympics of musical theater,” as Gemora has called it. It’s also fair to say the show needs to blaze more than merely glow; the pits of true tragedy currently escape this “Sweeney.”

With lines that excoriate London as “a hole in the world like a great black pit... filled with people who are filled with shit,” Sondheim had also yoked “Sweeney Todd” to a broader social backdrop. The barber’s murderous despair finds its momentum in the larger injustice of the privileged classes oppressing the poor.

That panorama isn’t evident in this “Sweeney.” Mio Infante’s utilitarian set of ramps, trusses and mobile platforms is good for graceful scene transitions. What it barely does, along with John Batalla’s sluggish rust-ochre lighting, is open up the environment or evoke the rank texture of a city where “the vermin of the world inhabit it/and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit.”

Nevertheless, these elements do seem of a piece with the production’s studied avoidance of Grand Guignol flourishes.

Puzzling costumes
Which makes Gino Gonzales’ costumes all the more puzzling. In the face of this “Sweeney’s” earthy, realist tone, Gonzales reworked 19th-century English silhouettes into some sort of raggedy mad-harlequin motif drowning in retaso, ruffles and, in one scene, exposed hoops.

Theatrical, no doubt, but the overly art-directed look (especially on Mrs. Lovett--would this practical, perpetually busy woman really have time for such complicated garb?) flies in the face of the show’s largely austere complexion.

Lauchengco-Yulo can do away with her rococo costume, and she’d still be the best thing about this “Sweeney.” At a minimum, she and Gemora have much to teach their younger co-stars about proper articulation. Even in the most rapid-fire musical patter, the two veteran actors are exquisitely clear. Their scenes together are seamless.

This Mrs. Lovett isn’t played for laughs; her amoral wit emerges from a well of exuberant cunning, and Lauchengco-Yulo’s vigorous vocals and sly, charismatic attack make her Mrs. Lovett the most galvanizing, finely drawn character in this production.

That can’t be good news for Gemora, a more-than-capable actor with an eloquent baritone whose rather pinched performance the whole show seems to take its cue from.

A bolder vision, a Sweeney with darker depths and greater abandon, and this show will fly. Failing that, Sondheim would have to rewrite his opening lines--at least for Rep’s “Sweeney Todd.” “Attend the tale of Nellie Lovett” has a nice twisted ring to it.

[Photos courtesy of Girlie Rodis]

Rep’s “Sweeney Todd” runs until Dec. 13 at Onstage Greenbelt 1. For tickets and inquiries: 8870710, 8880887, 8919999. Visit www.repertory.ph or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

PLUS: More thoughts on Sweeney--

1. “This production ranks up there as one of the best of Repertory Philippines in recent years.” -- “'Sweeney Todd': A carnivorous love story”, SUJATA S. MUKHI, BusinessWorld

2. “Repertory Philippines outdid itself in terms of acting and production values.” -- “'Sweeney Todd' is deliciously perverse”, JULIA ALLENDE, www.pep.ph

3. “'Sweeney Todd' came out as an enthralling and compelling production. It's a 'must' see!” -- “Horror musical enthralls”, ROSALINDA L. OROSA, The Philippine Star

Take note, Pops, Gretchen, Ruffa

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Lisa Rinna of Dancing With the Stars. Those lips are scary. Not Photoshopped, mind you--she's explained how she got them.

Watch Ruffa's brand-new puckers in this clip.

Kiss of the Spider musical

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

The opening bridge scene is followed closely by the arrival of a giant web woven by Arachne, a temptress who is the musical's central invention. “A giant loom is revealed--seven actors swing on vertical silks to form a tapestry,” the stage directions read. At another point, Spider-Man is so busy battling bank robbers and muggers that he multiplies into five different crime-fighting superheroes. One of the duplicate spiders swings over the audience, landing on the balcony.

Scenes from the next Spider-Man movie? Nope, scenes from the first Spider-Man musical, slated to open February 2010 on Broadway, though the Los Angeles Times' John Horn reports it is scrambling to find more money to cover its projected $52-million budget.

Confirmed stars for now: Evan Rachel Wood, who will play Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's squeeze; and Alan Cumming, set to become the Green Goblin. Spider-Man? No announcement yet. (Jonathan Groff! Jonathan Groff!)

The musical is being directed by Julie Taymor, who also co-wrote the script with playwright Glen Berger. Taymor broke theatrical ground with the expensive but critically and commercially triumphant The Lion King. And the songwriters are Bono and the Edge of U2.

