David Cook Back in Manila (July 14, 2012)

July 14, 2012

I was honestly not really thinking of watching this concert because I still have very good memories of the first David Cook concert back in 2009 (MY REVIEW) at the SM MOA grounds.  There are so many concerts going on nowadays that you really have to choose well which one you would spend your good money on.  Yes, even a concert junkie like myself.  Well that was until I was inofrmed just two days ago that my blog post about Ticketnet Online (LINK) won me a pair of David Cook concert tickets! Of course, who am I to refuse such a great gift?  David Cook remains to be my favorite American Idol winner to date.

So off I go with my daughter yesterday afternoon.  We first got to meet Joey Bigornia and Ginez Enriquez of Uniprom, which manages the leisure and entertainment interests of the Araneta Group. Over a snack of noodles and iced tea, Mr. Enriquez met the press and bloggers and excitedly discussed with us the success of the new TICKETNET ONLINE system. This David Cook concert is actually the first concert when they will be accepting home-printed tickets, so it will be their acid test.  He also shared some inside information about the big transformation ongoing in the Coliseum and polled us about our dream artists for future concerts at the Big Dome.  Too bad they got busy with the new ticketing system that night so we were not able to push through with the planned tour around the Coliseum. Hopefully, there will be a next time for that tour backstage.

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The coliseum is slow in filling up this night.  In fact, it did not fill up at all, a far cry from the 2009 concert.  Anyway, the devoted fans are still there waiting for a good show.  The front act was a local male singing trio called V-Fort, whom we just saw at the NKOTBSB concert last month.  They did ok singing Party Rock Anthem and Perfect, but that slowed down version of Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" was simply dreadful.  They closed their set with their first single released called "Princesa."  Fans already stood up and occupied the free space between the front row seats and the stage, and they never left already until David Cook finally came out about thirty minutes later.

As the concert proceeded, I realized that I knew very little of David Cook's newer material.  He opened with a series of rockers which I did not recognize.  Research showed they were "Circadian", "Heroes" (which morphed into a cover of Oasis' "Champagne Supernova") and "Mr. Sensitive."  The first song I recognized was "Declaration", which was followed by another familiar song "Last Goodbye."  

This would be the same patten for the rest of the show for me.  Unfamiliar songs interspersed with the few songs that I knew.  He even sang a very new song recorded for their next album called "From Here to Zero."  Then he sang "Hard to Believe" and "I Did It For You," before his latest success, the top current radio track "The Last Song I'll Write for You."  Cook is really good in songs like that.  He sang the unfamiliar "Paper Hearts" then his second single "Come Back to Me" (VIDEO) then the unfamiliar "Goodbye to the Girl" before his first post-Idol single and Top 5 hit "Light On" (VIDEO). He closed out his regular set with some heavy rocking songs a cover medley of "Rock and Roll" and "Whole Lotta Love," and finally, his own "Bar-Ba-Sol", then the band exited the stage.

The audience did not budge from their places as they clamored for more.  Of course, David and the guys came out to do their encore numbers.  First up was the Filipino audience favorite, a song he reportedly does not sing live anywhere else, his cover of Mariah Carey's "Always Be My Baby." There was a surprise midway in the song when local rock diva Yeng Constantino came out to sing this song as a rock duet!  Up to now I was not sure if this was a good idea, but David was very effusive in his praise of Yeng.  I wonder why he does not include his Idol best like "Hello," "Billie Jean" or my personal favorite "Music of the Night" in his concert set lists?  I am sure his audiences would like to hear them again.

The next encore song was a stripped-down version of the anthemic "Fade Into Me."  With just Dave alone onstage with his guitar, this was a great number.  I am sure I am not the only one in the audience who was hoping that David Cook will end the whole concert with his rousing AI coronation song "Time of My Life" which he did not sing in the 2009 concert, but unfortunately yet again HE DIDN'T.  Instead, he anticlimactically sang an unfamiliar song called "Rapid Eye Movement."  That ending was a little downer to me.

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As a performer, David Cook, the original AI WGWG, is really a very good rock vocalist as we already knew, and he did not lose his touch with those rock ballads.  More importantly, he wore his heart out on his sleeve as he sincerely professed his love for his Filipino fans. In a memorable spiel in the middle of the concert, he told the story how fantastic he felt in his first Manila show in 2009 when he (and David Archuleta) sang before an audience of 50,000 fans.  When he got back to the States after that, the first gig they had in the States was a concert in Akron, Ohio for 800 people.  Several times in the concert, he would get a case of the giggles when he felt overwhelmed with the love coming from his Filipino audience.  This guy really seemed to be a true down-to-earth person.  I do hope his career would progress more Stateside as he really deserves more than what he has now.

God of Carnage (Atlantis Productions) - My Opening Night Review

July 13, 2012

Atlantis Productions is riding a high wave following totally sold-out run of "Rock of Ages" which had its last show just last weekend.  After a campy fun rock musical that brought the audience back to the 1980s, now the production tackles a straight play for a change.  The play is "God of Carnage," originally written in French by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton.  

