Track by Track: BINONDO: A TSINOY MUSICAL Original Cast Recording

July 23, 2019

"Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical" (MY REVIEW) had a limited four-show re-run at the Solaire during the weekend of July 12 -14, 2019. In time with that restaging, the producers decided to release an original cast recording CD to immortalize the songs Von de Guzman wrote for the show. Book and lyrics were credited to Ricky Lee, Gershom Chua and Eljay Castro Deldoc, with additional lyrics by Von de Guzman and Joel Lamangan. For the CD, we hear the solid evocative voices of Shiela Valderrama-Martinez and Arman Ferrer singing the songs of Lily and Ah Tiong, unless otherwise stated. 

Here are my thoughts about the 12 songs included in the CD, as I try to recall the scenes of the show again in my head when I hear them. The last time I watched the show was a whole year ago (was unable to catch the rerun), please pardon any lapses in my memory.

1. DITO SA BINONDO

It is the Moon Festival and the people are out celebrating in the streets of Chinatown in Binondo. Filipina nightclub singer Lily had her fortune told in the Chinese temple, and the Chinese moon god Ge Lao sees love in her future. This happy opening number set the stage for the love story about to unfold.

2. THE MOON REPRESENTS MY HEART 

Lily was singing this Chinese song in the Binondo nightclub where she worked, when Ah Tiong walked in an got hopelessly smitten. I have to credit the three lead singers for sounding authentic in pronouncing the tricky Chinese phonetics. Kudos to dialect coach!  This version of the song had lines of Filipino translation lyrics that alternated with the original Chinese lyrics. Since I knew this song by heart since childhood, this new variation took some getting used to for me, but I understand this was done to convey the full message of the song to the Filipino audience. 

3. KUNG SINO BANG UNA AY SIYA RING HULI

This was the song where Ah Tiong was walking around the empty streets of Binondo after the club thinking about this pretty girl Lily he just met that night. It was in this song where he revealed that he had actually been betrothed by his parents to a local girl named Jasmin. The whole song was actually an internal debate of Ah Tiong within himself. Should he remain loyal to Jasmine waiting for him in China, or should he pursue his interest of courting Lily? The answer should be obvious to all of us, but as a romantic hero, Ah Tiong was a flawed man. Faithfulness and fortitude were not his strong points. 

4. AKO AY PILIPINO

This song sung by Noel Rayos as Carlos, while not really totally within the romance plot, has a message that resonates among the Chinoy audiences. Carlos was a Chinoy, born and raised in Binondo. This song was Carlos way of expressing that his loyalty and patriotism lay with his country of birth, the Philippines, and not China. This is a very timely song, especially now. It reflected the inner sentiment of most Chinoys now as Chinese nationals from the mainland overrun the city. The Chinoys want to make clear that they are Filipinos by heart, and they should not be lumped as one together with the foreigners. 

5. MAHAL KITA 

Lily and Carlos had known each other since they were children, and Carlos had always been her reliable friend during times of need. Lily and Carlos are singing this song together, however, they have a different message to tell each other. Carlos loves her and wants their relationship to go to the next level. Lily loves Carlos too, but alas, only as a friend. The way this song was built up to that painful ending, this is was probably the saddest songs in the whole musical. It is not easy to accept that the person you desire to be your partner for life is relegating to the friend-zone. In this track, it was Floyd Tena's voice we hear giving life to Carlos' unrequited longing.

6. ANG PAG-IBIG AY DISCO 

This song was a welcome upbeat change of pace in the middle of the show. This cheerful song celebrated the intensely giddy joy being experienced by Lily and Ah Tiong. These two young people falling madly in love with each other, such that they felt both their hearts were dancing to the thrilling beats of a disco song. This was a fun part of the show, in that the singer-actors also get to show off their dancing skills while belting out the song, which is definitely not an easy feat to achieve. This was the only song in this CD that featured the voices of Carla Guevarra-Laforteza and David Ezra singing as Lily and Ah Tiong.

7. NASASAKTAN KA LANG, ANAK 

The title alone tells the full story of this song. This song is a cautionary message by Lily's mother after she learned that her daughter was falling in love with a Chinese man Ah Tiong. The warning was not only one about their differences in their nationality and culture, but also about their differences in social standing. Mrs. de la Rosa wants to make Lily realize that she was going into a relationship which was fraught with so much uncertainty such that being hurt was already so certain from the get go. The message of the song may be predictable, but this was a master showcase for the powerhouse vocals of Ms. Ima Castro.

