Julia Abueva and PJ Valerio in Rep's The Fantasticks, starting July 3

"The Fantasticks" enjoys the distinction of being the world's longest running musical. It opened in 1960 in a little theater called the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village, New York, and went on to captivate generations of theatergoers for a record-breaking 17,162 performances.

That translates to the curtains rising for nearly 42 years. It is, to this day, considered a gem of a musical that allows audiences to build a world using imagination and experience a love story that grows to be intensely and beautifully real.

This year, "The Fantasticks" marks its 50th anniversary, and Repertory Philippines joins in the celebration with its own production of this endearing musical theater classic.

In its history, Rep has staged "The Fantasticks" three times—the first in 1974 in its ninth season, with no less than Artistic Director Baby Barredo in the title role of the dreamer Luisa and acclaimed musical theater actor Cocoy Laurel as Matt.

Subsequent productions boasted a roster of respected stage veterans like Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Gia Macuja, Liesl Batucan, Jaime Blanch and Raymond Lauchengco inhabiting the leading roles of Luisa and Matt.

New stars
This season's production of "The Fantasticks" features two new theater stars who are thrilled to be able to tell this timeless story and become a part of this particular Repertory Philippines tradition.

Playing the role of Matt is young theater leading man and television host PJ Valerio. PJ made his debut on the Rep stage playing the role of Mattew in the satirical musical "Altar Boyz". He has also flexed his acting chops in musicals like "First Name", "Joseph the Dreamer", and Stages' "High School Musical", where he played the scene-stealing role of Ryan Evans. His good looks combined with his dramatic ability also made him a natural choice to portray the lead role of Romeo in Villa Teatro's production of "Romeo and Juliet".

In fact, PJ says that what truly struck him about "The Fantasticks" is that it reminds him very much of "Romeo and Juliet," except this time the tables are turned on the young lovers. In a fine twist, we find out that the fathers have conspired to stage a feud in order to ignite the romance between their children.

"It has the same elements that make Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' a classic," says PJ, "And there's a very nice message to never be afraid to experience life no matter how cruel it can be. It takes courage, but it's how you learn."

Crystal-voiced
Playing opposite PJ is the crystal-voiced Julia Abueva as Luisa. At only 13 years old, Julia has the resume of a veteran professional performer. She first enthralled audiences at the age of 7 with performances at the Esplanade Theaters by the Bay in Singapore.

Since then, Julia has taken on lead roles in eight musicals, lent her voice to the animated film "Sing to the Dawn", taken to the studio for two recordings, and played to a sold out theater in her first solo concert.

She was also chosen as the Best Child Performer of 2007 at the ALIW Awards and was featured on Oprah as one of the World's Most Talented Kids.

Recently, Julia shared the stage with pop icon Debbie Gibson in "The Superhero Diaries" in Singapore, a musical that explored an alternate comic book reality where superheroes were the ones that needed rescuing.

"At first, I wasn't sure if I would be right for the role of Luisa, so I researched the plot and it excited me. I listened to the entire soundtrack, and found I already knew some of the songs. I just fell in love with the entire musical," she says.

Enduring favorite
Julia also agrees with her leading man, that "The Fantasticks" is just meant to be an enduring favorite.

"This show has got such beautiful music, a great story, characters anyone can relate with, and a really sweet ending. It's not too good to be true, like a fairytale; just like life is not always beautiful. When we experience the real world, there will be difficulties, and what we experience will not always be perfect. But, it's those experiences that make us stronger, better people."

The other members of the cast are Jake Macapagal (Narrator/El Gallo), Jaime Del Mundo (The Boy’s Father/Hucklebee), Dido de la Paz (The Girl’s Father/Bellomy), Miguel Faustmann (The Old Actor/Henry), Red Concepcion (The Man Who Dies/Mortimer) and PJ Rebullida (The Mute).

"The Fantasticks," with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt based on Edmond Rostand's "Les Romanesques," runs July 3-July 26 at Onstage Theater, 2/F Greenbelt 1. For ticket inquiries or show buying opportunities, call 8870710 or visit www.repertory-philippines.com

Free sex!--if you come as Pikachu

“The world's oldest profession isn't about to take the recession lying down. Brothels and bathhouses have launched promotions--including free shuttle buses, senior-citizen discounts and day passes--in a bid to arouse interest among wary spenders... As part of a new deal, customers [in Hanover, Germany] pay $111 to have as much sex as they want (or can) for one hour. At Geizhaus, recent promotions allowed guests to have sex for free on Halloween and Easter if they wore a costume or brought in a decorated egg. And Berlin's Pussy Club charges guests a $98 flat rate for six hours of unlimited sex, access to a sauna and solarium and an all-you-can-eat buffet.”

--“From Bangkok to Berlin, Hard Times Hit the Sex Trade”

To be young, gifted--and funny

Knocked Up star and Superbad co-writer Seth Rogen doing stand-up comedy in Vancouver, Canada, at 13 years old. Pretty impressive, good for more than a few chuckles. Did you know that childhood friend Evan Goldberg and Rogen began writing Superbad at around this time, completing the script when they both turned 15? Figures; the mischief's all over this early routine.

