GIBBS CADIZ

It’s Sweeney Todd--so where’s the tension?

2009-11-23T00:00:00.005+08:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11.23.2009

Expertly sung, technically polished, thrilling in moments--but also safe and bloodless

WHAT BECOMES OF A “Sweeney Todd” in which the spotlight burns more brightly not for the titular demon barber of Fleet Street but for his sidekick, Mrs. Lovett?

That is the dilemma implicit in Repertory Philippines’ production of the Stephen Sondheim musical masterpiece, otherwise agreeably staged and now running at Onstage Greenbelt 1 until Dec. 13. Audie Gemora is in excellent voice as Sweeney; his is a proficient, assured performance of a most challenging role. It’s not bad at all, only... small.

Next to the incandescent Menchu Lauchengo-Yulo as Mrs. Lovett--in what must rank as an unqualified peak in the actress’ 25-year-plus career in musical theater--Gemora’s measured turn feels neither urgent nor transcendent, lacking what the British critic Michael Billington calls “that most exciting of theatrical qualities: danger.”

Weakly played
Perhaps it’s not entirely Gemora’s fault. The absence of any sense of malevolence extends beyond his methodical Sweeney. He’s missing, for instance, a convincing villain to rage against.

Roger Chua’s Judge Turpin, more avuncular grandpa than lecherous tyrant, is weakly played. In “Pretty Women”--essentially a snapshot of the dark magic at the heart of “Sweeney Todd” with its brilliant blend of terror and tenderness, malice and sweetness--Chua is swamped by Gemora, a lopsided match that deflates a melodic highlight in Sondheim’s unapologetically modernist score.

Neither the faux showman Pirelli, whom Robie Zialcita turns into a cuddly chap, nor Robbie Guevara’s Beadle (with his curiously strained vocals, especially in “Ladies in Their Sensitivities”) supply the requisite frisson of menace in their confrontations with Gemora’s Sweeney.

Instead, that undertow of dread, of something not quite right in the fog and filth of this corner of Victorian London, comes from two unexpected sources whose sharp turns help foreshadow the unraveling of the melodrama: Marvin Ong’s superb Tobias and Liesl Batucan’s unnerving Beggar Woman.

Ong, a young actor making his professional debut in this production, lends the show a warm, heart-clutching moment with a beautifully sung “Not While I’m Around.”

Two other actors make their mark with strong voices: Franco Laurel as Anthony and Lena McKenzie as Johanna. Alas, as young lovers they evince no chemistry. And McKenzie’s dulcet tones (in coloratura numbers such as “Green Finch and Linnet Bird”) are accompanied by poor diction; she is hardly intelligible.

Gripping
In media interviews, Gemora, director Michael Williams (Baby Barredo co-directs) and company have repeatedly served assurances that this “Sweeney Todd” would be nothing like the operatically bloody Tim Burton movie version.

They are right--but they seem to have swung a bit too far in the opposite direction. Theirs is a bloodless “Sweeney Todd,” expertly sung, technically polished, thrilling in moments (in fact, a good number of moments; the chorus and the FILharmoniKA Orchestra under conductor Gerard Salonga both sound particularly voluptuous), but altogether safe and discreet--gripping mostly for the scale of the material and the care with which they have approached it.

It’s fair to cite Rep’s achievement here; no other local theater company today has the comparable skill and deep bench of musical talent to mount this juggernaut--“the Olympics of musical theater,” as Gemora has called it. It’s also fair to say the show needs to blaze more than merely glow; the pits of true tragedy currently escape this “Sweeney.”

With lines that excoriate London as “a hole in the world like a great black pit... filled with people who are filled with shit,” Sondheim had also yoked “Sweeney Todd” to a broader social backdrop. The barber’s murderous despair finds its momentum in the larger injustice of the privileged classes oppressing the poor.

That panorama isn’t evident in this “Sweeney.” Mio Infante’s utilitarian set of ramps, trusses and mobile platforms is good for graceful scene transitions. What it barely does, along with John Batalla’s sluggish rust-ochre lighting, is open up the environment or evoke the rank texture of a city where “the vermin of the world inhabit it/and its morals aren't worth what a pig could spit.”

Nevertheless, these elements do seem of a piece with the production’s studied avoidance of Grand Guignol flourishes.

Puzzling costumes
Which makes Gino Gonzales’ costumes all the more puzzling. In the face of this “Sweeney’s” earthy, realist tone, Gonzales reworked 19th-century English silhouettes into some sort of raggedy mad-harlequin motif drowning in retaso, ruffles and, in one scene, exposed hoops.

Theatrical, no doubt, but the overly art-directed look (especially on Mrs. Lovett--would this practical, perpetually busy woman really have time for such complicated garb?) flies in the face of the show’s largely austere complexion.

Lauchengco-Yulo can do away with her rococo costume, and she’d still be the best thing about this “Sweeney.” At a minimum, she and Gemora have much to teach their younger co-stars about proper articulation. Even in the most rapid-fire musical patter, the two veteran actors are exquisitely clear. Their scenes together are seamless.

This Mrs. Lovett isn’t played for laughs; her amoral wit emerges from a well of exuberant cunning, and Lauchengco-Yulo’s vigorous vocals and sly, charismatic attack make her Mrs. Lovett the most galvanizing, finely drawn character in this production.

That can’t be good news for Gemora, a more-than-capable actor with an eloquent baritone whose rather pinched performance the whole show seems to take its cue from.

A bolder vision, a Sweeney with darker depths and greater abandon, and this show will fly. Failing that, Sondheim would have to rewrite his opening lines--at least for Rep’s “Sweeney Todd.” “Attend the tale of Nellie Lovett” has a nice twisted ring to it.

[Photos courtesy of Girlie Rodis]

Rep’s “Sweeney Todd” runs until Dec. 13 at Onstage Greenbelt 1. For tickets and inquiries: 8870710, 8880887, 8919999. Visit www.repertory.ph or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

PLUS: More thoughts on Sweeney--

1. “This production ranks up there as one of the best of Repertory Philippines in recent years.” -- “'Sweeney Todd': A carnivorous love story”, SUJATA S. MUKHI, BusinessWorld

2. “Repertory Philippines outdid itself in terms of acting and production values.” -- “'Sweeney Todd' is deliciously perverse”, JULIA ALLENDE, www.pep.ph

3. “'Sweeney Todd' came out as an enthralling and compelling production. It's a 'must' see!” -- “Horror musical enthralls”, ROSALINDA L. OROSA, The Philippine Star

Take note, Pops, Gretchen, Ruffa

2009-11-22T00:42:00.005+08:00

Lisa Rinna of Dancing With the Stars. Those lips are scary. Not Photoshopped, mind you--she's explained how she got them.

Watch Ruffa's brand-new puckers in this clip.

Kiss of the Spider musical

2009-11-21T02:16:00.018+08:00

The opening bridge scene is followed closely by the arrival of a giant web woven by Arachne, a temptress who is the musical's central invention. “A giant loom is revealed--seven actors swing on vertical silks to form a tapestry,” the stage directions read. At another point, Spider-Man is so busy battling bank robbers and muggers that he multiplies into five different crime-fighting superheroes. One of the duplicate spiders swings over the audience, landing on the balcony.

Scenes from the next Spider-Man movie? Nope, scenes from the first Spider-Man musical, slated to open February 2010 on Broadway, though the Los Angeles Times' John Horn reports it is scrambling to find more money to cover its projected $52-million budget.

Confirmed stars for now: Evan Rachel Wood, who will play Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's squeeze; and Alan Cumming, set to become the Green Goblin. Spider-Man? No announcement yet. (Jonathan Groff! Jonathan Groff!)

The musical is being directed by Julie Taymor, who also co-wrote the script with playwright Glen Berger. Taymor broke theatrical ground with the expensive but critically and commercially triumphant The Lion King. And the songwriters are Bono and the Edge of U2.

“Sony's three Peter Parker movies have grossed nearly $2.5 billion worldwide, musical songwriters Bono and the Edge have shipped more than 50 million U2 records domestically, and director Julie Taymor's 'The Lion King' has earned $3.6 billion globally,” notes Horn.

