Bobby Garcia News

In Atlantis Productions Inc.'s upcoming musical NINE, which features Maury Yeston's music and lyrics, and Arthur Kopit's book based on Federico Fellini's semi-autobiographical film 8 1/2, Jett Pangan will portray the role of Italian filmmaker Guido Contini; Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo will play Contini's wife, Luisa; Cherie Gil will play Contini's film producer, Liliane Le Fleur; and Eula Valdez will play Contini's leading lady, Claudia Jenssen.

Manila-based theater company Atlantis Productions Inc.'s Asian premiere of Disney's The Little Mermaid could have been a spectacular float addition in today's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Times Square.

Young, bold and enterprising Atlantis Productions wraps up its 2011 season with the Asian premiere of Disney's stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid from November 18 to December 11 at the Meralco Theatre -- This comes right on the heels of Atlantis Productions' own productions of Broadway's smash musicals Next to Normal, Disney's Aida and In The Heights.

The first-ever BroadwayWorld (BWW) Philippines Awards, an audience initiative project that encourages BWW readers from the Philippines to nominate and vote for their favorite plays, musicals, and theater personalities of the past year, revealed its list of nominees two weeks ago to an overwhelming response. Related web pages on my blog and BWW have around 2,000 hits, 100 comments, 2,000 likes, and 100 shares to date.

It's rather unusual to see Lea Salonga, a Tony Award-winning actress whose name has been synonymous with all things musical, flexing her acting muscles in a straight play; she did that once in the Manila run of David Auburn's PROOF back in 2001, and she's set to do that again via the impending Manila premiere of Yasmina Reza's GOD OF CARNAGE in July next year.

Congratulations to BroadwayWorld.com (BWW) Philippines Awards' nominees, whose names are below, and were shortlisted from around 500 nomination entries sent from October 6 to 31.

Atlantis Productions Inc. (NEXT TO NORMAL, IN THE HEIGHTS) has just released one of its first promo artworks, which shows one of its lead stars, Rachelle Ann Go, posing as the little mermaid Ariel, her mid-torso resting on a bed of corals, and her synthetic fishtail flashing in the background, for its upcoming production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID running from November 18 to December 11 at Meralco Theatre.

Apparently, MiG Ayesa isn't saying goodbye just yet neither to 'Stacee Jaxx' nor to ROCK OF AGES because Atlantis Productions Inc., a prolific theater company based in Manila, Philippines whose recent productions have included the Asian premieres of NEXT TO NORMAL, and IN THE HEIGHTS, has just announced that Ayesa will be reprising his role as 'Stacee Jaxx,' a decadent rock star, when the smash Broadway musical Rock of Ages opens in Manila in June/July next year (venue to be announced).

When esteemed actress-director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo visited the Big Apple a few months ago, she handed BroadwayWorld.com a copy of her latest CD album titled "Light," which contains recordings of some of the best Broadway musicals that she's been a part of; among the tracks, "Light" from NEXT TO NORMAL, whose positive message of family survival overrides the general downward spiral themes of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, was reassuring, and which Yulo (Diana Goodman) has recorded with co-actors, Jett Pangan (Dan Goodman), Jake Macapagal (Dr. Madden), Felix Rivera (Gabe Goodman), Bea Garcia (Natalie Goodman, and Markki Stroem (Henry), became our instant favorite.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award-winning creator and composer-lyricist of the spirited musical In the Heights, sent his opening night cheer to the cast and production team of In the Heights via Twitter last weekend. 'Happy opening @InTheHeightsMNL! It's okay to send ME the bootleg ;) Wishing you all the luck! Mahal minamahal Kita siempre! (Of course I love you)' said Miranda.

Atlantis Productions Inc., the theater company that recently brought to Manila smash rock musicals NEXT TO NORMAL and AIDA, breaks new ground again with the first licensed production of IN THE HEIGHTS in Asia (Its next feat is Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID). IN THE HEIGHTS, a Broadway musical that presents a portrait of the Hispanic community in Washington Heights, Manhattan, runs at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City until Sunday, September 18.

Atlantis Productions Inc. has just released an audio preview of singer-actress Rachelle Ann Go singing "Part of Your World" on its Facebook fan page that builds up to the theater company's upcoming production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID -- with Ms. Go playing the title role -- from November 18 to December 11 at the Meralco Theatre.

Tony Award winner Lea Salonga is currently in New York City for an exclusive three-week return engagement, featuring an all-new program entitled Lea Salonga: New York in June, at the Café Carlyle at The Carlyle beginning last night and running until June 25.

Young, bold and enterprising Atlantis Productions wraps up its 2011 season with the Asian premiere of Disney's stage adaptation of The Little Mermaid from November 18 to December 11 at the Meralco Theatre -- This comes right on the heels of Atlantis Productions' own productions of Broadway's smash musicals Next to Normal, Disney's Aida and In The Heights.

Atlantis Productions brings to Filipino audiences the first licensed English language production outside the United States of rock musical "Next to Normal" at the RCBC Theater in Makati City from March 12-27.

Atlantis Productions, which celebrated it's 2010 Season with hit productions of AVENUE Q (the fifth run of the musical), LEGALLY BLONDE, XANADU and the Manila and Singapore runs of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, opens it's 2011 Season with the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL.

Atlantis Productions, which celebrated it's 2010 Season with hit productions of AVENUE Q (the fifth run of the musical), LEGALLY BLONDE, XANADU and the Manila and Singapore runs of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, opens it's 2011 Season with the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL.

In an unusual move for a major musical, lead producer Toby Simkin has announced that various core creative team positions are now open for applications and consideration.

For the first time, the electrifying and nearly sung-through masterpiece about your average dysfunctional American family, created by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), reaches the Asia-Pacific region through Atlantis Productions Inc.'s staging of 'Next to Normal' at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City, Manila, Philippines on March 11 through March 27, 2011.

Original Media Singapore brings Atlantis Productions (Philippines) recent critically-acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's 1973 Tony Award Best Musical 'A Little Night Music' (ALNM) to the Lion City for a one week limited engagement at the Esplanade Theatre -- Tuesday, November 9 to Sunday, November 14, 2010.