'Hold on, Kermit': Anthony Lane lightsabers Yoda

From a 2005 review of Star Wars Episode III--Revenge of the Sith in The New Yorker:

“[T]he one who gets me is Yoda. May I take the opportunity to enter a brief plea in favor of his extermination? Any educated moviegoer would know what to do, having watched that helpful sequence in 'Gremlins' when a small, sage-colored beastie is fed into an electric blender. A fittingly frantic end, I feel, for the faux-pensive stillness on which the Yoda legend has hung. At one point in the new film, he assumes the role of cosmic shrink—squatting opposite Anakin in a noirish room, where the light bleeds sideways through slatted blinds. Anakin keeps having problems with his dark side, in the way that you or I might suffer from tennis elbow, but Yoda, whose reptilian smugness we have been encouraged to mistake for wisdom, has the answer. 'Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose,' he says. Hold on, Kermit, run that past me one more time. If you ever got laid (admittedly a long shot, unless we can dig you up some undiscerning alien hottie with a name like Jar Jar Gabor), and spawned a brood of Yodettes, are you saying that you’d leave them behind at the first sniff of danger? Also, while we’re here, what’s with the screwy syntax? Deepest mind in the galaxy, apparently, and you still express yourself like a day-tripper with a dog-eared phrase book. 'I hope right you are.' Break me a fucking give.”

Break me a fucking give. Hahaha.

His latest bad-ass jab: “[I]n 'Terminator Salvation,' [John Connor] is played by Christian Bale as a scar-nicked warrior, consumed by a messianic belief that he can save the world by shouting... A notorious clip, leaked to the Internet ahead of the film’s release, showed Bale melting down on the set and bawling out a member of the crew, but let’s be fair; next to the finished product, that lively address feels almost Edwardian in its courtesy.”

I may not agree with what he says, but I will defend to the death--probably cardiac arrest by laughter--his right to say it.

Exclusive audio: Monique Wilson--I Still Believe and You Will Not Touch Him

A rare recording, because while Monique Wilson became known as “the other Miss Saigon,” having been Lea Salonga's cover during the musical's original run in London, there is no commercially available recording of her singing the part of Kim. (Correct me if I'm wrong--then, for good measure, send me the tracks so we can share them here.)

Over time, Monique's evolution into a more socially-committed artist with a bent for edgy, cause-oriented theater occasioned a more ambivalent attitude in her toward the role that first brought her international fame. At least that's what I gathered from a video interview I did with her in late 2007, where I asked if she could imagine herself doing the musical again.

No, she said. There's a time and place for everything. “But If I was gonna try and direct it, that might be an interesting thing to do.”

So how would she reimagine Miss Saigon?

“I would be more conscious of the reality of the Asian women onstage. In my time, 1989, and no offense to anyone who did the show, we were also not politicized ourselves. We thought bar girls loved what they were doing and they were just dancing to hook up with guys...

“Later on, we started doing 'The Vagina Monologues' and I got older and I became a feminist and I became more politicized, I started to realize that these women are doing these things for economic reasons. They’re not there to enjoy themselves. That gives you a much deeper context of the lives of these women who are in that kind of profession, like prostitution... Of course when we’re 18 or 19, we don’t see that...

“So if I was to have my hands on 'Miss Saigon' now, maybe directorially, I would give more weight to that: what drives a woman to do that in the first place and not to romanticize or glamorize this desire to wed a GI or a white man... I think Hollywood has romanticized that so much. It’s not as romantic as it sounds. Sometimes there probably would have been real love there, but there would have been a huge need also...”

That video interview is here. On the other hand, this live performance of I Still Believe (with Imelda De Los Reyes singing the part of Ellen) and You Will Not Touch Him (with Jojo Dela Cerna as Thuy) came from a cassette tape-to-CD recording of the concert called The Music of Boublil-Schonberg, held at the CCP in March 1995. In the Les Miserables suite in Act II, Monique would reappear as Madame Thenardier in Master of the House, in tandem with Chinggoy Alonzo. But that's for another post. (More about the concert here.)

Note: The last few orchestral bars of This Is The Hour got cut off. I know--as Roderick Paulate would say, “Andun na e, andun na!” If it's any consolation, the chorus work (by the all-Filipino ensemble) is intact. I'll get better at this mystifying audio editing thang, promise. Enjoy the clip!

P.S. Faust, Philippe, Fred and Jane from NY, because you guys specifically requested I Still Believe, this track is for you.

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To put it in perspective...

Partial list of directors who have won the Grand Prix du cinéma de creation (Best Director Award) at the Cannes Film Festival
René Clément (1946 and 1949)
Luis Buñuel (1951)
Jules Dassin (1955)
Robert Bresson (1957 and 1983)
Ingmar Bergman (1958)
François Truffaut (1959)
John Boorman (1970 and 1998)
Costa Gavras (1975)
Ettore Scola (1976)
Nagisa Oshima (1978)
Terrence Malick (1979)
Werner Herzog (1982)
Andrei Tarkovsky (1983)
Bertrand Tavernier (1984)
André Téchiné (1985)
Martin Scorsese (1986)
Wim Wenders (1987)
Emir Kusturica (1989)
Joel Coen (with Ethan Coen, non-credited; 1991, 1996 and 2001)
Robert Altman (1992)
Mike Leigh (1993)
Wong Kar-Wai (1997)
Pedro Almodóvar (1999)
Edward Yang (2000)
David Lynch (2001)
Paul Thomas Anderson (2002)
Gus Van Sant (2003)
Michael Haneke (2005)
Alejandro González Iñárritu (2006)
Julian Schnabel (2007)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan (2008)

The 2009 winner
Brillante Mendoza

Whether you like his films or not (I didn't like Serbis, I've a feeling I won't like Kinatay, too) is not the point. Mr. Mendoza's Cannes victory is far bigger now than anyone's particular opinion of his work--Roger Ebert's even. (Memo to kvetchers: Kinatay is not “officially the worst film in the festival,” unless you count Mr. Ebert as your “official” tastemaker and sole arbiter of quality in films, in which case you must consider yourself deprived and should go out and read/watch more.) Catapulting as it does--and as never before--Filipino filmmaking to global consciousness, Mr. Brillante's remarkable feat should be an occasion for unapologetic national pride. He's in the history books now. Give him his due, pray that he will become even better, and let's prod our other filmmakers to build on the achievement he has blazed with as much fearlessness and singular vision--critics be damned. Congratulations, Mr. Mendoza!

