Auditions for Magsimula Ka!--plus rare audio excerpts

Spotlight Artists Centre, a performing arts school run by Robert Sena and Isay Alvarez, has announced that it is mounting a new version of the original Filipino musical Magsimula Ka! in November 2010.

Auditions for roles in the musical will be held on Feb. 21, 2010, 1-5 p.m., at Spotlight Artists Centre, Dona Consolacion Bldg., 122 Jupiter St., Makati City. Call Yssa at tel. 8998089 for inquiries.

From Isay's invitation on her Multiply:

“come and sing your favorite song from a pinoy musical...i hope you can sing and dance too because there's plenty of that in this musical.”

Magsimula Ka!, a musical collaboration by Gines Tan and Nestor Torre, was the longest-running Filipino musical in the early '80s. It was first staged by Gantimpala Theater (then still known as Bulwagang Gantimpala) at CCP's Huseng Batute, and its hit “carrier single,” sung by Leo Valdez, became one of the defining songs of the era. When auditions for the original London production of Miss Saigon swung by Manila, the bulk of successful auditionees came from two musical-theater boot camps, if you will: Repertory Philippines (Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, Michael Williams, Junix Inocian, etc.) and Magsimula Ka! (Isay lists down Bobby Martino, Jonjon Briones, Bicong Del Rosario, Rico Villavert, herself and Robert Sena).

More:

“MAGSI is a story about four friends who have just graduated from college. they were all excited to embark on their respective dreams! one wants to be a social worker (monina), a singer (mandy), writer (mario) and composer (miguel). miguel who comes from a wealthy family really wanted to become a musician but his father wanted him to take over the management of their business. he joined a songwriting contest and his entry was MAGSIMULA KA! syempre may love story si monina and miguel at syempre maraming heartwarming moments ang mga friends and family of miguel. adding spice to the musical is the love story of the household helpers namely: jograd and monang, the best friend of monina (delia) who disappeared because of an accident, and a number of beautifully written songs of gines tan and arranged by ryan cayabyab. the story is very refreshing with all the positive moral values imparted in the musical.

“MAGSI really started my career as performing artist. a number of us went to london to do miss saigon (bobby martino, jon briones, bicong del rosario, rico villavert,me and robert). Jograd dela torre, beverly salviejo, albert avellana, jun sudayan, jovi quilala, albert jimenez, gigi posadas, tricia amper jimenez are some of the names who also "started" in MAGSI! a number of established singers graced the show as guest artists: dulce, rico j, loiuie reyes, pat castillo, carlo orosa, marco sison, angelique lazo, eugene villaluz, ray an fuentes and many more!”

As far as I know, no soundtrack of Magsimula Ka! is commercially available on CD--another instance of a valuable homegrown production becoming forgotten because of the lack of resources for proper documentation and preservation. The young generation can't be faulted for not knowing much about our musical theater heritage simply because they have no access to it, either through easily available cast recordings or archival video.

Thank goodness for friends, then, who gave me a CD copy of the soundtrack transferred from original cassette tape recordings. Because of their origins, the music formed two long audio tracks corresponding to Act 1 and Act 2. I had to resort to some crude editing on Nero to come up with what I think are the individual tracks (the CD copy didn't come with song titles).

Let me share with you three of the most compelling tracks in Act 1 alone:

1. The intro/prologue, where the main melodic motifs of the musical are presented as entries in a songwriting contest and sung by five guest artists: Leo Valdez, Louie Reyes, Eugene Villaluz, Cynthia Patag and Pat Castillo--incidentally, among the biggest names in OPM during that time.

2. A beautiful duet by Isay Alvarez and Tricia Amper (I think), who plays a young crippled woman embittered by her disability. Their song explores the question of hope and faith and making the most of what is left behind.

3. The finale of Act 1, which features a shorter choral version of Magsimula Ka, the song. Even with the diminished condition of the audio track, the powerful chorus is still evident.

Magsimula Ka! is a brassy, sassy, old-fashioned--I say that as a compliment--musical that demands big voices and the kind of “triple threat” (singing-dancing-acting) actors that are rather scarce nowadays. May Isay and company find a great new crop of young performers to bring this musical back to blazing life. Enjoy the clips.

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PLUS: Reposting--Isay revisits the anthem some 20-plus years later.

Where to buy the book, etc.

To friends and readers who've asked--National Artist for Theater Daisy Hontiveros Avellana's The Drama of It: A Life on Film and Theater is available at Powerbooks for P595. National? I'm not sure. I checked with the National Bookstore Shangri-La Plaza branch and they don't have it yet, so better head to its sister bookshop.

The photo above I took at Powerbooks Greenbelt 4. Now that we're at this, may I direct your attention as well to the other publications keeping Ms. Avellana's book company?

Firstly, the Quijano de Manila aka Nick Joaquin anthologies Reportage on Lovers and Reportage on Crime. I'm seeing these titles only now, so I assume they were long out of print or the anthologies are new. In any case, these books should be must-haves for anyone who knows Mr. Joaquin mostly through his fiction; here he is at his non-fiction best--reportage that pioneered literary journalism long before the term, and Tom Wolfe, became hip.

The crime book's first story, incidentally, is The House on Zapote Street, the true-life basis for Mike De Leon's now-classic film on incest and obsession, Kisapmata. Both books sell for only P295.

On the leftmost side is Connecting Flights: Filipinos Write From Elsewhere, an anthology of fine travel writing by Butch Dalisay, Alya Honasan, Jessica Zafra and the like, edited by Ruel S. De Vera. Also at P295.

Then there's Gilda Cordero-Fernando's Sampler--lovely essays and observations from one of the country's wittiest, most engaging writers. I thumbed through the book and noticed familiar passages--many of the pieces, I think, first appeared in the Inquirer, in the section I help edit (yes, I'm bragging; I get first crack at reading her copy). Over the years, the fabulous Ms. Cordero-Fernando's stories have covered everything from aswang and astrology to peculiar family ties and growing old in our society. This book should have more of that. At P495.

Happy Pinoy reading!

Ateneo Children’s Theater stages Batang Rizal

For its 78th season, Ateneo Children’s Theater stages “Batang Rizal,” the widely popular children’s play penned by Ateneo faculty member Christine Bellen, who weaves together elements of the past and present to bring to life the legacy of national hero Jose Rizal.