The play is award-winning.  It won the 2009 Laurence Olivier award for Best New Comedy in its incarnation at the West End, with a cast headed by Ralph Fiennes.  Its Broadway production won the Tony Awards for Best Play, and Best Director for a Play (Matthew Warchus).  There were only four characters in this play, and all four actors (Jeff Daniels, Hope Davies, James Gandolfini, and Marcia Gay Harden) got nominated for Tonys for Best Leading Actor/Actress in a Play!  Marcia Gay Harden won the prize as Veronica.

The story starts when two kids get involved in a fight in the school playground, where one hits another with a stick, causing the latter to lose two front incisors.  That night, the parents of the victim (Michael and Veronica) invite parents of the aggressor (Alan and Annette) to their home to discuss the event.  Their discussions start civilly enough.  But as the night wore on and as the rum bottle gets consumed, their conversations branch out into various sensitive topics, escalating into unexpected arguments and accusations between and among the two couples about each other.  The script is hilarious, sharp, spicy and vulgar!  There was much physical comedy involved as well.  Even their classy set was not spared from the action.  This play is excellently entertaining, as well as very thought-provoking, as it dealt with issues among men and women, especially between husbands and wives, as well as between the classes in society.  The play had only one act and one setting, lasting all of one hour and 30 minutes, without an intermission.

In the Atlantis Production, Michael and Veronica were played by Singaporean actor Adrian Pang and Lea Salonga, while Alan and Annette were played Art Acuna and Menchu Lauchengco.  I had already seen the Australian production of GOC at the Sydney Opera House before, so I had pretty high expectations to live up to.  I could not help to compare both productions as I watched. The stage of the RCBC Theater was absolutely beautiful last night.  It seemed that no expense was spared to achieve that tastefully modern living room in New York City.  The huge textured red wall that served as the backdrop was amazing to look at.  The furniture and other props were perfect, and it is fully understandable why they could not use real fresh yellow tulips for each show.

There were only members of this illustrious cast, so I can describe them one by one.  Their perfect delivery of the kilometric lines alone merit good notice.  You will also be amazed at the comedic timing of this talented ensemble as they throw their lines at each other with glee.  It was wonderful to watch.

Art Acuna - I have only known about him since last year when he got good notices as lead of an indie movie.  Since then, I have seen him in TV shows like "The Kitchen Musical" and "The Princess and I."  As the arrogant attorney constantly on his cellphone, the character of Alan was like more of the straight man in this black comedy.  Acuna plays Alan smartly and fully matches the wild energies of the other three, even if he did not have a particularly spectacular punchline. He does get to deliver the title phrase in one of his lines.

Adrian Pang - I had seen this Singaporean actor perform on stage before, also beside Lea Salonga, in a local production of "They're Playing Our Song."  I did not really find that show very memorable for some reason I do not remember.  Anyway in this play, I feel Mr. Pang missed some punch as the supposedly misogynistic macho guy Michael.  I remember in the Sydney show that I watched, the entire theater was electrified when Michael stood on the living room table to declare that he was a "f**king Neanderthal" and the laughter and applause that followed was thunderous. Last night, that strong line just fell on the wayside it seemed, with no one paying much attention to it.  It did not help that Pang seemed too refined to look like a "f**king Neanderthal".  If you recall that this role was played by the burly James Gandolfini on Broadway, you will see the picture.

Lea Salonga - As the committed Darfur activist and writer Veronica, Lea Salonga really went all-out and full force in this, one of her rare straight plays.  It was quite a surprise hearing Lea spout out all of those cuss words, so much against type.  It was fun!  I have to admit though that  throughout her performance, I could not help but be very concerned with her voice with all the shouting that her character had to do.  In the scene where Veronica was attacking her husband with the throw pillows, that precious voice was actually reaching its brink, it was scary.  And this was only opening night!  Maybe Lea should work with her voice coach more to develop a better and safer technique of stage shouting so that this matter of her voice would not get in the way of her future performances.

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo -  What more can be said about this amazing actress that hasn't been said yet.  Even Lea Salonga herself called Menchu the "Queen of Philippine Theater" and you can see why in this play.  She can really transform herself into any character with conviction and credibility.  This was the same actress you saw as Diana Goodman in "Next to Normal" and Mrs. Lovett in "Sweeney Todd" to mention her more recent theater triumphs.  Now as Annette, Ms. Menchu nails all the spoken and physical comedic highlights of this high-strung role.  It was fierce and fearless.

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Once again, Congratulations to Atlantis Productions and director Bobby Garcia for this excellent production.  God of Carnage will continue to run at the RCBC Theater only up to July 22, 2012.  There are already a couple of sold-out shows as of this writing.  Do not miss this run. Or else you will have to catch it in Singapore where it will also have a run later this year in November.

