For better or worse, Filipino identity is shaped by a legacy of mixed heritage. For Jerry Sibal--a Filipino of Chinese descent living in Manhattan--returning to his native Manila is a source of pride and creative renewal.
It's no fluke that Ballet Philippines' 47th season is titled 'Wings.' In its latest display of creativity, the company dazzles with a unique production and exhibits the intrepid capacity for flight away from convention.
By sheer serendipity, Jhett Tolentino's scant introduction to the theater in his native province of Iloilo in the Philippines has led him to the industry's rarefied domain as a Broadway producer.
Fresh from her recent stint in the West End revival of 'Miss Saigon,' Tanya Manalang now plays Susan in 9 Works Theatrical's production of Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM!
Jef Flores, the lead star of 9 Works Theatrical's production of Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM!, totally relates to Jon, the character he's currently playing. Jon is an aspiring Broadway musical composer who's worried about the career choices he made especially now he's turning 30.
Originally conceived as a 'rock monologue'and first produced Off-Off Broadway in 1990, Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM! plays the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium starting tomorrow, October 1, until Sunday, October 23.
'One Night Stand" (ONS), a monthly cabaret series, which has been packing in the crowds at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub, Century City Mall, in Makati City since April 2015, presented last Tuesday, August 2, its eight show this year, "I Miss Saigon." Directed by Joaquin Valdes, this special performance has featured "Miss Saigon" alums Tanya Manalang, Raul Montesa, Tricia Canilao-Buser, Ariel Reonal, and Pinky Amador. As a special treat to "Miss Saigon" fans in the audience, London's West End actors MiG Ayesa and Leo Valdez showed up and joined the cast on stage.
Reunions are moments of nostalgic reminiscence that let you review what you have accomplished together with your friends and make you wonder in awe on the journey you started together years ago. This was the general feeling when the original cast of the 2007 Philippine production of Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL (HSM) took center stage once again in "Still in This Together: A 10th Anniversary Concert" at the monthly One Night Stand (ONS) cabaret series at 12 Monkeys Music Hall and Pub earlier this month.
West End revival of MISS SAIGON alums Ela Lisondra and Ariel Reonal are featured in the Manila production of the smash rock musical AMERICAN IDIOT by Green Day, which closes tonight at the Globe Iconic Store, Bonifacio Global City.
Two original Filipino musicals 'Sa Wakas,' which features the songs of the alternative rock band Sugarfree, and 'Rak of Aegis,' which highlights the songs popularized by the rock band 'Aegis,' have succeeded and won the hearts of many nonregular theatergoers, especially the Pinoy rock music fans. 9 Works Theatrical and Globe Live's rock opera AMERICAN IDIOT by Green Day follows the same winning formula. Since the show opened two weeks ago--staying true to the producers' intended goal--it has been attracting audiences, including nonregular theatergoers, to its open-air venue at the Globe Iconic Store in Bonifacio Global City.
'One Night Stand,' a monthly cabaret series, which has been packing in the crowds at 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub in Makati City since April 2015, gathered the original cast of the 2007 Philippine production of Disney's 'High School Musical' (HSM), led by Sam Concepcion,Cheska Ortega, Alex Godinez, and Kakki Teodoro, last night, July 5.
Live theater in the Philippines has entered a new dawn. The Globe Iconic Store in the busy Bonifacio High Street is now home of a humongous open-air theatre--complete with video boards--aimed to reach out to new theater audiences in the metro, which telco company Globe calls 'accidental theater.' For its maiden offering, Globe has partnered with one of the Philppines' multi-awarded theater companies, 9 Works Theatrical ('Grease,' 'La Cage Aux Folles'), to stage the Philippine premiere of the rock Broadway musical AMERICAN IDIOT.
Norby David, the former bassist and vocalist of alternative rock band Rivermaya, has joined the cast of the Manila premiere of the rock opera AMERICAN IDIOT by Green Day, which played to full houses and received standing ovations on its opening weekend (June 24-26) at the Globe Iconic Store's amphitheater on Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City.
If you're expecting to find your corner of the sky, you will not. Just because this is a Stephen Schwartz musical does not mean there will be someone painting with all the colors of the wind, nor will there be any gravity-defying witches, nor a hunchback. Yes, this is a Bible story, but do not expect Moses to be there even if you believe. And yes, there could be ever, ever after but there are no singing animals present. This is simply MusicArtes Inc.'s production of GODSPELL.
With familiar tunes such as 'Day by Day' and 'Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord,' the beloved Broadway musical 'GODSPELL, which MusicArtes Inc. is staging on the weekends from June 17 to June 26 at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in Makati City, is not to be missed. Conceived and originally directed by John-Michael Tebelak, GODSPELL features music and new lyrics by 'Wicked's' Stephen Schwartz. The play has been revived regularly ever since its Off-Broadway debut in 1971 and film adaptation in 1973.
When mobile network giant Globe and professional theater company 9 Works Theatrical ('La Cage Aux Folles,' 'The Last Five Years') decided to stage together punk rock band Green Day's sung-through rock opera, 'American Idiot,' at the new Globe Iconic Store in Bonifacio Global City starting on Friday, June 24, newly announced cast members Jason Fernandez, Miggy Chavez, Mako Alonso, and Mark Tayag have been in cloud nine since their auditions because they are huge fans and they love the music of Green Day.
Simon Gleeson has always been very vocal about how he grew up to the music and the stirring plot of LES MISERABLES. Now as the lead actor in one of the most acclaimed touring productions of the Alain Boublil and Claude Michel Schonberg legendary musical, his primal recollections of the show still remain deeply rooted in him, just as his portrayal of Valjean is most assuredly deeply emblazoned onto the subconsciousness of audiences who have had the privilege to see him in this musical theater role of a lifetime.