“Sony's three Peter Parker movies have grossed nearly $2.5 billion worldwide, musical songwriters Bono and the Edge have shipped more than 50 million U2 records domestically, and director Julie Taymor's 'The Lion King' has earned $3.6 billion globally,” notes Horn.

But the production's grandiose pronouncement to “reinvent Broadway” has only led to hurdles big and small, from budget snags to technical and logistical difficulties (all those flying sequences!) to the death of a principal early on.

As for the music: Bono describes it as “Giant, big pop songs to noisy rock 'n' roll to ethereal shivers.” And the rock icon isn't perturbed by the musical's stumbling pace to opening night: “Who cares? The visuals and the music are amazing, and that's what will matter.”

But will it make it to opening night? Around $24 million more is reportedly needed. And if Spider-Man fails to swing from the heights of the Hilton Theatre on time, “not only will [it] miss Tony Award eligibility but also face the expiration of the musical's license from Marvel Entertainment.”

52 million dollars? This better be one hell of a musical.

Nikki Gil to star in Legally Blonde, The Musical

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Elle Woods is coming to Manila in “Legally Blonde, The Musical,” based on the hit film starring Reese Witherspoon.

Atlantis Productions is mounting the musical in June 2010, with TV and recording artist Nikki Gil headlining the show.

“I’m very excited to have been chosen to play Elle Woods,” says Gil. “It’s a challenge in terms of stamina and vocal preparation so I really have to prepare for it.”

Simone Genatt, Chairman of Broadway Asia Company who produced “Legally Blonde” in New York and licensed the production to Atlantis, says, “Broadway Asia Company is thrilled to be working once again with Atlantis Productions on the upcoming performances of the Broadway hit musical ‘Legally Blonde.’ With the tremendous star power of Nikki Gil heading a talented cast of local performers, we feel very confident that ‘Legally Blonde’ will be very successful in the hands of Atlantis Productions.”

She also reveals, “The Broadway touring production of ‘Legally Blonde’ garnered all the touring Broadway awards this season including Best New Touring Musical, Best Design and Best Music, and is confirmed to continue touring the United States for another two years of bookings. We look forward to the success of the Manila performances with Atlantis Productions.”

“Legally Blonde, The Musical,” opens June 2010 at Meralco Theater, and will be directed by Chari Arespacochaga.

Fundraising and showbuying opportunities for “Legally Blonde” are now available. Call Atlantis Productions 8927078 or 8401187.

Thank you, Raul Pangalangan

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:07:00 +0000

The Constitution says it loud and clear. “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.” “No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.” Yet the Comelec cites the Bible where it condemns “vile affections” which, this time citing the Koran, are punished with a “shower of brimstone.” These constitute precisely the “religious test” barred by the Constitution...

The Comelec cannot push Ang Ladlad around. But gays and lesbians have lived a whole lifetime of standing up to bullies, of fighting off the daily insults, the deprecating attitudes, the nasty jokes. They are veterans of a different kind of war...

-- “Gay-bashing by Comelec bullies,” in the Inquirer yesterday

To answer some questions for a paper (not mine), part 1

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:40:00 +0000

When appraising local works, I am cognizant of several facts:

One, we can seldom approximate the production values of Broadway/West End productions, which means having to consider scaled-down works for what they are, and not in useless comparison with their counterparts in other countries.

Two, we don't have extensive tryouts here, unlike abroad where shows are fine-tuned through weeks of out-of-town tryouts and previews before opening night. Here, the economy is much more severe: 2-3 months of rehearsal, 2-3 weekends of performances. Thus, I don't review preview performances, preferring instead to see the production when it has begun or settled into its groove during the run, to give it a better chance.

Three, whenever a production strikes me as bad, I make it a point to watch it again--because my negative reaction in the beginning might be attributable to outside factors like fatigue, unpreparedness, etc.

In short, I am willing to give productions a long leash to prove themselves. I try not to write reviews to feel clever about myself or to bitch and nitpick; I come from a place of friendship, incongruous as that may sound. I am passionate about Philippine theater, and I want it to succeed. Whatever criticism I direct its way is the tough talk of a friend.

But--given how small and self-contained the Philippine theater industry is, I also feel I can do a better job at reviewing theater when I am not part of it--not a practitioner, but more an informed outsider.

Ballet Philippines celebrates Christmas with The Nutcracker

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Ballet Philippines is restaging the ballet favorite The Nutcracker, this time set in the American colonial period.

This much-loved classic follows the adventures of young Marie, who receives a magical present one Christmas Eve--a nutcracker doll from her godfather, the mysterious Conde de Montaña (Drosselmeyer), a toymaker and inventor who, aside from the nutcracker itself, seems to have many more surprises in store for her that night.