The Big Dome and TicketNet Level Up: “Skip The Line, Go Online!”

June 24, 2012

"TicketNet Online makes it easier for me to enjoy all the upcoming Big Shows at the Big Dome…”  When I read this statement while surfing the Net, I got excited with the news.   But let's hold that thought for a while, and back track a little bit.   

People who read my blog know that I am an avid concert watcher.  I could even say that going to concerts is my one biggest vice in life.  Ever since that first Air Supply concert I attended at the Folk Arts Theater way back 19?? (I don't remember), I really try to go out of my way (and budget) to watch concerts of MOST (if not ALL) the major foreign pop music artists who visit Manila.   Now in the recent years, there have been MULTIPLE foreign acts, both current and nostalgia, visiting our fair city every MONTH, it is really very exciting for a concert fan like me!

My favorite concert venue has always been the Araneta Coliseum (now called theSMART-Araneta Coliseum). The acoustics under that 108-meter-diameter dome remain to be excellent after all these years since it finished construction in 1959. And that clear live concert sound is heard beautifully ANYWHERE inside its concert hall -- from the Patron seats all the way up to General Admission!  Up to now, it still remains to be an important architectural landmark being one of the largest indoor facilities in ASIAand one of the largest clear span domes in the WORLD.

Not content to just bask in its glorious past, right now, the Big Dome is undergoing what it calls an EXTREME TRANSFORMATION.  We can clearly see this transformation starting now with construction of a parking building connected to the coliseum, as well as the major renovations on the Green Gate which is expected to have a grand facade.  There are also expected to be new flooring, lighting, ceilings and seats.  It promises to be a haven, not only for the audience, but also for the artist performing as well.  All of this development is really very exciting! The photo below gives us an idea of how it will all look when this massive renovation project is done.

Some of the best concerts I had ever experienced had been held inside the Big Dome:Duran Duran (their first), Alanis Morrissette, Andrea Bocelli, Alicia Keys, Lady GaGa (her first - MY REVIEW), Basia (her second - MY REVIEW), Tears for Fears (their first - MY REVIEW), Stone Temple Pilots (MY REVIEW), Bruno Mars (MY REVIEW), and so many more.

Buying the concert tickets can be one big problem though.  I do not live near Cubao, so going to buy tickets directly at the Box Office was, and is, not always easy to do.  The innovation of having remote TicketNet ticket sellers in the department store of the malls was really one big help.  But this year, as the Smart-Araneta Coliseum itself undergoes major physical renovations, it also provides us another timely ticket-selling innovation.  

Yes!  We can now buy tickets ONLINE!

My worst ticket-buying nightmare experiences would now be things of the past.  I cannot forget standing in that very long line on the first day that Taylor Swift (MY REVIEW) tickets went on sale, only to have the girl in front of me buy the last four Upper Box A tickets that I wanted!  Or that first Maroon 5 (MY REVIEW) concert when you simply cannot find tickets anywhere, so I had to rack my brains and imaginatively resort to unexpected "connections" in order to score those elusive tickets!

The Smart-Araneta Coliseum will again host some pretty big concerts in the coming months. July brings us David Cook (his second time in Manila, first at the Big Dome) and Sarah Geronimo (her nth concert here and her last?).  August will give us theSmashing Pumpkins, Snow Patrol (!) and Tears for Fears (their second) nearly one after the other.   We will see  Maroon 5 again in September for their third Manila gig, and I hear the tickets to that one are already selling out fast. 

READY TO BUY TICKETS NOW?  Check out this link:  http://www.ticketnet.com.ph/2006/event.php?t=all.  The links on the upper part of the page is for Ticket Reservations only.  But if you want to buy already, scroll down to the bottom half where you see links labelled "ORDER TICKETS NOW".  Click that link beside the show you like, and proceed.  You can review the seating plan first, then choose which section you like if you are buying reserved seats.  When you are sure already, you can click "CONTINUE" then enter your credit card and billing data to complete your purchase.  Once the transaction is successful, you can simply print the tickets out right where you are!

This is just so convenient, and in all the comfort and safety of wherever you are now.  All you need is to log on, fill out the form and print out the tickets. Simple as 1-2-3!  Indeed, TicketNet Online makes it easier for us to enjoy all the upcoming Big Shows at the Big Dome.

 “Skip The Line, Go Online!”

SM MoA Arena Formal Launch: Icons in Concert!

June 16, 2012

When I first saw the list of performers for this most special concert event, it was veritably the who's who in the Philippine music industry from past to present.  This really promised to be a grand event that will rarely be seen in our country as it succeeds in removing the company lines that divide the entertainment industry, uniting artists of both sides. I am looking forward to duets and production numbers from artists whom heretofore have never performed together before.  As a blogger, I was lucky to receive an invitation from Mr. Ferdie Bondoy of Tatak Digitista to watch this concert as a member of the press. 
 