Play dates are January 29-30 and February 5-6, 6 p.m. at the Henry Lee Irwin Theater, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. For tickets, call the Ateneo Grade School at 4266001 extension 7238 or 7239.

“Batang Rizal” explores the life of Pepe, the young Rizal, juxtaposed with the life of Pepito, the modern-day Filipino kid studying in a public school serendipitously named Rizal Elementary School. Trouble begins when Pepito accidentally damages a statue of the young Rizal donated by Mayor Rapcu, set to be unveiled during the school’s celebration of Linggo ng Wika. Pepito scrambles to find a replacement fast, his siblings’ scholarships and his own at stake. As Pepito tries to find a solution, he stumbles upon a magical book that takes him to the time of Pepe--the young Rizal. And that’s where his adventures begin.

Originally staged by the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) as a traveling production that yielded 99 shows throughout the country, “Batang Rizal” is an apt contribution by the Ateneo Grade School, through the ACT, to the celebration of Ateneo de Manila’s sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, and its theme of nation-building.

“When Ateneo gave me the Scholarly Work with Most Social Impact award, I promised (Ateneo president) Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. that I will bring ‘Batang Rizal’ home,” Bellen says.

The playwright adds that one of her reasons for writing the play was because Rizal was an Atenean, and writing “Batang Rizal” was her way of giving thanks to Ateneo for nurturing her as a writer. Ateneo, she says, is where most of her writings were born--from “Lola Basyang” to “Batang Rizal” to her current projects.

As “Batang Rizal” comes home to the Ateneo, Bellen also recognizes PETA’s creative contributions to the growth of the play, which she says have been invaluable to her. But since “Batang Rizal” is a continuously growing play, Bellen and ACT have infused new additions and attractions to it. New scenes and new songs make “Batang Rizal” fresh while still staying true to the original story. The stage is designed by alumnus and famed stage designer Gino Gonzales. One of the sets is an elaborate replica of the actual Calamba home of Rizal, which will surely delight audiences of the ACT production.

The directorial team of the ACT, composed of head director Ace Elgar and co-directors Jervy Robles, JJ Ignacio, Aids Reyes, Peanuts Valerio and Raissa Bayani, together with the cast and crew made up of grade schoolers from Ateneo, Miriam and St. Bridget, are working hard to make “Batang Rizal” a success. The two sets of cast members and crew members, all children, also make this production unique.

“This is actually a theater of kids, by kids and for kids. So basically, we, moderators are just steering them towards the right direction. But in the end, they will be the ones to stage the play,” Robles points out.

“We felt that Batang Rizal epitomizes the theme of ‘Building the Nation’,” he adds. “We’re not talking about the “matandang” (old) Rizal, we’re talking about the “batang” (young) Rizal and how it is that we can see the “batang” Rizal in each and every one of us. We don’t need to get the “batang” Rizal from the past to be able to save us in the present. In each and every one of us, there’s a Batang Rizal.”

For tickets, call the Ateneo Grade School at 4266001 extension 7238 or 7239.

PLUS: Reviews, video and more about Batang Rizal here.

PETA's Ismail at Isabel returns after successful Asian presentation

PETAs’ Palanca award-winning play, "Ismail at Isabel," is back from its Asian presentation at the recently held Mekong Arts and Media Festival 2009, where it performed side-by-side with some of the most talented groups and artists of the Mekong region.

The festival brought together 60 international artists to perform and share various bodies of work in theater, visual arts, film, video, and photography which have contributed to consciousness-raising and other advocacy initiatives in the Mekong communities. The event gave special focus to children and youth sector’s works, their participation and contributions to various development initiatives in the sub-region.

The Philippines was especially chosen to perform at the festival because of the powerful message of the play. The plot revolves around two characters: Ismail (a Muslim) and Isabel (a Christian), who lived in a village called Dilangawen, an atypical place in Mindanao where Muslims and Christians once settled peacefully until it collapsed due to the pressures of violence and war.

Mirroring similar events facing the country today, the play also exposes the plight of children and the ill effects of war on them, their families and their environment. Typical of PETA’s plays, "Ismail at Isabel" uses storytelling and familiar humor to engage its audience. Director Maribel Legarda mixes traditional dance and modern music with games and contemporary art forms like shadow puppetry.

Catch "Ismail at Isabel" at SM Taytay on January 22 (10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) and SM Fairview on January 29, 30, 31 (10 a.m. and 3p.m.) Call PETA 7256244/4100821/0917-8044428.

Singapore Airlines is the official carrier of the Philippine delegates to the Mekong Arts and Media Festival.

What makes a gigolo?

“The heart of a saint, the mind of a philosopher, and the skills of the devil”--so says 25-year-old “Markus,” a former Marine and America's first legal male prostitute. Call him what you want, but he certainly has his product definition down pat:

“There's five things I think that separate a gigolo from the average man: number one being the psychological profile—how he was raised, his upbringing, his thought, his morality, what he views as right and wrong. He must have the heart of a saint, the mind of a philosopher, and the skills of the devil—that's the second qualification. The third one is I never refer to any woman as a bitch, ho, twat, cunt, or any of those terms. It offends me. Women don't pay for sex, they pay for experience. And luckily for me, I don't have that much experience with sex, but I have the mentality and the emotion and gumption to make them feel the way they want to feel. And if I complete that through sex, too—which I'm a very good performer in that respect, too—my mission's accomplished. The fourth thing that separates a gigolo is a gigolo knows how to cook, clean, and do the things necessary to upkeep himself. He's totally independent. He can cook a 3-course meal, and at the same time, serve wine.”

But his most provocative line: “It's just the same as when Rosa Parks decided to sit at the front instead of the back. She was proclaiming her rights as a disadvantaged, African-American older woman. And I'm doing the same.”

More of his well-expressed, um, philosophy here. And an AP story here. Too bad he maintains a women-only policy. Or I'd consider swinging by Nevada one of these days. Just to score an interview. (Evil grin)

PLUS: “Scared of the big, bad 'prostidude'?” The entry of a male hooker is roiling Nevada's brothel scene. Salon's Tracy Clark-Flory wonders “whether there's a stereotype at play here--that of the straight male hooker who gets paid to do something he would happily do for free.”

