THE SCRIPT are thrilled to announce that they are coming back to Asia and bringing their Greatest Hits Tour 2022. The Irish pop-rock trio will be performing in Manila on Friday, September 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Presented by Wilbros Live and Midas Promotions.
The group will be touring in celebration of their Tales From The Script album, a compilation of their biggest hits and fan favorites from their six studio albums so far. The album highlights classic cuts from the trio’s stellar catalogue, including the UK #1 smash ‘Hall of Fame’ (featuring will.i.am) and chart-topping hits ‘The Man Who Can’t Be Moved’, ‘For The First Time’, ‘Superheroes’ plus the new single ‘I Want It All’. It also includes landmark moments and staples of their live show ‘Breakeven’ their debut singles ‘We Cry’ and ‘Rain’.
Their last studio album release Sunsets & Full Moons marked the band’s sixth #1 in their home country and fifth #1 in the UK, with more than 143-million streams worldwide. Sunsets & Full Moons adds to the remarkble tally of the band’s achievements of the preceding 11 years: five platinum-selling albums, 6 billion streams, 30 million singles sold, 11 million albums sold, 13 million monthly Spotify listeners and 2 million tickets sold across headline shows globally.
Tickets to THE SCRIPT: Greatest Hits Tour 2022 in Manila will go on-sale beginning June 11, 10AM at SMTickets.com and all SM Tickets outlets nationwide. #TheScriptMANILA2022.
Internationally-renowned singer and songwriter LOUIS TOMLINSON is returning to Manila, as announced by concert promoter, Live Nation Philippines.
The Louis Tomlinson World Tour in Manila is happening on July 16, 2022, Saturday at the New Frontier Theater. Tickets will be on sale on June 5 Sunday via www.ticketnet.com. Tagged as Louis’ first concert tour, the show is also in support of his debut album “Walls,” released in 2020 that spawned five singles: “Two of Us”, “Kill My Mind”, “We Made It”,”Don’t Let It Break Your Heart” and “Walls”.
In previous reports, Louis said he felt ready to record a solo album and was too excited to be back on stage. His run of hits in 2017, including hugely successful collaborations with Bebe Rexha and Steve Aoki, was a mere dipping of toes in the water. Temperature tested, he made some decisions – Louis wanted to be an artist who had his sound make music that meant something to him and, in turn, to those all-important fans.
“There was definitely a process of understanding where I sit musically,” says Louis. “I have my own tastes, and, to a certain extent, they are fighting against the musical tide. “When I grew up, pop meant Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, The Killers, and Amy Winehouse. Times change, obviously. Currently, pop is very urban and street, which is not what I relate to. Sure, I could make those sorts of songs, but they wouldn’t feel like me. The puzzle was how to please both myself and the fans.”
In 2019, Louis won the Best Song Award at the Teen Choice Awards for his single ‘Two Of Us,’ which has hit 40 million streams on Spotify, with YouTube views at 23 million. In 2018 Louis won an iHeart Award for ‘Best Solo Breakout’ and an EMA Award for ‘Best UK & Ireland Act’ in 2017. He was ranked No.5 on Billboard’s emerging artists of 2018 and had over 60 million combined followers on social media.
As a member of One Direction, Louis has sold over 100 million records. Overall, Louis’s solo music has garnered over a BILLION streams. Louis also premiered the first episode of his new YouTube video series. Watch it here.
“I feel like a new artist now. It’s taken a while for me to be comfortable on my own, to learn to trust my gut, and make sure I get what I want. I feel the most confident I’ve ever been, both as a songwriter and a singer, and the most mature. Of course, I want to be successful, but what matters is what my music means to me and what it means to the fans. That’s the priority. The rest we’ll have to wait and see.”
The Louis Tomlinson World Tour in Manila is happening on July 16, 2022, Saturday at the New Frontier Theater. Register as a Live Nation Philippines member at LiveNation.ph/register to get exclusive access to concert news and updates.
Live Nation Members Pre-sale is on Saturday, 4th June, from 10:00 am-11:59 pm. Public On-sale happens on Sunday, 5th June, at 10:00 am through www.ticketnet.com.ph and its outlets.
Education is a right, not a privilege. Miss World Philippines – Negros Occidental Gwendolyne Bolivar Fourniol says more Filipino children should be given opportunities to finish their studies, as this can uplift the lives not only of their families but also their communities.