[Photo: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP]

Auditions for UP Playwrights Theater productions

Productions: "Dead Stars," adapted from a Paz Marquez Benitez story, and "Sepang Loca," by Amelia Lapena-Bonifacio

Direction: Anton Juan

Where: Guerrero Theater, Palma Hall, UP Diliman
When: May 28 and 29, 2009
Time: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Playdates: second and third weeks of July 2009

Requirements:
1. Monologue (English and Filipino)
2. Resume
3. Headshot

Contact Pat Valera for details, 0927-4464001

Not your usual ladies who lunch

Standing from left, Janet McTeer, Harriet Walter, Jane Alexander, Allison Janney and Alice Ripley; seated from left, Tovah Feldshuh, Angela Lansbury and Liza Minnelli. [Photo: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times]

“Among the big-name talents from film and television who have appeared behind Broadway marquees this season are Joan Allen, Jane Fonda, Allison Janney, Susan Sarandon and Kristin Scott Thomas. Along with more than a dozen other equally renowned actresses on New York stages, they have been playing rulers, heroes, scholars and terrorists. As lovers they have been pursued rather than pursuers; as angry combatants they have been the first to resort to violence. Once in a while they even get to sing. And they are all over 40...

“[T]he current number and quality of roles for actresses on the New York stage is especially noticeable at a time when Hollywood is more obsessed than ever with youth and is providing so few meaningful parts for women, no matter what their age.”

-- “Forget the Ingénues; Cue the Grown-Ups”

Take note of our own over-40 leading ladies of the stage this year: Irma Adlawan as a sharp Candida in Rep's A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino; Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino in a glowing rerun of Dulaang UP's Atang; Mads Nicolas, strong and moving in George de Jesus III's Kung Paano Maghiwalay; and Pinky Marquez, who ran away with 9 Works Theatrical's recent Songs For a New World.

Coming up: Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Mrs. Lovett in Rep's Sweeney Todd, and those two supernovas again--Ms. Adlawan as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Ms. Centenera-Buencamino in Mother Courage and Her Children, both from Tanghalang Pilipino.

The Virgin Labfest this July, if past editions are any indication, should also serve up one or two high-point roles for mature women. Lastly, a meaty role whose casting remains under wraps: Madame Ranevsky in TP's in-season production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, to be directed by Loy Arcenas.

Let there be more.

Audie Gemora and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo in Rep's Sweeney Todd, Nov. 14

Repertory Philippines presents "Sweeney Todd," with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, from November 14 to December 13, 2009 (Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 3:30 p.m.) at Onstage Greenbelt 1.

It will star the country’s top theater actors, Audie Gemora in the title role and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Mrs. Lovett.

A dark and enthralling tale of love, obsession, murder, revenge and, ultimately, redemption, "Sweeney Todd" is set in 18th-century London, where life is not for the faint-hearted and only the fittest survive.

The musical tells the story of Sweeney Todd, who returns from a penal colony where he has spent 15 years on false charges. When he learns that his wife had poisoned herself after being raped by Judge Turpin (the man who wrongly imprisoned him), and that his daughter is the ward of the same judge, he vows revenge. Sweeney Todd reopens his barbershop and becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, the most notorious barber who ever practiced his trade.

For tickets and inquiries, call 8870710, or visit www.repertory-philippines.com. Show buying for raising opportunities now available, please contact Ms. Rose Silva at 0917-5280765.

Podcast: Online romance--me katuturan ba?

Do you believe in online romance?

I take a neutral stance on it. Just in the office, I know a couple of employees who've had happy endings to their online love affairs. One met her future American husband through personal ads and chatting. The smitten guy then came over and wooed her and her family, assuring the jittery Pinay that he was sincere in his intentions and she had nothing to be worried about. The happily married couple now live in the US.

On the other hand, there's our friend Tristan of the blog Tristan Tales, whose online love affair-gone-bust was, I imagine, the water-cooler talk for a few weeks among the many faithful readers of both his blog and Migs' (which featured a full report of the debacle, written by Tristan himself).

Tristan fell for someone who engaged him in hours of apparently sensible online and phone chats for a couple of weeks. And then the guy vanished, just like that--hurtling his by-now completely hooked chatmate into an emotional tailspin. But Tristan had never met the person. He had held on to the voice, and a snapshot of the guy's shoulder. Which had me asking, jokingly of course--“What if isa lang pala ang shoulder niya?”

Here's his story, and our fun chitchat, in part 1 of the latest Fabcasters podcast. Actually, it's just me, McVie and Migs in this impromptu recording. Tony, CC and AJ weren't around, but we had as our guests four blogger friends: JaybeeCC, Joaqui, John Stanley and the Tristan. Enjoy!

Download this fabcast (right click and save)

Ikaw, what do you think of searching for love--gay, straight or whatever, basta serious relationship--on the Internet?

Cinemalaya 2009 presscon: first images

Captions and report later. For now, can you guess the names of the faces that appear in these photos [click on pic to enlarge]? C'mon, try. Most number of correct guesses gets a prize (this is becoming a habit!).

At last, a proper Cinemalaya website, with synopses, trailers, archives, etc.--here.

Follow me on Facebook, etc.

1. A new application called NetworkedBlogs makes it easier for fellow Facebook users to read my blog entries--or any blog they subscribe to--within Facebook itself. That's good news for those who do their online stuff exclusively on the network (nagbababad, in other words), and who wouldn't want to be bothered to get out and blog-hop (I know some people who eat, breathe and get high on Facebook everyday!) So, if you have an FB account and would like to be updated on my blog entries, just click on the Follow button here. Or you can check out the widget at the right column and click on the button.