[Photo: Details magazine]

Longest-running Broadway comedy show comes to Alabang on Valentine weekend

“Defending the Caveman,” the longest running one-man comedy show in Broadway history and the winner of the 2001 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, plays at the Insular Life Auditorium in Alabang on Chinese New Year and Valentine’s weekend, February 13 and 14, 2010, 7 p.m.

Theater veteran Joel Trinidad plays the role of the Caveman.

There is hardly a topic more discussed than the difference between men and women. Hundreds of books have been written on the subject but there are few texts that take on this eternal debate quite like Rob Becker’s “Defending the Caveman”. To date, the show has won the hearts of millions in over 35 countries in more than 16 different languages. The Chicago Sun Times has dubbed it an “outrageously funny and surprisingly sweet exploration of the gender gap”, while the New York Times proclaimed it “a comic phenomenon”.

Comedian Rob Becker wrote the play over a three-year period. He gathered insights from psychology, sociology and prehistory, and seamlessly blended this knowledge with his stand-up comedy expertise. Becker fills “Defending the Caveman” with hilarious observations on the ever-evolving battle of the sexes, making the show perfect entertainment for a couple’s night out.

Trinidad is known for his comedic performances as Vice Principal Panch in the “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and as Trekkie Monster in “Avenue Q”. He is also a founding member of the comedy group SPIT (Silly People’s Improv Theater). Direction is by Theater Down South’s creative director Michael Williams and by Repertory Philippines’ Cathy Azanza-Dy.

“Defending the Caveman” is brought to you by CTE Productions and Theater Mogul in cooperation with the San Miguel 632-BEER(2337) Home Delivery Service and Insular Life Assurance Company, Ltd.

For tickets, call 2150788 or text 0917-2094832. Tickets may also be purchased through Ticketworld 8919999. Visit www.ticketworld.com.ph, or their outlets at all major Metro Manila malls.

Daisy in bloom in fine memoir

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01.25.2010

National Artist Daisy Hontiveros Avellana turns 93 this week

“IN 1939, A YEAR AFTER we were married, Bert and I had three offspring in a single year: our eldest daughter Marijo, the Barangay Theater Guild, and the movie ‘Sakay.’ One did not live for more than a year, while the other two live on and on and on.”

So writes Daisy Hontiveros Avellana in Chapter 3 of her just-released memoir, “The Drama of It: A Life on Film and Theater.” That paragraph distills like no other the remarkable life of the Avellanas, the Oliviers of their day in the Philippines.

While raising a family and surviving war, poverty, calamity and the tumult of years, Daisy and Lamberto also blazed a trail in local film and theater, in time becoming both National Artists with a shared body of work that remains unsurpassed in Philippine art.

“The Drama of It” fleshes out their pioneering years together, he as the wunderkind of theater and movies (he directed “Sakay,” the landmark 1939 film hailed as heralding a new chapter in local cinema, at only 23 years old); and she as muse and full creative partner to her husband (she wrote the story of “Sakay” and pared down Nick Joaquin’s “A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino” to the definitive adaptation used in the 1965 film and still staged today), while also starring as Joan of Lorraine, Lady Macbeth, Medea, Hecuba, Desdemona, Bernarda Alba, Candida--the cream of female roles in literature--on stage, in film and over the radio.

“Bert liked to say that on his wedding day he actually married two girls,” recalls Avellana. “He described the first girl as a domestic goddess, dedicated to being a good housewife and devoted to being a good mother. The other lady he called his ‘theater-gone gal,’ who read plays, edited them, performed them, and made other people play in them.”

Lamberto and Daisy Avellana in the early ’60s

Formidable pair
It was a formidable partnership. Friends since college when they were both stars of their campus theaters (Bert created a splash in Ateneo de Manila with an acclaimed performance as Joan of Arc--a female role; Daisy was the leading lady of many a production of the UP Dramatic Club), their marriage cemented their shared passions and interests, even as Daisy says, “I am near-sighted and my husband was far-sighted. We never saw things the same way. Literally. We disagreed over many things and approached challenges in completely different ways.”

The challenges were enormous. When they began, there was no established Philippine theater. There were moro-moro plays and zarzuelas and scattered productions in schools, but no industry, no profession, no play-going season to speak of.

In 1939, fired up with a vision, the Avellanas gathered 48 of their friends and created the Barangay Theater Guild.

“At that time, these young men and women were the cream of Manila campus theater guilds. We all shared the dream of building the Filipino Theater.”

BTG’s first production, held at the Manila Grand Opera House, consisted of three one-act plays: Alice Gerstenberg’s “The Pot Boiler,” Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero’s “Women Are Extraordinary” and John Farrar’s “Nerves.”

“The production ran for two to three weeks. Our audience was mostly composed of relatives. But we didn’t mind. With this show, we had broken ground. We were young. We were brimming with ideas,” says Daisy.

Hibernation
Their enthusiasm, however, ran aground on reality. Most BTG actors were students or professionals by day, and could only spare time for rehearsals at night. They weren’t paid, and only made do with simple merienda.

When Daisy had her first baby Marijo (who would tragically die of bronchopneumonia within a year), the guild hibernated for a while. The lull was propitious, however. It led to “Sakay,” Bert’s initial and immediately successful foray into cinema.

Ironically, BTG’s flowering would happen in the middle of war.

“The period between 1942 and 1945 might well have been the beginning of our Golden Age in Philippine theater,” Daisy explains. “The Japanese had banned the showing of foreign films and shut down local movie productions... Enterprising drama groups, the BTG included, seized the opportunity. We sought permission to stage our productions in the now-vacant movie houses.

“It was a joy to see the SRO sign for practically all the plays presented... You went for two hours to forget that there was a war going on outside, that there were people getting tortured and killed. We provided that hope. It was something.”

Greater heights
The postwar years saw the Avellana tandem scaling greater heights. Bert’s “Anak Dalita” and “Badjao” planted the flag of a resurgent Philippine cinema in foreign film competitions, winning awards in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Daisy adds that his “Kandelerong Pilak” was, in fact, the first Filipino film ever shown at the Cannes Film Festival, in 1954.

When he shifted gears in disgust over the commercialism of mainstream cinema, his short films and documentaries (precursors of today’s “indies”) also gained recognition in Spain, Cambodia and other countries.

