Are locally-mounted Broadway musicals a waste?

Oggs Cruz, one of the more intelligent and consistently insightful Filipino film critics online (his blog, Lessons From the School of Inattention, just won Best Entertainment Blog honors at the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards), has tried his hand at theater reviewing with a piece on Atlantis Productions' Spring Awakening. The review appears in the Oct. 31 print issue of the Philippine Free Press (no online version yet.)

To put it mildly, he was disappointed by the show, finding it “lackluster” and “hugely inadequate.” Oggs writes that he saw the original Broadway production; it didn't seem to have struck him as particularly memorable, except for the “indubitable saving grace” of Duncan Sheik's music. His complaint against the local production, though, goes deeper than weak staging or musicality.

“My utter disappointment for the local staging is grounded not on the numerous bum notes that mutated Sheik's rousing melodies... but on the consequent wastage that these productions carry with them as they are negotiated, imported, mounted and publicized. My proposition seems to be an unfair one, especially for the thousands of theater lovers who crave for having a piece of Broadway or the West End in Metro Manila, but the proposition, under the understanding that we are a nation that is struggling with a cultural identity that is slowly but surely being dissipated by post-colonial imperialism, is sound.”

In other words, Oggs is asking: Given our porous sense of national character, is it worth devoting time, talent and resources to mounting foreign productions with their foreign stories, foreign accents and foreign sensibilities when... “There is so much talent in the Philippines, so much material that have remained unstaged or unwritten because of lack of attention or lack of funding”?

He compares his frustrating Spring Awakening experience with his encounter with several original local productions that, "while flawed, are all products of an independent creative energy," citing Dulaang UP's Atang, Tanghalang Ateneo's many attempts at a vernacular Shakespeare and also its musical Lam-ang, Tanghalang Pilipino's Zsazsa Zaturnnah, etc.

Then he throws down the gauntlet with this provocative observation: “It is saddening, really. Directors become mere supervisors. Actors resort to mimicry. Undoubtedly, there is talent onstage and offstage but when the material fails to reach you because of an impenetrable sheen of cultural disconnect, you can't help but wish that these actors just break out of their obviously fake accents and manufactured gesture--and just interpret the characters the way they had lived their own experiences with sexual repression. Also, you wish that director Chari Arespacochaga had more guts to actually direct instead of getting directions via email, phone calls, or the strict stipulations of whatever licensing agreement that was signed between Atlantis Productions and the owners of Spring Awakening. You seriously wonder if there is artistry or any independent thought in the production. Or begin to doubt whatever notion of creative sincerity in the musical since this opulent drivel can never be representative of Philippine theater.”

Do you agree? Is Oggs on to something here--or is he simply extrapolating from this one particularly inadequate production? To flesh out the issue some more (note--NOT all of them raised by Oggs, but these questions should help further clarify it):

1. Is there no outlet, indeed, for genuine artistry or creative sincerity when we're talking of English-language plays or musicals that are mounted locally without benefit of adaptation or Filipinizing? Does that lead to plain “mimicry”? What is the value of staging--to name just some examples--Into The Woods (New Voice Company), Avenue Q (Atlantis), The Sound of Music (Repertory Philippines), High School Musical (Stages), Songs For a New World (9 Works Theatrical), Tick... Tick... Boom! (Ateneo BlueRep)--largely as they are, with no localizing touches in language, character or setting?

2. Should all foreign material undergo transplantation to the Filipino milieu and culture for them to be able to effectively reach us and move us? For that matter, would doing English-language musicals qualify as a frivolous effort compared to, say, doing original Filipino productions?

3. How impenetrable is this “sheen of cultural disconnect,” and how does this render the decades-long efforts of such theater companies as Repertory Philippines, which has devoted itself to mounting only English-language works, and the large sector of Filipino artists--actors, directors, scenarists, etc.--who have involved themselves mainly in productions of foreign language and origin?

4. Should Filipino artists cultivate a conscious preference for original Filipino theater over Broadway/West End imports? Does that make their work more “important”, more “valuable”? Or should talent, skill, professionalism, attitude--one's devotion to the art--supersede questions of whether a particular brand of theater is “more Filipino” than others?

5. Should every local production be held to the standard of being “representative of Philippine theater”? How should that benchmark be defined, and is it a reasonable aspiration to be expected from all our theater companies?

Your thoughts? I'd really like to hear them. (Hot-button topic, I know--but let's keep things civil and reasonable, shall we? Now fire away.)

Raves for PETA's Juan Tamad, special show on November 21. Go.

PETA's Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto has special performances on November 21, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., at the PETA Theater Center. Call 7256244 for details.

Here's what yours truly and a few others have to say about Juan Tamad...--the order of quotes not mine, incidentally, but playwright-composer-librettist Vince De Jesus', whose round-up this is, from his Facebook.

What a fresh, hip, terrific show. Congrats, Vince, Phil and the cast. It's a privilege for us to see excellence like this. -- GIBBS CADIZ from his Facebook shout-out

Witty, hilarious, excellently-acted and utterly singable, Juan Tamad et al is the rare advocacy play that does NOT make the viewer feel like she’s been clubbed with a rolled-up newspaper for two hours. During the intermission we ran out to buy the Cast Recording CD, only to find that there is none. We demand a cast recording! -- JESSICA ZAFRA

Their usual brand of advocacy theater done well. Didactic but funny and hip. Fine ensemble, catchy music. -- EXIE ABOLA

A musical triumph that makes the medicine go smoothly down. Inspired lyrics. Very hip, hummable music. I hope the play will win the elections for us! -- NICK PICHAY

Really loved the play. Hindi siya proselytizing. Maganda ang music... a blast! -- LORE REYES

Acting was superb and the energy electric... the music, choreography, costumes, stage design, lighting and all more than make you forget the preachiness. The lyrics are very now. De Jesus was just so flawless and fantastic, brimming with energy in his acting and singing. Wow talaga. -- MA. CERES DOYO in her Inquirer column

Tanghalang Pilipino restages the children's play Pinocchio, Gusto Mo Ba Maging Tao?