But the production's grandiose pronouncement to “reinvent Broadway” has only led to hurdles big and small, from budget snags to technical and logistical difficulties (all those flying sequences!) to the death of a principal early on.

As for the music: Bono describes it as “Giant, big pop songs to noisy rock 'n' roll to ethereal shivers.” And the rock icon isn't perturbed by the musical's stumbling pace to opening night: “Who cares? The visuals and the music are amazing, and that's what will matter.”

But will it make it to opening night? Around $24 million more is reportedly needed. And if Spider-Man fails to swing from the heights of the Hilton Theatre on time, “not only will [it] miss Tony Award eligibility but also face the expiration of the musical's license from Marvel Entertainment.”

52 million dollars? This better be one hell of a musical.

Nikki Gil to star in Legally Blonde, The Musical

2009-11-21T02:12:00.004+08:00

Elle Woods is coming to Manila in “Legally Blonde, The Musical,” based on the hit film starring Reese Witherspoon.

Atlantis Productions is mounting the musical in June 2010, with TV and recording artist Nikki Gil headlining the show.

“I’m very excited to have been chosen to play Elle Woods,” says Gil. “It’s a challenge in terms of stamina and vocal preparation so I really have to prepare for it.”

Simone Genatt, Chairman of Broadway Asia Company who produced “Legally Blonde” in New York and licensed the production to Atlantis, says, “Broadway Asia Company is thrilled to be working once again with Atlantis Productions on the upcoming performances of the Broadway hit musical ‘Legally Blonde.’ With the tremendous star power of Nikki Gil heading a talented cast of local performers, we feel very confident that ‘Legally Blonde’ will be very successful in the hands of Atlantis Productions.”

She also reveals, “The Broadway touring production of ‘Legally Blonde’ garnered all the touring Broadway awards this season including Best New Touring Musical, Best Design and Best Music, and is confirmed to continue touring the United States for another two years of bookings. We look forward to the success of the Manila performances with Atlantis Productions.”

“Legally Blonde, The Musical,” opens June 2010 at Meralco Theater, and will be directed by Chari Arespacochaga.

Fundraising and showbuying opportunities for “Legally Blonde” are now available. Call Atlantis Productions 8927078 or 8401187.

Thank you, Raul Pangalangan

2009-11-21T02:07:00.003+08:00

The Constitution says it loud and clear. “The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.” “No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or political rights.” Yet the Comelec cites the Bible where it condemns “vile affections” which, this time citing the Koran, are punished with a “shower of brimstone.” These constitute precisely the “religious test” barred by the Constitution...

The Comelec cannot push Ang Ladlad around. But gays and lesbians have lived a whole lifetime of standing up to bullies, of fighting off the daily insults, the deprecating attitudes, the nasty jokes. They are veterans of a different kind of war...

-- “Gay-bashing by Comelec bullies,” in the Inquirer yesterday

To answer some questions for a paper (not mine), part 1

2009-11-20T02:40:00.007+08:00

When appraising local works, I am cognizant of several facts:

One, we can seldom approximate the production values of Broadway/West End productions, which means having to consider scaled-down works for what they are, and not in useless comparison with their counterparts in other countries.

Two, we don't have extensive tryouts here, unlike abroad where shows are fine-tuned through weeks of out-of-town tryouts and previews before opening night. Here, the economy is much more severe: 2-3 months of rehearsal, 2-3 weekends of performances. Thus, I don't review preview performances, preferring instead to see the production when it has begun or settled into its groove during the run, to give it a better chance.

Three, whenever a production strikes me as bad, I make it a point to watch it again--because my negative reaction in the beginning might be attributable to outside factors like fatigue, unpreparedness, etc.

In short, I am willing to give productions a long leash to prove themselves. I try not to write reviews to feel clever about myself or to bitch and nitpick; I come from a place of friendship, incongruous as that may sound. I am passionate about Philippine theater, and I want it to succeed. Whatever criticism I direct its way is the tough talk of a friend.

But--given how small and self-contained the Philippine theater industry is, I also feel I can do a better job at reviewing theater when I am not part of it--not a practitioner, but more an informed outsider.

Ballet Philippines celebrates Christmas with The Nutcracker

2009-11-20T02:21:00.007+08:00

Ballet Philippines is restaging the ballet favorite The Nutcracker, this time set in the American colonial period.

This much-loved classic follows the adventures of young Marie, who receives a magical present one Christmas Eve--a nutcracker doll from her godfather, the mysterious Conde de Montaña (Drosselmeyer), a toymaker and inventor who, aside from the nutcracker itself, seems to have many more surprises in store for her that night.

Later in the evening, under the Christmas tree where Marie falls asleep after the party, she witnesses a series of fantastic happenings--toys coming to life, a battle between the wicked army of a Mouse King and the valiant toy soldiers, the Nutcracker doll transforming into a handsome prince right before her eyes.

Traveling through a snowstorm to the Kingdom of the Sweets, Marie and the Nutcracker Prince meet the Sugar Plum Fairy, who, impressed by their courage, treats them to a feast of international delights. Marie wakes up the next morning with the Nutcracker by her side, and the memory of the most magical Christmas in her heart.

Ballet Philippines’ 2009 production of the Nutcracker ballet is all about Christmas, both in its essence and its trappings —a tale about young dreams and one’s journey to overcome life’s challenges and discover the magic in one’s self.

Enjoy the magic on Dec. 3 and 6 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Dec. 4 and 5 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and Dec. 12 at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the CCP Main Theater Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo. The Manila Symphony Orchestra will accompany on special play dates.

For tickets, call Ballet Philippines at 5511003/8326011 or Ticketworld at 8919999.

UP Film Institute screening lineup for November

2009-11-20T02:12:00.007+08:00

The UP Film Institute announces its screenings for November 2009. Fitting opener for the second semester of the current school year is the full run for "Manila", the celebrated Piolo Pascual double starrer from internationally acclaimed and prize-winning directors Adolfo Alix Jr. and Raya Martin.

Following "Manila" is another Raya Martin film, "Now Showing", which had its world premiere at the 40th Director's Forthnight of the Cannes International Film Festival.

We also honor the work and vision of young film critic Alexis Tioseco whose tragic death has left a community in mourning. In his memory, we've programmed two films he championed: "Bontoc Eulogy" by Marlon Fuentes and "Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind" by John Gianvito. We are also particularly honored to screen Gianvito's homage to Alexis and Nika Bohinc via "A Candle".

Courtesy of the Embassy of Brazil is an exciting cinema package of titles for four Fridays at the Videotheque--"Bossa Nova", "O Outro Lado Da Rua", "A Dona Da Historia" and "Abril Despecado".

Completing the November lineup is a surprise trio of Philippine Gothic classics.

The UP Film Institute has a brand new website (http://www.upd.edu.ph/~film_institute/) as well as a newly formed Facebook Group called "UP Film Institute Cine Adarna" where members can regularly get screenings and events info, articles, links and other important updates for cinephiles and the like.

Sweeney Todd 'excellent', Song of Joseph 'beautifully staged'

2009-11-19T00:01:00.005+08:00

BusinessWorld's Juan Antonio Lanuza, on Rep's Sweeney Todd:

Repertory Philippines has done it again. Its production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd had the preview night audience mesmerized and riveted to their seats...

Sweeney Todd requires two magnificent actors with very strong stage presence and powerful yet emotive singing voices for the roles of Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett. Directors Baby Barredo and Michael Williams found them in two veteran Repertory performers, Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.

Mr. Gemora gave the best performances of his life. He was a menacing, mad Sweeney Todd. His booming baritone was put to good use, combined with his body action and facial expression.

Ms. Lauchengco-Yulo has yet to give a bad performance. Again she gives her all as Mrs. Lovett... When she sings “A Little Priest” in the duet with Sweeney, you see what an excellent performer she is.

A revelation that evening was Franco Laurel. He possesses a radiant singing voice. Newcomer Lena McKenzie as Johanna had her moments where her crystal-clear coloratura shone.

Congratulations... for an excellent job.