8. ETERNITY

Ah Tiong needed to go back to China and this song was a countdown to that moment when he was leaving on a plane. In one of the cheesiest (sorry) yet so earnestly-delivered lines in the script, we hear Ah Tiong telling Lily that he will inform his parents how he had found his eternal love in the Chinatown of Manila. He promised Lily he will definitely come back and never again leave her side. It was ironic that while the two lovers sang of spending eternity together, they were actually about to part for good. This song closes Act 1 with a highly memorable scene where director Joel Lamangan and his tech crew were able to achieve stage magic with the dramatic illusion of Ah Tiong boarding an airplane as Lily was left behind tearfully waving goodbye -- a truly cinematic moment in the show. 

9. PAGHIHINTAY

After Ah Tiong left, Lily soon realized that she was with child. She never knew that Ah Tiong is trapped in China because of the ongoing Cultural Revolution by Chairman Mao Tse Tung. In this song, Lily is already resigning to the fact that Ah Tiong is most probably never coming back and that she had to face a future of raising her baby on her own. This song featured Shiela's crystalline voice at its most exquisite as she navigated the painful frustration and hopelessness that underlie its sad lyrics. She will carry this depression as a thorn in her heart until it eventually took a heavy toll on her health.

10. MINAMAHAL, INIIBIG

Jasmine was very sincere when she sang about Ah Tiong being her first and the last love. But who was Ah Tiong singing about when he sang these same lyrics? Was it really Jasmine whom he was embracing on that park bench? Or was he in fact singing about his faraway Lily in Manila? Or was it both of them he loved equally? Moral dilemma notwithstanding, this was my absolute favorite song in the whole CD melodically and arrangements-wise. This was the song I try to sing along to, even if I really couldn't because of the very high notes. Mariella Laurel and Arman harmonize beautifully together here as Jasmine and Ah Tiong. The erhu (Chinese violin) and Chinese percussion made this song even more distinct and authentic. 

11. PATAWAD

This song is sung by Ruby, the daughter of Lily, now a high school student. This is about her acknowledging her mother's surprise revelation on her sickbed. Carlos, the father Ruby knew all her life, is not her biological father. Instead it is this stranger who just came in to visit that day, Ah Tiong. Ashlee Mickaela Factor imbued this song with youthful idealism and innocence. I wondered about the title of the track I recall that this song is but a part of a longer song number which included Ah Tiong begging for Lily's forgiveness for being unable to fulfill his promises.

12. SA BAWAT SULOK NG BINONDO

For the finale, the streets of Binondo are again alive with another big festival. It is Chinese New Year and the whole cast assembled on the stage for one final extravaganza production number amidst all the usual trappings of Orientalia with energetically spectacular results. All's well that ends well as all the characters move on with their lives following Lily's tragic passing, and hope shines eternal for a good future ahead for everyone. 

Review of STOP KISS (2019): Break in the Bliss

July 13, 2019

American playwright Diana Son's 1998 play "Stop Kiss" is about two women who lived in New York City. Callie is a bored cynical TV traffic reporter. Sara is an idealistic elementary school teacher in the Bronx. They became close friends after their first meeting despite their disparate personalities and backgrounds. One early morning at 4 am, they were assaulted by an unknown man on the streets of West Village. While one of them escaped with minor injuries, the other ended up comatose in the ICU.

This is not the first time "Stop Kiss" is being staged in Manila. The New Voice Company, known for its advocacy of women's issues with feminist plays like David Mamet's "Oleanna" and Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues," first tackled this play in 2003. This year, new player in theater production Positive Space, in cooperation with MusicArtes, Inc. and New Voice Company, brings back "Stop Kiss" again.

In the 2003 run, Jenny Jamora played the role of Callie, while Missy Maramara played the role of Sara. This year, 16 years later, Jamora and Maramara are back in these roles once again, but each in the other's role. The way Maramara and Jamora inhabited the roles of Callie and Sara respectively this time around was so like second skin for both them, I could not imagine one in the other role at all. This switch casting was a testament to their versatility as actresses. I was wishing they would actually switch cast within this same run. 

Sara (Jamora) and Callie (Maramara) talk on the couch

Photo credit: Adrian Christopher Cancio 

(from Stop Kiss press kit)

The first time I've seen Missy Maramara perform was in an emotionally-devastating one-woman show was just last year in Dulaang UP's "Ang Dalagita'y Sang Bagay na Di Buo." Since then, she was on a roll with marked roles in "The Dressing Room" and "The Kundiman Party" (both also with DUP), and "The Dresser" (with Repertory Philippines). In between, she took on the directorial chores for Blue Rep's topnotch production of "Spring Awakening" and got through it with flying colors. 