Reading for Barangay Theater Guild, which pioneered dramatic readings

The lady herself couldn’t be busier. She was adapting and starring in various plays, teaching drama (at St Paul’s and St. Scholastica’s), writing award-winning short stories, headlining “Portrait” onstage (she did Candida over 200 times at Intramuros’ open-air Aurora Gardens alone, helping make it the longest-running play in local theater history at the time) and then in the screen version megged by her husband—a movie praised everywhere but was a loss at the tills. She also minded a family that had now grown to three children.

Her work on the movie, incidentally, was the first time Avellana was paid for her acting. This was already 1965, some 30 years after she had begun her career as an actress. “Before this, it was all gratis and plenty of amore,” she notes wryly. “But it was worth it.”

By the 1960s, such was Daisy’s stature that when Helen Hayes, the First Lady of American Theater, came to the Philippines in 1966 and saw the movie, she paid her Filipino counterpart a compliment: “In your country, Daisy, it is I who should stand to you!”

As Reyna Arminda in the moro-moro “Prinsipe Baldovino,” designed and directed by Rolando Tinio. “Rolando was the one who convinced this Visayan that she could do plays in Tagalog. And even sing in a Tagalog zarzuela at the CCP Main Theater!,” writes Daisy.

Partial accounting
Lamberto Avellana, declared National Artist for Theater and Film in 1976, died in 1991. Daisy writes about his last day with haiku-like starkness and feeling:

“‘You want me to stay up with you?’

“‘No, no,’ he said. ‘I’ll just read a while and I’ll be there with you later.’

“That was the last time I saw him and I heard him.

“I miss him. For me, he was the best movie director. The best theater director. And he was my best friend.”

In 1999, Daisy herself was named National Artist for Theater.

The full breadth of the Avellana legacy to Philippine history and culture is unquantifiable, but a partial accounting can be glimpsed at the end of Daisy’s book, where she lists down the stage plays, staged readings, radio plays and plays for television they did from 1939 to 2006.

It’s a prodigious list. Even more consequential are the artists spawned by the Barangay Theater Guild--nearly every fine actor of any era from A (Abuel, Tommy) to Z (Zarate, Ernie).

Rare pictures
Between these pages of history, struggle, glory and love--“undying, generous, magnificent love,” as Carmen Guerrero Nakpil puts it in her foreword--are rare, riveting pictures: Bert with a very young Ninoy Aquino in Korea; the Avellanas doing a radio play with friends Vic Silayan, Onofre Pagsanghan and Noel Trinidad; the ravishing actresses Barbara Perez and Marlene Dauden taking last-minute instructions from their director.

Lamberto reviewing script with Barbara Perez and Marlene Dauden before a Barangay Theater Guild reading of Joaquin’s “May Day Eve” and “Guardia de Honor” at the Far Eastern University auditorium, 1960s

Pictures, too, of offstage life and domesticity--the Avellanas with their children and grandchildren, and of their parents, in images that evoke a wistful, genteel but long-gone era.

For a book that purports to tell “the drama of it,” Avellana’s telling is surprisingly free of theatrics--crisp and droll and clear-eyed, its power accumulating from its very simplicity. In this, she is a true child of the fleeting magic of theater: She leaves us hungry for more.

Daisy Hontiveros Avellana turns 93 tomorrow. Stand up, Philippines--there’s a great lady in the house.

[Note: All photos from the book “The Drama of It: A Life on Film and Theater”]

Elvis has torched the building

Nalurkey ako dito. I mean, kaya ko pa si Bjork and Yoko Ono but not this. (And there's more on her website!)



The rather scary treatment of the song so unnerved me that I to dig up my favorite version of it (Norah Jones'). Here, enjoy my salve.

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How desperate is Haiti?

This desperate:

A mob of Haitians reach out as goods are thrown from a nearby shop in the downtown business district on January 17, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

A man pulls the body of an earthquake victim from a coffin in order to steal the coffin at the cemetery in Port-au-Prince, Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Looters steal a bag of another looter who lies dead, shot by the police on January 17, 2010 near the Hypolite Market in Port-au-Prince. (Olivier Laban Mattei/AFP/Getty Images)

[More scenes of overwhelming crisis in The Big Picture. All captions above by Alan Taylor.]

How to help: Through CNN here, more links to relief efforts sites here. And, in case you deleted this earlier Globe Telecom advisory without having read it:

Help earthquake victims in Haiti by donating to Red Cross. Text HAITI to 2899. Available amounts are as follows: P5/25/50/100/300/500/1000. Ex. HAITI 50 to 2899. Transaction is free of charge.

PLUS: Haiti and the Dominican Republic: A Tale of Two Countries--

How else to explain why Haiti suffers, while the Dominican Republic--which shares the 30,000 sq. miles of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola--is relatively well-off?

[W]hile both countries struggled with democracy, economically they began to diverge. Haiti had long been exploited, by foreign powers, neighbors and its own rulers. France not only milked its colony for coffee and sugar production, it also extracted an indemnity from Haiti: the young nation had to pay a burdensome sum to its former colonizer in order to achieve France's diplomatic recognition. The lighter-skinned Dominicans looked down on the darker-skinned Haitians: in 1965, even as the D.R. was embroiled in civil war, Haitians were working in Dominican fields and not the other way around. And while Trujillo at least encouraged economic development in his country, Duvalier pere et fils essentially sold their own people as cheap sugar cane-cutters to the Dominican Republic.

Today, with a lack of resources and a much higher population density than its neighbor, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Thank you! The New Beginnings party fabcast

We called the Fabcasters' New Year party New Beginnings, and it was a smash, at least by our standards. About 60 people came, friends and friends of friends, and filled to the brim a lovely vintage house in Sampaloc we had taken over for the party. McVie, enterprising as usual, recorded the hubbub and snippets of excited talk during the event itself. You'd hear that in the post-party podcast below, where we revisit the happy happening and thank everyone for coming, while getting sloshed again on white wine. To live up to the New Beginnings tag, the reliable OBB (“opening billboard”--fancy name for the audio identifier you hear at the beginning of every podcast) we had for over a year has been retired. The clip below now sports a sleekly thumpin' brand-new OBB courtesy of Brian Cua of Hit Productions and one of the resident DJs of Bed Bar Malate. Brian composed the music; McVie added the soundbites of the Fabcasters. Chikahan na!