[Full review here. Sweeney Todd runs until December 13, 2009 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, Makati City.]

Blogger Fred Hawson, on A Song of Joseph:

This is a beautifully staged original musical play. The libretto was by Ms. Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, while the uplifting music was by Raymond and Jeanelle Roldan.

The title role of Joseph was played by Jon Joven, and man, he was a great discovery. He had a strong soaring high tenor, strong enough for “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a play whose influence is palpable here in “Joseph.” His ability to reach those high notes was very evident from his very first song! The actress who played Mary was noted gospel singer Tricia Amper Jimenez, who matched Joven note for note with her strong soaring high soprano. Their anguished duet that ended the first act was hair-raising and breath-taking in its technical and emotional difficulty.

The other supporting characters also shone in their songs. Most notable for me were Emlyn Santos (as Hannah, Mary's mother) and Eladio Pamaran (as King Herod). I knew Marvin Gayramon but I did not recognize him onstage under his wigs and make-up tonight as King Balthazar. The bass voice of the Magi (Greg de Leon?) was incredibly deep, rich and reverberating.

[Full review here. A Song of Joseph has two more performances tomorrow and Friday, 7 p.m., at the Meralco Theater.]

2009 Aliw Awards for theater

2009-11-19T00:00:00.003+08:00

Best Stage Actor (Musical)
Franco Laurel, Isang Panaginip na Fili

Best Stage Actor (Non-Musical)
Lou Veloso, Hiblang Abo

Best Stage Actress (Non-Musical)
Liezl Batucan, Portrait of an Artist as Filipino

Best Stage Actress (Musical)
Ayen Munji-Laurel, Atang

Best Stage Director (Musical)
Vince Tañada, Ako si Ninoy

Best Stage Director (Non-Musical)
Jose Mari Avellana, Portrait of an Artist as Filipino

Best Musical Production
Ako Si Ninoy, Philippine Stagers Foundation

Best Non-Musical Production
Dula’ta, Sining Kapapagariya

Congratulations! Complete list of winners in Girlie Rodis' blog.

The title alone should make you go

2009-11-18T00:01:00.003+08:00

“Music to Slash Your Wrists By” presents the music of premiere composer, lyricist, film scorer and all-around theater artist Vince De Jesus, in an evening of torch, musical ditties and sentimental tunes, at Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace on Saturday, December 5.

Featured guest vocalist is Nar Cabico. Entrance fee of P150 includes one drink, razor blades and calamansi. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace is at Unit G, Maginhawa Bldg., 154 Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines. Call 4352549 for more details.

PLUS: One of those ditties to slash your--in this case, better your ex's--wrists by, a haunting song called Ako Lang Ang Nagmahal. Music, lyrics and vocals by Vince himself, whom I also asked for a brief note on how the song came about. Don't listen to him when he says it's a downer. Sometimes, the saddest songs are also the most beautiful (see Help Me Make It Through the Night and I Can't Make You Love Me).

Vince: This is a song I composed way back in 1989 when some of you weren't even born yet. This song came about after my first breakup ever. Yes, produkto ito ng sawing puso. This has been recorded by several recording artists including Miguel Vera, Rachel Alejandro and Manilyn Reynes. At kung sino ka mang pinadugo ang puso ko at naging dahilan kung bakit ko na-compose ang kantang ito noon--salamat sa iyo at may pinagka-kitaan ako kahit iniwan mo ako. Yan ang sweet revenge. Ha ha ha! Ha! Originally, this song only had a verse and a chorus. In 2006 I added the second verse to milk it more. Please, kung medyo mahina ang EQ ninyo don't listen to this. It can be a downer.

Theater 'has to appeal to people who do jobs and have lives'

2009-11-18T00:00:00.002+08:00

British playwright Mike Bartlett: We've got to get away from the idea that it's good to go to the theatre. It isn't church. There's nothing innately good about it. Most theatre is still really bad.

It has to appeal to people who do jobs and have lives. Theatre about theatre is the most awful, terminal nonsense.

If people are going to spend a night out at the theatre they don't just want “good”--we can watch [movie] box sets for that--they want it to be totally remarkable.

Final cast of new production of Rent announced

2009-11-16T22:10:00.020+08:00

9 Works Theatrical, a new theater company which has announced a fresh production of the Jonathan Larson musical Rent in February 2010 to be directed by Robbie Guevara, has unveiled its final cast, drawn from over 300 auditionees.

Roger: Gian Magdangal
Mark: Fred Lo
Mimi: Nicole Laurel Asensio/Cara Barredo
Tom Collins: OJ Mariano
Angel: Job Bautista
Maureen: Carla Guevara-Laforteza
Joanne: Jenny Villegas
Benny: Noel Rayos

Ensemble members: Gugi Lorenzana, Johann Dela Fuente, Raul Montesa, Gary Junsay, Ring Antonio, Peachy Atilano and Anna Santamaria

The Rent creative team also includes musical director Ceejay Javier, vocal coach Onyl Torres, vocal consultant Lionel Guico, scenographer Mio Infante, production manager Weng Lopez, technical director/lighting designer Dong Calingacion, sound designer Rards Corpuz, publicity director Toots Tolentino, PR manager Jonjon Martin, marketing manager Shelyn Tayanes and stage manager Jojo Amboy.

Early this year, 9 Works Theatrical also staged Jason Robert Brown's Songs For a New World. Its scheduled staging of Rent next year comes 11 years after the Tony Award-winning musical first made a splash in Manila in late 1999, when Bobby Garcia and Monique Wilson mounted the inaugural local staging at the Music Museum under the banner of the New Voice Company.

A star was born in that production when Bituin Escalante, then an ensemble member, scorched the boards with her solo in Seasons of Love. The other cast members included Calvin Millado as Roger, JM Rodriguez as Mark, Michael De Mesa as Collins, Ricci Chan as Angel, Amparo Sietereales as Mimi, Monique Wilson as Maureen, Lynne Sherman as Joanne and Jamie Wilson as Benny.

Monique and Bobby would part ways soon after Rent, ending several years of fruitful collaboration that had seen them bring groundbreaking plays like Oleanna and Angels in America to Manila. Bobby's newly formed Atlantis Productions retained the licensing rights to Rent and mounted the show a couple more times in both Manila and Singapore with some casting changes. Rachel Alejandro got to play Mimi, Jake Macapagal replaced Ricci Chan as Angel, Lana Jalosjos and Ana Fegi had their turns as Maureen and Bituin graduated to playing Joanne.

What I know about some of the new cast members: Gian Magdangal, a veteran theater performer, is now more often seen in the GMA-7 Sunday noontime show SOP. Fred Lo recently played a youthful God in the Trumpets musical NOAH. Cara Barredo appeared in Mulan Jr. last year and recently replaced Julia Abueva in the one-day restaging of The Fantasticks, both of Rep. Miss Saigon alumna Carla Guevara-Laforteza was in both Songs For a New World and Atlantis' The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which returns for a limited run this December. Noel Rayos, after performing stints in HK Disneyland and Macau, returned to Manila and played Corny Collins in Atlantis' Hairspray last year.

Show dates are February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 8 p.m., Saturdays 3:30 p.m. and Sundays 4:30 p.m. At the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenues, Makati City 1200.

For tickets, call 5575860, visit www.9workstheatrical.com or call TicketWorld at 8919999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. "Rent" is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) 421 West 54th Street, New York, New York 10019.

Auditions for Ateneo BlueRep's new production Zanna, Don't

2009-11-16T21:39:00.011+08:00

Ateneo Blue Repertory is holding auditions for its next musical production, "Zanna, Don’t--A Musical Fairy Tale," set to open at at the Ateneo de Manila University this February.

WHEN:
Saturday, November 21 (10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Callbacks--November 22

WHERE:
Ateneo de Manila University (exact venue TBA)

WHAT TO PREPARE:
1 fast song (a capella, need not be Broadway)
Comedy monologue from the show (to follow)
Dance clothes

For more information, contact Ces at 0918-4596017.