As Callie, Maramara was in practically all the scenes as they switched from flashback to present day with the mere slide of a wall to delineate the change in time setting. This would necessitate Maramara to switch emotions from dark to light and back within seconds, and impressively, she was more than able to do so effortlessly it seemed. Having been a New Yorker for 11 years now, Callie was already jaded with how her life was going, until Sara came along like a bright ray of sunshine.

The first time I've seen Jenny Jamora perform was in 2005 at the now defunct Republic of Malate in the New Voice Company production of David Hare's "The Blue Room." Fast forward to the present, Jamora is one of the theater actor-directors comprising the Red Turnips, with whom she had an acclaimed stint as the director of "33 Variations." This year, she directed "Every Brilliant Thing" with Sandbox Collective" and reprised her role of the liberated Tita Mitch in "The Kundiman Party" (a role she alternated with Maramara).

As Sara, Jamora needed to project authenticity as a zealously dedicated school teacher. She was a bit on the quixotic side as she strove to break free from the comfort zone she knew her whole life in laidback St. Louis, Missouri, in order to teach (and make a difference) in a notoriously rough public school in the Bronx.  Jamora was able to bring out that sense of naivete and idealism which enamored her to Callie and to us. Delicate and vulnerable, Jamora made us care for Sara, and made us want to take care of her. 

Missy Maramara and Jenny Jamora at the curtain call

El Tayech, Guveara, Glorioso and Mercado behind them

The rest of the cast played characters peripheral to the lives of Callie and Sara. Tarek El Tayech stole his scenes as George, Callie's easygoing friend with benefit. Robbie Guevara played Detective Cole assigned to investigate the assault case, while Jay Valencia-Glorioso played the excitable Mrs. Winsley, a witness to the attack. Gabe Mercado felt miscast as Sara's estranged boyfriend Peter, as I initially though he was Sara's dad. J-Mee Katanyag played a Nurse in the hospital scenes.

Ed Lacson Jr. outdid himself in this project as he took on the hats of both director and set designer. The ingenious sliding front wall Lacson devised was instrumental in his storytelling, as the scenes alternated from past to present back and forth, depicting blissful happy moments between girls in their apartment, alternating with the grim depressing post-assault scenes in the hospital. With Teresa Barrozo's subtle music score and Jethro Nibaten's enhancing light design, Lacson made these major scene transitions feel smooth and easy, like watching the story unfold on a television screen. Pacing may feel a bit long in the second act, but as a whole, this was one compelling play to watch.


**********


"Stop Kiss" plays at the Power mac Center Spotlight Theater in Circuit Makati for two weekends, July 12-14, and July 19-21, 2019. Showtimes are at 8 pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with 3 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets priced at P2,000 and P1,000. 

Review of VIRGIN LABFEST XV - SET D: Of Monsters, Mothers and Memories

June 22, 2019

1. LARONG DEMONYO

Written by: Nicolas B. Pichay
Directed by: Jose Estrella

General Videla was a notorious soldier back in Martial Law, who changed loyalties and led the military coup during the EDSA Revolution. Since then, he had retired and kept by himself in his own private island. When he turned 82, he decided he wanted to have his memoirs written to bring himself back to public attention, in an ambition to run for the presidency. A young man Efren appeared at the mansion whom the General thought was the writer he hired. Apparently, Efren had other things on his mind.

The playwright Nicolas B. Pichay is also an attorney, as well as a Palanca Hall of Famer. Unlike the other plays I had seen so far in this festival, this play was dead serious, with a palpable sinister streak of danger and violence running through it. Well, it was a Martial Law-inspired play about torture and revenge, humor had no room. There had been plenty of plays about Martial Law before, but this one had a different attack on the subject matter -- a tense conversation between two characters with a dark philosophical debate about two opposing schools of thought on how to mount and win a revolution, with a game of chess as the apt analogy. 

Leo Rialp and Johnny Maglinao

General Videla was played by veteran actor Leo Rialp in a powerful, masterful portrayal of a Martial Law monster. Even at his age, Rialp had the handsome snappy bearing of a military man. His commanding voice and intimidating presence totally dominated the stage. He sounded frightening even when he was just announcing his chess moves. The role of Efren was played by neophyte actor Johnny Maglinao, who tried his best on that stage to project confidence and bravado. Facing off with Rialp in a showdown of wits was a tall order for any new actor, Maglinao survived a baptism of fire in his first VLF. 