And if you're not on Facebook yet--where have you been hiding all this time? Friendster's dead, or has become a zombie. MySpace is on its way out, too, says this report. How long will Facebook reign before a hipper, spiffier social networking site comes along and leaches critical mass away from it? I've no idea. When it comes to these things, I'm driftwood--I just float along.

2. My Podbean account, which is responsible for hosting all the audio tracks in this blog, is currently deactivated--overdue renewal, no thanks to a reminder e-mail that went straight to the spam folder. (The account sets me back by about P3,000 a year--yes, sharing those songs costs money, alas.) If you're trying to play any of the audio tracks, apologies if all you get right now is mocking silence. Will try to have the services reactivated asap. Chris, help!

Calling a spade

1. It takes a washed-up wrestler (no, not Mickey Rourke) to state the frickin' obvious: “'Enhanced interrogation techniques' is Dick Cheney changing a word to protect his ass.” Bravo, Jesse Ventura.



2. Or a comedian: Jimmy Kimmel, “in a 'Jerry Maguire'-like moment of clarity” during NBC's presentation of his late-night talk show and other network programs to (gasp) advertisers--“Every year we lie to you and every year you come back for more. You don’t need an upfront. You need therapy. We completely lie to you, and then you pass those lies onto your clients... The important thing to remember is: who cares, it’s not your money.”

Name that singer: We have a winner!

Out of 15 guessers--10 here and 5 on my Multiply--two got the correct answer. Franco Laurel was the first one, but I told him I couldn't give him the prize because he doesn't need it and because he's from show-biz and knows the performers, and he very good-naturedly agreed to give up his claim. He just wanted to know if he got it right, he said. Thank you, Franco! So it was left to Jeff--the very last commenter, in fact--to get all the names right:

1. Can You Feel the Love Tonight: RJ Rosales
2. The Prayer: Ella May Saison
3. Journey to the Past: Agot Isidro
4. Never Never Land: Isay Alvarez
5. Out There: Michael Williams

Jeff, the Powerbooks gift card worth P1,000 is yours. E-mail me at gibbs_c@yahoo.com so we can work out how I can give it to you.

Thanks, dear readers, for joining! As promised, here's the video. Image and audio slightly out of sync, sorry--a glitch in the VHS-to-DVD transfer I couldn't cure. Still, enjoy!

'Be wary of self-righteousness'

Caught Obama's speech at Notre Dame University on Fox News no less, and found myself applauding its simple eloquence, depth of thought and sense of charity. The lines below especially, which reminded me of John Patrick Shanley's thesis in his play, that doubt plays an important part in our lives, that it “can be a bond as powerful and sustaining as certainty.”

Andrew Sullivan and James Fallows were as moved by these passages:

“In this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you've been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake. Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. Stand as a lighthouse.

“But remember too that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. It is the belief in things not seen. It is beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us, and those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

“This doubt should not push us away from our faith. But it should humble us. It should temper our passions, and cause us to be wary of self-righteousness. It should compel us to remain open, and curious, and eager to continue the moral and spiritual debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame. And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works, charity, kindness, and service that moves hearts and minds.”

Another thing that struck me: how Obama takes pains to sound fair and inclusive. Previous to him, how many US Presidents ever took notice of atheists, agnostics or non-believers in a major speech--and before a bastion of Catholicism at that?

“If there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It's no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule--the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. The call to serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.”

“All faiths and no faith together.” More admirable than his rhetorical skills, it seems, is the man's expansiveness of spirit. Know hope.

Roger Ebert butchers Kinatay

Ouch. “Here is a film that forces me to apologize to Vincent Gallo for calling 'The Brown Bunny' the worst film in the history of the Cannes Film Festival.”

Ouch ouch. “There will be critics who fancy themselves theoreticians, who will defend this unbearable experience, and lecture those plebians like me who missed the whole Idea. I will remain serene while my ignorance is excoriated. I am a human being with relatively reasonable tastes. And in that role, not in the role of film critic, I declare that there may not be ten people in the world who will buy a ticket to this movie and feel the money was well spent.”

The full demolition job here.

The UK Telegraph's Sukhdev Sandhu is supportive:

“'Kinatay'... is infinitely darker but an equally strong depiction of modern-day life in the former American colony that some are comparing to Gasper Noe's 'Irreversible'... Mendoza is no gore-hound. He's more serious than Noe. This is a fiercely moral and horribly unforgettable denunciation of societal corruption.”

While Maggie Lee of The Hollywood Reporter is more of two minds than outraged:

“This full-on experience of forced voyeurism is certain to incite strong (most probably offended) responses. The deliberately rough-hewn art direction adds to the blunt force of Mendoza's moral outrage, but it won't help 'Kinatay'... make a killing in theatrical business. [Its] sketchy slice of crime world nastiness can be found anywhere. This makes it a hard sell even to art houses, as their target audience often looks for stronger cultural flavor.”

Thor Bee has a review round-up here.

Name that singer, win a prize! (Part 2)

We've done this before, here. I post an audio clip of a live concert performance, ask you to identify the singers, and the first one to get the right answer gets a prize. For confirmation, I then post a video clip of the concert number.