Later in the evening, under the Christmas tree where Marie falls asleep after the party, she witnesses a series of fantastic happenings--toys coming to life, a battle between the wicked army of a Mouse King and the valiant toy soldiers, the Nutcracker doll transforming into a handsome prince right before her eyes.

Traveling through a snowstorm to the Kingdom of the Sweets, Marie and the Nutcracker Prince meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, who, impressed by their courage, treats them to a feast of international delights. Marie wakes up the next morning with the Nutcracker by her side, and the memory of the most magical Christmas in her heart.

Ballet Philippines’ 2009 production of the Nutcracker ballet is all about Christmas, both in its essence and its trappings —a tale about young dreams and one’s journey to overcome life’s challenges and discover the magic in one’s self.

Enjoy the magic on Dec. 3 and 6 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Dec. 4 and 5 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Dec. 12 at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the CCP Main Theater Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. The Manila Symphony Orchestra will accompany on special play dates.

For tickets, call Ballet Philippines at 5511003/8326011 or Ticketworld at 8919999.

UP Film Institute screening lineup for November

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:12:00 +0000

The UP Film Institute announces its screenings for November 2009. Fitting opener for the second semester of the current school year is the full run for "Manila", the celebrated Piolo Pascual double starrer from internationally acclaimed and prize-winning directors Adolfo Alix Jr. and Raya Martin.

Following "Manila" is another Raya Martin film, "Now Showing", which had its world premiere at the 40th Director's Forthnight of the Cannes International Film Festival.

We also honor the work and vision of young film critic Alexis Tioseco whose tragic death has left a community in mourning. In his memory, we've programmed two films he championed: "Bontoc Eulogy" by Marlon Fuentes and "Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind" by John Gianvito. We are also particularly honored to screen Gianvito's homage to Alexis and Nika Bohinc via "A Candle".

Courtesy of the Embassy of Brazil is an exciting cinema package of titles for four Fridays at the Videotheque--"Bossa Nova", "O Outro Lado Da Rua", "A Dona Da Historia" and "Abril Despecado".

Completing the November lineup is a surprise trio of Philippine Gothic classics.

The UP Film Institute has a brand new website (http://www.upd.edu.ph/~film_institute/) as well as a newly formed Facebook Group called "UP Film Institute Cine Adarna" where members can regularly get screenings and events info, articles, links and other important updates for cinephiles and the like.

Sweeney Todd 'excellent', Song of Joseph 'beautifully staged'

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

BusinessWorld's Juan Antonio Lanuza, on Rep's Sweeney Todd:

Repertory Philippines has done it again. Its production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd had the preview night audience mesmerized and riveted to their seats...

Sweeney Todd requires two magnificent actors with very strong stage presence and powerful yet emotive singing voices for the roles of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. Directors Baby Barredo and Michael Williams found them in two veteran Repertory performers, Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.

Mr. Gemora gave the best performances of his life. He was a menacing, mad Sweeney Todd. His booming baritone was put to good use, combined with his body action and facial expression.

Ms. Lauchengco-Yulo has yet to give a bad performance. Again she gives her all as Mrs. Lovett... When she sings “A Little Priest” in the duet with Sweeney, you see what an excellent performer she is.

A revelation that evening was Franco Laurel. He possesses a radiant singing voice. Newcomer Lena McKenzie as Johanna had her moments where her crystal-clear coloratura shone.

Congratulations... for an excellent job.

[Full review here. Sweeney Todd runs until December 13, 2009 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, Makati City.]

Blogger Fred Hawson, on A Song of Joseph:

This is a beautifully staged original musical play. The libretto was by Ms. Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, while the uplifting music was by Raymond and Jeanelle Roldan.

The title role of Joseph was played by Jon Joven, and man, he was a great discovery. He had a strong soaring high tenor, strong enough for “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a play whose influence is palpable here in “Joseph.” His ability to reach those high notes was very evident from his very first song! The actress who played Mary was noted gospel singer Tricia Amper Jimenez, who matched Joven note for note with her strong soaring high soprano. Their anguished duet that ended the first act was hair-raising and breath-taking in its technical and emotional difficulty.

The other supporting characters also shone in their songs. Most notable for me were Emlyn Santos (as Hannah, Mary's mother) and Eladio Pamaran (as King Herod). I knew Marvin Gayramon but I did not recognize him onstage under his wigs and make-up tonight as King Balthazar. The bass voice of the Magi (Greg de Leon?) was incredibly deep, rich and reverberating.

[Full review here. A Song of Joseph has two more performances tomorrow and Friday, 7 p.m., at the Meralco Theater.]