2. WALA NANG BATA DITO

Written by: Sari Saysay
Directed by: Tanya Lopez

Dolor Espina was packing the clothes of her daughter who had been arrested for stabbing a soldier. Talking to herself, Dolor related and relived the events that transpired in the past months that led to that day --  how her husband Emmanuel was recruited to be an NPA member surrenderee to earn money, and how she was forced to sell her body to keep her and her daughter alive after he never came back home..

Playwright Sari Saysay worked in community theater and Dolor's situation is an amalgam of realities he had learned while working among the poor fisherfolk. His last two VLF plays, "Bus Stop" (2017) and "Ang Mga Propesyunal" (2018) all had children as the main characters. For this year, there was still a child involved but she was not seen on stage, as the play concentrated on a mother who was about to lose her child.

Venise Buenaflor

This play was a one-woman affair, with young Venise Buenaflor boldly taking on the role of Dolor. She delivered one continuous hour-long monologue, recounting all those painful experiences she went through, at first with her husband, and later with her daughter. This was a monumental task for any actor to achieve. Buenaflor pulled it off creditably but she was somewhat lacking in stage presence. Because of its length and somber mood, I think the audience may likely have had a difficult time trying to pay full attention to her complex serious soliloquy the whole time, that is if they could keep awake. 

3. ANG PAG-UULYANIN NI OLIVIA MENDOZA

Written by: Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina
Directed by: Phil Noble

Olivia Mendoza was a 70-something old woman who had been living in a home for the aged with some other cranky old folk. However, Olivia was already suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, which was making her her drift in and out of her normal memory. One day, when Julia, a flashy old friend, suddenly paid her a visit, Olivia's painful past memories all came coming back.

Rolin Obina's script began as what seemed to be a quiet, even poignant little piece among senior citizens living together in a home. However, when the haughty and flamboyant Julia came into the scene, the whole play turned upside-down to high-stakes comedy. The title and poster made me expect a very serious play, so I was totally caught off-guard by Obina's big knockout LGBTQ plot twist, which was so insane that it was so good. The script though can feel to be too long and repetitive at times, but I believe it could still be streamlined further in future performances.

Pineda, Legaspi, the Froilans, Villalobos and playwright Obina

Edna Vida Froilan played Olivia Mendoza in a performance so physically and emotionally fragile, with her rich deep voice so vital in her character. Her true love Andres was played by her real-life husband Nonoy Froilan, which accounts for their romantic chemistry in their tender scenes (like how it was in "Hintayan ng Langit"). Indie film actors Erlinda Villalobos and Crispin Pineda add to the crazy mix as their cantankerous housemates, Lika and Cesar. However, they all took a back seat to Celeste Legaspi who was certainly the life of this party as Julia. Her dripping sarcasm and snooty nouveau-riche attitude was played to the hilt for maximal comic effect. This outrageous rollicking play was an easy audience favorite, its messy writing and direction notwithstanding. 

Review of VIRGIN LABFEST XV - SURROGARE, FRESHMEN, RATED X

June 21, 2019

1. SURROGARE

Writer: J. Dennis Teodosio
Director: Roobak Valle

I attended a meeting earlier so I reached the CCP about 4:30 pm already. I only caught the last play of Set C, mysteriously titled "Surrogare." I missed the first two plays of the day, Anthony Kim Vergara's "A Family Reunion" and Dingdong Novenario's "The Bride and Bachelor." I did stay after the show to listen to the open forum with the artists. All three playwrights spoke very well about their plays and how they came up with them.

40-something Adam and his 20-something partner Evangelio (Eve for short) are celebrating their 7th anniversary of living together. However, that night, Adam brought his former student, former stalker Ana home with him, much to the annoyance of Eve. Adam went down on one knee to propose marriage to Eve. After that, Eve came up with a proposal which caught Adam by surprise. Then, Ana revealed why she was there in the first place.

Playwright J. Dennis Teodosio (who had been based in Myanmar since 2011) had been part of VLF from the very start, with "Geegee at Waterina" (which returned as a musical last year) part of VLF1. Heshared that the central story of this play was based on him and his partner when they were trying to adopt a child after seven years of living together. Their research about adoption laws and options led to the birth of this new one-act play. 