Last time it was the heavenly trio of Cris Villonco, Carol Banawa and Dianne dela Fuente (with the Bataoke Kids) singing a medley of classic OPM hits. This time, it's a medley of theme songs from animated films (not all of them from Disney), sung by five performers who've made their names in the pop and theater arenas. Original arrangement by Ryan Cayabyab, from the Ayala Foundation-ABS-CBN concert The Music of Dreams. [Audio clip below]

The songs
1. Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King
2. The Prayer from Quest For Camelot
3. Journey to the Past from Anastasia
4. Never Never Land from Peter Pan
5. Out There from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
6. When You Believe from Prince of Egypt

The challenge
Identify the individual singers in songs 1-5, in the right order (the last has them singing in unison). There are three female and two male singers, the female voices highly distinct and recognizable if you've kept yourself attuned to the country's music and TV landscapes, especially in the years before the onslaught of the “Champions.”

The prize
Powerbooks gift card worth P1,000, shown below, valid until April 2010.


Post your answer here or in my Multiply. I'll announce the winner as soon as someone supplies the right answer, and upload the corresponding video grab. If more than one gets it right--hmmm, I think I have extra prizes for the others.

Now, if you were part of the show, or are friends of the performers, or MY friends who've had advance dibs on this--zip it for now, okay? Let's spread the goodwill by giving other readers a chance.

Guess na!

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Let us now praise Brillante Mendoza

“Mendoza, who makes a film a year, reminds us of Cassavetes.” -- Thierry Frémaux, executive director of the Cannes Film Festival official selection, talking about Brillante Mendoza in the NYTimes, here.

John Cassavetes, from the Criterion Collection introduction to five of his films:

“John Cassavetes has been called a genius, a visionary, and the father of independent film. But such rhetoric threatens to obscure the humanism and generosity of his art... Populated by beatniks, hippies, businessmen, actors, housewives, strippers, club owners, gangsters, and children, [his] films are beautiful, emotional testaments to compassion. Cassavetes has often been called an actor’s director, but this body of work--even greater than the sum of its extraordinarily significant parts--reveals him to be an audience’s director.”

The 2009 official selection below. Which should tell you, given those heavyweight names (Almodovar! Ang Lee! Von Trier! Campion! Bellocchio! Tarantino! RESNAIS!) what an achievement it is for Mendoza--and Filipino filmmaking--to duke it out in the world's biggest film festival--for the second year in a row (last year's Serbis, this year's Kinatay).

Los Abrazos Rotos (Broken Embraces) by Pedro Almodovar (Spain)
Fish Tank by Andrea Arnold (Britain)
Un Prophete (A Prophet) by Jacques Audiard (France)
Vincere (To Conquer) by Marco Bellocchio (Italy)
Bright Star by Jane Campion (New Zealand)
Map of the Sounds of Tokyo by Isabel Coixet (Spain)
A l'Origine (In the Beginning) by Xavier Giannoli (France)
Das Weisse Band (The White Ribbon) by Michael Haneke (Germany)
Taking Woodstock by Ang Lee (Taiwan-United States)
Looking for Eric by Ken Loach (Britain)
Spring Fever by Lou Ye (China)
Kinatay by Brillante Mendoza (Philippines)
Soudain le Vide (Enter the Void) by Gaspar Noe (France)
Bak-Jwi (Thirst) by Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
Les Herbes Folles (Wild Grasses) by Alain Resnais (France)
The Time That Remains by Elia Suleiman (Palestinian)
Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino (United States)
Vengeance by Johnnie To (Hong Kong)
Visages (Face) by Tsai Ming-Liang (Malaysia)
Antichrist by Lars von Trier (Denmark)

The UK Telegraph calls Serbis “terrific.” Agree, disagree, why?

PETA's 42nd season lineup

Now on its 42nd Theater Season, PETA continues to contribute to help bring about social awareness and change through its productions, performances and workshops. Using fresh, innovative and interesting techniques and approaches, PETA sees its new theater season as a renewed challenge to test and push the capacity of art to inform, influence and inspire its audiences.

First on its list of productions is Nicanor Tiongson's "Noli at Fili Dekada Dos Mil," an adaptation of Jose Rizal's two novels, "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo." Reworked as a postmodern narrative, "Noli at Fili Dekada Dos Mil" is inspired by real events, characters and testimonials revolving around small-town politics and the fight against corruption, illegal logging and its links to governance and religion.

Following "Noli at Fili" is Christine Bellen's "Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang." Now on its third year, "Lola Basyang" has become one of PETA's most-loved productions. Featuring stories from Severino Reyes' folktales--"Prinsipeng Mahaba ang Ilong," "Ang Babaeng Tumalo sa Mahal na Hari" and "Prinsipeng Duwag"--the children's play presents different stories about self-discovery and values formation.

In August, PETA celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child through its presentation of "Ismail at Isabel (Ang Paghahanap ng mga Bagong Kuwentong Bayan)," a story about two kids, a Christian and Muslim, who live happily in their small village in Dilangawen, Mindanao, telling and retelling folktales that show the shared humanity of Muslims and Christians, until war reaches their community and breaks their innocence.

In time for the 2010 elections, PETA then presents a vaudeville musical, "Boto-boto-boboto-bonana-fanna-fo-foto-fee-fy-momoto-boto (BOTO Another Musical)," that uses iconic characters of the Philippine electoral process to highlight the need for vigilance and discernment at the polls. Ten actors play interchanging roles and characters in this comic presentation.

PETA's new season officially begins in June 2009. For inquiries about shows, call 4100821/7256244, e-mail petampro@yahoo.com or visit www.petatheater.com

Invitation to cover Cinemalaya 2009

Cinemalaya marks its fifth anniversary this year--a grand occasion, considering how big the indie film festival has become. (Last year's two big hits, Francis Pasion's Jay and Chris Martinez's 100, have gone on to reap awards and acclaim in film festivals abroad.)

The press conference presenting the Cinemalaya 2009 entries is set for Thursday, May 21, 12 noon, at the CCP Main Theater lobby.

Are you interested to blog about the presscon, the Cinemalaya movies, actors, directors, artists and other prime movers--about the festival itself?