Download this fabcast (right click and save - 30.4 MB)

Music credits:

Saturday Night by Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer
Don't Stop Believing (Brian Cua Goodnight Tribal Mix) by the Glee! Cast

PLUS: Party animal ka pala, akala ko homebody ka!, the wickedly talented Nar Cabico ribbed me as the party was winding down. (We got him to sing two sets of songs along with his friend Philippe Palmos; they wowed the crowd with standards, pop covers and Broadway material.) I nearly choked on my cup of red wine. Moi? Only when I'm one-sixth of the gang organizing the party--otherwise, put me in a crowd of unfamiliar faces and I'd probably melt into the drapery, become a vase, painting or something. But these were mostly my friends, so, yes, I flitted around quite a bit. Isa lang tama sa sinabi mo, I told Nar. Yung animal!

Noel Cabangon's Byahe concert at PETA Theater Center Feb. 17

Noel Cabangon’s "Byahe" is still the number one selling album in Music One stores. It has outsold brand-new albums by Susan Boyle, Taylor Swift, Owl City, Andrea Bocelli, Glee OST, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys and John Mayer.

This February 17, 2010, PETA presents Noel Cabangon in "Byahe" at the PETA Theater Center. Inspired by the chart-topping album, the concert takes a road trip down memory lane. It will feature Noel’s renditions of OPM classics from the ‘70s and ‘80s ("Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko," "Tuloy Pa Rin," "Di Na Natuto," "Binibini," and "Ipagpatawad Mo") plus original tracks and collaborations with Parokya ni Edgar’s Chito Miranda and Imago’s Aia de Leon.

The album also celebrates Filipino musical creativity as it features some of the most influential figures in the Pinoy music scene, bringing together songwriters and composers from different genres and backgrounds. The concert also highlights Noel’s 20-year journey as a musician and performer.

Noel has already toured most of the countries in central Europe and performed for Filipinos and Europeans in The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium.

The concert starts at 7 p.m. with tickets sold at P700 and P1,000 each.

For inquiries or ticket reservations, call the PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office at 7256244/4100821 or 0916-5805153/0917-8044428, or e-mail petampro@yahoo.com.

PLUS: From my baul, Noel Cabangon in action--





PLUS PLUS: A few more free tickets left to PETA's Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto. Send me that e-mail now.

Zoom in on a new Rent-Manila

The attractive cast of 9 Works Theatrical's new production of Rent:

Gian Magdangal (Roger), Fredison Lo (Mark), Nicole Asensio (Mimi), OJ Mariano (Tom Collins), Carla Guevara-Laforteza (Maureen), Noel Rayos (Benny), Job Bautista (Angel), Jenny Villegas (Joanne Jefferson) and Cara Barredo (Mimi in certain performances).

Ensemble members: Ring Antonio, Peachy Atilano, Johann Dela Fuente, Harold Cruz, Gary Junsay, Raul Montesa, Anna Santamaria and Mark Tayag.

Here they are in sampler mode--clips taken from the short media presentation they did yesterday afternoon.





The production team is composed of executive producer Santi Santamaria, director Robbie Guevara, production manager Weng Lopez, musical director Ceejay Javier, vocal coach Onyl Torres, vocal consultant Lionel Guico, scenographer Mio Infante, lighting designer Martin Esteva, sound engineer Rards Corpuz, sound designer Chuck Ledesma, PR/publicity director Toots O. Tolentino, PR manager Jonjon Martin, marketing manager Shelyn Tayanes and stage manager Jojo Amboy. Cast photography by Jojit Lorenzo and production photography by Sundee Guevara.

9 Works Theatrical’s Rent opens this year’s local musical theater scene on February 5 at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. Showdates are February 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m.), at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenues, Makati City.

For tickets: 5575860/8919999, or visit www.9workstheatrical.com or www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Rock opera at Miriam College, Charlie Brown rerun in Alabang

1. Miriam College Grade School, in collaboration with Miriam College’s Institute for the Arts and PETA, will stage "Ang Mahiwagang Pakikipagsapalaran ni Mariya: Isang Pambatang Rock Opera," at the Marian Auditorium, Miriam College, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Jan, 21 to 23.

The play explores the exciting adventures of the spunky lass Mariya as she embarks on a wild and mystical journey to find a cure for her sick mother. With story, direction and music by indie filmmaker Khavn De La Cruz, the original play promises to be an edgy, fun and entertaining tale that showcases the acting, dancing and singing talents of the Grade School performing arts club. It also features a live band from the Miriam College Music Center.

For inquiries and ticket reservation, call 5805400 locals 3226/3227.

2. University of Asia & the Pacific-Kultura's production of the Broadway musical "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" will have a limited 4-show rerun on Jan. 30 (3 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and Feb. 6 (3 p.m. and 7 p.m.), 2010 at Insular Life Auditorium, Alabang.

This rerun is presented by Friends of Woodrose Foundation, Inc. (FOW), now on its 10th year. For tickets, contact Emy Cabauatan (0917-3245166) or Leriz Yap (0918-9281553). Or check out the Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=296909251112

20 free tickets to PETA's Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto

You know the drill--e-mail me at gibbs_c@yahoo.com to reserve your ticket. One ticket, one blogger, first-come, first-served. Please indicate your name and contact details, which I'll forward to the PETA people once you're in. You can arrange your viewing schedule with them and get your ticket right before the show. Enjoy!

Clueless about Si Juan Tamad? Here.

The play goes onstage at the PETA-Phinma Theater on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning February 5 until March 7, 2010. The PETA Theater Center is located at #5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City.

Now we're lecturing others about free and fair elections?

“Romulo calls for free, fair Burma polls”: FOREIGN Secretary Alberto Romulo has called on the authorities in Burma (Myanmar) to ensure free, fair and credible elections and allow Aung San Suu Kyi and other political detainees to participate in the electoral process to be held later this year.

Romulo also urged Burma to engage in a meaningful dialogue with all political groups, and to work closely with them towards a peaceful transition to democracy at an early date. “Otherwise, the election would be a mockery of Burma’s Roadmap to Democracy,” he said.

The search is on for fresh, young Pinoy talents

Are you the talk of your hometown because of your exceptional flair for singing, dancing, painting, playing a musical instrument, whipping up stories or simply being creative in your craft? Would you like to hone your talent to perfection and share it with the rest of the world? If you are a graduating Grade VI or Grade VII pupil, and you believe that you've got the wits, the gift and the heart for art, then you are the talented Pinoy this school is looking for.