Camanag, Romualdez and Paule

I had seen Paul Jake Paule perform in plays before (the most challenging one being Macbeth), but this turn of his as Eve was the most outrageous I've seen him in! He fluidly transitioned from flirty and flighty, to bitter and bitchy, from confidently flashy to emotional wreck. Veteran actor and singer Roeder Camanag played Adam in stark contrast to Paule's flamboyance, as a calm and mature partner. Karen Romualdez played Ana, whose character could have been fleshed out some more to explain better her offer to the couple.

2. FRESHMAN

Writer: Chris Martinez
Director: Kanakan Balintagos

Two college freshmen from UP were studying for a critical math final exam together one night. Bonn is a basketball jock who was having trouble with his grades. So, he was asking help from Ryan, a free-spirited gay guy who gets high grades with no effort. However, when a power outage interrupted their study session, their conversations move on from Statistics to more bizarre matters. 

One of the innovations in this year's VLF Staged Readings was "Once They Were Virgin" featuring the first one-act plays ever written by now well-established playwrights. "Freshmen" was the first play written by Chris Martinez, who had since gone on to great success as a writer and director in both theater and film. This was directed by no less than its original director way back in 1991, Kanakan Balintagos, who had also gained much acclaim as a director in both theater and film since then. 

Nepomuceno and Estioko

This was supposed to be a staged reading, but the two young actors actually had their lines down pat already and did not have scripts in their hands anymore. Nico Nepomuceno played straight conservative virgin Bonn, as Earvin Estioko played the liberated weirdo role of Ryan. As the play went on, I realized I had seen this one-act play staged in PETA before (MY REVIEW), directed by Chris Martinez himself. As it was before, the overall outlandish weirdness and situational illogicality of the this play still did not really sit too well with me. 

3. RATED X

Writer: Jun Lana
Director: Dennis Marasigan

Two 70-something senior citizens were stuck in bad traffic jam. Since they did not have a driver that day, Elvira had to drive her husband of 45 years Manolo to the hospital because he seemed to be suffering a heart attack in progress. As they were waiting for the traffic to move, Elvira wistfully reminisced about their lustful younger days when sex was the best part of their marriage. 

Jun Lana is recognized as a genius writer, having won 11 Palanca Awards for Literature, the youngest man to enter the Palanca Hall of Fame in 2006. He is now better known as an acclaimed film director. 

Provocatively titled despite its senior cast, "Rated X" was the first one-act play ever written by Lana, but this was the first time it was ever performed in public on a stage. According to VLF festival director Tuxqz Rutaquio who introduced the play, this was supposedly banned the first time Lana tried to stage it, not really sure why.

The simple set consisted just two car seats, with a telephone (a typical landline-looking variety, haha!) in between them. The scripts were placed on stands in front of the seats, looking like the dashboard. The two actors who played Elvira and Manolo were seasoned veterans -- Sherry Lara and Lou Veloso. 

Veloso and Lara

Veloso's acting was very restrained, owing to the fact that he was playing a weak man slowly succumbing to a heart attack. This situation allowed the ever-luminous Ms. Lara to shine brilliantly for all she's worth. In spite of the fact that she was just sitting down on a chair for practically the whole play, Lara's Elvira was funny, naughty, raunchy, heartbreaking, poignant, beautiful -- one of the best one-act play performances I had ever witnessed. 

Review of VIRGIN LABFEST XV - SET B: Of Students, Supports and Sexes

June 20, 2019

I have been watching the Virgin Labfest at the CCP for six years in a row now. The fresh one-act plays chosen for this festival had been exceptional theater pieces, and this year is already its 15th year, with the stimulating theme of "Titibok-tibok". This year, a record number of 207 scripts had been submitted and the top 12 were chosen to be staged. The festival started yesterday with the three plays of Set A.

The Staged Readings have also been grouped into sets of 2 or 3, and now costs P100 a ticket (formerly free). For Set A and B, there is a theme of "Once They Were Virgins" featuring the first VLF plays of veteran VLF playwrights, like Chris Martinez, Jun Lana, Liza Magtoto and Chris Millado. The other staged readings were plays submitted this year, but which did not make it into the top 12. 