Through this blog, Cinemalaya is inviting five bloggers to join the presscon on Thursday next week and subsequently cover the festival in July 2009.

There are only two conditions:

1. You should blog about the Thursday presscon, where you're free to interview and take pictures/video of the directors and their cast who will be presented to the press, as well as the festival organizers.

2. You should have the time and interest to watch the film festival in July, consisting of 10 feature-length and 10 short films in the main exhibition--and blog about them, in whatever way you feel like. I will do a regular round-up of Cinemalaya-related entries and reviews on this blog, properly linked to your posts.

What you will get:

1. A pass that gives you free access to all the main film exhibition screenings and other related activities (open forums, congress, meet-and-greet photo ops, awards night) for the duration of the festival. The pass, given only to a select few, will bear your name and is not transferable. Be among the first to watch--and write about--the next breakout Filipino indie film.

2. The opportunity to meet some of the country's most promising directors, actors and other artists, as well as prominent, established ones who are participating in the festival. Meeting celebrities, if that's your thing, isn't farfetched, too. Last year's edition attracted an overflow crowd everyday--mostly young moviegoers, along with big stars and movie industry people, all checking out the buzz on and rooting for their favorite entries. It's an exciting event, and you'll be in the middle of it.

Are you up to the challenge? E-mail me at gibbs_c@yahoo.com to reserve a slot. First-come, first-served. CCP needs the names of the five active bloggers asap, so hit that Send button now. (Include your blog URL and contact details, please.)

A caveat: Reread the conditions--accepting this invite requires time, commitment and effort.

On the other hand, watching movies for free and blogging about them--what could be cooler?

Kuwentong Bata and Lihis at UP Cine Adarna

Joel Saracho’s "Kwentong Bata" is an adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s "Children’s Hour." Set in 1934 in an all girls’ boarding school, it's about a rumor that spreads concerning two headmistresses who are allegedly having a lesbian affair.

"Lihis," meanwhile, is Emmanuel Canteras’ translation of Martin Sherman's "Bent," about young gay men in 1930s Berlin and their struggles to keep sane in a concentration camp under the watchful eye of the Nazis.

In the twinbill production of "Wo(e)MEN" featuring "Kwentong Bata" and "Lihis," the Philippine High School for the Arts' Sipat Lawin Ensemble looks back on age-old taboos and examines the woes of men and women caught up in a sexually challenged and sexually changing world.

Acclaimed director, actor and production designer Tuxqs Rutaquio leads the PHSA's theater alumni in breathing life to "Wo(e)MEN," which runs at the UP Cine Adarna, UP Diliman, on May 20, 21, 22, and 23, 8 p.m. The show is co-presented by the University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI).

"Children’s Hour" was adapted into film in 1961 by William Wyler, starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine and James Garner. "Bent" was filmed in 1997 by Sean Matthias, with Mick Jagger, Ian McKellen and Jude Law.

Tickets at P200 each. For inquiries and reservations, call 0927-9093862 (Tin Penserga), 0917-5600726 (Alison Segarra), 0915-9046721 (Mara Marasigan) or 0921-2859099 (JK Anicoche).

Gratitude time

The death itself was a major body blow, but I had no idea the logistics it required would be a burden quite as heavy.

The one thing that sustained me during the first few days, when I had to arrange everything from the casket to the burial ground to the legal paperwork to the funeral mass to getting the rest of my family home, was the support of relatives and friends. Especially friends. I got by with the tremendous, unstinting support of my childhood buddies, those who've stayed behind and built their lives in the province, and who knew my father, were even friends with him.

Specifically, my former seminary classmates, a couple of them priests now, the rest married, who never left my side and took on the extra chores of chasing the required documentation from the hospital to the city hall to the parish office, freeing me to stay by my father's side and receive visitors while I worked the phones frantically to get the rest of the family to surmount the freak floods and rains that repeatedly derailed their travel plans.

My grade school best friend, now the rector of the major seminary in our town, said mass on the second day. Not only that--he brought with him a big group of former classmates I hadn't seen since my graduation from elementary school in 1983. Meeting them again and seeing how all of us had grown, changed, built up different lives--it was a joyful occasion despite the somber reason for our sudden reunion.

Fr. Henry, if you're reading this--easy on the food now, you're getting ginormous. Wait, that's not it. Thank you for the prayers and the heartfelt words, and for letting me meet again Carolyn, Mayet, Glenda, Mavic and Roysan, Perla, Allan, Judy, Emerson, Darwin--especially Darwin, who took time off from work as a jail officer to squire me around on his motorcycle so I could complete last-minute errands.

Fr. Vicboy, another seminary classmate, left his remote parish to say mass for Papa on the third day, and got stuck with me overnight in the funeral chapel as typhoon Dante howled and dumped rain of Biblical proportions outside. Spending the night in a dark and flooded funeral chapel with a coffin nearby and only candles and emergency light as illumination is a sort of purifying experience; nothing much would faze you after that. But Fr. Vic keeping me company was a source of extra comfort.

Henry, Vicboy and I belong to high school batch 1987 of the Our Lady of Penafrancia Seminary, an affiliation I've always worn proudly, but now more than ever as a badge of deep gratitude. All these years we've remained close to and in touch with each other, but, with the recent death in my family, the bonds simply went on overdrive with big and small--often unbidden--acts of generosity and selflessness.

Tato and Joey and Gerald were the first to watch over the remains of my father; in the intervening days, they set aside work--Gerald even going on leave--to help me attend to the wake and the business of preparing our family plot in the town cemetery for the burial. In the evenings, the rest of the group who were in town came, too--Ian, Lloyd, Jay, Totep, along with the wives who've also formed a tight core: Ning, Anne, Cie, Janet, Sten, plus Joey's fiancee Cel. From an earlier Penafrancia batch came Erwin, Rene, Dante and Yayes. All their patter cheered me up, kept me on an even keel.