To cap off its 18th season, Ateneo Blue Repertory is proud to present "Zanna, Don’t--A Musical Fairy Tale," a show that takes place in a topsy-turvy world where homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuals must battle anti-straight prejudice. Set in a high school, the plot revolves around a teenage "matchmaker" and the scandal that erupts when a boy and girl dare fall in love. The show delivers a humorous and hopeful message of tolerance through an infectious pop-inspired score, hearty dollops of humor, and, of course, a dab of magic.

With co-directors Carelle Mangaliag and RR Herrera and musical director Felix Rivera on board, "Zanna, Don’t!" will be showcased at the Ateneo de Manila University this February.

Talent in excelsis

2009-11-14T02:16:00.015+08:00

Thirty years ago, when Irene Cara was singing “Out Here On My Own”, famous people were famous for doing something. They could break your heart with their singing, or defy gravity when they danced, or sum up the human experience with a line reading. Talent meant something. (True, there have always been useless celebrities, but they were not as visible or influential as they are now.) Today people are famous for being famous. They don’t have to work that hard, they just have to go viral. The audience doesn’t have to admire them, they only have to think, “Hey, I can do that, too.” When anyone can be famous, fame is cheap. Hence this pointless remake.

-- From “Lame!”, Jessica Zafra's review of the new Fame

Didn't see the movie, so I can't agree or disagree. But how perfectly said: [F]amous people were famous for doing something. They could break your heart with their singing, or defy gravity when they danced, or sum up the human experience with a line reading. True enough, some famous people immediately came to mind with those lines.

1. Luther Vandross, A House Is Not a Home. Gorgeous, sensuous voice and the kind of sheer poetic ardency that could have you weeping in heartbreak or ecstasy or an improbable combination of both--whatever, you're simply moved.

2. Defy gravity, eh? Who else but the greatest dancer of the last century, Rudolf Nureyev, whose jaw-dropping physicality onstage redefined ballet forever? Here, from an electrifying moment in Le Corsaire:

3. And matchless line readings--a wicked, wicked entry: Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons, in that scene where she explains how she invented herself and became a “virtuoso of deceit.” The lines themselves--all elegant fire and savage wit (by the playwright Christopher Hampton)--are worth savoring before finding out how Close transforms them into one of the greatest monologues in the movies:

When I came out into society I was 15. I already knew then that the role I was condemned to, namely to keep quiet and do what I was told, gave me the perfect opportunity to listen and observe. Not to what people told me, which naturally was of no interest to me, but to whatever it was they were trying to hide. I practiced detachment. I learned how to look cheerful while under the table I stuck a fork onto the back of my hand. I became a virtuoso of deceit. It wasn't pleasure I was after, it was knowledge. I consulted the strictest moralists to learn how to appear, philosophers to find out what to think, and novelists to see what I could get away with, and in the end I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die.

Your candidates?

And kids' most-loved classical music is...

2009-11-14T01:54:00.004+08:00

John Williams' Harry Potter theme, according to a poll by Classic FM in the UK. So, two caveats: British kids mostly, and, in the case of Williams, not really classical, just heavily orchestrated film music. But a good thing nonetheless. I mean, kids + the classics? An unusual combination in these R&B days, you must admit.

Tom Service of The Guardian: “Harry Potter's victory shows that children love lavishly orchestrated music, and that they understand that you can create worlds of magic and mystery with a symphony orchestra.”

But the snob in him couldn't help adding: “[D]oes a film theme really count as classical music?... I don't think that John Williams's astonishingly annoying earworm, the melodic soundtrack to Harry Potter's wizardry, is anywhere near the class of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.”

Ah, Prokofiev. He has three on the list.

1. John Williams Harry Potter
2. Howard Blake Walking in the Air (The Snowman)
3. Sergei Prokofiev Peter's Theme (Peter and the Wolf)
4. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker)
5. Sergei Prokofiev The Duck Scene (Peter and the Wolf)
6. Paul Dukas The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Fantasia)
7. Edward Elgar Pomp and Circumstance Op. 39, No. 4 (Fantasia)
8. Johann Pachelbel Canon
9. Sergei Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet
10. Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov Flight of the Bumblebee

Here's the “astonishingly annoying earworm” that's otherwise keeping British kids wide-eyed with wonder:

Performance Workshops at International Institute for Film and Arts

2009-11-14T01:48:00.005+08:00

The International Institute for Film and Arts (IIFA) completes its year-end courses at its Makati venue (LAB 315, Evekal Building, Arnaiz Avenue, Legazpi Village,Makati City). The classes are handled by an impressive list of workshop mentors, including broadcaster and Center for Sports Communication founder Noel Zarate, IIFA Director Dennis Marasigan, and veteran actors Ricky Davao, Shamaine Buencamino and Nor Domingo.

Limited scholarship slots are available for the IIFA Broadcast Performance and Acting for Camera courses. Those interested should submit an application letter together with a resume to filmarts.manila@gmail.com. For enrollment and inquiries, call telephone 8152246 or 8187201 or mobile 0916-5918815.

3rd Broadcast Performance Workshop
November 27-29 2009 (Friday to Sunday) 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The IIFA Broadcast Performance Workshop is a practical course ideal for everyone who wants to learn and improve skills in broadcasting, Participants will go through exercises and simulated interviews, beat reporting and news anchoring supplemented by lectures on TV and radio journalism under one of the country’s leading broadcasters and founder of Center for Sports Communication.

Workshop Master: NOEL ZARATE
Workshop Fee: P7,800/US$200 (inclusive of materials and meals)

Acting for Camera Workshop
November 28, December 5, 12, 19 (Saturdays Only) 4-10 p.m.

Intended for everyone who wants to pick up the finer points of acting for film and television, the IIFA Acting for Camera Workshop under film, television and theater director-actor Dennis Marasigan will provide participants with on-camera exercises as well as the privilege of meeting award-winning actors who will share their experiences and career advice.

Workshop Master: DENNIS MARASIGAN
Guest Mentors: RICKY DAVAO, SHAMAINE CENTENERA BUENCAMINO, NOR DOMINGO
Workshop Fee: P9,600/US$240 (inclusive of materials and meals)

Dulaang UP's Mary Stuart: the duelling royals

2009-11-12T00:02:00.004+08:00

Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino as Elizabeth I and Anna Abad Santos as Mary, Queen of Scots in Dulaang UP's English-language production of Mary Stuart. Tess Dumpit alternates with Abad Santos as Mary.

Dulaang UP's fourth production for its 34th theater season is the Philippine premiere of “Maria Stuart”, a play by renowned German playwright and poet Friedrich Von Schiller, whose 250th birth anniversary is marked this year in the theatrical world.

“Mary Stuart” is a dramatization of a historical clash between two strong-willed women in history: Queen Elizabeth I of England and Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland--two iconic women whose struggle for power exemplified one of the most moving and thrilling displays of passion and politics the world had ever seen.

Stella Cañete as Elizabeth I and Banaue Miclat as Mary, Queen of Scots in the Filipino-version Maria Stuart, with translation by Palanca Award winner Allan Palileo.

Directed by Tony Mabesa, the production also features Floy Quintos, Ces Quesada, Richard Cunanan, Flor Salanga, Alegria Ferrer, Ku Aquino, Jaques Borlaza, Allan Palileo, Ron Capinding, Gwyn Guanzon, Fonz Deza, Evert Gandarosa, Eric dela Cruz, Reuben Uy, JJ Ignacio, Brian Arda, Josh Deocareza and Zafrullah Masahud.

Set design by New York-based designer Clint Ramos and costume design by Eric Pineda. Others in the artistic team are Voltaire de Jesus (lights), Winter David (video), Jojit Lorenzo (photography), Meliton Roxas Jr. (technical direction), Katte Sabate and Carlo Cannu (associate direction).

“Mary Stuart” will run from Nov. 18-Dec. 6, every Wednesdays to Fridays at 7 p.m. and every weekend at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with Saturdays at 7 p.m. For more information, call 0906-2263032 or the Dulaang UP Office 9261349, 9818500 loc 2449 or 4337840.