This coming Yuletide Season, Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is proud to announce the restaging of "Pinocchio, Gusto Mo Bang Maging Tao?" at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater), from November 28 to December 13, 2009.

Filled with songs, fantasy, humor and colorful costumes, this adaptation by George de Jesus of the well-loved classic tale of Carlo Collodi will surely delight children of all ages.

Originally directed by Herbert Go, "Pinocchio, Gusto Mo Bang Maging Tao?" is about the magical adventures of a wooden puppet whose quest to become a real boy leads him to learn about life, love and honesty.

Tanghalang Pilipino is now accepting reservations for show buyers. The play can serve as a fundraiser for his/her chosen cause, or as an opportunity for the show buyer to sponsor the viewing of the play by a special audience of his/her choice.

Bring your kids to the CCP and let your holidays be filled with spectacle, music and merriment as you enter the magical world of Pinocchio.

For more information on booking and show rates, please call Tanghalang Pilipino 8323661 or contact the following officers: Yvette Macayan, Company Manager, 0920-9621050; Lorelei Celestino, Marketing and Sales Assistant 0928-5518654; Paulo Perez, Public Relations Officer, 0920-9535381.

The history of cinema, according to--the thesaurus?

“Cinema”--in the sense of the venue for film screenings --is first attested in 1913, five years after “picture palace”. “Movie house” can be spotted the following year, “nickelodeon” in 1921. “Ticket-chopper” first makes an appearance in 1915, “usherette” in 1925, and “drive-in” in 1950--two years later than “ozoner”, an American slang term for the drive-in cinema.

We find that “cinema” was used of a film show in 1909, seven years after the first sighting of “cinematograph”. “Sneak preview” was in use as a noun as early as 1938, and as a verb from 1950. “Film festival” does not put in an appearance until 1951, the year that Alfred Hitchcock's “Rebecca” opened the first Berlin International Film Festival...

The work enables microscopic study of almost all our recorded vocabulary. We see words not in isolation, but through their relationships... It is a hugely effective tool for researching not just the histories of words, but also intellectual and social history.

-- Henry Hitchings in the UK Telegraph, celebrating the publication of the Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, a landmark two-volume work 40 years in the making

PLUS: The top 20 of the American Film Institute's Top 100 Movie Quotes--

PETA takes a break from theater, presents C Mo Si Direk

PETA is taking a break from its usual array of theatrical treats, as it opens “C Mo Si Direk” this November 13-15, 2009 at the PETA Theater Center.

“C Mo Si Direk” (Chikahin mo Si Direk) is a 3-day showcase that spotlights the latest films of three of the most talented filmmakers in the country: Maryo J. Delos Reyes, Joel Lamangan and Soxie Topacio. Each screening is followed by a forum where the audience can have the opportunity to mix and mingle with the directors.

The event features the following films:

DED NA SI LOLO (Soxie Topacio)
November 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Cast includes: Gina Alajar, Elizabeth Oropesa, Manilyn Reynes, Dick Israel, Roderick Paulate, Perla Bautista and BJ Forbes

The story unfolds from the point of view of the observant Bobet, a grandson of the deceased. The drama that ensues from the loss of a loved one is usually the springboard for comic instances and happenings. In the course of the wake, Bobet is introduced to and educated about the various superstitious beliefs that involve death practices in the Philippines. But a wake will not be a wake if there are no surprises.

KAMOTENG KAHOY (Maryo J. Delos Reyes)
November 14, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Cast includes: Nash Aguas, Robert Villar, Gloria Romero, Ana Capri, Sharlene San Pedro, Yul Servo

This is based on a true story which happened in a small barrio in Bohol in 2005. Twenty one pupils died and almost a hundred were hospitalized after eating cassava cakes sold by an old woman, who might have accidentally used pesticide in her ingredients. The film follows a town’s journey from painful trauma towards healing through the intercutting points of view of two of the child survivors, and the old woman vendor. The old woman, who is ostracized and condemned by the entire town, even by her own family, finally makes sense of the whole tragic thing and takes matters into her own hands.

FUSCHSIA (Joel Lamangan)
November 15, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Cast includes: Gloria Romero, Robert Arrevalo, Eddie Garcia, Armida Siguion Reyna, Gina Alajar, Iza Calzado, Tony Mabesa

The film tells the story of Mameng (Gloria Romero), a 62-year old woman who for the past 40 years is living-in with Gener (Robert Arrevalo), her husband’s (Mars played by Eddie Garcia) best friend, from the time the latter left her when he joined the US navy. Mars never communicated with Mameng for four decades and Gener took over the role of her husband. Suddenly, Mars arrives from the States and decides to spend the rest of his ailing days with Mameng, much to her surprise and Gener’s chagrin. Mameng opts for an unusual set-up of having the three of them live in one house, which scandalizes the town.

“C Mo Si Direk” provides access for any film lover to experience a movie like a true insider, as all tickets provide admission to both the screening and forum with the filmmakers and other film lovers in attendance.

All screenings at PETA Theater Center, 5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, QC. Tickets are P200/film, or avail of a P500 3-day pass!

For inquiries and/or ticket reservations, contact the PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office at 7256244, 0909-8705601 or 0917-8044428, or e-mail petampro@yahoo.com. This event is made possible through the help of APT productions.

Juana Change bares all in Pangatawanan Mo Nah! at Vargas Museum

Mae Paner, the performer and social critic behind the outrageous character “Juana Change”, is the subject of a major exhibition at the Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Diliman.

Thirty-six artists are presenting paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, and sculptures of Paner in the nude in “Pangatawanan Mo Nah!”, an exhibition that magnifies her up-front, stun tactics.

The obese Paner personalizes the political in the resolve to get thin: she says that if she is to continue criticizing greed and excess in the national life--particularly among Filipino leaders--she should start with herself and not spare herself her own critical eye.

“Pangatawanan Mo Nah!” is the first of 2 exhibitions. The forthcoming opening on November 5, 2009, at 5 p.m., marks the beginning of her journey towards better health, reasonable consumption, and tempered appetites. Posing in the nude provides the absolute measure of honest self-appraisal. Paner literally reveals the problem.

