The CCP Met Opera in HD kicks off the New Year with the special screening of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille Du Régiment on January 10, 2023, 5:30pm, at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Malls Cinemas in Makati City.
Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena team up for a feast of vocal fireworks on the Met stage. Baritone Maurizio Muraro plays Sergeant Sulplice, with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. La Fille Du Régiment is an opera in two acts conducted by Enrique Mazzola.
It tells the story of an adopted daughter of the 21st Regiment of the French army, named Marie, who fell in love with a boy (Tonio) who saved her life in spite of him being a part of the nation’s enemy. While fighting for their love for each other, their plans of getting married were torn into pieces as the true identity of Marie got exposed.
The marquise, Marie’s mother, wishes her to marry the nephew of the Duchess and dismisses her love with Tonio. Catch how Tonio fights for his love and rescues Marie from the chaotic situation.
In its seventh season, the CCP Met Opera in HD is a special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division, Production and Exhibition Department, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. and Ayala Malls Cinemas. The series showcases operatic productions through the high-definition digital video technology and Dolby sound, recreating the experience of watching an opera production at the Met “live.”
For more information, visit the CCP website and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), makes a big comeback to live performances with an all-new original Filipino musical, Walang Aray.
Playwright Rody Vera reveals that Walang Aray was originally written in 2007 as a screenplay commissioned by Jun Reyes, the award-winning filmmaker, veteran advertising director, and founder of top creative content agency Indie.Go Media. Fittingly so, Reyes is the great-grandson and creative heir of Severino Reyes, who wrote the famous 1898 zarzuela Walang Sugat, on which Walang Aray is based.
The Indie.Go Media film project, however, did not push through as originally planned, as Vera tells, “I had so much fun writing the screenplay, but unfortunately, the cost of doing such a wonderful musical film was much too high. The piece was shelved and for more than ten years it remained in the ‘baul’.”
In 2018, Vera presented Walang Aray to PETA, and Artistic Director Maribel Legarda suggested having original music for the show instead of the initial plan of using OPM songs. “At first, I was a bit reluctant, saying that choosing which OPM song to sing was integrally part of the whole style and tone of the screenplay. But when Vince Lim churned out his first few songs, I was conVinced,” Vera enthused. After much adjustment and revisions to translate the musical from screen to stage, Walang Aray was first performed in a PETA Lab show in 2018 and 2019 under the direction of Ian Segarra with original music and musical direction by Vince Lim, generating an enthusiastic and positive response from audiences and critics alike.
Vera’s updated stage version of Walang Aray is literature and history brought to life in the most cutting-edge and entertaining way, as the musical masterfully blends the timelessly old with modern terminology, funk and pop music, and tongue-in-cheek comedy.
It is a farce and a tribute with so many layers: the musical form of the zarzuela that has been labeled as “outdated” has been reinvented for new audiences without compromising its roots, and the historical narrative also resonates with the present time.
Vera states that amidst the humor and entertainment, Walang Aray also provides commentary on the institutions of old. But is it just poking fun at the villains of our history? Not quite, because the institutions placed under farcical scrutiny in Walang Aray are still here, though modified or configured differently.
“The hypocrisy, the power trips, hidden desires, deceptions, and idiosyncrasies — they’re all still here. And I think that’s exactly what makes this ‘slight’ adjustment from the original zarzuela relatable to us today,” Vera explains.
As the first show to hit the PETA stage after the COVID-19 pandemic, Walang Aray represents the hope that theater can now enter a new chapter after years of global tragedy and hardships. “The pandemic was a long, terrible nightmare and now, we’re back on track ready to fulfill what we all planned – and more!,” says Vera. “While we’re aware these things indeed happened and may happen again, we’re also here to remind people that theater, always… ALWAYS dies and is born anew.”
Walang Aray celebrates the joys and victories of Filipinos, while remembering our colorful history in the theater, and against our oppressors.
The musical is top-billed by Star Magic’s “hottest musical couple” #KDLex, KD Estrada and Alexa Ilacad, alternating with triple threat theater artists Gio Gahol and Marynor Madamesila as Tenyong and Julia. The cast also features PETA artists Jarred Jaicten, Kiki Baento, Carlon Matobato, Gie Onida, Norbs Portales, Neomi Gonzales, John Moran, Tom Bienvenida, Donn Boco, Gerard Dy, Yeyin Dela Cruz, Ada Tayao, and Ayla Garcia, with Gardo Exconde and Csai Habla as the swings.