Aliw Awards 2009 set for November 17

2009-11-12T00:01:00.003+08:00

Veteran lighting designer Joey Nombres is directing this year's edition of the Aliw Awards, to be held on November 17, 2009, at the Mega Tent, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Show proper will start at 6:30 p.m.

Most people do not realize that Nombres, one of Manila ’s premiere lighting designers, started his career as a director, giving life to plays written by Goldoni and Alberto Florentino.

This Bachelor of Arts, Major in Literature graduate in fact did all the “dirty jobs” in theater--from stage management to production management and and technical direction--prior to finding his niche in lighting design.

He credits Tony Espejo, Gantimpala Theater Artistic Director and his close friend for more than four decades, as his mentor.

“I was intrigued by the colors, and the possibilities that it offers,” says Nombres. “It was Tony, during the early stages of Gantimpala, who saw my potential. He assigned me as his lighting designer for the productions he was directing. Soon enough, I was hooked, the magic of lights intrigued, amused and enthralled me, making me forgot my other preoccupations.”

Gantimpala/CCP's beginnings
“Many are unaware of this; Tony Espejo was not only the first Filipino but also the first Asian scholar in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. When he came back, after a year or two, he started Gantimpala. And I was fortunate to be part of his original group, together with Rey Albano and Ed Murillo.”

“Mrs. Imelda Marcos created the CCP with the vision that it would be like an opera house. It was really a serious venue for high art. What Tony and the plays of Gantimpala did was to bring the masses into CCP. The CCP had a play-writing contest and it was Espejo’s company who gambled and staged untested Filipino materials. If I remember it right, during our first production, it was Boni Ilagan’s 'Katipunan: Mga Anak ng Bayan.' Our working budget for 2 weekends, six shows, cast and production cost was only P2,000. We did not expect that it would be the start of something big, that Katipunan would become a hit and the company would grow and become of the most respected theater companies in the land.”

“The arts scene was booming during the late 70’s,” he adds. “This was the time when it was important to be seen at the CCP. The Metropop Music Festival happened. There was no cable TV; the malls were not that popular, so going the theater to watch a play, dance concert, an opera or ballet was what the people did. I remember, when 'Swan Lake; was first presented at the CCP, the queue was from the artist center up to Harrison Plaza , ganun kami ka-bongga nun.”

The value of lighting design
So, what does a lighting designer bring to a show? “A good lighting designer contributes a design that serves as a guide to the audience. The lighting design must never overpower a production. If that happens, it is no longer a design but a showcase. Hindi siya dapat ang lumulutang. Pwede niyang tagni-tagniin ang isang pangit na palabas at pagandahin.”

Also, “A good lighting design can enlighten scenes that are deemed too dark. It can make vertically challenged people appear taller. It is a wonderful medium to use into progression, or prepare people for a climax; it can scare, set the mood for romance or drama.”

Nombres' lights design has been employed in countless concerts, plays, ballets, television specials, awards nights, beauty pageants, corporate events, national and international spectacles. This time, he has his hands full directing the Aliw Awards.

On the Aliw Awards and its voting process
“The Aliw Awards is the oldest and most prestigious award giving body that recognizes the talents of artists from the live entertainment circuit,” says Nombres. “Because of my training, I was tasked to direct the TV presentation and the live awards night. As its director, it excites me to know that it continues to enliven the entertainment industry and that many still aspire to receive one.”

“Yours truly is not a voting member,” he clarifies. “And so is Frank Rivera; we have been alluded to as supposedly being very influential in outcome of winners. Let us make this crystal-clear, all the Aliw Awards members are not voting members except for the president. The Board of Judges are invited by foundation and they are the ones who deliberate and choose the winners. There is this mistaken impression that members also serve as judges. Let me to stress this, Aliw members are not judges, there are sets of judges that come from the different sectors of society. Their names and photos are in the souvenir program.”

The most critical of the ALIW’s choices are members of the theater circle. Nombres welcomes these comments with an open mind.

“It makes us realize that we should always be on our toes, and that much is expected from us,” he says. “Hindi masama ang loob namin doon. We all have our different tastes. We all have different opinions on what is best and what is worst. On a personal capacity, what irks me is that when you impose your taste to others and that your taste is supposedly more superior than all of us and that should be followed.. We welcome those who question the choices of Aliw. After all we are in a democracy. We cannot please everybody.”

“We are looking forward to another exciting night. All the nominees in each category are some of the finest performers in the industry today. The Entertainment of the Year category is very competitive. Ang ganda ng laban! The awards night will be very simple. This is labor of love working, since we have a very menial budget. And despite this reality, we go on because we believe in the Aliw's vision to honor the world class talents of Filipinos.”

Shadow play

2009-11-12T00:00:00.006+08:00

The infamous photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald holding a rifle in his backyard would have been nearly impossible to fake, according to a new analysis by a Dartmouth College professor.

Oswald, who was shot to death days after being charged with the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, claimed the photo of him holding a rifle in one hand and Marxist newspapers in the other had been doctored. Over the years, many others have pointed out what appear to be inconsistent lighting and shadows.

But Hany Farid, director of the Neukom Institute for Computational Science at Dartmouth, said the shadows are exactly where they should be.

“You can never really prove an image is real, but the evidence that people have pointed to that the photo is fake is incorrect,” Farid said Thursday. “As an academic and a scientist, I don't like to say it's absolutely authentic ... but it's extremely unlikely to have been a fake.”

-- “Dartmouth scientist says Oswald rifle photo real”

Oliver Stone, what say you?

Drivel alert

2009-11-11T00:00:00.004+08:00

More specifically, bad PR alert:

In [name of painting exhibit], the seeming disparate but not wholly unrelated elements are combined resulting in euphemistic pokes at metaphors that usually bespeak of the time-tested sentiments on mortality, faith and human existence. In one painting titled _____________, where a pile of donuts is intruded by a blue paint brush whose bristles are dipped in scarlet paint, an obvious innuendo may be forthcoming in such juxtaposition, but the titling makes such an association smirkily broken down and takes the very coded invented word as a ludicrous masking to someone who isn't in on the joke.

1. This is an actual press release. We get hemorrhoid-inducing twaddle like this everyday, peddling everything from flip-flops to face creams to credit cards to clothes to, that's it, art exhibits. Anyone who tells me my job helping edit the lifestyle section of the country's no. 1 paper must be a lark gets a cackling laugh; the daily Babel we get on our mail (and have to rework--because the same PR gets sent to the other papers, get it?) can make you rend your garments, don sack cloth and head-butt the wall.

2. Any artwork that requires explanation is, in my opinion, a failed artwork. In particular, much of today's abstract art leans so heavily on convoluted curatorial notes that you end up concluding... a) the artist is so insecure about his work that he has to explain, justify, itemize what it all means; b) the curator/agent who writes the notes/press releases (they're often one and the same, the latter merely lifted from the former) is a frustrated creative writing guy--with apologies to real creative writing guys. Maybe the gibberish is meant to mirror the artwork?

3. Same with movies. Young director whose indie movie I didn't like sidles up to me and says, sotto voce, “Someday I hope to sit down with you so I can explain my film.” Huh? I saw the movie twice, just to try to get it. What happened to “Show, don't tell”?

4. Discuss: “Art doesn't have to be about anything to be good. In fact, the easier it is to say what a work is about, the less interesting that work becomes.” -- Jonathan Jones, “The best art is meaningless”

Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe opens in theaters November 11

2009-11-10T00:00:00.015+08:00

Writer-director Alvin Yapan's Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe (The Rapture of Fe), 2009 Cinemalaya Special Jury Prize awardee, is opening on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place and a few other select theaters, including in Cebu. The opening coincides with its premiere screening at the Cairo Film Festival where it is competing in the International Digital Category.

The film has also been shortlisted for the Chicago Film Festival, Osian's Cinefan (Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema) in New Delhi, and the Bahamas Film Festival where it will compete in December. It stars Irma Adlawan, Nonie Buencamino and TJ Trinidad.