This year, show what you've got in the Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars (ANSYAS). It is a yearly screening conducted by the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) to identify and develop artistically gifted children.

The PHSA is a government-run secondary school for artistically gifted and talented children and adolescents. It implements a special secondary education curriculum and support programs committed to the conservation and promotion of the Filipino artistic and cultural traditions. Located in idyllic Mt. Makiling, PHSA provides its students with opportunities to develop their social skills that will contribute to their development as socially responsible artists.

The successful applicant is awarded free tuition fee, board and lodging, classes with master teachers, a monthly stipend, plus the chance to represent the country and the school in international festivals, competitions and exchange programs.

PHSA students take Basic Education subjects prescribed by the Department of Education plus specialized studies for creative and artistic expressions in Creative Writing, Dance, Music, Theater Arts and Visual Arts.

Aside from their day-to-day academic activities, the PHSA students regularly participate in extramural events such as outreach projects in other communities, recitals, educational and exposure trips, interactions and master classes with well-known artists and other co-curricular activities.

To ensure a more individualized and differentiated academic and arts training program, the PHSA accepts only a limited number of freshmen (from 40 to 50 students) every year.

If you want to be part of the next crop of world-class Pinoy artists and want to know more about the school and the scholarship, write or call ANSYAS at the following:

Philippine High School for the Arts
National Arts Center
Mt Makiling, Los Baños 4030, Laguna
Telefax: (049)-5365972
Email: phsa@laguna.net

You may also download the application form at the following websites: www.phsa.edu.ph; www.deped.gov.ph; and www.ncca.gov.ph

All applications, documents, and requirements must be received by the ANSYAS Committee on or before the following dates:

Luzon applicants--08 February 2010
Visayas applicants--22 February 2010
Mindanao applicants--08 March 2010

Event management and film writing workshops

The Gerry Roxas Leadership Awardees (GRLA) Institute and the International Institute for Film and Arts (IIFA) jointly present two workshops beginning January 30 and through all Saturdays of February (Feb. 6,13,20 and 27), at the GRLA Hub, 11th Floor, Aurora Tower , Araneta Center , Quezon City .

From 9 a.m. to 12 noon, EVENT MANAGEMENT 101 will be offered. It aims to equip participants with basic principles of designing, planning and staging of events. Workshop mentor is GLENDA DAWN CARLOTA, Marketing Manager of the Center for Culinary Arts and head of the GRLA Communications Committee.

In the afternoon (1-6 p.m.), award-winning writer ARMANDO “BING” LAO will handle a WRITING FOR FILM WORKSHOP for those intending to pursue a career in film. One of the country’s premier writers, his works include “Itanong mo sa Buwan,” “Sana Pag-ibig Na,” “Tuhog,” “La Vida Rosa,” “Minsan Pa,” “Serbis” and “Kinatay,” as well as the 2009 Cinemanila Digital Lokal Special Jury Award winner “Biyaheng Lupa,” which he also directed.

Workshop fees are P9,000 for the EVENT MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP and P9,600 for WRITING FOR FILM WITH ARMANDO “BING” LAO. Scholarships and discounts are available, though workshop slots are limited. Those who wish to secure places in the workshop should send an e-mail application together with their biodata to filmarts.manila@gmail.com, or text/call 0916-5918815, 8187201, 9130494, 4214006 or 9113101 loc 7244 for inquiries.

Honey-bunny on four legs

The latest news from the lifestyle front: a pet spa has been sighted in BF Paranaque. This comes on the heels of a host of newfangled amenities we've created for our furry friends such as pet salons, pet day care centers, pet-friendly malls, pet fashion shows, etc.

Pet grooming has also gone home-service now. The guys park their van in front of your home, you bring your pet to them, and, in a few minutes, out comes a freshly prettified canine, or feline, or reptile (meron kaya?). The boss was witness to this recently. Seeing one such van parked in a neighbor's yard, she asked her son to have their dog groomed, too. The boy came back in a jiffy. Di daw pwede, by appointment lang daw sila, he reported.

The boss was flabbergasted. Ako nga nakaka-walk in pa sa parlor, she said, laughing. Ang aso ngayon strictly by appointment na!

At the rate things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if a restaurant or bar that's strictly for pets only opens soon. Eukanuba and Pedigree should begin offering gourmet meals, and culinary schools might as well churn out chefs specializing in pet cuisine. How about a mall exclusive for the four-legged kind? On one side are the beauty services outlets--barbershop, salon, dentist, nail spa; on the other are the fashion stores, offering everything from signature collars and leashes to jewelry and bling. Perhaps a Fitness First branch, too, for Muning and Bantay?

My colleague Lito and I are thinking of putting up a pet columbary--the next step in this evolution, we think. After we've pampered and petted and fussed over our loyal darlings for years, we can't just bury them in our stinky backyard after they expire, right? They deserve a resting place equally as comfortable as the lives they've led.

Enter Pet Sematary. Oops, bad name for the columbary we have in mind, which should be a dignified, elegant affair offering the works--from full-throttle wakes with crying lady cats, if one desires, to more discreet quick cremations with only family members (including the indifferent hamster, but not the potty-mouthed parrot) in attendance. Then a grand vault as their final destination--customized epitaphs optional. (To steal a line from the late director Chaning Carlos: “Here lies Blackie, who forgot to breathe.”)

Eventually, with humans and their pets becoming more and more inseparable, a phenomenon visible among folks who've grown old together will happen. We'd start looking like our pets. I wouldn't mind ending up a twin to Marsha, my friends Allan and Ken's super-sweet Maltese and the nearest pet I have (the condo where I live forbids them--drat). In fact, I know some people who'd benefit from an increased resemblance to, say, a handsome beagle or a cute koala.

The rub comes in if your pet is an iguana. Good luck na lang. No amount of time in the spa can remedy that.

Should Shakespeare be translated into modern English?

Linguist John McWhorter makes the case. I'm not convinced (if all it comes down to is the radically changed meaning of Shakespearean words and expressions, thus preventing modern audiences from grasping the work at first blush, then why not redouble efforts to understand the original context of what Shakespeare meant, instead of abandoning the language altogether? Oh, there's the bummer--effort), but his arguments are worth a read. Scroll all the way down here for readers' insightful reactions. The gist:

No, froufrou words and syntax, and the artificiality of meter, are not in themselves what makes Shakespeare such an approximate experience for most of us. The problem with Shakespeare for modern audiences is that English since Shakespeare's time has changed not only in terms of a few exotic vocabulary items, but in the very meaning of thousands of basic words and in scores of fundamental sentence structures. For this reason, we are faced with a language which, while clearly recognizable as the English we speak, is different to an extent which makes partial comprehension a challenge, and anything approaching full comprehension utterly impossible for even the educated theatregoer who doesn't happen to be a trained expert in Shakespearean language...