2009 Aliw Awards for theater

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Best Stage Actor (Musical)
Franco Laurel, Isang Panaginip na Fili

Best Stage Actor (Non-Musical)
Lou Veloso, Hiblang Abo

Best Stage Actress (Non-Musical)
Liezl Batucan, Portrait of an Artist as Filipino

Best Stage Actress (Musical)
Ayen Munji-Laurel, Atang

Best Stage Director (Musical)
Vince Tañada, Ako si Ninoy

Best Stage Director (Non-Musical)
Jose Mari Avellana, Portrait of an Artist as Filipino

Best Musical Production
Ako Si Ninoy, Philippine Stagers Foundation

Best Non-Musical Production
Dula’ta, Sining Kapapagariya

Congratulations! Complete list of winners in Girlie Rodis' blog.

The title alone should make you go

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:01:00 +0000

“Music to Slash Your Wrists By” presents the music of premiere composer, lyricist, film scorer and all-around theater artist Vince De Jesus, in an evening of torch, musical ditties and sentimental tunes, at Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace on Saturday, December 5.

Featured guest vocalist is Nar Cabico. Entrance fee of P150 includes one drink, razor blades and calamansi. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace is at Unit G, Maginhawa Bldg., 154 Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines. Call 4352549 for more details.

PLUS: One of those ditties to slash your--in this case, better your ex's--wrists by, a haunting song called Ako Lang Ang Nagmahal. Music, lyrics and vocals by Vince himself, whom I also asked for a brief note on how the song came about. Don't listen to him when he says it's a downer. Sometimes, the saddest songs are also the most beautiful (see Help Me Make It Through the Night and I Can't Make You Love Me).

Vince: This is a song I composed way back in 1989 when some of you weren't even born yet. This song came about after my first breakup ever. Yes, produkto ito ng sawing puso. This has been recorded by several recording artists including Miguel Vera, Rachel Alejandro and Manilyn Reynes. At kung sino ka mang pinadugo ang puso ko at naging dahilan kung bakit ko na-compose ang kantang ito noon--salamat sa iyo at may pinagka-kitaan ako kahit iniwan mo ako. Yan ang sweet revenge. Ha ha ha! Ha! Originally, this song only had a verse and a chorus. In 2006 I added the second verse to milk it more. Please, kung medyo mahina ang EQ ninyo don't listen to this. It can be a downer.

Theater 'has to appeal to people who do jobs and have lives'

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

British playwright Mike Bartlett: We've got to get away from the idea that it's good to go to the theatre. It isn't church. There's nothing innately good about it. Most theatre is still really bad.

It has to appeal to people who do jobs and have lives. Theatre about theatre is the most awful, terminal nonsense.

If people are going to spend a night out at the theatre they don't just want “good”--we can watch [movie] box sets for that--they want it to be totally remarkable.

Final cast of new production of Rent announced

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

9 Works Theatrical, a new theater company which has announced a fresh production of the Jonathan Larson musical Rent in February 2010 to be directed by Robbie Guevara, has unveiled its final cast, drawn from over 300 auditionees.

Roger: Gian Magdangal
Mark: Fred Lo
Mimi: Nicole Laurel Asensio/Cara Barredo
Tom Collins: OJ Mariano
Angel: Job Bautista
Maureen: Carla Guevara-Laforteza
Joanne: Jenny Villegas
Benny: Noel Rayos

Ensemble members: Gugi Lorenzana, Johann Dela Fuente, Raul Montesa, Gary Junsay, Ring Antonio, Peachy Atilano and Anna Santamaria

The Rent creative team also includes musical director Ceejay Javier, vocal coach Onyl Torres, vocal consultant Lionel Guico, scenographer Mio Infante, production manager Weng Lopez, technical director/lighting designer Dong Calingacion, sound designer Rards Corpuz, publicity director Toots Tolentino, PR manager Jonjon Martin, marketing manager Shelyn Tayanes and stage manager Jojo Amboy.

Early this year, 9 Works Theatrical also staged Jason Robert Brown's Songs For a New World. Its scheduled staging of Rent next year comes 11 years after the Tony Award-winning musical first made a splash in Manila in late 1999, when Bobby Garcia and Monique Wilson mounted the inaugural local staging at the Music Museum under the banner of the New Voice Company.

A star was born in that production when Bituin Escalante, then an ensemble member, scorched the boards with her solo in Seasons of Love. The other cast members included Calvin Millado as Roger, JM Rodriguez as Mark, Michael De Mesa as Collins, Ricci Chan as Angel, Amparo Sietereales as Mimi, Monique Wilson as Maureen, Lynne Sherman as Joanne and Jamie Wilson as Benny.