The show started quite late, way past the 8pm indicated in the ticket. It was almost 9pm when a VTR began to play on the big white sheet that covered the front of the stage.  Mr. Ryan Cayabyab and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra began to play beautiful Filipino pop music. After their overture, Pops Fernandez (oddly still called the "Concert Queen") and Jim Paredes as the masters of ceremony.  They introduced each of the performances, as well as the special features of the SM MoA Arena as a concert venue.

The first number was a tribute to Jose Mari Chan done by The Company, Christian Bautista and Mr. Jose Mari Chan himself (VIDEO).  Mr. Chan is the epitome of cool when he sings. Only he can sing "Beautiful Girl" and not sound cheesy.  This was followed by a set of diva songs written by Louie Ocampo rendered by Ms. Rachel Alejandro, Dulce and Verni Varga.  Ms. Dulce really has very strong pipes!  Ms. Rachel and Ms. Verni more than held their own in the belting department.  This was one of the best numbers of the whole concert in my opinion.

Next up was a solo spot for an undeniable OPM icon, Mr. Freddie Aguilar.  We all recognized the introductory guitar riff before he launched into his signature song "Anak." Watching him sing this classic song live is a true iconic moment in this concert.

The next number was a set of songs used in ABS-CBN soap operas written by Ogie Alcasid. These were the theme to "Walang Hanggan" sung by Richard Poon, the theme to "Binondo Girl" sung by Juris, and the theme to "Lobo" sung by Jed Madela. I did not know any of these songs, but fortunately, they saved the most familiar song for last, "Kailangan Kita" sung by Piolo Pascual.  Piolo received the loudest screams of the whole concert!

Ogie Alcasid himself and his wife Regine Velasquez came out next to sing duets of more of his classic songs (VIDEO).  I must say that Ogie really wrote a lot of these great sounding Filipino love songs and he sings very well live as well.  Regine looked so different from when I last saw her in person more than 10 years ago.  She was still able to hit all the killer notes as expected, even though she seemed sort of distracted and not fully in the mood of the concert.

To give the audience a break from the big serious ballads, out came Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Pokwang.  They had some pretty funny irreverent spoofs about Mommy Dionisia, Willie Revillame, Gary Valenciano and Martin Nievera.  Hilarious!

Then the concert goes on to more song numbers.  Next up was Bamboo who sang his patriotic rock song "NoyPi", unusually accompanied by the jazzy G-Force Dancers.  Following that solo number came a pair of internationally-acclaimed singers, Arnel Pineda and Lea Salonga, who sang some English-language OPM songs.  It was an unlikely pairing, wasn't it?  Arnel seemed nervous and made a mistake on his very first line of a classic Ric Segreto song! As expected, Lea was pitch perfect and crystal clear as always.

The next set were love songs written by George Canseco, Willy Cruz and Ryan Cayabyab.  This was rendered by Erik Santos, Martin Nievera, and the artist I was most looking forward to seeing live, Basil Valdez.  The number was very well-arranged, but I think they should have given cool-voiced Mr. Valdez a solo spot, instead of letting him sing with very bombastic belters like Erik and Martin.

The emcees introduced Mr. Hans Sy, the President of SM Prime Holdings, to deliver a message from the SM Group of Companies. He acknoledged the presence of VIPs in the audience which included Vice President Jejomar Binay and Pasay Mayor Antonio Calixto, among others.  He said, "We are very happy to be here at this landmark occasion as the MOA Arena is a testament to the Filipino people and its spirit -- resilient and persevering in the pursuit of excellence."  This was basically a Father's Day tribute to his father Henry Sy Sr., whom he called "Tatang". This was followed by a music video about the Sy patriarch with a beautiful original song sung by no less than Mr. Gary Valenciano.  

All the singers who performed tonight, including Pops and Jim, came back out on stage to sing the finale number, "The Impossible Dream"  (VIDEO).  After that song, blue confetti flew out on stage and on the audience, filling the whole Concert Bowl, as the auditorium is called.  The singers exited the stage singing "Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika" and then this special concert event was over, and the MoA Arena is formally launched. 

Mr. Hans Sy said that through the Mall of Asia Arena, they hope to give the Filipinos "a taste of world-class entertainment in a truly innovative and luxurious setting," staying true to its vision of Changing the Game, Elevating Entertainment.

Rock of Ages (Atlantis Productions): Stage Version vs. Film Version

June 15, 2012

June 14, 2012, my wife and I caught the first day local showing of the movie version of the hit Broadway show called "Rock of Ages."  I do not know if it was quite the coincidence that the local stage production of "Rock of Ages" by Atlantis also opens this week.  We caught this show right on its opening night at the RCBC Auditorium, June 15, 2012.