The exhibition’s second edition, to be scheduled before the coming elections in 2010, is intended to be a bare-faced display of whatever success she achieves or failure she suffers.

The multi-generational gathering of artists in this exhibition is also an unusual assembly of incompatibly-minded individuals. They are Leo Abaya, Alfredo Juan Aquilizan, Ernesto Aquino, Jr., Carlo Aranton, Elmer Borlongan, Charlie Co, Reynold de la Cruz, Kiri Dalena, Thomas Daquioag, Gilbert Daroy, Roger Dio, Cecilia, Brenda Fajardo, Egai Talusan-Fernandez, Karen Flores, Dennis Gonzales, Kawayan de Guia, Ings Isungga, Nap Jamir II, Winner Jumalon, Mark Justiniani, Irma Lacorte, Nina Libatique, Julie Lluch, At Maculangan, Joy Mallari, Norlie Meimban, Lee Paje, Jim Paredes, Benjie Reyes, Don Salubayba, Ioannis Sicuya, Christine Sioco, Boldy Tapales, Wig Tysmans and Boy Yñiguez.

Despite divergent intellectual passions and positions towards art and politics, they were persuaded to participate in the exhibit based on a shared faith in Paner’s brand of social criticism, her over-the-top humor and the project’s bare-all motivations.

“Pangatawanan Mo Nah!” is a fund-raising event to enable Paner to produce more of the “Juana Change” videos that have rocked YouTube and through it, the political landscape. “Juana” has lampooned Cha-Cha, spoofed presidentiables, and satirized gross displays of power--but also gave Paner the space for self-mockery.

In each video, Paner presents a turned-up version of a hideous persona, who has a goody-goo, morally assaulted double. The impact of “Juana Change” on Philippine politics continues the long historical lineage of political satire in print and broadcast media in this country. But the persona is also an unprecedented invention: “Juana” is coarse, vulgar, politically astute, quite unpleasant and love-able at the same time, and exquisitely intelligent. “Juana” is a complex character possessed of dozens of personalities. The woman behind “Juana,” Mae Paner, is even more riveting, as this forthcoming exhibition will reveal.

The exhibit is curated by Marian Pastor Roces, Paner’s principal collaborator in this project; and presented by the museum development corporation she heads, TAO Inc. For more information on this event, contact Glenda Puyat at 0917-3501720 or Monchito Nocon at 0920 283-4393.

TAO Inc. is at 2/F, Room 206, LaO’ Centre, 1000 Makati Avenue corner Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, The Philippines Telefax ++632 816 3726. Email taocurators@gmail.com

PLUS: Juana Change wrestles with the prospect of automated elections in “Rowbaht”--

New pieces for my mantelpiece

... Except that I don't have a mantelpiece, let alone a vacant shelf to display whatever trophies this blog has managed to snag, so the two new pieces of hardware (below) that have come my way via the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards will stay in some cramped cupboard for now. Thanks again, PBA and Globe, for the recognition.

The trophy for my Ten Best Posts of the Year entry (“Portrait of a dramatic highlight in Nick Joaquin's A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino”). Last year, it was an interesting free-form wire sculpture, this year it's the iconic jeepney. Artist, artist!

This one's for my being chosen as one of the “Elders of the Globe-PBA Digital Tribe for Luzon”. A senior-citizen blogger, in short--though based on “your body of work and impact in your chosen niche in the Web Community.” Ah, sweet.

Fabcast! Gay guys with girlfriends [violent reaction here]

The snark was there from the start--“Ano ang nag-udyok sa'yo para pasukin ang ganitong... pariwarang buhay?” was my opening question, tongue-in-cheek, of course--but we were also genuinely interested to understand the mindset of our two “confused” friends, Sam and Johnny, and concerned that they did know what they were getting into. The large group of guest Fabcasters--we were about 14 friends on an outing--were profuse in sharing their opinions, prognostications, warnings and pieces of advice about the curious, and potentially topsy-turvy, set-up. Much laughter as usual (watch out for Dimples in part 2!), but leavened with good ideas, too. Feel free to eavesdrop and share your thoughts:

Part 1
Listen (23 mins 35 sec):

Download this fabcast (right click and save - 21.6 MB)

Part 2
Listen (34 mins 49 sec):

Download this fabcast (right click and save - 33.4 MB)

Avoid clichés like the plague? He begs to disagree

Durable, easily handled, yet retaining somehow the flavor of its coinage, the classic cliché has fought philology to a standstill: it sticks and it stays, and not by accident... “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” “It takes two to tango”--[o]bservations like these have been road-tested, times beyond number, and discovered to be sound. They are laden with experience, and yet somehow jaunty. Some witty individual must have coined them, somewhere, but they glow with the accumulated knowledge of the race. They are clichés, and they belong to you: as a speaker of English, they are your birthright. Use them proudly. And when life hands you a lemon, remember that it’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

-- James Parker, “Let us now praise... the cliché”

How not to spoon-feed a young audience

At the end of the closing performance of Tanghalang Pilipino's Flores Para Los Muertos (the Filipino version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire) yesterday afternoon, a Q&A was held for students from De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, the show sponsor. Director Floy Quintos moderated, with the cast lined up on the stage.

Minutes into the Q&A and still no questions from the young audience, only excited buzzing and turuan--until a man stood up, introduced himself as a member of the press, and asked the lead performers--Eula Valdes as Blanche DuBois, Neil Ryan Sese as Stanley Kowalski, Meryl Soriano as Stella--what their individual experiences were like in making the play.

Eula said playing Blanche and acting onstage were way, way different from what she's used to doing on film and TV, so she didn't pass up the chance when offered the role, and won't hesitate to do it again if asked. (Hint of a rerun?) Neil and Meryl and the other cast members added that the task was made easier because, during rehearsals, the ensemble worked as a team, there was no division between celebrity and ordinary theater actor, the fidelity was to the material, etc.

Any other questions?, prodded Floy. Going once, twice...

Finally--a student motioning for a microphone. His question: What can we learn from this play?

Big applause and cries of “Yes!” from the kids. Obviously, this was what they were waiting for--a neat, easily digestible summation of what they'd just seen that they could then quote, repeat or echo in their required reaction papers come school day. Why crack their heads trying to decode what all the play was about when here were people who could, just maybe, do it for them?