Gwen (as she is fondly called) is an example of the power of education to change lives, as her mother was a former beneficiary of the ERDA (Educational Research and Development Assistance) Foundation, which sends underprivileged children to school. She shares, “my mother, Sim, grew up in poverty in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. There were seven children in the family and only one sibling was given the opportunity to study. Losing hope for her future, she found her way to Manila to stay with a cousin and it was there that she met Fr. Pierre T. Tritz, SJ, who founded ERDA in 1974 to give underprivileged but deserving children the opportunity to study.”
With Fr. Pierre’s support, Sim Bolivar obtained a degree in Psychology from the Philippine Women’s University, and was able to work as an au pair (foreign household helper) for a family in Luxembourg where she met Thierry Fourniol at a park. “If it were not for ERDA, I wouldn’t exist, and my mother would still be living in poverty in Negros,” Gwen adds. Her mother is currently working as a nurse in London, while her father is working as a senior analyst in Belgium.
Before joining her first Miss World Philippines pageant last year, Gwen was pursuing an Economics degree at Oxford Brooks in London in the UK. She hopes to join an internship program with JP Morgan after graduation, and is also looking towards launching a French tutorial service in the Philippines.
She is using her platform to support ERDA, which has already helped some 800,000 Filipino children receive an education, and is calling for equality in education rights. “There is a misconception that women should be the ones to stay home and keep house and raise the children, and are therefore given less opportunities to study. My mother, because of the opportunity that was opened to her by the ERDA Foundation, was able to send her 6 siblings to school. This says so much about the power of women to uplift their families out of poverty. We should push equal rights for education regardless of gender.” She says that Miss World, with its platform of ‘Beauty With a Purpose’, resonates with her advocacies.
Gwen placed in the top 15th of last year’s Miss World Philippines competition and she talks about her pageant journey so far. “I grew up in France and pageants are not as big there as they are in the Philippines. I did not have that dream of becoming a beauty queen growing up; it was my mother who encouraged me to go for a screening. The first time around, I was very alone because I was very new.”
She recalls that in her first stint, they called her a baby of pageantry. “I didn’t know how to style myself and I didn’t know how to do makeup. Now, with the support of ProMedia, I feel more confident. I am stronger physically and because of this I am also stronger mentally, because when you exercise and treat your body right, it also goes a long way towards your mental health.”
Gwendolyne Fourniol with ProMedia’s CEO Paul Izon Reyes and Director for Operations Jam Aquino
ProMedia is a project management group that is passionate about wholistic beauty (body, beauty, and brains). At its helm is CEO Paul Reyes, ably assisted by Jam Aquino, director for operations. Aquino is also the CEO of The Belle Salon. “We, at ProMedia, stage beauty pageants and body-building competitions. We also train beauty pageant athletes, so called because they are required to train like athletes,” explains Paul. “We see the true beauty in Gwen. She has a striking face, inner strength, wit and confidence. Furthermore, she is passionate about her advocacy,” shares Paul. “Essentially, she represents beauty with purpose.”
Gwen hopes that with the Miss World crown, this #ExceptionallyEmpoweredFilipina can empower people through education which is the greatest equalizer. “I want to reach out to humanity and continue the legacy of Fr. Tritz. If one person can transform 800,000 lives in this country, imagine what so many people can do to help millions more in the Philippines and around the world.”
Watch the Miss World Philippines 2022 Beauty Pageant Finals on June 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena. Gwendolyne Fourniol is candidate No. 25.
The stars (led by Austin Butler and Tom Hanks) and filmmakers (led by director Baz Luhrmann) of Warner Bros.’ Elvis were out in full force at the movie’s gala premiere in Cannes Film Festival, where the film received a 12-minute standing ovation — the longest at this year’s event.
Check out the images below from the daytime photocall and evening red carpet events for “Elvis” in Cannes. Don’t miss the film only in theaters across the Philippines starting June 22.
About “Elvis”
ELVIS is an epic, big-screen spectacle from Warner Bros. Pictures and visionary, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks.
A thoroughly cinematic drama, Elvis’s (Butler) story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). As told by Parker, the film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).
Starring alongside Butler and Hanks, award-winning theatre actress Helen Thomson plays Elvis’s mother, Gladys, Richard Roxburgh portrays Elvis’s father, Vernon, and DeJonge plays Priscilla. Luke Bracey plays Jerry Schilling, Natasha Bassett plays Dixie Locke, David Wenham plays Hank Snow, Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays B.B. King, Xavier Samuel plays Scotty Moore, and Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Jimmie Rodgers Snow.