The musical features young PETA artists at the helm of its creatives: Ian Segarra (director), Vince Lim (composer, musical director, sound designer, additional lyrics), Happy Constantino (sound designer), Gio Gahol (choreographer), Julio Garcia (production designer) and Ayla Garcia (voice coach). They are joined by guest artists, David Esguerra (lighting designer), and JayLo Cunanan (costume designer).
Walang Aray will run at the PETA Theater Center from Feb 17-May 14, 2023. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.com.ph starting December 10, 2022. For bulk tickets and showbuying inquiries, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112.
The devastating tragedy about a young woman who joins the Carmelite nuns to escape the terrors of the French Revolution closes the 2022 offering of CCP Met Opera in HD, slated on December 6, 2022, 5:30 pm, at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Malls Cinemas in Makati City.
Composed by French composer Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc, Dialogues des Carmelites follows the aristocratic Blanche de la Force who joined the Order of Carmelite to escape the reign of terror.
First premiered at Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1957, the opera is a quasi-historical opera based on the martyrdom of 16 Carmelite nuns and lay sisters from Compiegne who sacrificed themselves for peace during the revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799.
Poulenc wrote the Carmelites libretto himself based on an unproduced screenplay by French author Georges Bernanos. In turn, Bernanos based his screenplay on the 1931 novela Die Letzte am Schafott (The Song at the Scaffold), written by German writer Gertrud von Le Fort.
Poulenc’s three-act opera has become a favorite among the Metropolitan Theater’s audiences because of its striking production values and timeless staging, complemented by a remarkable cast.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the music director of The Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer, leads an accomplished ensemble in Poulenc’s devastating modern piece on faith and martyrdom. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard is the young Blanche de La Force, opposite Met legend Karita Mattila as the First Prioress.
Now on its seventh season, the CCP Met Opera in HD is a special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division, under the Production and Exhibition Department, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc., and Ayala Malls Cinemas. The series showcases operatic productions through the high-definition (HD) digital video technology and Dolby sound, recreating the experience of watching an opera production at the Met “live.”
For tickets and other inquiries, call the CCP Box Office: 8832-3704 / 8832-1125 local 1409. Visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) for more information. Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok for the latest updates.
Repertory Philippines (REP) is reopening its theater doors with the reimagining of the Broadway hit Carousel. The musical is set to run from November 26 to December 18,2022 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, making it one of the first shows to run at the Cultural Center of Philippines’ Black Box Theater.
With Music by Richard Rogers and Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, Carousel was an instant hit to both critics and audiences alike and proceeded to win the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical. It was also dubbed the greatest musical of the 20th century by Time Magazine, and its revivals won several Tony Awards.
Carousel tells a romantic tale between the carnival barker Billy Bigelow and millworker Julie Jordan. In REP’s Carousel, Billy will be played by Gian Magdangal and Julie will be played by Karylle Tatlonghari. It is directed by Toff De Venecia who brings a bold, brave vision for the new generation of theatergoers.
“Today, we stand on the shoulders of giants and take on the challenge of reimagining this classic musical for contemporary Filipino audiences,” said De Venecia in a statement. “Featuring new artistic voices and talent as well as post-modern perspectives, the team boldly dreams up what ‘the best musical of the 20th century’ might look like today. It’s a radical departure from previous iterations, even from what we set out to do in 2020. We draw inspiration from Filipino creativity and the words of the original choreographer and dancer Agnes de Mille – that is, ‘taking leap after leap in the dark.’ This will be the ultimate 21st century test for a 20th century text.”
REP’s Carousel was originally scheduled for a May 2020 debut, and was set to signal REP’s transition to more progressive, dynamic, and culturally relevant theatrical productions under the leadership of Artistic Director Liesl Batucan-Del Rosario.
“I am ecstatic for Repertory Philippines as we return to the live stage and bring the fulfillment of a promise to our REP audiences and communities. It is doubly exhilarating to be able to present Carousel at the newly unboxed Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez CCP Black Box Theater, through a generous venue grant from the Cultural Center of the Philippines no less. I am beyond excited for Toff’s innovative post-modern contemporary take on Carousel that I know will connect and link this absolutely timeless and deeply relevant material to a new audience,” stated the Artistic Director.