The tragedy of this is that the foremost writer in the English language, the most precious legacy of the English-speaking world, is little more than a symbol in our actual thinking lives, for the simple reason that we cannot understand what the man is saying. Shakespeare is not a drag because we are lazy, because we are poorly educated, or because he wrote in poetic language. Shakespeare is a drag because he wrote in a language which, as a natural consequence of the mighty eternal process of language change, 500 years later we effectively no longer speak.

Is there anything we might do about this? I submit that here as we enter the Shakespearean canon's sixth century in existence, Shakespeare begin to be performed in translations into modern English readily comprehensible to the modern spectator. Make no mistake—I do not mean the utilitarian running translations which younger students are (blissfully) often provided in textbooks. The translations ought to be richly considered, executed by artists of the highest caliber well-steeped in the language of Shakespeare's era, thus equipped to channel the Bard to the modern listener with the passion, respect and care which is his due.

PLUS: An exclusive--Morgan Freeman at the Tony Awards delivering Shakespeare's oft-quoted “Seven ages of man” from As You Like It. “The power of an actor on the stage with only the words of the playwright and his ability to deliver the great themes of the human condition has rarely been more beautifully conveyed,” as the intro puts it. Agree completely. No contemporizing needed--the clarity and comeliness of Mr. Freeman's recitation is, I believe, the perfect refutation to the “Shakespeare is too hard to get” argument.

(An exclusive, because this isn't available on YouTube until now. The clip comes from The Best of the Tony Awards: The Plays DVD. Watch it now before somebody notices and takes it down.)

Not in the land of Arnel, Charice and 'The Champions,' dude

The lack of emphasis on singing in society means that, well, there is none. Nobody knows the lyrics to anything. Sing-alongs often require a laptop to Google the lyrics. The merry singing after the pub is an endless line of half choruses repeated and then abandoned. At the same time, sing-alongs have become such a rarity that those who have songs, who have learned them, are rarely asked to sing. Society—the bulk of it—has become shy about singing. The spontaneous song becomes the lesser-spotted vocal. Family occasions that cry out for a song—not just weddings and funerals, but also lunches and dinners—are bereft of the practice of calling for hush and asking the one or two in the family who are known to have a voice to release it. Do we know today if any of our nearest or dearest even have a voice?...

Music clearly needs a champion in the home. The sheer variety of aural and visual entertainment available to us presents a formidable challenge. We spend a lot of our time singing and humming along to songs from a digital source. We need to show children that a song is not merely something you consume, but something that you can produce.

-- “The Songs We Don't Sing,” by Toner Quinn, from the Journal of Music

PLUS: What a good stylist can do--Charice rocking Singapore Idol about two weeks ago, looking sleeker and more streamlined.

More good news re US-based Pinoy talents

From a reader in New York:

I have to use this email to send a comment on your most recent post because I can't through your blog or I just don't know how. Anyway, It is also worth mentioning that several pinoys took the lead in the recently concluded off off broadway staging of ms Saigon in redbank NJ. Its not as big a production as that of broadway or even the one in ccp but We cannot ignore the talent that is Filipino and be real proud when i was watching the show. Taking the lead for thuy, the engineer and Kim are all pinoys. It might also be worth mentioning that Lora Nicolas who took the lead character of Kim is I think from sorsogon as she mentioned that she's a niece of loida Nicolas Lewis. Maybe you know her. Just an info for your blog. Thanks and keep blogging. A reader from ny.

Thank you, Ralph, for this info, especially that bit about Lora Nicolas probably hailing from Sorsogon. A nephew of Ms. Nicolas-Lewis was, in fact, a high school batchmate of mine. He also lives in NJ, so I'm sure he knows about Lora. I'll ask him to fill us in on his talented cousin.

And this one from Oliver Oliveros of BroadwayWorld.com (co-written with John Bautista):

Filipino-American actress Arielle Jacobs is currently playing the lead role of Nina Rosario in the first national tour of Tony and Grammy-winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS. The tour kicked off in Tampa, Florida last October 27, 2009 and will end in Costa Mesa, California on August 15, 2010.

San Francisco-raised Arielle gets her Filipino blood from her mother's side. Arielle's grandfather, who was originally from Pangasinan in the Philippines, moved to the U.S. with his wife and three children in 1965 after 17 years of petitioning for U.S. citizenship.

Graduating magna cum laude from New York University (NYU), with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance, Arielle has originated the role of Gabriella Montez in the national tour of Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL and the world premiere of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2. She was also seen in musicals A CHORUS LINE, CINDERELLA, BABES IN ARMS, THE KING AND I, RAGTIME and ROSE OF CORAZON.

IN THE HEIGHTS, which features music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and book by Quiara Alegría Hudes, opened to rave reviews on Broadway in 2008. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, winning three, including Best Musical.

IN THE HEIGHTS tells the intertwined stories of various characters living in the Dominican Republic neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City. The music of IN THE HEIGHTS is very different from the familiar Broadway style as it fuses music genres of Latin, hip-hop, soul and rap.

Arielle has been winning rave reviews from theatre critics since the start of the tour.

“Arielle Jacobs makes Nina the show's most compelling character, both Jacobs and Gonzales-Nacer (Vanessa) have radiant voices that bring power and poignancy to such songs 'When You're Home,' 'It Won't Be Long' and 'Breathe,'” said Jay Handelman of Variety.

“We related most to Nina...Arielle Jacobs could sing her way to world peace. Seriously. Her mellifluous and angelic voice held the web of distraught characters together and drew the audience in with sweetness and grace,” noted Suzy Evans of Chicagoist.

Interestingly, Arielle's brother, Adam Jacobs, is also into musical theatre. He recently portrayed Marius in the 2005 Broadway revival of LES MISERABLES, where Tony winner Lea Salonga played Fantine.