Also in the cast, Dacre Montgomery plays TV director Steve Binder, alongside Australian actors Leon Ford as Tom Diskin, Kate Mulvany as Marion Keisker, Gareth Davies as Bones Howe, Charles Grounds as Billy Smith, Josh McConville as Sam Phillips, and Adam Dunn as Bill Black.
To play additional iconic musical artists in the film, Luhrmann cast singer/songwriter Yola as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, model Alton Mason as Little Richard, Austin, Texas native Gary Clark Jr. as Arthur Crudup, and artist Shonka Dukureh as Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton.
Oscar nominee Luhrmann (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) directed from a screenplay by Baz Luhrmann & Sam Bromell and Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner, story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner. The film’s producers are Luhrmann, Oscar winner Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss. Toby Emmerich, Courtenay Valenti and Kevin McCormick executive produced.
A Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation, A Bazmark Production, A Jackal Group Production, A Baz Luhrmann Film, “Elvis” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is set to release in theaters in the Philipines beginning 22 June 2022.
Join the conversation online and use the hashtag #ElvisMovie
On Wednesday, June 1, 2022, Executive Chef Xavier Castello is creating a five-course dinner in Old Manila at The Peninsula Manila, complementing one of Spain’s most celebrated wineries – Bodegas Emilio Moro.
A leading winemaker from the Castile and León region’s “Golden Mile” whose passion for winemaking stretches back to more than a century, the dinner – from appetizer to dessert – will be paired with a classic Polvorete Godello, Bierzo white wine, along with a fresh El Zarzal Godello,
Bierzo and the bodega’s premium red Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero and the organic red wine La Felisa, Ribera del Duero.
The lovely five-course Old Manila degustation menu is priced at P6,000, inclusive of taxes.
Dinner on June 1, 2022, starts at 6:30 pm. Pre-paid reservations are required as there is very limited seating.
For inquiries and orders, please call +63 (2) 8887 2888 extension 6691 (Restaurant Reservations) or email DiningPMN@peninsula.com.
In time for the highly awaited opening of “Jurassic World Dominion” in the Philippine cinemas on June 8, Universal Pictures International, SM Malls and Pacific Licensing Studios replicate the world of dinosaurs which is currently on display at SM North Edsa – The Block Atrium, featuring life-size statues of dinosaurs Blue and Beta featured in the film.
The recent launch of the dinosaur world on display allows kids and adults alike to take photos with the dinosaur replicas, put on an archaeologist’s hat in search of dinosaur fossils, and purchase movie-inspired shirts, socks, and toys to name a few from the numerous items available. The display also includes a booth where the public can easily book and purchase tickets for the movie ahead of its opening day.
A multi-generational movie, Jurassic World Dominion brings together original and new-gen cast members (Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Isabella Sermon, and Omar Sy) for an unforgettable experience of the epic conclusion meant to be seen and made only for cinemas.
Filmed during the pandemic, director Colin Trevorrow’s ambition was to take the story to places never-before-seen in a Jurassic film. Each setting—the Pacific Northwest, West Texas, Utah, San Francisco, Malta and the Dolomite Mountains—has its own style and look. Taking advantage of the natural environment, the film was also shot in the Pacific Northwest during winter so they did not have to fake the cold and snow.
Following the debut of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in 1993, paleontology would never again be the same. “Jurassic Park was the most important thing that’s happened to paleontology in the last several decades, because that film brought dinosaurs back to life for a new generation, and it showed dinosaurs in a way they had never been shown before,” says Stepen Brusatte, Professor of Palaeontology and Evolution at University of Edinburgh, who served as the film’s paleontology consultant.
“It led to a public reawakening of dinosaurs, and that led to so many more young people going into paleontology. It led to more money going into the field, it led to more universities putting on dinosaur courses, it caused museums to put on dinosaur exhibits, and we’re still reaping the benefits of that. We are in the golden age of paleontology where somebody somewhere around the world is finding a new species of dinosaur once a week on average, and that’s been going on for over a decade now because this is the Jurassic Park generation of paleontologists.”
Jurassic World Dominion opens in Philippine cinemas nationwide on June 8 – also available on select 3D and 2D IMAX screens.
Miles Teller and Glen Powell break from the pack as navy fighter pilots Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw and Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in Paramount Pictures’ Top Gun: Maverick, now playing cinemas across the Philippines.