**********

Here are the three plays of Set B which premiered this afternoon:

1. THE UNREACHABLE STAR

Written by: Layeta Bucoy
Directed by: Mara Marasigan

The story is about a poor family who could barely get by with their financial situation, but they will do everything so that their youngest daughter Ali, who is a freshman in UP, can continue her studies and graduate. The father relies on the patronage of their barangay captain, occasionally becoming a petty crook. The mother is a blind fanatic of a patron saint she calls Nuestra. The gay elder brother does odd jobs including driving a tricycle to help.

Raffy Tejada and Tex Ordonez-de Leon (as Tatay and Nanay) had to amp up their performances to keep the energy up in this rather static play. Reynald Santos as Kuya goes over the top with his gay antics to spice things up some more. The suspense of play hung on a mystery being kept from Ali when she came home. However, I felt that this secret did not make such a strong impact as it should when it was revealed. 

Figueroa, de Leon, director Marasigan, Tejada and Santos

I felt this was because VLF virgin Lorrie Figueroa (as Ali) could not seem to keep up with her more experienced co-stars acting-wise. She seemed nervous and very tentative in her maiden effort. When Ali made her own surprise revelation towards the end, her announcement lacked a knockout punch. I trust that as the festival goes on, Figueroa should get her bearings and confidence up in her next performance dates.

2. ANAK KA NG

Written by: U.Z.Eliserio
Directed by: Maynard Manansala

Pina's father passed away and her OFW mom Connie came back to bury him. While they were sorting out his things, Pina hotly confronted Connie for her absence in her life, while Connie defended herself by reminding her daughter of the material comforts her hard-earned money got for the family. Suddenly, Pina found the last lottery ticket which her father bought before he died, and saw that it had won them P10M.

These two characters were played by two actresses who had been acclaimed before for their performances in theater, and they were both solid here. Krystle Valentino (as Pina) made her VLF splash four years ago as the lead in the beautiful "Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala" (2015). Skyzx Labastilla was awarded for her riveting turns in "Indigo Child" (2016) and the one-woman show "Ang Dalagita'y Isang Bagay na 'di Buo" (2018). Rafa Tibayan (Valentino's leading man in "Maria Isabella") played a smaller yet marked role as Pina's activist boyfriend Niko.

Tibayan, Labastilla and Valentino

This play was a balanced mix of drama and comedy as it follows the confrontational conversation between a rebellious teenager Pina and her absentee OFW mother. It was shocking to hear a daughter speak so disrespectfully to her mother that way, but sharp witty humor effectively tempered the unsettling situations onstage. The simmering tension between the two women was paced and developed so well by the director until the whole thing just boiled over in the end. 

3. WANTED: MALE BOARDERS

Written by: Rick Patriarca
Directed by: George de Jesus III

After a disagreement with his mother, Melody, a cross-dressing gay guy, moved into one of the room in a boarding house for boys, to the distress of current boarders: namely, the naive inexperienced Marco, the studious nerd Ian and the alpha male Andrew. With Ian always in his room studying and Andrew usually out with his girlfriends, Melody and Marco eventually develop a relationship beyond mere friendship. 

Melody was played by Lance Reblando, a triple threat who was last seen in "Ang Huling El Bimbo." He would incorporate his talents of flexible acrobatics and even singing into his bold role. Marco was played by Ross Pesigan, whose baby-face allows him to play youthful innocents, like he did in the recent gay drama "Laro." Andrew was played by Pesigan's scene partner in "Laro," Vincent Pajara with his swaggering macho accent. Ian was played by AJ Sison, who still needed to loosen up some more in his rather tentative performance when compared to the all-out, no-holds barred portrayals of his co-actors.

Sison, Pesigan, Reblando and Pajara

Of all the plays in this year's VLF, this was the one with the most pre-festival buzz because of its very raunchy posters and photographs of its four main actors naked with only towels protecting their modesty. True to its promise, the play frankly tackled issues of a man's sexuality, with a generous helping of naughty humor. With the exaggerated daring sexy antics and a hilarious manner of achieving a time lapse effect, this was the easy audience favorite for this set, and most probably for the whole festival. 

Review of Atlantis' BEAUTIFUL: A Composer's Chronicles

June 15, 2019

I know Carole King as the artist behind the phenomenal album "Tapestry" released in 1971. It was #1 on the Billboard Album chart for 15 weeks and stayed within the chart for the next 6 years. It won the Grammy Album of the Year in 1972, while its tracks "It's Too Late" won Record of the Year, "You've Got a Friend" won "Song of the Year." The double-sided hit single "It's Too Late/ I Feel the Earth Move" was #1 on the Hot 100 chart for 5 weeks.

