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Caught the evening performance of this musical last night at RCBC. First: the new arrangements by Ejay Yatco--amazing! It deserves an orchestra to better appreciate the genius behind the "new" sound. Didn't expect to hear Jose Mari Chan songs arranged in a very stagey way!  Second: Standouts (for me) were Carla Guevara Laforteza (her breathtaking rendition of "Hahanapin Ko" blew me away), Floyd Tena (his JR hits close to home--it reminded me of my dad in so many ways), Lorenz Martinez (his frenetic portrayal of a short-fused husband is so natural like he has done this so many times it looked effortless), and Justine Narciso (as the endearing Raya, the love interest to Neo Rivera's JD)--you and Neo made me believe you were meant for each other! Worthy to mention is the quartet of carolers (ang blending!). You know who you are lol! Pwede na kayong rumaket sa mga Christmas parties! Storylines: written by three theatre vets (Joel Trinidad, Robbie Guevara, and Lu...

DIRECTOR Jamie Lloyd's version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Blvd" breathes new life to the legendary 30-year-old musical by stripping it down to the basics. Without lavish sets and costumes, the outstanding cast led by Nicole Scherzinger as the former and forgotten silent movie star Norma Desmond heavily relies on their sheer acting, singing, and dancing prowess sans the usual spectacle associated with this production. Chairs, lights, and a video projection screen fill the stage and replace the floating mansion of the original staging. From start to end of the musical, the audience is treated to something akin to experimental theatre. For those familiar with the movie or who have seen Patti LuPone on the West End staging or Glenn Close on Broadway, Lloyd's version is a total departure from them. No lavish sets, no vintage car on set — just a big, 23-foot LCD screen. 'Sunset Boulevard' tells the story of Joe Gillis (Tom Francis), a down-on-his-luck writ...

Who'd have thought there's gold to be mined in a short story? Gilda Cordero Fernando's The Magic Circle is the basis of Repertory Theater for Young Audiences' (RTYA) Jepoy and the Magic Circle, as adapted by Rody Vera, with wonderful music and lyrics by Ejay Yatco and directed by Repertory Philippines' Joy Virata, founder and creative director of RTYA. In the musical, Jepoy anchors the audience as he discovers all things mystical and mythical in the forest, from the Tres Marias of Pinoy folklore, the faeries Maria Makiling, Maria Sinukuan, Maria Cacao to the aswangs, dwendes, kapres, and tikbalangs. It also includes some endangered animals native to the Philippines like the Philippine eagle, tarsiers, pawikan, etc. Throughout Jepoy's adventures, along with his trusted dog, Galis, he discovers what happened to his father who left him and his mother for the woods. Jepoy is one musical production for kids that can be enjoyed by adults. While the material is basical...

Have heard this musical a long time ago and how it takes off from Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid but on dry ground. Well, not really dry as the musical begins on a stormy night when the village storytellers try to calm a frightened child by telling the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a rich kid, and whose sacrifice has, uhm, supposedly united the social classes (the "black as night" natives and the light-skinned descendants of the island's French colonizers). But hey, it's very Disney (announced in 2020 as being developed by Disney into a live-action musical film adaptation), what with the exotic backdrop of the Caribbean and just the right blend of Latino music, ballads, and energetic dance numbers to tell the tale of the star-crossed lovers. So when I watched Once On This Island as staged by 9 Works Theatrical, I was awed by the talented cast, their energy was so affecting that I was tapping my feet during fast numbers. I f...

watched #littleshopofhorrors #thesandboxco #matinee #maybankperformingartstheatre Quick Review: Caught the matinee performance of this musical and was surprised that Audrey II was OJ Mariano! He wasn't scheduled to perform that afternoon but then again, I can't complain! His Audrey II was worth the price of the ticket. For those who don't know what Little Shop of Horrors is, the musical is based on a horror comedy film of the same title about an alien plant bent on world domination. The tandem of Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music) took the musical further by amping its campiness, making the musical a hit (it ran for five years off-Broadway). The local staging by The Sandbox Collective brings together veteran theatre performers perfectly cast in the roles (really feels that this is a pet project of Direk Toff de Venecia and Musical Director Ejay Yatco). Because you have the comedic talents of Reb Atadero (a brilliantly bumbling Seymour), Audie L Gemora (...

quick review habang fresh pa LOL (btw, thanks, Jeremy)! i was floored by this production of Repertory Philippines because i was trying hard to envision what was happening onstage while listening to the 1996 cast recording of the musical a couple of weeks ago. but thanks to repertory phils., they got THE Menchu Lauchengco Yulo to direct this musical revue. ang galing ng execution! her casting of 4 actors that can effectively essay 40 different characters was inspired. it was a treat watching all of them onstage! i believe repertory used the 2018 updated material with some tweaks from director menchu to make it more NOW (the projection design featured social media elements); she really pulled out all the stops for this one as there were so many things going on (scrims moving, the choreographed setting-up for the next scene, quick costume changes, etc.) and they were seamless. the actors were all terrific! loved the lullaby of Gian Magdangal (the baby song), the drama of rose ritz’ “very ...