They didn't reckon with Eula, who took the mic and... turned the tables on them: “Di ba we should we be the one to ask you that question? What have you learned? Since prinesent na namin e,” she said, very sweetly.

Laughter, then more applause--louder this time, the kids enjoying the spectacle of seeing one of their own outwitted and now squirming before the microphone. Egged on to answer the challenge, the boy gathered up enough courage, took to the stage and said, haltingly and breathlessly, “Ang natutunan ko dito ay dapat maging totoo sa sarili, 'wag itago kung ano ka talaga.”

An A for him for guts and effort. Whether that's the real point being imparted by Streetcar/Flores is debatable, but at least he arrived at it by his own wits--an important reminder that was underlined by Eula's gentle but instructive pushback, and one that hopefully struck a chord with more than a few of the students: They shouldn't expect to be spoon-fed; they have to start thinking on their own.

Showbiz news you really, really have to hear

1. Miss Saigon, the movie musical. It's now official--“Precious” director Lee Daniels will direct a film based on the hit Broadway musical “Miss Saigon.” Variety reported Wednesday that former United Artists CEO Paula Wagner will produce the film under her new Chestnut Ridge Productions banner. A screenwriter is about to be hired, and financing discussions are under way with an eye toward getting the film into production next year for a 2011 release... The movie will be faithful to Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil's tragic love story of a Vietnamese bar girl and an American soldier before the fall of Saigon in 1975. -- Lee Daniels confirmed to adapt 'Miss Saigon'

So who do you want to see play Kim, Chris, Gigi, Thuy and The Engineer? Cast suggestions, please!

2. Lola mo goes Glee-ful. EW has learned that Madonna has given “Glee” the rights to her catalog and that an all-Madonna-music episode is in the works for early next year. The hit series has been building an audience and filling the iTunes charts with its cover songs, and Madonna’s involvement is a testament to how big the show is getting. -- 'Glee' Exclusive: Madonna is on board! Is Adam Lambert next?

After Single Ladies, let the soccer boys do Vogue!

3. Tom Cruise--android? “It was definitely a process. We talked a lot, but he was in L.A. and I was in New York... We talked about how Martian-like Patrick Bateman was, how he was looking at the world like somebody from another planet, watching what people did and trying to work out the right way to behave. And then one day he called me and he had been watching Tom Cruise on David Letterman, and he just had this very intense friendliness with nothing behind the eyes, and he was really taken with this energy.” -- director Mary Harron, on how she and Christian Bale developed the serial-killer character in American Psycho

4. Bill Murray skewers McG. “Terminator Salvation’s” McG (aka Joseph McGinty Nichol)... who directed “Murray in “Charlie’s Angels”, recently claimed that Murray headbutted him on the Angels”’ set during a creative dispute. “That’s bulls***! That’s complete crap!” says Murray, flushing slightly yet maintaining composure. “I don’t know why he made that story up. He has a very active imagination.” He pauses. The subject seems closed, but then a minor eruption. “No! He deserves to die,” he says, coldly staring, without breaking deadpan. “He should be pierced with a lance, not headbutted.” -- Bill Murray: Do not disrespect the oddball

McG's next project, according to online scuttlebutt? The movie version of Spring Awakening. The horror.

Sagip Sining at CCP today: Give all you can, see all you can

"Typhoon Sagip Sining strengthens at more than 50 shows and 500 artists and is headed for the CCP. Expected landfall is today, Sunday, 9 a.m. Extreme creative in all venues until 12 midnight. Gale-force giving and heavy outpouring of donations expected. Please inform friends and loved ones."

* * *

Artists, relief workers, families and friends come together in a whole day of music, dance, theater, talkstory, standup comedy, film screenings and art activities to mobilize donations for the rehabilitation of schools, school children and teachers affected by the typhoons.

"Sagip Sining" happens today, Sunday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. in various venues at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Artists, volunteers and ideas for fundraising are welcome.

GIVE ALL YOU CAN, SEE ALL YOU CAN. For more details, call 8322314.

Going to market--at Damascus' famous Souk al-Hamidiyeh

The first tourist-y order of business on our first day in Syria--a visit to Damascus' storied Souk al-Hamidiyeh, about which I'll let Damascus Online do the talking:

[It] is the most famous souk (bazaar or market) of old Damascus. It is located against the southern walls of the city's citadel, close to the Grand Umayyad Mosque. The souk was built during the Ottoman (Turkish) era. The first part (the eastern part) was built in 1780 and the second one (western) was built in 1883. Later the souk was covered and renovated several times. The souk is 600 meters long, 15 meters wide, and about two-storey high. Its shops offer the famous Damascene textiles and antiques.

Traversing the souk's nearly kilometer-long central thoroughfare, said our young and good-looking guide Ali, would take us to the oldest part of Damascus. I flicked open my Flip HD Video right before we entered the market and began recording all the way through, until what I thought was the arch of the mosque came into view. The arch, it turned out, was something older--the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Jupiter.

But before that--a whole exotic universe of sights, sounds, smells, colors, the unfamiliar din and life of an ancient city and its inhabitants all but exploding before the swirling, roaming, gulping gaze of my camera lens, which basically mimicked the way my eyes were trying to drink everything in all at once.

The main artery of the souk offers an incredible array of traditional goods and services, but many more are available in the narrow alleys and side roads of the market. This is Damascus' own Divisoria and Greenhills, the hub of its centuries-old mercantile spirit, the crucible--along with the mosque, and how apt that they stand side by side--of its communitarian bonds.



Some notes on the 9-minute vid:

1. Yes, that's me asking Ron, our colleague from Manila Bulletin--who happens to be straight--the name of our cutie guide Ali. Ron laughs and tells me, just call him “Friend!” Ali would accompany us only for the market tour and mosque visit; a Tourism graduate, he was a valuable source of dates and facts about the historic and cultural riches all around us.

2. The pretty girl with the Botticelli curls--that's Maya, our official guide and a Journalism student of Damascus University. She can be heard near the beginning of the vid telling me, “Gilbert, close to me, okay?” A most patient, cheerful guide, especially since we had a tendency to wander around in pursuit of as many pictures as we could take.

