Carla Guevara-Laforteza News

'DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING? is a concert celebration of the musical genius of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg. It is an unexpectedly moving tribute to the universal appeal of their collaborations, and shows how LES MISERABLES in particular has impacted people all around the world.' - BroadwayWorld.com

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING? international concert tour headliner Lea Salonga ("Les Miserables"), sans the show's other two lead stars David Harris ("Legally Blonde") and Marie Zamora ("Les Miserables"), met with the press yesterday, January 22, at Maxims Hotel at Resorts World Manila. Instead, Salonga was joined by the new additions to the cast Jon Joven ("Miss Saigon"), Leo Tavarro Valdez ("Miss Saigon"), Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo ("Miss Saigon"), and Carla Guevara Laforteza ("Miss Saigon") who will perform with Salonga, Harris, and Zamora in the Manila leg of the concert set Wednesday, January 29, and Thursday, January 30, at 8 p.m. at Resorts World Manila's Newport Performing Arts Theatre.

It has been a tough year for us, Filipinos, but we were able to rise above the challenges and showed the world how strong and resilient we are. We wish that for the coming new year our hearts be filled with love and compassion for everyone. BroadwayWorld.com has recently surveyed some of our friends in the Philippine theater industry about their New Year's wishes!

Trumpets and BroadwayWorld.com (BWW) are giving away two pairs of 23-ounce flip top aluminium sports bottles with straw plus two pairs of tickets to the former's last Saturday night performance of 'The Bluebird of Happiness,' an acclaimed musical adaptation of the Belgian play 'The Blue Bird' by Maurice Maeterlinck, featuring book and lyrics by Jaime del Mundo and music by Rony Fortich, on Saturday, October 19 at 8 p.m.

As an early Christmas gift, Trumpets, Asia's first professional gospel theater group, known for original Filipino musicals such as 'First Name' and 'Little Mermaid'--shows with strong moral and spiritual messages--brings to Meralco Theater another family-centric production, 'The Bluebird of Happiness,' which runs until Sunday, October 20.

Seasoned thespians Lynn Sherman ('The Lynn Sherman Show,' 'Rent'), Robie Zialcita ('Peter Pan,' 'Sweeney Todd') and Joel Trinidad ('Defending the Caveman,' 'The Graduate') lead the cast of theater company Trumpets' new original musical, 'The Bluebird of Happiness,' based on Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck's 1908 play 'The Blue Bird.'

As an early Christmas gift, Trumpets, Asia's first professional gospel theater group, known for original Filipino musicals such as 'First Name' and 'Little Mermaid'--shows with strong moral and spiritual messages--brings to Meralco Theater another family-centric production, 'Bluebird of Happiness,' starting Friday, September 27.

Seasoned thespians Lynn Sherman ('The Lynn Sherman Show,' 'Rent'), Robie Zialcita ('Peter Pan,' 'Sweeney Todd') and Joel Trinidad ('Defending the Caveman,' 'The Graduate') lead the cast of theater company Trumpets' new original musical, 'The Bluebird of Happiness,' based on Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck's 1908 play 'The Blue Bird.'

For the entire month of March, Joel Trinidad ('Crush Hour,' 'Defending the Caveman') returns to the Repertory Philippines's (Rep) stage with 2012 BroadwayWorld PH Award nominee Carla Guevara-Laforteza ('Nine,' 'You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown') in Douglas J. Cohen's 'No Way to Treat a Lady,' described as a 'theatrically-charged musical comedy thriller,' based on the bestselling book by William Goldman.

BroadwayWorld.com, the premier theater news website in the United States, in the United Kingdom, and in more than 20 other countries, has expanded, updated, and is now ready for this year's BWW Awards that are conducted simultaneously across all local and international markets, including the Philippines.

Prolific theater company Atlantis Productions Inc.'s VIPs, Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga, have been running in the fast lane lately: Both had to fly out to Singapore to direct and prepare to open Tony-winning musical AVENUE Q at Marina Bay Sands over the weekend, just a few days after they premiered another Tony-winning musical, NINE, last friday night at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.

For its first offering this year, 9 Works Theatrical presents the musical comedy YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN - based on the comic strip 'Peanuts' by Charles Schulz; featuring book by John Gordon; and music and lyrics by Clark Gesner. The show runs at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City until Saturday, March 3.

Jonathan Larson's ground breaking rock musical 'Rent' has arguably developed a life of its own. And 9 Works Theatrical's third endeavour of mounting the show is one tangible proof -- 'Rent' runs anew at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City in Manila from Saturday, February 12 to Sunday, March 6, 2011.

'Welcome back to AVENUE Q. The musical that never dies,' remarks pop singer Rachel Alejandro (Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut). AVENUE Q plays its final show in Manila on March 27, 2010.

AVENUE Q Manila original cast members, and new cast addition Calvin Millado recently met with BroadwayWorld.com Philippines, and some local bloggers to officially announce that 2004 Tony Award Best Musical, which proudly shows off its explicit lyrics and never before seen full puppet nudity, will return to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City from March 12 to 27, 2010.

AVENUE Q Manila original cast members, and new cast addition Calvin Millado recently met with BroadwayWorld.com Philippines, and some local bloggers to officially announce that 2004 Tony Award Best Musical, which proudly shows off its explicit lyrics and never before seen full puppet nudity, will return to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City from March 12 to 27, 2010.

9 Works Theatrical's new production of Jonathan Larson's phenomenal '90s musical RENT is set to open this weekend in Manila. Cast members Johann dela Fuente, Cara Barredo (Mimi Marquez), OJ Mariano (Tom Collins), Carla Guevara-Laforteza (Maureen Johnson), Fred Lo (Mark Cohen), Peachy Atilano and Noel Rayos (Benny Coffin III) sang the show's anthem 'Seasons of Love' on The Filipino Channel's (TFC) Sunday noontime musical variety show A.S.A.P. to promote the show.

New productions of Jonathan Larson's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical RENT are about to open in Manila, the San Francisco East Bay and New Jersey. And all these productions happen to feature Filipino and Filipino-American actors in their roster of young and hip cast members.

RENT Manila February 6, 2010 show owner, Our Awesome Planet (www.OurAwesomePlanet.com), paid a visit to the rehearsals on December 17 and took a video clip that shows stage director Robbie Guevara presenting his cast and the 'Finale B' number.

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.