Oliver Oliveros - Page 57

Lea holds her much-awaited big holiday concert dubbed 'Your Songs' at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), CCP Complex, Pasay City, Manila this weekend, December 11 (Fri) and 12 (Sat) at 8 p.m.

Bringing Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD closer to Manila theater audiences may at first seem like a Herculean task. After all, the taste of sweet, blood-curling revenge is not everyone's favorite bedtime story. But that was what Repertory Philippines has been doing in its incarnation of the musical thriller, set to end its highly successful run on December 13, Sunday, 3:30 and 8 p.m. at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Local and U.S. concerts for Philippine typhoon victims have been pouring in since typhoons 'Ondoy' and 'Pepeng' displaced thousands of Filipinos a few months back. New York-based Filipino and Filipino-American theatre performers held their own benefit aptly titled BROADWAY BARKADA PRESENTS BALIKBAYAN BENEFIT last Thursday, December 3, 2009 at the Philippine Center at 556 Fifth Avenue.

Lea recounts what she had to go through in singing 'Memory' in her column published December 2 in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

BALLET PHILIPPINES (BP) stages the perennial Christmas favorite THE NUTCRACKER at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo on the following dates: December 3 (Thurs.) & 6 (Sun.) at 10 am & 3 pm; December 4 (Fri.) & 5 (Sat.) at 3 pm & 8 pm; December 12 (Sat.) at 10 am, 3 pm & 8 pm, and December 13 (Sun.) at 3pm.

Atlantis Productions THE 12TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE returns to Manila for a third round of performances from December 4 to 13, 2009 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

The limited run of Zebra Crossing's Asian premiere of hit Broadway musical VICTOR/VICTORIA at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore will end on November 29, 2009. The show stars international jazz songstress Laura Fygi as Victor/Victoria, and Philippine theatre's favorite leading man Jake Macapagal as King Marchan.

Jake Macapagal, who is currently playing the role of Narrator/El Gallo in Repertory Philippines THE FANTASTICKS, will open as the debonair King Marchan in the Asian Premiere of VICTOR/VICTORIA at the Esplanade Theatre in Singapore from 11/9 to 11/29

The Tony-winning star of MISS SAIGON, Lea Salonga, will play the role of the Glamour Cat Grizabella in the international touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical CATS NOW AND FOREVER running on a limited engagement at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) starting July 24, 2010.

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

Filipino television and recording artist, Nikki Gil, has started vocal and dance preparations for the very demanding role of Elle Woods, which Laura Bell Bundy originated on Broadway in the hit movie-to-stage musical LEGALLY BLONDE. Atlantis Productions (Spring Awakening, Spelling Bee) brings to Manila LEGALLY BLONDE, a fun, teen musical based on the Amanda Brown novel, and the Hollywood film of the same title premiering in June 2010 at the Meralco Theatre.

Over 300 'Rentheads' showed up when 9 Works Theatrical, Manila's newly organized professional theatre group, held open auditions for its second major production - Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking, and multi-awarded rock musical RENT. This new project, together with Lunchbox Theatrical's much awaited touring production of CATS and Atlantis' upcoming productions of LEGALLY BLONDE and XANADU, is set to make Manila's theatrescape truly bustling, and exciting in 2010.

DULAANG U.P., the official theatre organization of the University of the Philippines (U.P.), stages the Filipino adaptation of German playwright Friedrich Schiller's MARY STUART (Maria Stuart). Translated into Filipino by award-winning writer Allan Pallileo and directed by professor Tony Mabesa, the play will run from November 18 to December 6, 2009 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theatre on U.P. campus.

Repertory Philippines' (REP) incarnation of 1979 Tony-winning musical SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET officially opened its doors to Filipino audiences on November 14, 2009 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City. The production earned thunderous applause, standing ovations, and played to nearly sold-out crowds in its first performances.

REPERTORY PHILIPPINES' SWEENEY TODD lead actors Audie Gemora (Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd) and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (Mrs. Lovett) were recently featured on ANC's (ABS CBN News Channel) late night talk show CITYSCAPE hosted by Lexi Shulze.

Repertory Philippines opens its new production of the celebrated, Tony Award-winning musical thriller SWEENEY TODD on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1.

AUDIE GEMORA, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Robbie Guevara, Lena McKenzie, and Franco Laurel comprise the lead cast of Repertory Philippines' (REP) new stage production of Stephen Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD. The musical runs at Onstage, 2/F Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City in Manila from November 14 to December 13, 2009.

Tony winner Lea Salonga is currently in Honolulu, Hawaii to conclude her 2009 U.S. and Canada concert tour dubbed 'Inspired.' While engaged in her tour, she made a recent visit to New York City, and caught a number of Broadway shows.