(photo credit:  noypistuff.blogspot.com)

Except for a few plot points, the story of the play was, of course, basically the same as what we saw in the film: Young musician Drew meets young singer Sherrie at the Bourbon Room, located in Sunset Strip of Los Angeles.  This rock establishment, run by Dennis Dupree and his friend (and the play's narrator) Lonnie, was in unfortunate financial straits. To generate much needed funds, Dupree invites rock star Stacee Jaxx, who started his career at the Bourbon Room, to hold a big concert there.  But egocentric Stacee's visit wreaks havoc on the love story of our young couple.  Can Dupree save the Bourbon Room? Can Drew get Sherie back?  

STAGE VERSION VS. FILM VERSION

My full movie review is posted HERE and HERE.

We could not help but compare this stage musical with the movie we just watched yesterday. The love story of Drew and Sherie is clearly the central focus of the stage version.  The movie version, on the other hand, was all about Tom Cruise as rock icon, Stacee Jaxx, as every other character would all fly beneath his big shadow.  The movie, while it has scenes of sexual, drunken and drugged debauchery, is surprisingly still a more sanitized version of the rowdier stage version, which really crisp, spicy language.  The movie was kind enough to protect Sherrie's innocence and naivete, so unlike the stage Sherrie who was considerably  less prudent. While the stage version was very busy and felt rather disjointed compared to the film, it still had a charm of its own, especially since it was performed live.

The role of Constance the Rolling Stones magazine reporter, while only a bit role in the stage version, was very much expanded in the movie (with Malin Ackerman), and she was even given the song "I Want to Know What Love Is" with Stacee Jaxx on the billiard table.  In the stage version, that seduction song was sung by Jaxx with Sherie in the men's bathroom.  The roles of the Mayor Whitmore and his wife Patricia (Bryan Cranston and Catherine Zeta-Jones) were not in the stage version at all.  The stage characters who wanted to demolish the Bourbon Room were a German father and son, Hertz and Franz Kleinmann, who wanted to build their own Foot Locker store in that space.  I guess bad gay Germans do not really make good movie material nowadays.  The character of bohemian activist Regina was totally not in the film as well.  

There were several songs which did not make it to the film at all like "Cum On Feel the Noize," "The Final Countdown," "High Enough," "I Hate Myself for Loving You," "Oh Sherrie," and the very cheesy "The Search is Over." Some songs were sung by different characters in different parts of the story.  Regina sings both "We Built This City"and "We're Not Gonna Take It" as protest songs in the first part of the stage version, but these were sung by Lonnie (Russell Brand) and Mrs. Whitmore (Zeta-Jones) respectively against each other in the latter part of the movie version.  "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" was sung by Franz against his father in Act II of the stage version, but was sung by Mrs. Whitmore and her posse in the first part of the movie version.  

THE ATLANTIS PRODUCTION

So now how did the Filipino stage production do?  I say they did pretty well as far as the stage and the set pieces were concerned, given its budget limitations.  They had neon signs and tv screens to indicate where the scene was set.  Instead of having the girls dancing on poles in the Venus Club, they were dancing on ropes decorated with multi-colored brassieres.   The wigs the characters wore went two ways.  For comedic characters like Dennis and Lonnie, their ugly wigs were fine and even hilarious.  But for the main characters like Drew, Sherrie and Stacee, their ugly wigs were quite distracting to their overall performance.

For Filipino cast, the singing talent is undoubtedly there as always.  I never knew thatNyoy Volante (as Drew) can scream out those big rock anthems!  Unfortunately, he does not really fit the Drew character physically, and his terrible wig does not help. His performance felt better when I was not looking at the stage, and just listening to his awesome voice singing.  Vina Morales was really sexy as Sherrie, in her skimpy outfits that show off her killer abs! I admit that I was initially skeptical about this casting since Vina seemed too old to play Sherrie. However, her bravura performances of "Harden My Heart" and "I Hate Myself for Loving You" were really amazing. Though I did not really feel substantial romantic chemistry between Nyoy and Vina, their soaring duet of "High Enough" was a real showstopper!  

(photo credit:  http://gibbscadiz.multiply.com/journal/item/2220)

The movie version made the character of Stacee Jaxx larger than life, so I had the biggest expectations about this character.  However in the stage version, Stacee Jaxx was no more than a mere supporting character.  So when MiG Ayesa was playing Stacee Jaxx mostly as a comic fool on stage, the whole performance felt sort of underwhelming.  This was surprising to me because MiG has actually played this role on Broadway already!  His singing was pretty good, but his "Cum on Feel the Noize" did not have the same impact as Tom Cruise's "Pour Some Sugar on Me."  There was also something strange about his hair and make-up that did not feel too right.  I guess I was really expecting too much from MiG, hence some disappointment.