3. Most intriguing thing I saw: DVD porn, clandestinely offered, though you can see only a blurry glimpse of it in the video [at 8:25] because I was in a hurry trying to keep up with the rest. Still--even here?

PLUS: More pictures--

The next time you audition...

For actors at auditions, musicians at competitions or anyone else whose work is sequentially judged against that of others, a nagging question often arises: Would I rather be the first person to be evaluated, or the last?

New research suggests both have their advantages, and either is far preferable than being stuck in the middle. That's the conclusion of a study of the effects of position order on preference, just published in the journal Psychological Science.

-- “First and Last Competitors Have the Edge”

All's not lost, however, if you find yourself stuck in the middle. “Unlike the wine samples in this study, dancers auditioning for a chorus line differ in their abilities and training. So it's entirely possible a virtuoso in the middle of the pack could stand out,” says the piece.

In other words, wherever you are in the line, kick ass.

Blood is beautiful

From the Times Online's “The top 10 sexiest vampires”:

Number 6: Monica Bellucci, “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, 1992. Even in a stellar cast that includes Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves and Anthony Hopkins, a then unknown Bellucci (above, right) still managed to shine as one of Dracula’s beautiful vampire brides in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 classic. Unlike Dracula himself, Bellucci’s character is not even remotely likeable, but she does positively exude sex, embodying cinema’s fascination with vampires’ raw, relentless sexuality.

Catherine Deneuve, Kate Beckinsale, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kiefer Sutherland--the rest of the list here.

Lea, Monique, Menchu, Risa: the young cast of Rep's 1980 The Sound of Music--on video

Finally, it's on YouTube--this invaluable clip of the young cast of Repertory Philippines' 1980 production of The Sound of Music making a promotional guest appearance on the noontime TV program Student Canteen. Just look at that line-up: Menchu Lauchengco, Raymond Lauchengco, Risa Hontiveros, Javier Arriaga, Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Gianina Revilla and Angela Adams.



I say “Finally” because I first saw this clip back in 2006--when I interviewed Monique Wilson and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, two of the three alternating Marias (the other was Liesl Batucan) in that year's retread of The Sound of Music by Rep. Monique brought with her a VHS tape of this and other TV clips (including a similar guesting in another TV show--was it Discorama?--where their Do-Re-Mi singing went awry, eliciting much laughter from the two actresses).

Even then I was dying to borrow the tape, have it transferred to DVD and upload it to YouTube; I thought everyone should have a chance to see so rare and important an artifact. But it was their property, and I was too shy to belabor my point. We have to thank arriaga66, then (I assume he's the Javier Arriaga of the cast), for posting his copy online.

From my blog entry dated October 16, 2006:

The Batasan Hills are alive with the sound of Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel's music.

Lame pun. Can't help it, though. You see, that's Risa Hontiveros right there in the picture, third from left, decades before she became the fiery Akbayan party-list representative in Congress. Just 14 years old in 1980, she played one of Captain Von Trapp's seven children in Repertory Philippines' stellar production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's “The Sound of Music,” directed by the late Bibot Amador.

Consider the other cast members: (from left) Menchu Lauchengco (now Yulo, then 17 and playing Liesl), Raymond Lauchengco (14, honing his chops for “Bagets” and “Farewell” a few years down the road), Javier Arriaga (12), Monique Wilson (10), Lea Salonga (9), and Angela Adams (5).

Baby Barredo was Maria, Chito Ponce Enrile was Captain Von Trapp, Celia Diaz Laurel was the Baroness Schraeder, Freddy Santos was Max Detweiler, Irma Potenciano was the Mother Abbess and Audie Gemora was Rolf (the love-struck young Nazi who duets with Liesl on “I Am Sixteen”).

Amazing, isn't it?

From “Monique, Menchu and the sound of Maria”:

“We had 15-18 performances at the Meralco Theater,” Lauchengco-Yulo recalls. “We had no lapel mikes on, the mikes were hanging from the ceiling, and we were singing with a full orchestra! So we had to belt our heads off, and Tita Bibot (Amador, the late founding artistic director of Rep) would scream at us, ‘I cannot hear you!’”

The kids also made the rounds of TV stations to promote the show. They performed on the noontime program “Student Canteen” (which says a lot about the sea change that has engulfed pop culture; imagine an English theater group appearing on “Eat Bulaga!” or “Wowowee” today) and on the late-afternoon show “Discorama,” among others.

“I remember that, in our 1980 show, we kids had to sing a difficult version of ‘The Sound of Music’—the a cappella version with the three-part harmony,” recalls Wilson.

“All it took was for Tita Bibot to scream, ‘I’m gonna fire all of you tonight!’ and we learned it. We were in Roper’s Studio for our pictorial and we were all crying because she said we were all going to be fired! Menchu, who was our ate then, brought us to the corner and told us, ‘We have to practice, we have to practice!’ That night, during rehearsals, we were so nervous, but we got it! It was only later on I realized, nag-pictorial na tayo e, di na niya tayo pwede i-fire!”

Tita Baby had bronchitis during the opening of ‘The Sound of Music,’ but she finished the show! That was how it was,” says Lauchengco-Yulo.

More memories--from my Q&A with Monique: We were a cast of only 15 people then... I remember we had so many super-fast costume changes. One time, because we were rushing backstage, Lea and I ended up wearing one shoe each of each other’s pair. Nagkabaligtad! Sikip na sikip ako with the shoe because Lea was of a smaller size. (Laughter)

I also remember Angela Adams, she was only five at that time. One day Tita Bibot [Amador] said, “Angela, why don’t you know your lines? I’m getting tired of waiting for you to learn your lines!” And Angela said, “Tita Bibot, I don’t know how to read yet eh!” Tawa kami ng tawa! Then Tita Bibot called us and said, “Lea and Monique, go there in the corner and teach Angela her lines!” And we’d teach her, because ipa-fire din daw siya. (Laughter)

You should see the video of our TV appearances. My mom taped all these shows. Kami ni Lea, red na red ang lips namin, kasi mga nanay namin backstage made sure we had lipstick on, but Menchu had no makeup! On TV! Talagang wala kaming alam that time!” (Laughter)

And Menchu, verbatim: Those were the days! During our time isang set lang kami, we had no understudy or alternates. So kahit na burning with fever--I mean, Tita Baby [Barredo], how many times did she perform with bronchitis? In “The King and I,” she collapsed on stage right after curtain call. Junix [Inocian] did “Sweeney Todd” in crutches. He fell down the stairs during rehearsal and opened the show in a cast. Walang alternate e! (Laughter)

Si Lea [Salonga] din, kinagat na ‘yan ng aso during the dress rehearsal for “Annie,” pero kanta pa rin while crying, she didn’t stop!