Monique and Bobby would part ways soon after Rent, ending several years of fruitful collaboration that had seen them bring groundbreaking plays like Oleanna and Angels in America to Manila. Bobby's newly formed Atlantis Productions retained the licensing rights to Rent and mounted the show a couple more times in both Manila and Singapore with some casting changes. Rachel Alejandro got to play Mimi, Jake Macapagal replaced Ricci Chan as Angel, Lana Jalosjos and Ana Fegi had their turns as Maureen and Bituin graduated to playing Joanne.

What I know about some of the new cast members: Gian Magdangal, a veteran theater performer, is now more often seen in the GMA-7 Sunday noontime show SOP. Fred Lo recently played a youthful God in the Trumpets musical NOAH. Cara Barredo appeared in Mulan Jr. last year and recently replaced Julia Abueva in the one-day restaging of The Fantasticks, both of Rep. Miss Saigon alumna Carla Guevara-Laforteza was in both Songs For a New World and Atlantis' The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which returns for a limited run this December. Noel Rayos, after performing stints in HK Disneyland and Macau, returned to Manila and played Corny Collins in Atlantis' Hairspray last year.

Show dates are February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 8 p.m., Saturdays 3:30 p.m. and Sundays 4:30 p.m. At the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenues, Makati City 1200.

For tickets, call 5575860, visit www.9workstheatrical.com or call TicketWorld at 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. "Rent" is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) 421 West 54th Street, New York, New York 10019.

Auditions for Ateneo BlueRep's new production Zanna, Don't

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:39:00 +0000

Ateneo Blue Repertory is holding auditions for its next musical production, "Zanna, Don’t--A Musical Fairy Tale," set to open at at the Ateneo de Manila University this February.

WHEN:
Saturday, November 21 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Callbacks--November 22

WHERE:
Ateneo de Manila University (exact venue TBA)

WHAT TO PREPARE:
1 fast song (a capella, need not be Broadway)
Comedy monologue from the show (to follow)
Dance clothes

For more information, contact Ces at 0918-4596017.

To cap off its 18th season, Ateneo Blue Repertory is proud to present "Zanna, Don’t--A Musical Fairy Tale," a show that takes place in a topsy-turvy world where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals must battle anti-straight prejudice. Set in a high school, the plot revolves around a teenage "matchmaker" and the scandal that erupts when a boy and girl dare fall in love. The show delivers a humorous and hopeful message of tolerance through an infectious pop-inspired score, hearty dollops of humor, and, of course, a dab of magic.

With co-directors Carelle Mangaliag and RR Herrera and musical director Felix Rivera on board, "Zanna, Don’t!" will be showcased at the Ateneo de Manila University this February.

Talent in excelsis

gibbs_c@yahoo.com (gibbs cadiz) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:16:00 +0000

Thirty years ago, when Irene Cara was singing “Out Here On My Own”, famous people were famous for doing something. They could break your heart with their singing, or defy gravity when they danced, or sum up the human experience with a line reading. Talent meant something. (True, there have always been useless celebrities, but they were not as visible or influential as they are now.) Today people are famous for being famous. They don’t have to work that hard, they just have to go viral. The audience doesn’t have to admire them, they only have to think, “Hey, I can do that, too.” When anyone can be famous, fame is cheap. Hence this pointless remake.

-- From “Lame!”, Jessica Zafra's review of the new Fame

Didn't see the movie, so I can't agree or disagree. But how perfectly said: [F]amous people were famous for doing something. They could break your heart with their singing, or defy gravity when they danced, or sum up the human experience with a line reading. True enough, some famous people immediately came to mind with those lines.

1. Luther Vandross, A House Is Not a Home. Gorgeous, sensuous voice and the kind of sheer poetic ardency that could have you weeping in heartbreak or ecstasy or an improbable combination of both--whatever, you're simply moved.

2. Defy gravity, eh? Who else but the greatest dancer of the last century, Rudolf Nureyev, whose jaw-dropping physicality onstage redefined ballet forever? Here, from an electrifying moment in Le Corsaire:

3. And matchless line readings--a wicked, wicked entry: Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons, in that scene where she explains how she invented herself and became a “virtuoso of deceit.” The lines themselves--all elegant fire and savage wit (by the playwright Christopher Hampton)--are worth savoring before finding out how Close transforms them into one of the greatest monologues in the movies:

When I came out into society I was 15. I already knew then that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest to me, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while under the table I stuck a fork onto the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was after, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with, and in the end I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die.

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