Aiza Seguerra was cute and sassy as Regina, and very very funny as she delivered her lines.  Her singing voice, while very good, can sometimes be drowned out by the band.   And she was also unexpectedly fearless in playing one of the girls of the Venus Club!  You've got to see it to believe it.  Jinky Llamanzares was expectedly good as Justice, the madame of the Venus Club.  Her strong  brassy voice can really stand out from the chorus.  Calvin Millado was just ok as the German dad Hertz, and Bibo Reyes (who looked nothing like Calvin) was no-holds barred in his scene-stealing "not gay, but German" performance as Franz.  Jaimie Wilson was the perfect Dennis Dupree.  He really looked like an aging hippie.  Now, Jett Pangan... that awful wig and his uncharacteristic effeminate mannerisms really made him look like John Sweet Lapuz!  Haha! Remember, this guy was just recently seen as Jekyll and Hyde!  It was a hilarious brave turn for him to play Lonnie.  As expected, their "Can't Fight This Feeling" was a big hit with the audience!

OK, so this 80s kid just had his fill with two versions of "Rock of Ages" both stage and screen.  While the treatment of characters varies, it was really all about the amazing music.  Other generations can call those rock anthems noisy or those power ballads cheesy, but I liked listening to them growing up, and I liked re-living them in "Rock of Ages."  I won't be ashamed to admit that I enjoyed singing along both in the movie house and in the RCBC theater.  Come on now, I am sure you'll be singing right along too!

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Congratulations to Director Chari Arespacochaga and the rest of the company ofAtlantis Productions for another fun show!  The language and sensitive scenes make this show for mature audiences only, not for young kids.  "Rock of Ages" runs on weekends up to July 8, 2012 at the RCBC Theater in Makati.  Go catch it and have "nothing but a good time"!

***** 6/20/12 UPDATE:  All play dates up to July 8 are ALL SOLD OUT!!!

Catching Up on "Game of Thrones" Season Two (Part 4 of 4 and Wrap Up)

June 6, 2012

My recap of Game of Thrones Season 2 Episode 1 and 2 are posted HERE.

My recap of Episodes 3, 4 and 5 are posted HERE.

My recap of Episodes 6, 7 and 8 are posted HERE.

Again, SPOILER ALERT!!!

Episode 9:  Blackwater

This episode is a departure from all other episodes of Game of Thrones we have seen before.  There is only one setting, and that is King's Landing.  We do not see the Starks' story nor the Danaerys' story here, it is just the Lannisters vs. Baratheon at war.

The whole season was building up to this episode and yes, it was really well-staged and executed for the TV screen.  As expected, the depiction of battle violence was brutal.  The scene of the Wildfire being used to blow up a ship was spectacular.

(photo credit:  nikkistafford.blogspot.com )

The raucous scenes of battle were balanced with quiet scenes of dread and tension within the walls of the palace with the women, including Cersei, Sansa and Shae.  A soldier was there with them to kill these women in case rape by the enemy was imminent.  Cersei already had her vial of poison ready for her and her youngest son in case the worst case scenario becomes true.  

When Kings Landing was being overrun by the forces of Stannis, King Joffrey obeyed his mom and went scampering back into the safety of the palace.  The Hound suddenly had cold feet and also drew himself out of the battle arena.  Tyrion valiantly led the fight, but was treacherously slashed on the face by one of Joffrey's own soldiers.  However, before the Dwarf lost consciousness, he saw the entry of Tywin Lannister and his army.  The Lannister patriarch was finally able to contain Stannis troops and saves Kings Landing.

It was in Episode 9 of the first season, we unexpectedly saw the death of the lead character Ned Stark.  In Episode 9 of this season, I really thought we would also see the death of a major character during the war, maybe the imp himself Tyrion Lannister, being the most major character in this season.  He was maimed badly but not dead. Disappointed.  Maybe I was just expecting too much for this episode.

Episode 10:  Valar Morghulis

As the final episode of the season, we are again brought to the different locales in order to get an idea of how all the other characters are before the season ends.

We see that Tyrion survived the face slashing he had on the battlefield in the last episode.  But he had been hidden away from the rest of Kings Landing, and had been demoted as the Hand of the King.  Joffrey bestows that position to his grandfather and savior of Kings Landing, Tywin Lannister.  Ser Loras Tyrel (the boyfriend of the assassinated Renle Baratheon), who aided Sir Tywin in securing Kings Landing was also given an opportunity to request for a reward.  He recommends his sister Margaery to King Joffrey as wife.  Joffrey thought of his betrothal to Sansa Stark, but his mother Cersei erases any doubt that Margaery is the better choice.  Sansa seemed relieved, but hesitates when Petyr Baelish offered to help her return to Winterfell.

Elsewhere, Brienne kills three Northerners who threatens her mission to bring Jamie Lannister to Kings Landing.  She clears that she is not pro-Stark, but her loyalty is to Catelyn Stark herself. Speaking of Catelyn Stark, she explains to her son Robb about his promised marriage to a daughter of Walder Frey.  Despite this talk though, we see in the next scene that Robb follows his heart and secretly marries the battlefield medic Lady Talisa instead.