This 2013 musical "Beautiful" followed Carole King's songwriting career 12 years before "Tapestry" when she was a precocious 16-year old auditioning her song in New York City. She met and fell in love at first sight with her lyricist Gerry Goffin in college and married right away within the same year. 

Nick Varricchio and Kayla Rivera as Gerry Goffin and Carole King

(photo from the Atlantis FB page)

The whole play was a literal jukebox musical -- just singing one song after the other like a variety show, with no effort in the writing of the book (by Douglas McGrath) to integrate the lyrics of the songs into the story or the dialogues. It was just a simple chronological chronicle of Carole King's career and the songs she wrote, at first with Gerry Goffin and later on her own. 

Carole and Gerry would sing a raw bit of the song first, then later we will hear the same song sung by the "recording artists" who made these songs popular hits, like the Drifters, the Shirelles and Little Eva. In between these song numbers, we would hear banter in the 1650 Broadway office about the song's performance in the charts and see episodes from Carole and Gerry's troubled marriage at their home or at a Vermont ski resort as the main dramatic conflict of the story. 

Also featured in the story were the career and romance of their contemporary songwriting rivals and supportive real-life friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann. Their own set of hits  competed with those of Carole and Gerry's on the charts, like "On Broadway" by the Drifters and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers.

Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante and George Schulze as Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann

(photo from the Atlantis FB page)

Kayla Rivera played Carole King as a mousy, old-fashioned young woman who wore simple, even dowdy, clothes and hairstyles for most of the show. In Act 1, she often got overshadowed by the noisier, more colorful characters around her. It was only when she sings with that beautifully fluid voice of hers that she captures our full attention. This was especially true when she bloomed with confidence with her powerful Tapestry solos in Act 2, particularly "It's Too Late" and "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman." However, she was not yet convincing when she shadow-plays the piano, which was an integral instrument of Carole King's songwriting and performing career. 

Nick Varricchio (last seen on the local stage in the 2015 "Saturday Night Fever" Asian Tour) played the thankless role of Gerry Goffin, who despite co-writing some of Carole's best songs, also stole her best years away from her with his irresponsibility. Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante and George Schulze often steal their scenes as Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann as they have more snazzy costumes, more bombastic singing voices and funnier lines. Jaime Wilson (as songwriter manager Don Kirshner) and Carla Guevara-Laforteza (as Carole's mom Genie) lent effective support even if they did not get to do much singing.

Tim Pavino, Markus Mann, Arman Ferrer, and Jep Go sang, strutted and glided as the members of the Drifters. Among the four, for me it was Go who stood out with his solid solos in songs like "Up on the Roof" and "On Broadway." As the Righteous Brothers, Rhenwyn Gabalonzo wowed the audience with his rich deep baritone for Bill Medley's part in "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," with Ferrer providing the tenor harmony of Bobby Hatfield in similarly impressive fashion. This catchy duet had the best audience response of the night, ironic because it was NOT a Carole King composition. Dean Rosen (as Nick of the Bitter End nightclub) and Nelsito Gomez (as Neil Sedaka) played the other male ensemble roles.

Rhenwyn Gabalonzo and Arman Ferrer as the Righteous Brothers

(photo from the Atlantis FB page)

Gab Pangilinan was the elegant lead singer of the Shirelles who sang the first Goffin & King-penned #1 single "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" Teetin Villanueva was Carole's babysitter who was given the break to record the original version of "The Loco-Motion" as Little Eva, with its perky pink song and dance number. Jill Pena played the fictional temptress Janelle Woods who sang "One Fine Day" for Goffin & King, only to cause their domestic distress. Maronne Cruz (as Carole's BFF Betty), Gabby Pineda and Alex Reyes played the other female ensemble roles. 

Director Bobby Garcia again led a world-class team of artists and technicians to mount a Broadway-quality production to the stage of the Meralco Theater. Set designer Faust Peneyra used large panels of orange-hued geometric patterns (like those seen in silk ties from the 70s) to frame the stage, which worked well with the lights designed by Broadway's Aaron Porter (back after "Waitress" last year). 

We were subtly led us through the evolution of popular culture from the late 50s to the early 70s, with the costume design of Raven Ong, the hair and makeup design by Leslie Espinosa and the joyful choreography of Cecile Martinez. Broadway sound designer Josh Millican (also back from "Waitress") worked hand-in-hand with musical director Farley Asuncion to create the perfect soundtrack to accompany the action on stage. The songs of Carole King were simply so infectious and familiar, you will sing along!