Miles Teller
In the 1986 Top Gun, a training accident killed Goose (Anthony Edwards), one of the most adored characters in movie history, the father of the young boy we will now meet as a man. “And I’ve got to say,” says lead star Tom Cruise of Teller’s performance as Rooster, “that guy showed up.”
There aren’t many men who could step into Goose’s shoes. Then again, Miles Teller isn’t just anyone. “I feel fortunate to carry on the Bradshaw name,” the acclaimed young star says of his beloved on-screen old man.
Going toe to toe with Cruise is a tantalizing prospect for Teller. Two actors at the peak of their powers with three decades of water under the bridge and old scores to settle. “My character, Bradley [aka Rooster], when the first movie came out, he was just a little kid,” says Teller. “And now, of course, you’re seeing him over 30 years later, so there were a lot of blanks to fill in.” And even though that meant some incredibly heavy emotional lifting at incredibly high speeds and heights, for Teller, he wouldn’t have had his time on Top Gun: Maverick any other way. “They knew how much pressure there was on what we were trying to accomplish,” he says of shooting sequences the likes of which audiences have never seen. “But we all knew that we were trying to make something really special, and that doesn’t come easy.”
Glen Powell
From topless montages to landing his own pilot’s license, no-one has embraced the joys of Top Gun more than Glen Powell. “This,” he says, “was sort of written in the stars.”
Powell was born in 1988, two years after the original Top Gun was released. But the adventures of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell have always captivated him, to the point that he has modelled his own entire professional arc after that of its leading man. “I’ve studied Tom’s early work to navigate my own career,” Powell says. “And now that we’re friends, I don’t have to make assumptions on WWTCD (What Would Tom Cruise Do.) As a young actor in a business where everyone says the movie star is dead… I’ve been fortunate enough to work alongside a guy who has been able to prove that theory wrong for three or four decades running.”
Famously pipped at the post to the role of Rooster in the movie, after Miles Teller landed the role of Goose’s son, Cruise was determined to keep Powell in the picture, working with him to create the brand-new role of Hangman. “[Tom would] say, ‘I’ve had this idea… Watch this movie and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.’ So, I started watching movies the way Tom watches movies,” says Powell. “It wasn’t just getting to work with my hero but getting to truly collaborate with my hero.” If that wasn’t enough, the star of everything from Everybody Wants Some!! to Scream Queens also came away from this movie with a bonus: his own private pilot’s license.
“At any given moment, the full wrath of aeronautical physics is trying to pull the blood from your head and black you out,” Powell says of shooting Top Gun: Maverick’s aerial scenes. “I will never take acting on the surface of the Earth for granted again.”
Look back at the socio-political landscape of the 1980s Manila through the CCP Arthouse Cinema’s back-to-back screenings of National Artist Lino Brocka’s “Macho Dancer” and National Artist Ishmael Bernal’s “Manila By Night” on June 3, 2022 (Friday), starting at 2 PM, at the Tanghalang Manuel Conde.
Macho Dancer follows the story of a handsome teenager from the mountains who journeys to Manila in an effort to support his family after he was abandoned by his American lover. With a popular call boy as his mentor, Paul enters the glittering world of the macho dancer. National Artist for Film Lino Brocka captured a world of male strippers, prostitution, drugs, sexual slavery, police corruption and murder in this classic film.
In Manila By Night, the hidden nightlife of ordinary people living in Manila unveils. Lovers and families’ conflicts are radically pitted against each other as they live in the night streets rampant with drugs and prostitution. The outstanding narrative explicitly unravels the various characters and episodes. This landmark film of National Artist Ishmael Bernal depicts the darkness of city life so vividly that it was once prohibited to use the word “Manila” on its title.
Those interested to watch, please pre-register through this link: https://bit.ly/38RCR03.
In collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Philippine Film Archive, and the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film, the film screenings celebrate the National Heritage Month, and commemorate Bernal’s death anniversary on June 2.
[Update as of October 27, 2022: WE WILL ROCK YOU will now take place on October 28, due to international logistical challengesthat delayed its performance opening.]
GMG Productions and Selladoor Worldwide are thrilled to announce that for the very first time ever, the global phenomenon that is We Will Rock You will be coming to Manila this October! This brand new, reimagined production directed and choreographed by Olivier Award nominee Nick Winston is kicking off a multi-year international tour, and audiences in the Philippines will be the first people in the world to witness it.