Blog a play, win a Sony Ericsson phone: The winners!

With Dennis Marasigan's kind offer of a book (Filipino Pride) as an additional prize--thank you, Dennis!--I can now reward seven bloggers for their exceptional entries to our contest. Out of 31 write-ups submitted on one or more of the 6 plays covered by the contest, these are the seven I like best.

That majority of the winning entries are written in Filipino is entirely coincidental--though, thinking about it, I'm not so sure anymore. As I had explained in the rules, I was mainly looking for two things: quality of insight and clarity of expression--how compelling one's views are and how well they're expressed. Without any discernible pattern to it, I realized as I began sifting through the entries that the ideas and insights that struck me the most were--with becoming transparency, force and grace--expressed in Filipino, whether or not I agreed with the points discussed. Is it just this batch of bloggers, or is that proof, indeed, that concepts and ideas achieve a greater level of illumination when couched in the language native to us and bred in our bones?

You decide.

First prize
Jester Jaksonero: (Prize: Sony Ericsson C903 Cyber-shot phone)

From “Si Maduna Braba, at ang Graba ng Kabalintunaan”: Ang pinaka-madamdaming senaryong napanood ko doon ay nang dalhin na ang bangkay ng kanyang pangalawang anak, iniharap sa kanya, at tinanong ng mga sundalo kung kilala niya. Namumula ang mukha, nagpipigil, nangagatog, lumapit si ‘Maduna Braba’, at saka umiling, sabay sabing, “Hindi ko po kilala.” Pinatunayan niyang siya nga ang matapang at malakas na si ‘Maduna Braba’ na kayang itanggi ang sariling anak at ipatapon sa ilog ang bangkay, pero sa hitsura ng mukha at galaw ng katawan, alam mong si ‘Maduna Brabang’ matapang, nang mga oras na iyon, ay nagtatapang-tapangan na lamang upang mailigtas ang pedikab, ang anak na babae, at ang sariling buhay... Doon mismo sa puntong iyon ng kuwento, minahal ko hindi lang si Shamaine, hindi lang ang CCP, hindi lang ang sining, hindi lang ang Batute… kundi pati si “Maduna Braba” at ang bakas ng mga karanasan at kwentong akay-akay niya sa likod ng kanyang pedikab.

Second prize
Journey of Eros: (Prize: Astoria Plaza gift certificate)

From “PAGKAMULAT SA PANAHON NG TAGSIBOL: Isang Rebyu ng 'Spring Awakening'”: Sa Spring Awakening, musika ang nagiging kaganapan ng saloobin at hinanakit ng mga kabataan. Sa pamamagitan ng awitin at tugtugin, naipapahayag nila ang kanilang mga sarili. Dito'y waring pinag-iisa ang kanilang mga hinaing. Dito'y nagkakaunawaan sila. Nakakapagmura sila nang walang pangamba dahil dito ay mistulang “Room of Requirement” sa Harry Potter--isang kuwarto na walang sinuman ang maaaring makapasok kundi sila-sila lamang. Off-limit ang mga matatanda. Sa musikal na ito, nagmukhang caricature at tableaux ang mga matatanda kapag tumutugtog na ang banda at inilalabas na ng mga kabataan ang kanilang mikropono.

Third prize
Kiko Matsing/Taga-Ilog Special: (Prize: Mountain backpack from Thai Airways)

From “Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa?”: Siguro, may kakaibang magic ang sex n’ung unang panahon. Noong hindi pa laganap ang mga “manual” kamukha ng porn o Youtube videos, noong taboo pa ang makipaghalikan o maging ang makipag-holding hands. Siguro ay totoo ang spark na sinasabi ng iba. Siguro ay may kakaibang kilig kapag ang sex ay hindi mental o moral kundi isang emotional na bagay. Ito at ilan pa ang kamunduhang ipinamulat sa akin ng “Spring Awakening”.

Fourth prize
Delphine Buencamino: (Prize: P3,000 gift certificates from Botong's Up resto-bar/art gallery)

From “Tanghalang Pilipino's Madonna Brava ng Mindanao: Of Macrocosms, Overloads, and Powerful Performances”: The good thing about this production is that it doesn't pretend to be something it's not, at the risk of disrespecting classic texts of theories, it is nonetheless honest. It is clear that the play is less of Brecht's Mother Courage and more of an adaptation written to serve the political views of the Mindanao based director (Nestor Horfilla) and adapter/translator (Don Pagusara). Needless to say, it was biased towards representing the Mindanao side as the victims. Which is why the play shouldn't be seen with Brecht's Mother Courage in mind.

Fifth prize
Sugod Babit! Sugod!: (Prize: Brand-new hardbound edition of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol)

From “Madonna Brava--Kung Hindi Ngayon, Kailan?”: Ang pagdaloy ng kwento ay hindi narrative kundi episodic. Nagsisimula ang mga aksyon pero dumarating ito sa punto na tila nagtatapos. Ang susunod na bahagi ay halos wala ng hatak mula sa naunang mga tagpo. Ginawa nila ito sa pamamagitan ng mga pagpatay ng ilaw at pagpapakita ng mga audio-visual na materyal sa gilid ng entablado. Sa pag-arte ng mga artista ay kakikitaan din sila ng atakeng Brechtian ay may eksena pa ngang nakipag-usap si Madonna (Shamaine) sa mga tumutugtog ng musika. Walang ginamit na mga placards, o banner sa dula pero lubhang kahanga-hanga ang musika nito. Sa pangunguna Popong Landero bilang Musical Director at Mebuyan, ang grupong nakabase sa Davao City na tumugtog sa dula, naging mas matalim ang mga komentaryo sa loob ng dula.

