Theater Archives - Page 4 of 8

Are You Ready for “Tick, Tick…Boom!” ?

Theater

September 19, 2016

In celebration of hit musical Rent‘s 20th anniversary, 9 Works Theatrical is continuing its stellar run of musical plays with another one penned and inspired by Jonathan Larson, Tick, Tick...Boom! What’s different this time is that instead of their huge musical productions, like La Cage Aux Folles and American Idiot, 9 Works is stripping down to its rawest, most vulnerable emotions.

Jef Flores, Tanya Manalang and Ariel Reonal demonstrate how blending is done.

Tick, Tick…Boom! tells the story of an aspiring musical composer, Jon. Like most artists, Jon finds himself at a crossroads: Should he pursue his chosen passion or give in to the comforts of a stable corporate job? Pressured from (and dreading) turning 30, his girlfriend and best friend make him consider giving up his dream of writing his musical.

Jef Flores is the “struggling artist”, Jon.

Taking the lead role as Jon is Jef Flores who continually makes his mark in the local theater industry. After winning Best Actor (Gawad Buhay for This Is Our Youth), this guy shows no signs of stopping. I first saw Jef as Bazooka Man in Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady. And, while working as an “intern” for the production, I also got to hear him sing different songs from boyband tunes to the Pokémon jingle during sound check (best version ever!). At that point, I wanted to see more of him. And I did. In his stint as Jesus in Godspell, Jef proved that he is a literal gift from the heavens, having demonstrated his many talents and wit. The guy plays the violin, for crying out loud! So…I am one with the people rejoicing that Jef is in Tick, Tick…Boom!. *cries*

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MVNDO Magazine Brings Theater Back in Print

Reads, Theater

August 27, 2016

I got my very first copy of MVNDO Magazine when I watched PETA‘s Rak of Aegis two weeks ago. I went out during the intermission to get some siomai but my short attention span brought me to the MVNDO booth. The magazines were hung on a sampayan, complete with sipits and all. I loved it! At first, I thought the magazines were for sale and looked pretty expensive too. To my surprise, though, the MVNDO magazines were being given away to theatergoers for FREE! Each page is in full color. (Even the ads!) And the paper is of high quality! It’s not too light that it’ll ruin your bag and not too heavy that you’ll regret getting a copy. Sorry, I’m ~~slightly~~ obsessed with paper, stationary and stuff. 😛

Me and Gillian with our copies of MVNDO Magazine

The awesome booth I was talking about

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Suicide, Incorporated: A Play that Speaks to All

Theater

July 14, 2016

Every 40 seconds, someone in the world takes his/her own life.

Twin Bill Theater brings another thought-provoking production with the Asian premiere of Suicide, Incorporated, a dark comedy that tackles the taboo topic of suicide. Writer Andrew Hinderaker (Penny Dreadful) pens an unusual and almost not-impossible take on the bizarre world of outsourced services. The “incorporation” in focus is Legacy Letters, an OSP (outsourced service provider—as the corporate world calls it) that assists clients in crafting suicide notes.

The beginning’s s’posed to grab ya.

Scott (Jeremy Domingo), the owner, means business and even wants to tap the sleeping market of male suicides. Scott has two employees, Perry (Chino Veguillas), the bibo ass-kisser, and Jason (Hans Eckstein), the new-hire who struggles in handling his first suicidal client, Norm (Mako Alonso). When Jason’s not in the office, he’s at home talking to his brother Tommy (Bibo Reyes), a college student with problems of his own.

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Singing The Revolution: Green Day’s American Idiot Review

Theater

June 30, 2016

Picture this: You’re resting from walking your dog in the parks of Bonifacio Global City. You notice the HD LED billboards and you wish you have those at home to watch Game of Thrones. And while you wait for the dear baristas to finish crafting your Jamba Juice, you hear a familiar electric guitar riff. Then the drums kick in. It’s the first few bars of Green Day’s song “American Idiot.”

American Idiot is a feast for the eyes (and ears).
The South East Asian première of Green Day’s American Idiot breaks barriers as it brings the theater experience outside of a regular theater. The show transforms the BGC High Street Amphitheater to a humongous theater-slash-concert stage where Filipino talent and technology converge to bring entertainment and the arts to the public. Personally, I haven’t seen anything like the American Idiot stage. When I first arrived at the venue, I was immediately amazed at the scale of this production—the first of its kind in the Philippines. Two super high-definition billboards tower on both sides of the stage. LED screens shaped like lightning skyscrapers on center stage serve as dynamic backdrop. Three-level scaffolding on both sides of the stage becomes the cast’s playground, strategically placed to give height and depth to the biggest outdoor theater stage I’ve ever seen. No kidding! Having witnessed it firsthand, it’s really really impressive.

Rockers’ playground. Wow.
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Songs to Watch Out for in Green Day’s American Idiot

Theater

June 21, 2016

9 Works Theatrical and Globe Telecom are partnering to give you Green Day’s American Idiot. And we won’t have to wait very long to witness this amazing theater experience. But before its opening night this June 24, let’s take a listen at some of the songs that I’m most looking forward to listening live.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGthq8VJK1D/?taken-by=amiciness

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