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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.
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
A foreign indie film to be shot outside Manila is looking for the following additional actors:
ZUÑIGA--Spanish, 30’s, a pÃcaro 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
