Oliver Oliveros News

BroadwayWorld.com and other select members of the press were invited last night to a cocktail reception and a performance of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, which tells the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins' historic 1956 recording session. The show is now playing open-ended run at its new Off-Broadway home, the New World Stages.

Before moving to New York, I taught public relations courses at De La Salle University (DLSU-Manila) Department of Communication, where I also pursued studies in organizational communication and applied media. My alma mater turns 100 this year; and, I'm encouraging you to take part in its year-long celebration. Catching the restaging of the cantata (a vocal chamber work)A FIRE IN THE SOUL, featuring libretto by Vicente Groyon III, music by Von de Guzman, and direction by Peque Gallaga, at DLSU's Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium, 7F Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall on Monday, February 27, 8 p.m. would be greatly appreciated.

Actor turned designer Mio Infante has both or either designed scenography and costumes of some of the biggest and arguably the best children-centric musical theater productions of the past 11 years: Trumpets' LITTLE MERMAID(2001) and THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE(2002); and Atlantis Productions' Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST(2005) were some of the magical worlds he has created on stage.

Fordham University Theatre Program presents a contemporary take on THE ODYSSEY, Naomi Iizuka's ANON(YMOUS), at Pope Auditorium, Fordham's Lincoln Center Campus (113 W. 60th St.) until Saturday, March 3, with performances at 8 p.m.

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.

Tanghalang Ateneo and Ateneo Fine Arts Production, together with the Japan Foundation and the Department of English of Ateneo de Manila University, present Japanese playwright Suzue Toshiro's contemporary play FIREFLIES whose story follows three interlinked Japanese couples that are caught up in an emotional alienation. Directed by Ricardo Abad and BJ Crisostomo, and translated in English by David Goodman, FIREFLIES plays its last week at Rizal Mini Theatre, Ateneo Manila University from Wednesday, February 22 to Saturday, February 25 at 7 p.m., plus a Saturday matinee performance at 2 p.m. Toshiro will also give a lecture on contemporary Japanese theater on Friday, February 24 at Fine Arts Studio, Loyola Schools at 4:30 p.m.

True blue ABBA fans have an additional one week to catch the international touring production of composers and lyricists Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and book writer Catherine Johnson's smash musical MAMMA MIA! at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Previously slated to close on February 14, Concertus Inc., one of the local producers behind MAMMA MIA!, has just announced the show's final extension: must close February 19.

Ateneo Blue Repertory of the Loyola Schools Performing Arts Cluster brings back one of its hit musicals from Off-Broadway, BARE: A Pop Opera, at Teatrino, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center on February 29 (opening night); March 1 to 3; and March 7 to 10. Once again, theater and film actress Ana Abad Santos directs the production, which stars Jaime Barcelon and Bibo Reyes.

Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), together with the British Council and the National Commission for Culture and Arts, presents the first-ever Filipino adaptation of William Shakespeare's more renowned tragedy HARING LEAR(KING LEAR) at PETA Theatre Center until Sunday, March 4. National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera does the text adaptation and veteran theater director Nonon Padilla directs this production.

Premier theater company Repertory Philippines (Rep) opened Ken Ludwig's (CRAZY FOR YOU, LEND ME A TENOR) rib-tickling play LEADING LADIES last night at Onstage Theatre, Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Circle in the Square School (N.Y.)-trained actor Topper Fabregas and Rep regular James Stacey topbill the production.

Broadway Barkada, a group of New York-based Filipino actors, singers, and dancers who've been performing on various Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, will hold a fundraiser via a pre-valentine concert titled "So This Is Love: An Evening of Love Songs" at Trump Place (220 Riverside Boulevard) on Friday, February 10, 8 p.m. Proceeds will be used for the three-year-old organization's upcoming projects.

Adrian and Tracie Pang's Pangdemonium! Productions (FULL MONTY, CLOSER) recently opened its production of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik's Tony Award-winning period, indie rock musical SPRING AWAKENING at Drama Center Theatre (100 Victoria Street, #05-01, National Library Building). The show stars Nathan Hartono as Melchior Gabor (originally played by Jonathan Groff on Broadway), and Filipina actress, singer Julia Abueva as Wendla Bergmann (a role created by GLEE star Lea Michele on Broadway).

Repertory Philippines (Rep.), the country's premier English-speaking theater company, is celebrating 45 years in business by opening its 75th season with New York University Tisch School of the Arts alumnus and playwright Geoffrey Nauffts' Broadway dramedy NEXT FALL, a moving story of a gay couple whose religious differences add tensions and contradictions to their five-year romantic relationship. Rep.'s staging of NEXT FALL runs from January 13 to February 5, 2012 at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City; evening performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m., and matinee performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m.

The cast of Repertory Philippines' (Rep) LEADING LADIES, a rib-tickling play by Ken Ludwig (CRAZY FOR YOU, LEND ME A TENOR), recently held a photo op during a press conference at Rep's main office in Ortigas Center. LEADING LADIES is Rep's second offering for its 75th season.

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.

True blue ABBA fans have an additional one week to catch the international touring production of composers and lyricists Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, and book writer Catherine Johnson's smash musical MAMMA MIA! at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Previously slated to close on February 14, Concertus Inc., one of the local producers behind MAMMA MIA!, has just announced the show's final extension: must close February 19.

Falling in love is sweeter the second time around, and it's true in the case of LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE, an Off Broadway play that you would fall in love with, and would love to see over and over again. For that reason alone, Manila-based CTE Productions brought back LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE for another run at RCBC Theater in Makati City last weekend. Michael Williams and Cathy Azanza-Dy teamed up again as co-directors for LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE, which was first performed in Manila in July 2011.

Ryan Cayabyab (music) and Jose Javier Reyes' (book and lyrics) hugely successful original Filipino musical, KATY!, a musical based on the life and times of the "Queen of Philippine Jazz" Katy dela Cruz (1907-2004), is making its way back to the stage this year! Acclaimed theater and recording artists-cum-performance teachers Isay Alvarez, Robert Seña, and Tricia Amper Jimenez's Spotlight Artists Centre is on top of this much-anticipated theatrical event.

TV, film,and Broadway actress J. Elaine Marcos can't shy away from the fact that she's a distant relative of the Marcoses, the Philippines' most controversial political clan. Apart from the obvious last name and broadly similar facial features as Imee Marcos, the current governor of the northern province of Ilocos Norte, J. Elaine even made a cameo appearance as Imee's mom, Imelda Marcos, the Philippines' former first lady, in the Broadway musical comedy THE WEDDING SINGER five years ago. Nonetheless, the Marcoses (and Filipinos around the world) should pay attention to this petite, brown-skinned, talented actress - J. Elaine happens to be carrying an impressive Broadway resume that includes MISS SAIGON, FLOWER DRUM SONG, WONDERFUL TOWN, SWEET CHARITY, again THE WEDDING SINGER, A CHORUS LINE, and her latest assignment, PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT, where she does a show-stealing turn as Cynthia, a feisty Filipina mail-order bride who performs the late '70s hit single 'Pop Muzik' (interspersed with lyrics in Filipino, e.g.'isa, dalawa, tatlo, I'm rapping in Filipino') while blowing out ping pong balls into the audience.

After an intense internal auditing process, the results are in for the 2011 BroadwayWorld (BWW) Philippines Awards!