Sixth prize
Bea: (Prize: Brand-new hardbound edition of Nina Garcia's The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own)

From “Spring Awakening Manila”: Oh Moritz! As a character Moritz is so honest and earnest and just cannot cope with the enormity of his burgeoning sexuality... I think there is a thin line between true anguish and overacting, and thankfully Nicco Manalo stayed on the truly anguished side. I thought that he was a leetle too gay at first (getting the distinct impression with his long, tilted glances that he had a crush on Melchior) but he quickly overcame that and captured Moritz--the tension, the agony, the complete bewilderment and frustration, but also the excitement and curiosity... I also felt that he brought something new to the character. He seemed to emphasize how off-center Moritz is--so much that everything about his singing and dancing and even how he was moving around he stage after “Don't Do Sadness” felt so natural.

Seventh prize
Chalkdust: (Prize: Filipino Pride book)

From “Tara, Tuloy Ka!”: Ang Ismail at Isabel ay tulad ng pelikulang “Himala” ni Ishmael Bernal na umiikot sa isang pangunahing kuwento (ang pagkakita raw ni Elsa sa Mahal na Birhen at panggagamot niya) ngunit tumatalakay ng iba pang paksang may sariling kuwento (kahirapan, prostistusyon, paggamit ng ipinagbabawal na gamot, paniniwala sa mga pamahiin, at iba pa). Ang pangunahing kuwento ng dula ay ang pagkakaibigan ng Muslim na si Ismail at ng Kristiyanong si Isabel at kung paano ito sinulit ng mga pagsubok na dumating sa kanilang buhay. Ngunit sa pagdaloy ng dula, nagluwal ito ng iba pang isyu at mas maliliit na kuwentong binigyan nito ng sariling tuon.

Congratulations to the winners! And thank you for joining the contest.

How to get your prizes
Please drop by the Inquirer office (Yague corner Mascardo Sts., Pasong Tamo, Makati City) so I can personally give you your prize. But before you do that, e-mail me at gibbs_c@yahoo.com and let's agree on the time and date. See you.

Lastly, same spiel: I invite you to read through all the blog entries submitted--mostly here--winner and non-winner alike--to better appreciate the range of opinions expressed and argued, and to take heart in the thought that we do have an engaged, alert, intelligent audience out there.

Tanghalang Ateneo's Metamorphoses
Beng

Dulaang UP's Amphitryon
Kiko Matsing
Idadudes
Chris Cimatu
Leika
Jhiedon

Trumpets' NOAH (No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat)
Fred

Tanghalang Pilipino's Madonna Brava ng Mindanao
Kiko Matsing
Jhiedon

PETA's Ismael at Isabel
Kiko Matsing
Judee

Atlantis Productions' Spring Awakening
Jamie Da Vinci
Fred
Hogi
Toni Hoshi
Wob
Acrylique
Danielle
Lanchase
Vincen
M.A./Michael
Justin
Zarine
SirEdge
Abaniko
Mr. Perk

Thanks, everyone, for your entries. On to the next contest!

Halina sa perya!

Road-testing a Canon 7d model, “We wanted to document something truly Filipino and came up with the idea of shooting a 'Perya'”, writes Jason Magbanua. “There really is no direct equivalent in English. It's not as grand as a carnival, not as permanent and posh as an amusement park, there are no pumpkins nor cows in competition like a country fair. It is what it is--a Perya.”

No color grading or additional lights used, but, oh, the images--the wondrous, haunting humanity of this short.

Perya (Town Fair) - a Canon 7D Short from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

Goodbye, blogs?

Writing a weblog today isn't the bright idea it was four years ago. The blogosphere, once a freshwater oasis of folksy self-expression and clever thought, has been flooded by a tsunami of paid bilge. Cut-rate journalists and underground marketing campaigns now drown out the authentic voices of amateur wordsmiths. It's almost impossible to get noticed, except by hecklers. And why bother? The time it takes to craft sharp, witty blog prose is better spent expressing yourself on Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter.

-- “Twitter, Flickr, Facebook Make Blogs Look So 2004”, by Paul Boutin, in Wired

Do you agree? Do we quit blogging now before it becomes, you know, uncool? (Boutin: “[I]f you've already got one, pull the plug.”) Read the whole article first, then come back and share your thoughts here. My own take? Boutin's premise doesn't apply--yet--to our side of the Net. Local blogs haven't even gone mainstream (not radio- and TV-mainstream, anyway, though the real-time online mobilizing in the wake of the Ondoy flooding was a good portent), and the kind of monolithic, industrial-type blogging perfected by The Huffington Post hasn't taken root here. Also, many of us are far too, ah, floridly expressive for the stingy 140-word limit set by Twitter. Paano na lang all those added H's and W's, for example? (“Kain na pow meeh!”) We're a blabbermouth nation; bloggers will blog--while also Twittering and Facebooking.

Back, and thank you times two

Just arrived from a working trip to Syria. You'd never know how much you could miss Pinoy food until you've spent an entire week eating hummus, frikeh and baba ganoush. All good dishes, really--but after the nth banquet of Arab food I was dying for sinigang, sisig, crispy pata, kare-kare. I've sworn off Mister Kabab for at least a year, I tell you.

But the trip itself was awesome. If you're somebody like me who heads not to the nearest shopping mall in a new country, but to its churches, palaces, ruins, museums, old markets, then the ancient land of Syria is a most fascinating place to visit. The picture above was taken in Palmyra, amid its magnificent Roman ruins--just one of the places we were brought to on our whirlwind cross-country tour of five historic cities: Damascus, Palmyra, Hama, Tartous and Aleppo.

Wait--more Syria stories and pics later, I've something I need to do...

