15 shows. 21 times. 1 year.

(in no particular order)

Shows I've seen for 2011.

15 shows. 21 times. 1 year.

It's been a good 2011 theater season for Manila. I'm really looking forward for this year's season. It's a good thing that a lot of commendable productions are mounting both original and foreign shows. It attracts a lot of audience that might show how successful the industry is becoming. Whoever said that theater is a dying medium must be slashing his/her wrists right now for saying such a shameful statement.

Note to self and to everyone else: Take good care of your tickets! It'll be like an homage of your expenses the whole season round. :)

Intermission

Hi there! I just want to apologize for not updating my blog for almost a month now. I've been busy with a lot of things that even blogging a single post can't fit into my schedule. I have a lot of things to blog about and yet, it's all a blur. I don't know where to start. The last show I saw for 2011 was Atlantis Production's The Little Mermaid, and it's too late if I'll still post my review of the show.

Having that said, I want to start over. By that I mean, since it's a new year, starting from scratch.

Oh. And thank you for not giving up on me. Please do continue reading and supporting my little blog.

Thank you!

Atlantis Productions' 2012 Season

Series Finale: Saan Hahantong Ang Tagpong Ito?

This December, Dulaang Kalay, a theater organization founded by a young breed of theater actors and enthusiasts, in cooperation with BusinessWorld and the University of the Philippines Speech Communication Association (UP SPECA), launches its first offering, “Series Finale: Saan Hahantong Ang Tagpong Ito?!”


The play is a satirical look at the Filipino's obsession with telenovelas and their stars, centering on the last episode of a soap opera, with all its melodrama and cliches, aired in the midst of national scandals and big news stories.

A new play written by Katte Sabate and William Elvin Manzano. Original music, lyrics, and direction by William Elvin Manzano. Cast includes Dreps Tatad, Roxy Aldiosa, Janine Santos, Erika Estacio, Acey Aguilar, JR Macanas, Jules Dela Paz, Toji Salinas, Earle Figuracion, Harry David, Keann Clemente, Zandrei Merrced, Japo Parcero, Elora Españo, Victoria Mañebo, Leah Galisa, Lexy Lu, Claricel Estrella, Gell-O Conferido, and a whole lot more! :)

“Series Finale: Saan Hahantong Ang Tagpong Ito?!” runs December 5-18, 2011 at Vision 21, Crossroads 77, #77 Mother Ignacia Street, Quezon City.

Show dates are as follows:

Dec. 5 at 7 pm
Dec. 9 at 3pm & 7pm
Dec. 16 at 10am
Dec. 11 & 18 at 4pm & 8pm

For sponsorship and ticket inquiries, contact Nicole Nequinto (0906-4581711) or Raquel Pascua (0906-5721157).

The UP Repertory Company's 'Rep Me For A Reason Let The Reason Be Valid'

Ang comedy night na tatapos sa lahat ng comedy nights out there! Paaaak! 

Isang gabi ng kasiyahan. Isang gabi ng tawanan. Tayo na at pansamantalang iwanan ang ating mga problema at makipaglasingan sa mga alumni at residente ng UP Repertory Company. Namiss n'yo sila diba? Eto na ang pagkakataon n'yo para muli silang masilayan. 

Kasama pa ang mga panalong stand up comedy acts nina 

Karen Dematera at Mimi "Gregarious" Aringo (Clown in a Million ng Banana Split), Breakfast at Aling Tiffany's Club, Fliptop Battle Rappers vs UP Rep, Dance Battle of the Century Crew, at syempre ang bonggang-bonggang tula dula mula sa alumni at mga residente. 

Magpapahuli ka ba? Pa-reserve ka na ng tickets. Sulit promise. Arte pa? Pa-REP ka na!

For ticket reservations, contact Babit de Luna (09166745488). Limited tickets lang for this one night pasabog kaya text na!

Rizal’s descendant, tenor Kuya Manzano, leading Noli me tangere the opera.

