December 2011
20 posts
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We Have Lea, MiG & Jett in 2012 (article by Bobby...
Things to look forward to based on Bobby’s article:
Lin Manuel Miranda is coming to Manila the opening night of In the Heights.
Mig Ayesa is playing Stacee Jaxx in Atlantis’ Rock of Ages.
Lea Salonga will be coming back to the Atlantis stage via God of Carnage. Her last appearance was in Baby back in 2004 - and that was before I got hooked on theater.
Nine will feature Jett...
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ARTIST'S SPOTLIGHT: Chinie Nepomuceno
Philippine Theater is in the midst of a crisis. So many years since Repertory Philippines and PETA pioneered the art form in Manila, it is now experiencing a lack of “triple threats” among its practitioners; so much so that it’s become seemingly impossible to mount shows in Manila that demand seamlessness in all three skill sets. (It’s been done but to slipshod...
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Battalia Royale, set to open in Feb 2012
One of my favorite Japanese films of all-time is Battle Royale - a cult piece which merited a sequel with a tag-team twist wherein a select class of high school students are gassed and kidnapped during their field trip and then wake up in a military concentration camp as a kill-fest disciplinary measure by the Japanese government.
Battle Royale is a result of the youth’s growing...
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Mamma Mia: Almost Here!
Just one month to go before the international tour of the highly-anticipated musical Mamma Mia! flies to our shores. Supported by the classic songs of ABBA, the musical be staged at the CCP Main Theater starting 24 January 2012 now extended til 12 February, for a limited season only!
For tickets, call 891 9999, or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. Weekday rates are priced at P750, P1500, P3000,...
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Eyeball: New Visions in Philippine Theater
A selection of the best plays from the Virgin Labfest. The 5 plays deal with the theme, “Searching” and tackle man’s search for love, for lost family bonds, for noble ideals, for closure, and for missing loved ones. The hilarious Bakit Wala Nang Nagtatagpo sa Philcoa Oberpas,by Carlo Pacolor Garcia (Directed by Riki Benedicto) tells the story of a man and a woman who decide to meet at the Philcoa...
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A Sun Shines in Asuncion
Read up on my article on Asuncion’s Camille Mana. Asuncion is the knockout Off-Broadway piece written by The Social Network’s Jesse Eisenberg about ethnocentrism, latent prejudices, and what constitutes “victimization.”
The Filipina shares the stage with the likes of Eisenberg, The Hangover’s Justin Bartha, and Robert Auberjonois. Seen on last Friday’s issue of...
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The Year the Theater Artist cried 'Ouch!' (Gibbs...
The Philippines’ foremost theater critic Gibbs Cadiz pays tribute to Jose Mari Avellana and Badong Bernal, the Theater Actor’s Guild, and the best of the best of the 2011 theater scene! Bravo!
Honorable Mention for Sweet Charity in Best Musical Category; Reb Atadero as Best Actor-Musical Category for Little Shop of Horrors; Nikki Gil as Best Actress-Musical for Sweet Charity; OJ...
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Artist's Spotlight: Jamie Wilson
Very few local actors nowadays are able to consummate the experience of rock and roll with the discipline of theater itself, authoring an emerging theatrical prototype that defies all norms. In fact, most practitioners nowadays would consider them to be polar opposites, save for the occasional contemporary rock musical or performer that finds itself, or himself or herself in the mythology of...
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Jan. 17 to Feb. 4, 2012 is Broadway Week - Tickets...
How amazing is this? NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing arm, is launching Broadway Week from January 17 to February 4, 2012. During the said period, you will be able to buy two tickets to your favorite Broadway shows for the price of one! BUY 1, TAKE 1 - across the board. It’s bloody brilliant..
Broadway and the theater remain to be one of the biggest, if not the...
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Artist's Spotlight: Maita Ponce
As early as age nine, Maita Ponce has already been delighting theater audiences since she first played the role of Wendy in a workshop production of Peter Pan. Her mentors? Chari Arespacochaga and RV Guevarra. Since then, she has essayed iconic roles like Zafira in Dulaang UP’s hit musical Orosman at Zafira, ang again in the the show’s third run fresh from her stint with Hong Kong...
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Repertory Philippines stages "NEXT FALL"
Reposting the media release here.
Saw this on Broadway last May and really enjoyed it. I believe it was staged in the theater where Seminar with Alan Rickman is now playing.
I’m excited to see Bart Guingona’s return to the stage. I last saw him churn out his tour de force performance in Tuesdays with Morrie opposite the late great Jose Mari Avellana. That show was one of...
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Casting Director Says She Didn't Pick Actors to...
IN RESPONSE TO THE FUROR OVER CAUCASIANS PLAYING PUERTO RICAN ROLES
With theater as diverse and interracial as it is today, it’s not really about color anymore. So to get ignited over the fact that Caucasians were casted to play Puerto Rican roles, wow, wait ‘til you hit Manila where actors are asked to do shaky, caricature accents to keep with the integrity of the characters they...
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Artist's Spotlight: Rony Fortich
Accounting was never enough reason for Rony to forego his plans of pursuing musical theater. No, in fact, it had been the opposite. Despite just having a handful of years of being a musical director and piano player in the local theater scene, he submitted his resume anyway to the folks at Hong Kong Disneyland, got the call for an audition, bagged an interview, and booked the job immediately.
In...