“The original production has been seen by over 16 million people worldwide. We can’t think of a better title to come back with after such a long intermission – and there is no better place to launch the show than the Philippines. We know Filipino audiences love Queen and Queen music,” shares GMG Productions CEO and We Will Rock You producer Carlos Candal.
The show is set to be staged in the newly constructed Samsung Performing Arts Theatre located in Circuit Makati.
“We are incredibly excited to premiere the show in Manila and for us to play host to all the international producers visiting from around the world.” Mr. Candal continues, “…we want to put the Philippines on the map as a hub for theatrical productions. We know the Philippines has the talent and now we are spoilt for choice when it comes to venues! It feels like things are falling into place. ”
We Will Rock You follows two revolutionaries as they try to save rock n roll in a post-apocalyptic world. In an age where algorithms predict our every preference, We Will Rock You is a musical for our time: a fist-pumping, foot-stomping anthem to individuality.
We Will Rock You is produced by Selladoor Worldwide, Carlos Candal, Gavin Kalin Productions, Limelight Productions, and ShowTime Management South Africa.
This brand new international rock-powered production features 24 of Queen’s biggest hits, including Killer Queen, Under Pressure, We Are the Champions, Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free, Don’t Stop Me Now Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust, and, of course, We Will Rock You. With a futuristic styled set and video backdrop from Tom Rogers and fabulous new costumes from Sarah Mercade, this is sure to be an absolute smash hit.
Ticket buyers have the opportunity to be the first to watch this show and sign up to the waitlist to get first dibs on tickets. GMG newsletter subscribers get to enjoy exclusive offers available 1st of June. Make sure to visit the website at www.gmg-productions.com/manila
GMG Productions is also excited to announce a special for Tuesday performances. The Three-Price-Tuesdays which offers theatergoers a single price per level of the brand new Samsung Performing Arts Theater.
Tickets go on general public sale on 6th of June through ticketworld.com.ph.
MORE ABOUT ‘WE WILL ROCK YOU’:
CREATIVE TEAM:
Director/Choreographer: Nick Winston
Musical Supervisor: Mark Crossland
Associate Director: Ryan Lee Seager
Set Designer: Tom Rogers
Video Designer: Douglas O’Connell
Sound Designer: Ben Harrison
Costume Designer: Sarah Mercade
Costume Supervisor: Megan Rarity
TICKETING AND SHOW INFORMATION
SEASON: From October 27 to November 20, 2022
PERFORMANCE TIMES AND PRICES
Tuesday to Friday: 8:00pm Saturday and Sunday: 1:00 pm and 7:00pm Ticket prices will be from P1800 with a special ticket offer for Tuesdays as low as P 1000
After showing the world that “We Aren’t Kids Anymore” during its 30th Season Newbie Production, Ateneo Blue Repertory is ready to take you on a First Date. Written by Austin Winsberg and featuring music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, the 30th Season Finale Production will show you the cute, the class, and the cringe of pursuing romance in the modern age.
Originally staged in 2012, First Date follows the story of blind date newbie Aaron and serial-dater Casey as they see if they could be a match. This 2022 staging will feature a stunning and lively cast of actors from the organization, ready to take the audience’s hand and lead them into the fun and lighthearted world of blueREP’s First Date.
This production is led by Director Topper Fabregas (Company, Rabbit Hole, This Is Our Youth, Tribes) Musical Director Rony Fortich (Company, Breakups and Breakdowns, Stages of Love, The Bluebird of Happiness), Movement Designer Franco Ramos (Bring It On, Rent, Real Life Fairytales) Production Designer Tata Tuviera (Antigone vs People of the Philippines, Next to Normal, Azul: Ang Sirena ng Sigwa), Lighting Designer Jethro Nibaten (Stop Kiss, The Medium, Spamalot), Sounds Designer Arvy Dimaculangan (Every Brilliant Thing, Ang Huling El Bimbo), Director of Photography Nate Bosano (Spring Awakening, Bring It On, We Aren’t Kids Anymore), Graphic Designer Bea Jose (Next to Normal, Engkwentro, Welcome to IntelStar), and Orchestrator Daniel Monong (We Aren’t Kids Anymore).
Tickets are be available on ticket2me.net. For inquiries, contact Carlo Sarrosa at 0917 157 2851. You can still catch The First Date this May 28 and June 4.
Follow blueREP on Facebook (@blueREPERTORY), Instagram (@ateneobluerepertory), and TikTok (@bluerep). Check out the hashtag #FirstDateblueREP.