A sampling of the critical raves:

On what turns out to be the most disappointing year of Cinemalaya, when it has again proved its refined taste in movies, Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe becomes too prominent to be ignored. It stands out, and it stands best. -- Richard Bolisay, Lilok Pelikula

If Yapan's visual frankness is admirable, his decision to cast Adlawan, in a role that allows the criminally underused actress to explore the several facets of womanhood (as victim, object of desire, breadwinner, and prize) without compromising the integrity of the character, is simply inspired. -- Oggs Cruz, Lessons From the School of Inattention

There’s pleasure in unexplainable magic in a small town. Grade: A. -- The Bakla Review

A bold attempt at yoking together the fantastic and the real, in the process commenting on domestic violence and globalization. -- Jonathan Chua, The Philippine Star

The well-researched story is rich in cultural authenticity and social relevance. -- Fidel Antonio Medel, Philippine Entertainment Portal

Solidly scripted and directed, Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe is an effective and restrained film that offers a portrait of a woman always looking for a way out. -- Alvin, The Relief Room

Alvin Yapan is a fabulist who knows to tell his story with the right pitch and detachment--to achieve the proper effect and affect and never strain for the sensational, the melodrama of fear and horror. -- The Persistence of Vision

My take: The movie is bold, assured, enigmatic--able to say much with an intriguingly quiet, off-centered style. It's original enough to challenge convention and assumption on point of storytelling and character psychology, but empathetic enough to reel you in and haunt you long after the final blackout. In short--go watch.

Mark Twain was right about Syria

2009-11-08T00:01:00.096+08:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11.08.2009

He called Damascus ‘Eternal City’—indeed, a visitor can savor the present through its past

SAMUEL CLEMENS, AKA MARK Twain, he of the sparkling American wit and humor, wasn’t joking for once when he wrote of a favorite city: “To Damascus years are only flitting trifles of time. She measures time not by days and months and years, but by the empires she has seen rise and crumble to ruin. She is a type of immortality.”

Twain wrote that in 1869. These days, the tourist map tends to overlook Damascus and Syria itself for flashier outposts in the Middle East—Cairo in Egypt with its glamorous pharaohs and pyramids, Israel and its profusion of holy places, even Jordan with Petra. But Damascus can hold a bright candle to these destinations with its own extremely rich history and culture, beginning with its claim to be the oldest inhabited city on earth.

Cradle of civilization
Syria is “historically the cradle of civilization and religion,” said Tourism Minister Dr. Sa’ad Alaah Aga Alkal’ah, citing as proof, among others, the world’s first alphabet (found carved on a mud tablet in the Phoenician city of Ugarit); the definitive development of Christianity as we know it, with St. Paul’s conversion on his way to Damascus (the “Street called Straight” on which he met St. Ananias still bisects the city today); the march of the great Biblical tribes across the country’s length and breadth—Hittites, Amorites, Akkadians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Phoenicians, the Roman legion—along with history’s mightiest warrior-kings from Nebuchadnezzar and Darius to Saladin and Richard the Lion-Hearted.

[Click on photos to enlarge.]

Statue of Saladin, the Crusaders' greatest foe, in front of the Damascus Citadel

Damascus Citadel at night. The fortress was built by Saladin's brother in the early 13th century. Beside it is the famed Al Hamidiyeh souk (market).

Minaret and inner courtyard of the Omayyad Mosque, built in 705 AD and the heart of old Damascus. Inside the mosque is a shrine to St. John the Baptist.

Byzantine mosaic displayed at Al Ma'ara Museum, in the northwestern part of Syria between Hama and Aleppo

Satellite dishes--preferred by Syrians over cable TV--bloom in profusion on apartment rooftops in Aleppo.

Modern Syria is pegging its tourism efforts on the rediscovery of the country’s pivotal role in world history, specifically its central part in the spread of commerce, culture and technology through the Silk Road, the fabled 7,000-mile trade route that transported goods from China to Europe, to Africa, the Mediterranean and back for nearly 3,000 years.

Along the way, Syrian cities such as Palmyra, Aleppo and Damascus became important cosmopolitan trading centers and restful oases for caravans of merchants and adventurers traversing the gruelling transcontinental route.

To highlight its international Silk Road heritage, the country has been mounting a lavish festival every year since 2002 as a way to attract more tourists, visitors and connoisseurs of history and culture. This year’s festival, for instance, brought together performers, musicians and artists from Turkey, Yemen, India, Iraq, Jordan, Spain, Tunisia, China and (much applauded) some high-kicking martial dancers from the Carpathian mountain region of Romania.

Banner announcing the 2009 Silk Road Festival

Opening program of the Silk Road Festival featuring performers from India, China, Africa, Spain, Romania and other countries once linked to the ancient trade routes

(The Philippine Department of Tourism, representing a country itself touched by the southern maritime fringe of the silk route, has a “Memorandum of Understanding” with Syria that calls for “deepening the cooperation in the field of tourism between the two countries, [paying] special attention to cultural and historical tourism.”)

Prickly relations
Despite lingering perceptions of Syria as a dangerous country, derived mainly from its prickly relations with the US—which has accused Syria’s authoritarian government of supporting terrorist groups such as Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon, among other charges—six million tourists are expected to pour in this year, up 10 percent from last year. That includes, said Deputy Prime Minister Abdal-allah AlDadari, an average of 50,000 American tourists a year, despite the absence of direct flights from the US mainland.

What they see when they arrive in Syria is a country that breathes its past even as it embraces the present. Glittering bars and restaurants in Damascus testify to a thriving modern nightlife, even as the city’s most famous souk (market), the Al Hamidiyeh Bazaar, with its ribbons of shops and streets brimming with fruits, perfumes, spices, garments, brass and metalware, handicrafts, brocades, native delicacies and handblown glass, provides a direct echo of the times, peaking in the Middle Ages, when Damascus, with the colonnaded Roman metropolis of Palmyra planted in the desert and the prosperous Aleppo to the north, resounded with the din of caravansaries from far and wide descending on the country.

Women buying fish at Al Hamidiyeh Bazaar in Damascus

Fruits in a riot of colors being sold on the streets of the seaside city of Tartus

Young Syrian outside his garment shop at the Suleymaniye Islamic-Ottoman Complex, Damascus

DVDs of Hollywood movies for sale; CDs of Western artists are also abundant.

Man offering cups of traditional Syrian drink to pedestrians for a fee

Bananas--big ones-- sold on the sidewalk in Tartus

These men saw our cameras, went outside their store and asked to have their picture taken.

That age-old mercantile tradition seems to have bred in Syrians a sense of gregariousness and hospitality. Not very many speak English, but even those who don’t will cry “Welcome!” or nod and smile when they see foreigners on the street. Children, especially, love to mug before tourist cameras.

Girls crowd out the boys and confidently vogue for the camera.

Two boys playing at the Omayyad Mosque courtyard pause for a pose. Kids are allowed to be frisky not only at the courtyard, but inside the mosque itself.

Bedouin boys in traditional garb

Schoolkids, two of them in their trademark blue grade-school uniform, have fun in front of the camera.

More schoolkids, this time crowding around a Japanese journalist

After offering me a cup of hot chocolate bought from the vendor in the background, this boy segued into his pose.

The boys were playing soccer, but forgot their game at the sight of the camera; the girls scampered after them.

Adorable kid in native garb with beaming mom and dad inside their clothing shop

Shy kid with grandma

The young boy was no match to the two perky girls, who kept dragging him along and introducing themselves to visitors, including to us.

They came at us from nowhere, smiling endlessly, wanting to have their picture taken and gamely following our hands-on-chin instructions.

This kid's a born performer, joining a group of adult males perform a traditional welcome dance.

Two young boys eating ice cream on a hot afternoon in Aleppo

And just like that, this tyke obliges our colleague Ron Jayme's camera.

While the state apparatus remains palpable with heavy police and military presence everywhere (ensuring low crime on the other hand), Syrian society itself appears to be more open and tolerant than its Arab neighbors.

The October 2009 issue of “Syria Today,” an English-language magazine, openly discusses the question of “Breaking Taboos”—specifically the “Forbidden Trinity” of Syrian society: sex, religion and politics.