At my behest, Ning's younger sister Ging, along with Totep and Joey, would also figure in a rescue of my mother, brother and sister from the downed bridge that prevented them from reaching our town. They had to alight at one end of the impassable road, walk through mud and water and cross a makeshift wooden crossing to reach the other side, where Ging and company were waiting to pluck them out of the multitude stranded on the banks of the rampaging river. I only had to request once, and these friends rushed to the scene in their own vehicles, finally reuniting me with my family.

There were relatives who showed up at the wake and promptly began helping out, led by Papa's first cousins Tia Sita and Tio Mulo. They kept vigil several nights in a row and made sure snacks and drinks were aplenty for guests--apparently not a trivial matter in long wakes. Many of my parents' near and dear friends came, faces I'd last seen years ago and who were now profuse in their sympathies. Online, I took comfort from the words of sympathy and support expressed by so many on my Facebook and my blog. Thank you all for the prayers, which I believe helped keep me sane. Seriously.

Pau and the kids--Michael and Michelle, Carla and Karen--my gratitude to all of you, too, for staying with my father right up to the end. And to all other friends and colleagues who sent their condolences and expressed regret that they couldn't come--no worries, Sorsogon's far away, there was that damn typhoon, and you were very well represented in the extra-considerate circle of friends who did manage to make it to my side.

Papa was laid to rest on a Tuesday--ordinarily, a day when no funeral masses are scheduled and priests are on their day off across the diocese. I was content to have one or two, but, in the end, there were eight priests who were up there on the altar, all of them my good friends: Frs. Henry, Vicboy, Patricio, Alex, Vernon, Rene, Gerry, and the lead celebrant, Fr. Treb. The concelebrated mass was simple, dignified, no-fuss--exactly as I thought Papa would've wanted it.

Throughout the tumult of the past days, my mind had been fixed on one thing: to give my father a proper, honorable send-off. Seeing the crowd that came to accompany him on his last journey, and the eight priests collectively praying for him and for us, his family, I felt not grief, but a sense of grace. Surely all that spiritual firepower would assure my father an express ticket to the Beyond--a good enough recompense for the hardships that had accompanied his final days on earth.

I could breathe deeply now--and begin saying my thanks to everyone who, in one way or the other, helped lighten the load. This post is a humble start.

Auditions, recitals this May at Gantimpala Theater

May is a very busy month for Gantimpala Theater. On May 17, veteran stage director Tony Espejo discusses the story behind the 32-year-old Gantimpala, the group he established and built up to be one of the most enduring of its kind, in “Art 2 Art”, Philippine radio’s premier talk show on arts and culture.

Hosted by prima ballerina Lisa Macuja, “Art 2 Art” airs on DZRH every Sunday, 3:30-4 p.m. It is produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company, the largest radio network in the Philippines. Its flagship station, DZRH, is the oldest radio station in the Philippines covering, 97 percent of the archipelago.

On May 21, 6 p.m., the workshoppers of the annual summer musical theater workshop will hold their culminating recital called “Luneta 2009.” Direction by Roeder Camañag, musical direction by Onyl Torres with script written by J. Dennis Teodosio. Tickets at P100.

“Luneta 2009” is about the lives of the colorful people who regularly visit the historic park in the heart of Manila. Filipino pop tunes and dances will be interpreted by this summer’s workshoppers. The Gantimpala Theater Actors’ Company will also present a special theater movement performance choreographed and directed by Roobak Valle.

On May 25–June 1, Gantimpala Theater opens its doors to theater practitioners as Ed Murillo conducts a 10-day stage and production management workshop at the Rehearsal Hall of the Open Air Auditorium Building.

Murillo, one of Manila’s most prominent stage managers, will teach the rudiments of theater stage and production management. This workshop will culminate in a presentation of 10-minute plays run by the workshoppers. Workshop fee is P3,000.

Also on May 25 and 26, Gantimpala Theater will hold its 32nd Season auditions at the Rehearsal Hall of the Open Air Auditorium Building, 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Those who will audition must bring a resume, two pictures (close-up and whole body) and must be ready to read a portion of a script from one of the Four Classics.

The first day (May 25) is exclusively for the Gantimpala Actors’ Company and celebrity guests. The second day (May 26) is the general auditions. Directors Soxie Topacio (“Florante at Laura”), Adriana Agcaoili (“Noli Me Tangere”), Roobak Valle (“Ibong Adarna” and “El Filibusterismo”), Jose Jeffrey Camañag (“Our Town”) and artistic director Tony Espejo (“Cinderella”) will conduct the auditions.

For more information, call 5280603/5365860/0921-5286308, e-mail gantimpalatheater@yahoo.com.ph or visit www.gantimpalatheater.multiply.com

Free books

New batch--two fiction, nine non-fiction (crime/anthology, memoir, travel, biography, history/world affairs). Part of my reading fare in the last six months; I'm clearing space in my bookshelves, so off they go. You like? First-come, first-served, two titles at most per blogger. To reserve, e-mail me (with contact details) at gibbs_c@yahoo.com. No, you don't need to blog about the titles you'd get. You must be willing, though, to drop by the Inquirer office in Makati one of these days to get your book/s. Let's firm up when later. (Those who haven't claimed their freebies from earlier giveaways, whether books or other stuff, remind me again via e-mail, will ya?)