Stannis Baratheon was able to escape the Lannisters and return to his camp.  He was very angry with the Scarlet Witch Mellissandre, whom he almost strangles to death.  However, she still manages to calm him down, and aids him to see an apparently inspiring vision in the flames of a torch (which we as the TV audience unfortunately do not see).

(photo credit: http://extratorrent.com/torrent/)

The strange title of this episode comes from the sequence when Arya Stark encounters Jaqen on the road.  Jaqen of course was the one who made it possible for her and her friends to escape Harrenhal in the previous episode.  However, as he will return to his place in Braavos, he endorses to Arya that if she wants to find him, she can simply tell any person from Braavos the words "valar morghulis", and they would get her in touch with him.  Before he leaves, Jaqen says that he is no more.  Then, his face mysteriously changes features, and he walks away.

Back in Winterfell, Theon Greyjoy was advised by the old man Luwin that he should go out already and join the Night Watch.  However in his pride, Theon attempts to pep talk his "troops". In response, his men had him knocked down from his pedestal and taken away.  And when Luwin attempts to help, the old man was stabbed in the abdomen.  After this, Winterfell was ransacked and abandoned.  Much later, the youngest Stark boys and their protectors come out and see the ruin.  They still catch Luwin alive, but he requests Osha to finish him off mercifully.

We go to Qarth where Danaeryn and Der Joram seek for a way to enter the House of the Undying.  The Khaleesi was mysteriously able to enter despite the absence of a door.  While she was exploring inside, she was even tempted by the vision of her dead husband Khal Drogo, as well as her similarly dead stillborn child, both very alive.  She persists in her quest of her dragons though until she locates them chained in one of the rooms.  Multiple copies of her "host" Pyat Pree appear and also attempt to chain her.  However, she tells her dragons to breath fire and fortunately they were able to come up with enough fire to burn Pyat Pree up until he dies. Emboldened when she got her dragons back, she confronts Xaro who was now seen to be sleeping with one of Danaerys's ladies-in-waiting. She gains access to Xaro's vault, which turned out empty, so she decides to imprison both Xaro and her disloyal maid in the empty vault for the rest of their lives.  They ransack Xaro's house of its treasure before they leave Qarth.

(photo credit: http://www.cinelogin.com.br/)

Finally, we see Jon Snow in the interminable snowy lands.  For show, his elder colleague and fellow prisoner Qhorin sacrifices himself for Jon to kill, in order for Jon to gain the confidence of the Wildlings.  In another part of the white wilderness, Jon's chubby friend Sam and two other members of the Nights Watch hear a warning horn while they were on duty.  Sam could not run as fast as the others so he had no choice but to hide behind a big rock.  What appears from the mists of the snow was a huge army of white zombies led by a Jack Frost-like old man riding a zombie horse.  That eerie scene was the final scene of Season Two.

WRAPPING UP SEASON 2

BEST EPISODE ENDING:  The birth of the Melissandre's demon baby in Episode 4.  In Season 1, we got surprised at the end of each episode with some shocking event. In Season 1, the endings of Episodes 1, 7, 9 and 10 are unforgettable to this day.  The quiet appearance of the White Walkers in Episode 10 cannot hold a candle to the Season 1 ending scene of the fiery birth of Danaerys' dragons.  

BEST CHARACTER:  Of the lead characters, Tyrion Lannister played by Peter Dinklage maintains his favorite status.  Admittedly though, he was better as a side character in Season 1 than the lead character in Season 2.  The was no character of Ned Stark nobility that could unite the stories of Season 2 in a solid cohesion.  Ned's spirit lives on in Season 2 despite his death in Season 1.  Mr. Bean (Sean, that is) was sorely missed this season. 

My runner-up for favorite character of the season were both associated with Arya Stark: Tywin Lannister and Jaqen.  I look forward to future episodes where Arya will once again cross paths with these two characters.

(photo credit:  http://article.wn.com/)

Of the new characters, the most interesting ones are the females:  Margaery, Melissandre, Talisa, Brienne and Ygritte.  Too bad they were just practically cursorily introduced in Season 2, just suggesting how much more their characters will figure in future political maneuverings among the men fighting for the Iron Throne.  We were just given a taste of who they are now, it shall certainly be very exciting to follow their stories in the seasons to come.

Overall, Season 2 is less engaging than Season 1.  Season 1 really set a very high standard. Season 2 seemed to have just come and gone without any great memorable moments like Season 1 did consistently.  I will still be following Season 3, if only to see more of the Khaleesi and her dragons if they will reach Kings Landing or not.  Her Qarth scenes are the most intriguing and magical of all the story lines going on in Season 2.  I have now also invested enough time to care about how the various members of the Stark and Lannister families will fare in future episodes.  Cannot wait for April 2013 when the third season will finally be unveiled.

NKOTBSB Live in Manila: A Concert Strictly for the Ladies...Really!