The articles tackle changing perceptions about living-in and premarital sex among young couples; the stigma attached to social outcasts such as the homeless and mentally handicapped; the lives of Syrian gay men and women; the increasing popularity of tattoos.

Remarkable chapter
Syrian history has one remarkable chapter that perhaps illuminates its attitude toward women. The desert town of Palmyra, known as Tadmor in 19th century BC, became a magnificent city of Roman arches, columns, temples and an amphitheater with the rise of the Silk Road.

Palmyra's Roman ruins, fronted by the 2nd-century AD Monumental Arch or Arch of Triumph

What remains of the colonnaded avenue leading to the amphitheater

These ruins were once a glittering cosmopolitan destination in the middle of the desert--an oases for Silk Road caravans

Impressively built amphitheater with great acoustics and a breathtaking view of the surrounding plain

The main avenue where once the Arab queen Zenobia had her triumphant processions

Timeless ruins bathed in sunset

The ancient metropolis dramatically lit at night--a sight to behold after driving in pitch-black darkness through the desert

In 267 AD, its king was supplanted by his second wife, Zenobia, who, like Egypt’s Cleopatra centuries before her, would govern her kingdom with a crafty blend of ruthless cunning and feminine wiles.

From her majestic desert city, Zenobia waged war on other tribes, conquering the whole of Syria before grabbing lower Egypt and parts of Asia Minor. Rome, enraged at the loss of its wealthy Eastern province, eventually raised an army which defeated Zenobia. She was brought to Rome and paraded in humiliation before jeering crowds.

Syria, though, has acknowledged Zenobia as a proto-patriot and heroine. From the seminal coins carrying her likeness that the queen had struck in defiance of the Roman emperor Aurelian, there are now Zenobia streets, Zenobia stores and shops, Zenobia five-star hotels and Zenobia ballrooms within five-star hotels, Zenobia brands from textiles to household products, and, no doubt, Syrian girls named Zenobia.

The influence of her headstrong life and example can still be seen. Though many still prefer to be covered head to toe in all-black robes, Syrian women are free to dress in Western-style clothing, even showing skin. They are allowed to go to school, drive cars, hold office, interact with the other sex publicly.

Maya, our pert and pretty guide, a Journalism student at Damascus University

Bedouin girl taking care of her baby brother. Note the eyes rimmed with kohl.

While the other children were checking out their picture in Ron's camera, this girl tugged at my shirt and asked for her own shot. Sure, kid.

Young woman by the door of her family's dress shop

Mother with two kids in tow crossing the street in Tartus

Veiled women avert their faces at the sight of camera-toting foreigners.

Common sight
In the seaside city of Tartus, a Templar stronghold in the 12th-13th centuries (a well-preserved Romanesque church stands in the old part of town), it’s a common sight to see young lovers cuddling by the seashore, enjoying the sun and breeze.

The seaside city of Tartus, a Templar stronghold in the age of the Crusades

Young couples enjoying each other's company in the sun and sea breeze of Tartus. Men and women are free to intermingle in Syria.

Of Aleppo, meanwhile, John Kelly, in “The Great Mortality,” his exceptional book on the Black Plague, writes that the city was already “an important international trading center and listening post in the Middle Ages.” By 1207, it had its own trade agreement with the powerful city-state of Venice.

The city’s enduring symbol is the Aleppo Citadel, an imposing structure of fortified gates and towers that dates back to 312 BC and sits on a lofty mound from which the rest of the city radiates.

Aleppo Citadel, the ancient city's landmark and the scene of mighty conflict, among them the bloody siege of Tamerlane in 1400 AD

Entrance to the fortress, lit up for festivities

Cathedral-like corridor leading to an inner courtyard

Complementing the fortress is the nearby Aleppo Museum, which houses priceless treasures from various eras, from the Assyrians to the Greeks, the Byzantines and beyond.

Entrance to the Aleppo Museum

Magnificent head of Assyrian statue made of basalt, a jewel in the museum's collection

The statue in profile--a fantastical creature with the head of a man, torso a combination of lion and scorpion, topped with eagle's wings

Mark Twain himself didn’t reach Aleppo. But of “Beautiful Damascus, the Oldest City on Earth,” he was categorical: “Though another claims the name, old Damascus is, by right, the Eternal City.”

A compliment he could have paid the rest of Syria as well.

PLUS: Relinking--Going to market--at Damascus' famous Souk al-Hamidiyeh

Tony Mabesa directs Mary Stuart for Dulaang UP

2009-11-08T00:00:00.002+08:00

For its 34th Theater Season, Dulaang UP presents “Mary Stuart” by Friedrich Von Schiller, directed by DUP’s founding artistic director Tony Mabesa.

“Mary Stuart” is a dramatization of a historical clash between two strong-willed women in history: Queen Elizabeth I of England and Queen Mary Stuart of Scotland.

The play will be presented in English and Filipino, with Filipino translation by Allan Palileo. The stellar cast includes Ana Abad Santos, Tess Dumpit and Banaue Miclat as Maria Stuart; Shamaine Buencamino and Stella Canete as Queen Elizabeth; with Ces Quesada, Alegria Ferrer, Flor Salanga, Floy Quintos, Richard Cunanan, Ku Aquino, Jaques Borlaza, Allan Palileo, Ron Capinding, Gwyn Guanzon, Ces Aldaba, Fonz Deza, Evert Gandarosa, Eric dela Cruz, Reuben Uy, JJ Ignacio, Brian Arda, Josh Deocareza, and Zafrullah Masahud.

In the artistic team are Eric Pineda (costume), Clint Ramos (set), Voltaire de Jesus (lights), Winter David (video), Jojit Lorenzo (photography), Meliton Roxas Jr. (technical direction), Katte Sabate and Carlo Cannu (associate direction).

“Mary Stuart” will run from Nov. 18-Dec. 6, every Wednesdays to Fridays at 7 p.m. and every weekend at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. with Saturdays at 7 p.m. For more information, call 0906-2263032 or the Dulaang UP Office 9261349, 9818500 loc 2449 or 4337840.

Are locally-mounted Broadway musicals a waste?, part 2

2009-11-05T00:01:00.004+08:00

The bulk of the highly stimulating, thought-provoking discussion here, with valuable inputs from both sides that need to be read in their entirety. Since my Multiply and Facebook accounts also had their share of comments--mostly well-argued additions to the back-and-forth--I'm reposting them here verbatim for those who have no access to my sites there.

About my stand on all this--you can deduce that by now from reading this blog and my reviews over the years. I'd like to see all kinds of Filipino-made productions, whether remounted, adapted, inspired by or wholly original, whether English-language or in the vernacular, whether perfectly accented or not. I might not like all of them; better that than the monotony of parochial drama. The more types of theater we do, the better in the long run for our actors, artists, practitioners and audience, I think. That's one kind of promiscuity I'm happy to lay credit to and wallow in some more.

The full text of Oggs' review of Spring Awakening is now online, by the way--here.

From my Facebook:

RALPH B. PENA: very old subject. yes, more original works must get produced, no question. but it's too easy to say that staging b'way musicals in manila are about mimicry. they're not. like all theater, some are bad, and some are good. personally, i would rather see more zsa zsa zaturnahs than spring awakenings, any day. but i've also come to accept that theater is big enough to contain us all. even if one can take the position that foreign musicals don't advance the cultural profile of the filipino, it still employs actors and gives them a venue for expression. bottom line: producing companies must invest in filipino writers to begin developing original work. they should set aside a portion of the money they make from producing larson, shiek, et.al., and use that to support an original project. until that happens, then b'way musicals should feature all naked casts.

BOBBY MARTINO: They are a good source for any actors in rehearsal process.I agree that they are only relevant if we put the Pilipino heart in these characters and stories.It benefits the audience to have identification for all of the plots can happen at any point in time, location and race. Our ultimate goal is to at least produce one original Pilipino work, may it be in english or tagalog. It can start with the collaboration of all the Pilipino producers, a national contest where all the new writers can submit original work and established Pilipino artist who have done international works can collaborate with local actors and directors. Our work as talents have always been profitable to foreign producers. It is time that we hone our national identity cultivated by our own stories and raise our voices singing original Pilipino songs. We have done so many rehearsals it is now time to be in "show" mode. To wait for another big international producer to give us a break is like waiting for them to harvest the best fruits of our land. It is time for our own golden harvest season!