Rizal’s descendant, tenor Kuya Manzano, leading Noli me tangere the opera.

Sharing blood with his great grand uncle Jose Rizal it seems like there was no other choice for him but to end up portraying Ibarra, the lead character of Noli me tangere.

After some months rehearsing the opening is finally near. Sweat and hard effort has been done to get to this point. And this Spanish-Filipino actor and singer proudly presents a very challenging job as the leading tenor of this opera.

Kuya Manzano just arrived from Spain five months ago to find his Filipino side. He’s been performing for the last thirteen years acting and singing in musical theater, zarzuela, opera, spoken theater, tv and films. So far in Spain, Portugal, Nederland, China and now in The Philippines, his motherland after all.

Updates, pictures and performance dates are published in his official page (http://kuyamanzano.com) and the Facebook fanclub (http://www.facebook.com/kuyafanclub).

Directed by DUP Artistic Director Alexander Cortez and music supervision of vocal coach Camille Lopez Molina & Pablo Mariano Molina. Pianist Noel de la Rosa did a fantastic job rehearsing innumerable hours to make sure it was good.

As Maria Clara we have Elainne Vibal and Myramae Meneses alternating the role, both making a beautiful couple with Kuya.

Arman Ferrer alternates the Ibarra role. And we cannot forget to mention some other names from the cast as veterans Jonathan Velasco as Padre Damaso (alternating with Michael Dominic Santos) and Onyl Torres as Padre Salvi. Cynthia Guico and Aissa Inumerable as Tia Isabel. Jean Judith Javier, Joy Abalon-Tamayo, Rica Nepomuceno as three great and different Sisa’s. Frederick Hipol delivers an intense Elias too.

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Noli Me Tangere: The Opera runs from November 16 to December 4, 2011 (Wednesday to Friday, 7pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am and 3pm) at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman. For sponsorship and ticket inquiries, please contact Cherry Bong Edralin at 09177500107, or the Dulaang UP Office at 926-1349, 981-8500 local 2449 or 433-7840

RE-RUNS: CTE Productions' Defending The Caveman & Love, Loss and What I Wore

The caveman is back...again!

Joel Trinidad, who just won his Aliw Award as the Best Actor in a Featured Role (Kaos, Resorts World Manila), will indeed be back in 'Defending the Caveman' on January 2012. This one-man show will surely bring laughter into our hearts and tummies once again.

The show will run on the following dates: January 6, 7, 13, 14, 2012 (8pm) and January 7, 8, 14, 15, 2012 (3.30pm), to be directed by Michael Williams and Cathy Azanza-Dy at the CPR Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

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Defending the Caveman is a comedy written by American actor and comedian Rob Becker about the misunderstandings between men and women. Defending the Caveman has been seen in theaters around the world by more than eight million people in forty-five countries. It has been performed in over thirty different languages. A blend of stand-up comedy, lecture, and therapy session, it attempts to resolve the war between the sexes. The play manages to stand up for the male viewpoint, while still being sympathetic to the female side of issues as well. Becker describes the play as a vehicle for showing that "men have emotions, but they express them differently."

(L-R) Cathy Azanza-Dy, Teresa Herrera, Jay Glorioso, Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, Bituin Escalante

The women of Love, Loss and What I Wore will also be back on January 20, 21 & 22, 2012! 

BUT: Sad news for the fans of these fabulous ladies out there. Teresa Herrera wouldn't be joining the rest of the cast for the show's re-run.

From Ria Pangilinan: Another multi-talented woman is stepping in. A favorite leading lady of many Rep comedies, dramas, musicals and Shakespeare plays; graduated Magna Cum Laude from Ateneo, with a Management Engineering degree in spite of her crazy Rep schedule; an arts and crafts genius; a financial wizard; and Rep's current treasurer. Without further ado, meet our newest cast member, Liza Robinson.

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Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a play written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five principal women. The subject matter of the monologues includes women's relationships and wardrobes and at times the interaction of the two, using the female wardrobe as a time capsule of a woman's life.