June 3, 2012

For a concert that featured acts that are not actively recording or no single on the current charts, the ticket prices for this concert are exorbitant, just slightly below those for Lady Gaga last month.  The Special VIP cost about P13T, Lower Box about P8T, Upper Box about P4T, and General Admission about P1T.  I guess it was the whole concept of bringing in the two biggest boy bands of the past decades together in one concert that was their main selling point.

We have already seen BSB before when they came here in 2006.  We have already seen NKOTB lead singers Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre when they had their solo concerts here as well.  That was why we initially did not think of watching this one. However, because of another 50% off offer by Groupon, and since my wife really likes BSB, we made a last minute decision to watch.  I just picked up our tickets the afternoon before the concert.

Unlike the Taylor Dayne concert just the other night where we just walked in easily into the Arena, this night had significantly more people.  As early as 5pm there was already a beginning queue. By the time we finished a quick dinner at the mall at 6pm, the line was already across the street, by the new Arena parking building.  It quickly snaked around after we joined the end of the line.  It was already almost 7:30 pm when we crossed the street and finally entered the Arena.  

The first front act was a local boyband called V-Fort who sang a Katy Perry medley among others.  The second front act was again Jay-R (whom we just saw last Friday fronting Taylor Dayne) but he was much better today than the previous time we heard him.  He was accompanied by a Fil-Am (?) rapper named Roscoe.

There was a very long wait after that second front act before the house lights dimmed down again and the stage light show on the long runway in the middle of the VIP section began.  The very loud screaming of the girls was continuous.  A white curtain on stage fell down, and the all nine boys of NKOTBSB appeared on stage.  They started singing "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay and went on to sing a couple of songs I did not recognize.  This opening "song" turned out to be a medley of "Single" (a 2008 song sung by NKOTB with Ne-Yo) and the more familiar "The One" (a song of BSB).  From there, NKOTB and BSB would be coming out alternatingly with their next song numbers.

Honestly I found it difficult to recognize NKOTB songs.  I do not know if it was the sound quality in our area or they are really singing them out of tune.  They sung unfamiliar "Summertime" and "Dirty Dancing" before their more recognizable hit "You Got It (The Right Stuff)."  Then they did a set with their ballad hits:  "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind)," "Valentine Girl," "If You Go Away" (VIDEO) and the Joey McIntyre-led "Please Don't Go Girl."  Then it was set with their fast hits:  "Step by Step," "Cover Girl," "My Favorite Girl," and "Tonight" (where the five split up and mingled closely with the girls in the VIP section).  Jordan Knight had his showcase song "I'll Be Loving You Forever" before the finale. Their songs were really juvenile and cheesy then, as more so now that these are grown men in their 40s singing them (the youngest Joey McIntyre just turned 40 this year)!  It was awkward to see tough "Blue Blood" Donnie Wahlberg singing and dancing a wimpy song like "Cover Girl".  And we still don't know what Jonathan Knight sounded like.

The BSB had more recognizable and "sing-along-able" hits.  They first sang "The Call" (VIDEO), "Get Down," then "Larger than Life".  Then they did their own ballads set:  "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" (VIDEO), "10,000 Promises," "I'll Never Break Your Heart" (where each of the four picked a lucky girl from the audience to join them onstage), "Drowning" and "Incomplete."  Then they had their set of uptempo songs:  "Shape of My Heart," "As Long As You Love Me," "All I Have to Give," "We Got It Goin' On" and "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)."  Their last song before the finale was "I Want It That Way."  The girls were really screaming their hearts out.  Nick Carter was flirting relentlessly with the girls in the audience, and the screams keep getting louder.  The girl in red whom Nick picked to bring onstage was really pretty.

All nine boys gathered on stage again to say thank you and say good bye to each other and their band as this Manila leg is the final concert of their year-long concert tour.  The atmosphere onstage at this time was relaxed and devoid of dramatic lighting effects.  43-year old Danny Wood of NKOTB displayed some awesome break-dancing moves.  As an answer, crowd-favorite Howie Dorough of BSB countered with his special "talent" of jiggling his butt (seriously!) Then they launched into another joint number entitled "Don't Turn Out the Lights," which unfortunately was unfamiliar and anti-climactic.  

For their "encores", BSB came out first with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" while the NKOTB countered with "Hanging Tough."  Then they all came together with a medley/reprise of these two songs.  After which, there was a final big group hug and the concert was over. Women of all ages really love these boy bands and these boys (now men) just love to feed off their screaming.  Men in the audience, at least they had the awesome lighting and pyrotechnic stage effects to keep them attentive.  Final assessment: BSB songs had longer-lasting appeal than any of the NKOTB stuff.  I am sure when you read their song titles, you would know and hum each and every one.  And I still like the Araneta Coliseum acoustics more than this new Arena.  I am sure a review from a female point of view will read totally different from what I just wrote.