IN THE HEIGHTS' first national tour also features stage actors Kyle Beltran (Usnavi), Daniel Bolero (Kevin), Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (Benny), Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer (Vanessa), Jose-Luis Lopez (Graffiti Pete), Genny Lis Padilla (Carla), Isabel Santiago (Daniela), Elise Santora (Abuela Claudia), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Sonny), David Baida (Piragua Guy), among others.

(Full article here)

Before you vote, watch this play.

Raves for PETA's Juan Tamad here.

As its last offering for its 42nd Theater Season, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) presents “Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto,” a musical comedy written by multi-awarded composer, lyricist and musical director, Vincent A. De Jesus, with additional scenes by Liza Magototo and Anj Heruela. The play goes onstage at the PETA-Phinma Theater on all Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning February 5 until March 7, 2010.

The satirical play is set in the imaginary island of Isla Filiminimon. Following the chronology of the election process, the plot presents various iconic characters of the Philippine society. There is Juan Tamad, a young first time voter, who in is his laziness and decision to be uninvolved tries to find reasons not to vote and participate in the Filimini elections. The Diyablo, acting as narrator of the play, further discourages Juan Tamad. He stresses the hassles of registering and voting: “Ang layo ng Presinto Kuweba JT. Napakalayo. Two blocks away.” Also, “parang perya ang eleksyon!,” while his choir acts out his asides and narration in vaudeville style. In contrast to the Diyablo is Juan’s Lola Anita, the former kapitana, who pushes Juan to get involved.

Other characters in the play are the candidates for the 2010 Pinuno ng Bayan: Bernardo Bungisnis, the two-time senator and former alkade mayor; Mariang Batibat, tv journalist, activist and environmentalist; Elsa Mananambal, a manghihilot, midwife and albularyo who speaks in sign-language; and Sigben Pugot, a young and dashing congressman. Each candidate advertises his or her programs through a series of hilarious song-and-dance sequences accompanied by tacky campaign jingles.

“Si Juan Tamad, Ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto,” directed by Phil M. Noble, also features a fine mix of veteran actors and young performers--Robert Seña, Vincent A. De Jesus, Marvin Ong, Victor Robinson, Carlon Matobato, Marc Baluyan, Dudz Teraña, Roven Ramos, Joel Molina, John Eric Permejo, Lotlot Bustamante, Nicole Manulo, Joann Co, Meann Espinosa, Via Antonio and Sheenly Gener.

The PETA Theater Center is located at #5 Eymard Drive, New Manila, Quezon City. Tickets are at P300 each.

For details and other inquiries, call the PETA Marketing and Public Relations Office at 725-6244, 410-0821, mobile numbers 0917-8044428, email petampro@yahoo.com Schedules are subject to change without prior notice.

Giving them their due

Something I contributed unbylined to the “thumbs up, thumbs down” section of last Sunday's Inquirer Lifestyle--the texts shortened versions of what I had originally written here and here. Because boxers and CNN heroes weren't the only ones who brought pride and honor to the country last year.

TWO PINOY ARTISTS SHINE IN AMERICAN THEATER

And not in the usual acting or singing parts, but in the less heralded but no less important fields of scenic design and theater criticism.

Virtually unmentioned in the 2009 year-end surveys are the back-to-back wins notched by Philippine-born theater artists Randy Gener and Clint Ramos in the US last year.

Gener, a Fil-Am critic, playwright, visual artist and senior editor of American Theater Magazine, was the 2009 recipient of the George Jean Nathan Award, considered the most prestigious award for theater criticism in America. Named after the preeminent American drama critic of the early 20th century, the award also comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Its past winners have included the greatest practitioners of the craft: Stanley Kauffman, Walter Kerr, Robert Brustein, John Lahr, Hilton Als, Harold Clurman, Elizabeth Hardwick, Eric Bentley, Ben Brantley, Michael Feingold, Charles Isherwood.

The citation recognized Gener for using “that venue [America Theater Magazine] and others to draw our attention to largely ignored voices and visions on the international theatrical scene, to the work of Filipino-American playwright Jessica Hagedorn, to a small but lively Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, and to the future of theatrical criticism itself in essays that wed critical intelligence with a beat reporter’s love of the telling and unruly fact.”

Soon after Gener’s triumph, scenic and costume designer Clint Ramos was given the “Young Master Award” in the Theatre Development Fund’s 2009 Irene Sharaff Awards, which aim to “pay tribute to the art of costume design and honor legendary designer Irene Sharaff.” (Among her works are the original Broadway stagings of “West Side Story,” “Funny Girl,” “The King and I,” “Sweet Charity,” “Candide” and “Jerome Robbins’ Broadway.”)

Ramos’ co-awardees included two other Broadway stalwarts, Tony Award-winning designers William Ivey Long and Bob Crowley.

A Theater Arts graduate of UP-Diliman, Ramos has had a long string of acclaimed works on and off-Broadway, as well as with performing arts companies in other countries. In 2008, he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Play for St. John Hankin’s “The Return of the Prodigal” at the Mint Theater.

His latest work in Manila was the set for the Dulaang UP production of Schiller’s “Mary Stuart,” directed by Tony Mabesa, which ran last November-December 2009 at Palma Hall’s Guerrero Theater.

Eviscerating Avatar

The Filthy Critic unloads: Beyond ripping off its plot from a cartoon for little girls [“Ferngully”], there's a bunch of other shit I thought sucked the cat's tits about Avatar. First is its patronizing vision of the indigenous people. It's like Cameron was channeling some long-haired asshole who sells turquoise roadside near Sedona. The movie treats the natives as simpletons, idiot savants full of pure goodness and new-agey magical powers, the same way guilt-ridden white people of limited intelligence think of American Indians. Cameron gives them the ability to see into the hearts of others. As far as I know, the only people who believe nonsense like that are folks with shit to hide. They're the ones who worry good people can see right through them.

The Na'vi talk to the earth and the animals. They live in harmony with nature. Through them, Cameron preaches the same simpleton back-to-the-earth bullshit as those phonies who go to Pow-wows and talk out their asses about magical American Indians. Hell, I'm surprised there isn't a cameo by Iron Eyes Cody. It's a really insincere message in a movie ripping off “Ferngully's” plot as its excuse for big-ass explosions and massive battles. “Fighting is bad. Here's some more!”

PLUS: Blockbuster blowback--or why Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy isn't in many “top films of the decade” surveys. The full back-and-forth here, here, here and here.