Isa sa bawat taon, if we are staging 20 foriegn , ISA lang ang dapat naman para sa atin.It is an industry that needs investments , we have the talent, that is given. we have to nurture the young writers, when this works, more people will benefit and yes the obvious that we are Asia's Broadway will finally be realized. 2010 is the first year, from this year alone so many stories to write, the natural calamities, our acknowledgement and new respect for mother earth is very universal. We have film clips and images, a painted set of real stories, already a lot of songs are written. Local producers should collaborate, artist both locals and international, multi- disciplines, all the best Pilipino's ,O tayo na!

SUSAN ISORENA-ARCEGA: theatrical material is still literature. you appreciate it for what goodness it adds to the soul. the physical interpretation is another thing. the performance methodology i help to espouse is not that popular among production groups that do western musicals, and even less among artists in showbiz. perhaps, therein lies the difference. siguro, sa audition pa lang, kailangan muna ipag-sense memory, mag-ragdoll at humingi ng piso. .just to add to the believability.

MIGUEL DIAZ: i think spring awakening was just a pile of shit. but filipinos love things-foreign. they prefer mcdonalds to sweet potato.

OLIVER OLIVEROS: Broadway and Off-Broadway theatre productions promote diversity. I see the same thing occurring in the local theatre scene. I guess, this all boils down to a matter of preference. If you feel your money and time is best spent in watching Broadway imports, then watch one or two. If you feel you’d rather spend time and money on original Filipino productions, then do so. For the local theatre producer, it has always been a big challenge to fill up the theatre in every performance. Artistic and marketing issues must always strike a compromise. Unless, you want your cast to play to an empty room.

VALERIE FERIA-ISACKS: In some European countries (Schengen ones in particular) they re-adapt the piece to local language, culture, references rather than taking the thing whole cloth like most pinoy theaters do. There are so many parallels between Ibong Adarna and Mid-Summer Nights Dream I'm surprised that nobody (at least that I know and I could be wrong) has done an adaptation playing in that sandbox (using the Adarna creatures and metaphor but the MSND storyline). Then you could sell it to the Shakespeare lovers and the Local theatre lovers...

JOEY TING: Honestly, we, Filipinos, love to replicate things based on what we hear and see from the other side of the world (US and Europe). We are more capable in patronizing art rather than appreciating art. We are more deliberate when it comes to choosing what's in and what's hot but we actually do not even bother to balance what's art and what's not. It's not really bad to replicate for as long as the audiences get satisfied in what these companies present. In reality, we learn from the Americans and Europeans and it's not bad to learn from them. We just do not know how to have a Philippine accent or trademark in order to say that it is indeed a Philippine staging of a particular Broadway hit. More so, we are not ready to have a series of Filipino musicals, not yet. I believe a playwright must learn to unlearn to achieve a greater impact in the world theater. So far, these playwrights have the same and as old as that of Philippine rituals. More competent theater directors are not given the commercial theaters' slots. Why? they choose not to be part of a patronizing society like our very own culture - the 'showbiz' theater world.

ALEX DOROLA: Whatever, original Filipino musicals are still the best! Adaptation of foreign works, somehow, can be poisonous to Filipino culture. Be original! Kaya naman natin gumawa ng musicals na sa atin lang galing.

ANGELICA-LEE ASPIRAS: Hmmm... I think it's always a challenge to see artistic efforts criticised-especially when referring to fledgeling efforts of a developing theatrical profile in Manila. Here's my thought: regardless of the many good and bad opinions of the production's outcome, we need to be supportive of the intention. Projects may not resemble their American counterparts on many levels, but it takes so much courage and love to commit to ( and be held accountable for) an ambitious idea such as this one. How wonderful it is! Filipinos are known for their ability to adapt to ... well, you name it we've assimilated. This is a quality that sustains us and also camouflages us. When paired with a solid work ethic, it can take us so far :) but now, it would be beautiful to see our identity develop, especially in a venue of endless possibility and expression. They have so much to say over there! The fact that we have the opportunity to even discuss this is so exciting. Each thought is as a seed...

NICO QUEJANO: i agree that there is some form of "cultural disonnect" but good theater is good theater, good art is still good art, regardless of any cultural persuasion that a person might have...not really a total waste, but a little "filipinization" can go great lenghts, i mean i remember watching West Side Story and was totally disappointed with the total "mimicry"

From my Multiply:

MITS SHIMIZU: spring awakening, how appropriate, huh? the critic was one "lucky guy" to watch the musical on broadway that's why may comparison sya. so, are we going to deprive the "unlucky ones" to see the musical in its original form? :) here we go again... chicken and egg phenomenon..apples and oranges... let us not be myopic. think global. art knows no boundaries... we can still retain our filipino identity without resorting to 'filipinizing" everything in our midst. also, i think we have enough filipino materials to negate our concerns regarding the so-called foreign invasions. much ado about nothing really.

JULIE CRUZ: Blargh. I mean, I watch US television series instead of local ones not because they're foreign, but because they're better. Because I've TRIED to like some local stuff, but the sad truth is that a lot of it is crap. Same goes for films, books, and yes, theater. I would be more than happy to support a well-done original Filipino musical production, if it were good enough. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places? But boy, what a sad, sad thing Philippine theater would be without Avenue Q, or Altar Boyz, or Songs for a New World. I think it's ridiculous to imply that we should shun these things just because they're not our own. I fucking LOVE Red Concepcion's original spin on the Mark character. Felix Rivera was an absolutely winsome Princeton. Joel Trinidad's talent and sense of humor is unique, sparkling and inimitable. I would hardly call any of their performances carbon-copies of their Broadway counterparts.

LAWRENCE VILLEGAS: Agree with the comments above, but I think we're being too simplistic here. I can see several points of discussion we can break this down to:

1. Material: Foreign material have the edge here. Before something reaches a place like Broadway or the West End, it gets edited and rewritten, usually based on the intended audience and marketability. Local material don't get that much care and attention. This could be what's lacking with local material.

2. Training: Most of our seasoned performers have gone to greener pastures either abroad or to other industries like TV & film. And we don't have a lot of venues for training new ones before they need to perform professionally. Hard to blame theater people who still need to make a living.

3. Money: Don't expect a Broadway-style production (or expect to mount one) when the audience cannot (or refuse to) pay for proper theater. In the art film world, I think they're trying to solve this by finding artistic material that requires less funding to produce. Maybe we can learn a thing or two from this.

4. Commercial or art: Like film, productions are done either for profit or for art. Seldom do both happen. Should we be mounting commercial productions than will sell, or should we patronize serious art production? Don't get me wrong, there could be a lot of artistry in commercial productions.

We've seen Shakespeare commercialized and Filipinized. Purist would call that bastardation of the classics, but it does serve its purpose to capture new audiences. We've seen great productions of it, and we've seen thousands of bad ones. But it doesn't mean we should stop doing Shakespeare.

Maybe the Spring production just wasn't ready when it had to run. That's always a risk taken in mounting theater productions. But good thing there are still people taking that risk. And there are still the critics who tell us the truth for us to learn from.

ALWYN IGNACIO: Tama na! Itigil na ang mga "second rate, trying hard, copy cat" theater companies na masyadong bilib sa mga ginagawa nila, At pagalitan rin natin ang mga broadsheets na OA sa pagbibigay ng espasyo sa mga press releases ng mga copy cats na ito na para bang hindi magiging kumpleto ang buhay natin kung di natin mapapanood ang kanilang mga palabas.What do we gain from these imports? Ano pa, eh di actors who speak with peculiar accents? Hahaha. That's all.

LEA SALONGA: Shows like Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, and the like will always have a place wherever they play, because they have something relevant, funny, and pointed to say. As for foreign versus local, there is a lot of crap on both sides of the Pacific... it's all just a matter of figuring out which is which.