The innovative 45 vinyl record-inspired souvenir programme of Beautiful

***********

"BEAUTIFUL:The Carole King Musical" runs from June 14 to July 7, 2019, with shows at 8 pm from Fridays to Sundays, with 2 pm matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. The venue is the Meralco Theater in Pasig City. Tickets can be scored through Ticketworld, with prices range from P5,000 (orchestra center), P4,000 (orchestra sides and loge center), P2,500 (loge sides) and P1,500 (balcony center and sides). 

Review of Artist Playground's LARO: Interlocking Intimacies

June 1, 2019

"La Ronde" by Arthur Schnitzler was controversial from the get-go because of its sexually-charged subject matter. It took twenty years before a public performance was actually staged after it was privately published in 1900, and it still provoked scandalized public uproar. The play followed encounters of ten people -- the Whore, the Soldier, the Parlor Maid, the Young Gentleman, the Young Wife, the Husband, the Little Miss, the Poet, the Actress and the Count -- as one character was linked to another one in sequential scenes. 

Fifteen years ago, Floy Quintos adapted "La Ronde" into Filipino and transposed the setting into the gay underbelly of Manila. The characters have been changed accordingly as well -- Call Boy, Policeman, Drag Queen, User, Lover, the Ideal, Student, Writer, Model and Philanthropist. This Pride Month June 2019, Artists Playground had chosen to restage "Laro," under the direction of John Mark Yap, who also updated Quintos's script with some current references and details. 

Call Boy was accosted by the Policeman in the park after a raid. The Policemen flirted with the Drag Queen outside the bar. The Drag Queen went to the mall to shop with her User boyfriend. The User boyfriend met up with a Lover from an online chatroom. The Lover was feeling stifled by his Ideal partner. The Ideal met up with his boytoy Student at the basketball court. Student confessed his story to his Writer cousin. Writer interviewed the popular underwear Model. Model was toyed with by his Philanthropist sugar daddy. Philanthropist hired a Call Boy for short-time fling.

The topics of each conversation really ran the gamut of emotions experienced in such relationships -- from sleazy to serious, from silly to scary, from saucy to scandalous. Each scene will affect you differently. some having stronger impact than others. The scene where the Drag Queen was being abused by her User boyfriend was the most painful. That sordid scene of the Ideal and Student's basketball teammates felt the dirtiest. The smoke from characters vaping and the use of red lighting to highlight steamy scenes further gave the play a seedy atmosphere which may make viewers uninitiated in this GBTQ world very uncomfortable. 

Dela Cruz, Palmos, Paule and Miguel

André Miguel was a smiling playful Call Boy. Paul Jake Paule was a naughty corrupt Policeman (Pulis). Phi Palmos was a long-suffering martyr Drag Queen. Gio Gahol was a cold shameless User (Mangagamit). MC Dela Cruz was a reluctant curious Lover (Kalaguyo). Victor Sy was a perverse Alpha Male Ideal.  Ross Pesigan was a vulnerable naive Student (Estudyante). Vincent Pajara was a wry, pragmatic Writer (Manunulat). Jonathan Ivan Rivera was a muscle-bound dimwit Model (Modelo). Vincent De Jesus was a jaded, world-weary rich Philanthropist (Pilantropo). These actors all boldly bared their bodies and souls as they portrayed these wolves and lambs in this menagerie. 

Mike Liwag alternates as Manggagamit. Al Gatmaitan alternates as The Ideal. Jon Abella alternates as Manunulat. Jay Gonzaga alternates as Modelo. Players of Artist Playground, namely Aaron Dioquino, Dan Sheneill Solis, Robert Macaraeg, and Christian Silang, are the props men throughout the play, but also appear onstage as Students' teammates.  

The artistic team behind director John Mark Yap (in his directorial debut for a full-length play) include Io Balanon (set design), Nicolo Perez (costume design), Miggy Panganiban (lighting design), Arvy Dimaculangan (sound design) and JM Cabling (movement design).  

Sy, Pesigan, De Jesus, Rivera and Pajara

**********

"LARO" runs for two weekends, June 1-2, and 8-9, 2019, with 3 pm and 7 pm shows. Venue is at Arts Above, West Venue Building (BIR), West Avenue, QC. Purchase tickets at only P600 each, either via https://ticket2me.net/e/2327/laro or at the gate. Play lasts for approximately 2-1/2 hours, an hour plus per act with a 10-minute break.