The Club Dumas, Arturo Perez-Reverte
The Waste Lands: The Dark Tower III, Stephen King

Equator: A Journey, Thurston Clarke
The Best American Crime Writing 2003, Otto Penzler and Thomas Cook, series editors
The Best American Crime Reporting 2007, Otto Penzler and Thomas Cook, series editors
Ghost Light, Frank Rich
Ten Discoveries That Rewrote History, Patrick Hunt, Ph.D.
A Cold Case, Philip Gourevitch
The Last Emperor, Edward Behr
Loot: The Heritage of Plunder, Russell Chamberlin
Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, Richard A. Clarke

My fave book from this batch: Thurston Clarke's Equator, a hilariously observant, almost magic-realist account of his solo quest to trace the earth's equator across three continents in three years. Here he is in the middle of Africa:

“In Gabon, the African nation nearest to Sao Tome, I met several amateur Sao Tome watchers... They said it was too bad I had just missed Sao Tome's first international conference, a gathering of the foreign ministers of Portuguese-speaking African countries. (There are more of these than you might think--five, to be precise.) To entertain them, the government had chartered a planeload of eggs, a luxury food in Sao Tome. Upon arrival, each minister was assigned his own antique sedan, and at dinner each man sat alone at a small table decorated with his national flag. They stared across the room at one another, silently eating omelets. In their bedrooms, microphones dangled like snakes from holes in the wall. After bugging the delegates' rooms, Sao Tome's KGB had discovered a shortage of plaster.”

Auditions for Anton Juan's Threepenny Opera

When: May 21-23, 2009; 5-8 pm
Where: AILM Choir Room, Trinity University campus
Contact: 7228577 or 7228575


Threepenny Opera: an introduction here.

Frequently Asked Question

The most frequently asked question at the wake, it turned out, wasn't "How did your Papa die?" (Answer: Pulmonary embolism secondary to deep-vein thrombosis.) It was the more discombobulating "Why aren't you married yet?"

Now, if you're a 38-year-old gay man who's in the thick of mourning for your father while also wrestling with a blizzard of unexpected hurdles (bagyo, baha, brownout, delayed family members, a postponed interment, plus the draining legal, funeral and church paperwork) and you are repeatedly asked that question by well-meaning relatives--many of whom you're meeting for the first time in your life--WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU SAY?

It's not that they mean to pry. They arrive at that question already fortified with a sense of goodwill and cozy sympathy, having spent the last hour or so pouring out their condolences, recounting freshly dredged up anecdotes about how your father did this and said that and helped whom and when they last saw him, and at every turn exclaiming how you reminded them so much of your Papa. Never mind that nearly as many would say you looked exactly like your Mama ("And where is she palan?" "Na-delay po ang flight," ad nauseam).

Then: "How old ka na baya, hijo?" "38? Wala ka pang balak mag-asawa?"

Beat. Ah... Bring out the simpering smile. Lower the pitch a notch. Assume the most casual air, hoping the white lie about to follow would sound the least bit persuasive.

"Wala pa ho. Mahirap mag-asawa sa Manila, busy pa." Geez. Lame. How about, "Uhm, haven't met the right person." ["Person" talaga?]. Or the more orotund, "Ako na rin ho ang head of the family, okay na yun." Argh, defensive to a fault; milady doth protest too much.

A decade or so ago I could still lob an unassailable answer: "Bata pa ho ako." Now, 17 months shy of 40, I've been robbed of the one plausible riposte for men in queer positions like me. Poor liar that I am, the other excuses masquerading as answers wouldn't convince even me.

The relatives detect the tightening in your breath, the look of panic in your eyes, the stiffening of your neck, the smarmy gritted-teeth smile. They get it--at least some of them do, you think. They shut up in sudden discomfort, a mirror image of your distress. Frisson in the air, as the French would say. Then they gaily launch into another round of reminiscing, the topic of marriage and a suitable girl for the suspiciously single guy in front of them totally abandoned.

This was exactly why I decided, at 24, to come out to my parents--to spare myself, and them, the burden of the Big Lie. How long could I use the excuse of youth to ward off questions about settling down every time a family gathering came along? Better to come clean now, I thought, and let the pink (no, mauve) chips fall where they may. My folks, bless them, took the news rather calmly, and left it at that.

Relatives and townmates, of course, are another matter--especially those you're meeting only now and who tend to be all over you when expressing their sympathies. The shared grief at occasions of death in the family only heightens the sense of instant familiarity, spawning awkward questions and tongue-tied moments. One aunt asked my petite older sister, among other things, what her bra size was. I'm not making that up. Well, at least she could trot out figures. What could I say in the case of my own interrogation?

More than once I got the urge to shock everyone out of their chatty mourning mode with a loud declaration: "But Auntie, I'm a bayot!" Or a fairy, a fag, a fruit, a nelly--take your pick. This is the province, where baying until now largely means frizzy hair and swishy hips and prettified faces. I, on the other hand, dress regularly, is semi-bald, has terrible eyebags from lack of sleep, and has not wept or crumpled in grief, at least not publicly.

The surprise would be delicious. I imagined Papa, with that spiky sense of the absurd from which mine came, would have laughed and approved of my moxie. He, too, had little patience for the roundabout, the guarded, the elliptical. He'd have loved the jolt of plain truth, and seeing his second kid--from childhood the sensitive, quiet, bookish one--preferring the straightforward to the obvious fib. And I'd be silencing the queries once and for all.

I didn't. Throughout, certain of what to say but monumentally unsure about how to say it, I kept my mouth shut. I feigned nonchalance, listened politely to the chatter, then excused myself to laugh bitterly in private at the surreal mortification I was going through.

Until now I've no idea what the proper answer is to The Question, especially given the circumstances of candles and and casket and occasional crying that accompanied it. Lifelong navel-gazer that I am, I am seldom rendered stammering or idiotic-sounding when it comes to talking about myself. This one did, every time.