Facebook and blogs being banned in Syria, and time for e-mail hard to come by, I didn't learn until days later from the awards organizers that this blog had won two special citations at the recent Philippine Blog Awards 2009: one of the Ten Best Posts of the Year (for this entry) and, ahem, one of the “Elders of the Globe-PBA Digital Tribe for Luzon”--given, I understand, to a few veteran bloggers for (I'm quoting the e-mail here) “your body of work and impact in your chosen niche in the Web Community.”

Whoa. Last year this corner won Best Blog in the Arts and Culture category, now I'm being called an “Elder.” Cue the polka! Next, the Methuselah Medal maybe? Kidding.

Thank you, Philippine Blog Awards, for the citations. As always, my dear readers (Jennifer Hudson moment here)--That's you! And you! And you!--share in this honor, for the privilege of their company and for helping me keep this blog alive. To those who've been here since Day 1--ahoy, fellow “Elders!”

Upon arrival, I celebrated my safe journey and this blog's latest badges by slurping hot sotanghon soup at Aristocrat. Laing is up next.

PLUS: Re baba ganoush--the first time our young Syrian guide Maya pointed out the dish in front of us, I thought: I've heard that name somewhere. And spoken excitedly, like, “baba ganoush!” Then it hit me: It's the dish John Lloyd was helping Ate Vi memorize in In My Life! It's a Mediterranean dip made of mashed grilled eggplant mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and spices. Delicious. Now we know.

Open auditions for Tanghalang Ateneo's Walang Sugat

Para sa sesquicentennial celebration ng Ateneo de Manila University, inihahandog ng Loyola Schools, kasama ng Tanghalang Ateneo, Performing Arts Cluster ng Council of Activities, at ng Agenda for Hope ang "Walang Sugat", isang sarsuwela nina Severino Reyes at Fulgencio Tolentino.

OPEN AUDITIONS FOR "WALANG SUGAT"
October 21-22, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
October 23, 2-5 p.m.
Natividad Galang Fajardo Room
G/F Dela Costa Bldg.
Ateneo de Manila University

Kumanta ng kundiman, kantang pangsimbahan, awiting mala-kundiman o anumang awit mula sa "Walang Sugat" o ibang sarsuwela.

Magdala ng minus one, instrumento o piyesang matutugtog sa piano. Puwedeng ring mag-a capella. Huwag lang umawit ng OPM, pop o folk.

Humanda rin sumayaw at magbasa ng linya mula sa dula.

Ipapalabas ang sarsuwela sa Pebrero 24-29, 2010 sa Henry Lee Irwin Theater.

Para sa karagdagang detalye, tawagan si Julia Motoomull sa 0905-2216176.

Award-winning poet Lawrence Ypil launches book of poems in Cebu

Multi-awarded poet and Ateneo professor Lawrence Lacambra Ypil launches his first book of poems, "The Highest Hiding Place", on Friday, October 23, 2009, at Fully Booked Ayala Center Cebu.

Collecting the poems that have won for Ypil the Carlos Palanca Awards and the Free Press Awards, among others, "The Highest Hiding Place" charts the author’s more than ten years’ exploration of the intersections of desire, displacement and voice.

Born and raised in Cebu, Ypil teaches literature and creative writing at the Ateneo de Manila University, while keeping a bi-monthly column in Sun Star Weekend called "Dog-ears in the Wrong Notebook".

The book launch on October 23 begins with a book signing and cocktails at 6:00 pm.

"The Highest Hiding Place" is published by the Ateneo de Manila Press and will be available at the launch for only P195. For details, visit fullybookedonline.com

Toodle-oo

Ciao for now--will be on the road for some 9 days. In the meantime, quite a lot to chew on (I hope) in the entries down there... Stay safe.

Endings are beginnings

From my baul: Isay Alvarez and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra invite you to bask in--nay, seize--the promise of a new day.

Sagip Sining: Art to the rescue

Artists, relief workers, families and friends come together in a whole day of music, dance, theater, talkstory, standup comedy, film screenings and art activities to mobilize donations for the rehabilitation of schools, school children and teachers affected by the typhoons.

"Sagip Sining" happens on Sunday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. in various venues at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Artists, volunteers and ideas for fundraising are welcome.

GIVE ALL YOU CAN, SEE ALL YOU CAN. For more details, call 8322314.

Blog a play, win a Sony Ericsson phone: additional prizes

The succeeding typhoon-ravaged weekends have been devastating not only on hundreds of thousands of lives in the metropolis, but also on businesses and professions--the performing arts included among them. All the major plays got canceled for two weekends in a row, though Tanghalang Pilipino's Madonna Brava ng Mindanao and Atlantis Productions' Spring Awakening had managed to return to the stage by last Sunday.

Still, the cost of losing audiences for all those days of rain and flood must be steep, not to mention paying for previously booked and now re-booked venues (for any additional performances) and renegotiating with the performers for substitute shows.

All the more reason, then, to support our theater companies as well, and the best way to do that is to go watch their shows.

I've managed to grab a couple more prizes for the blogging contest we're having. Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol now slides to fifth place, with new prizes of bigger monetary value now added to the mix. Here goes:

First prize: Sony Ericsson C903 Cyber-shot phone (5-megapixel camera, GPS for geo-tagging, auto rotating 2.4” display, TV-out function, Face Detection, Smile Shutter, Best Pic, Media Go entertainment organizer--full product overview here), currently retailing at P18,000+.

Second prize: An Astoria Plaza gift certificate entitling the winner to overnight accommodations for two persons at a one-bedroom suite, with free breakfast. The GC is good until November 3, 2009. More about Astoria Plaza's full-serviced residential suites here.

Third prize: A sleek, sturdy, top-of-the-line mountain backpack courtesy of Thai Airways.

Fourth prize: Gift certificates worth P3,000 from the Filipino casual resto-bar and art gallery Botong's Up, located at the new A. Venue Mall along Makati Avenue, Makati City.

Fifth prize: Brand-new hardbound edition of Dan Brown's latest blockbuster novel, The Lost Symbol.

Sixth prize: Brand-new hardbound edition of The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, by Nina Garcia of Project Runway fame. If you win this prize and you're a guy--well, then, you have the perfect gift to give to your mom, sister or fiancee this Christmas.

The rules, the six covered plays, the deadline, etc. here. Last two weekends, go watch and blog that play now!