Catch Carousel starting November 26 at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. Tickets will be available through the CCP Box Office, TicketWorld, and SM Tickets. Ticket prices are P3,000 for VIP seats, P2,500 for rows 1 & 3, P2,000 for row 4, P1,500 for row 5, and P1,000 for row 6. For queries, you can message Repertory Philippines on its Facebook and Instagram pages, or email info@repphil.org.
As it marks its 53rd year this September and emerges from the two-year pandemic, the Cultural Center of the Philippines opened the doors of the new Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) on September 8 with an inaugural show featuring excerpts of the first performance season.
Slated at the new venue are the CCP Special Concert Series, Tanghalang Pilipino’s Anak Datu, CCP Triple Threats Series, Ang Dakilang Teatro ng Daigdig, Carousel and Ternocon.
Coming 30 years after the last building was erected in the complex, the new state-of-the-art and world-class performing arts space represents CCP’s leap into the future, keeping it relevant with the times.
At the inauguration, the new building was blessed in Christian and Muslim rites; its logo unveiled as well.
The logo, according to B + C, the company that designed it, extracted its shape and colors from Philippine indigenous weaves. “It represents the bold new works that will take place at the venue—progressive, experimental, fluid, contemporary. In effect, ‘out of the box’.”
The new building takes its name from the businessman whose generosity made it possible and from the theater term that refers to a performance space, bound by four walls, but offering both flexibility and versatility, with seats, and painted black.
Businessman Ignacio Gimenez, once a scholar of National Artist for Theater Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero, donated the building to CCP to honor his mentor as his way of giving back to the Filipino people, and to encourage local business community leaders to engage more in Philippine theater. Together with his brother Roberto Olanday, the funding for the construction of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez was made possible.
The building took three years to finish with the support and administrative assistance of the Leandro V. Locsin Partners. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in January 2016 and construction of the building commenced in 2017.
In 2019, delegates to the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centres’ Manila Conference hosted by the CCP went on a Hard Hat tour to get a glimpse of this modern theater then still in the making.
Located on the corner of Jalandoni and Sotto Streets, the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) is a three-level structure with a flexible theater expanse that can be adjusted to artistic and technical needs of live productions of concerts, recitals, plays, and other live events, such as arts conventions, workshops, and exhibitions.
Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box) boasts of at least four flexible stage and seating configurations, a removable trap door, a portable dance floor, and a high-end sound and light technology system. Its catwalk offers provisions to accommodate lighting, sound, video equipment, and additional drapery. It also has various orchestra and choral risers, as well as aluminum trusses, which can be used for rigging stage sets and designs. The loading dock can accommodate a 20-foot container truck. A carpentry area with a high ceiling can accommodate tall scenic pieces. An acoustically treated door separates the Carpentry Area from the Performance space.
The new building is compliant with the Magna Carta for the Disabled. It is equipped with high-speed data/internet or ethernet connection that can be used to enhance audience experiences.
The inauguration of the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez is a welcome development to the Center as the CCP Main Building will be closed for rehabilitation from 2023-2024.
For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.
After Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) big digital breakthrough during the pandemic: a string of successful online show streams and virtual workshops, the pioneering Filipino theater company is making a big theater comeback for its 55th Theater Season!
The return to the theater features no less than a PETA classic, Christine Bellen’s Batang Rizal! First to launch online via streaming from October 14-16, the well-loved musical will be the first show to open PETA’s theater stage in November.
Co-written, directed for stage, and choreographed by Dudz Teraña, with musical direction, arrangement, and composition by Vincent de Jesus, Batang Rizal is a remarkable piece because of its ability to resonate with audiences across generations. Its power rests in its simplicity and relatability, while carrying a deep challenge for audiences to become everyday heroes.
Even after a decade and a half, the magic of Batang Rizal has not wavered. PETA artistic director, and Batang Rizal video director, Maribel Legarda, says that one of the most powerful aspects of the show is “how Rizal’s story is told not through the eyes of an adult but that of a child’s.”
“We hope to inspire children and young people to imagine a world where they can participate and contribute in a healthy way. We want them to be conscious of not only their own reality but also of the world around them,” she adds.
First staged in 2007, Batang Rizal won the hearts of critics and audiences because of its imaginative storytelling, together with timeless songs, including the well-known PETA classic “Pag-asa Ng Bayan,” which originated from the show.
It is for this reason that the story of Batang Rizal lives on, always remaining fresh for new, young audiences. However, older audiences are still able to enjoy the show, as it serves as a reminder of a Filipino’s duty to family, friends, and country.
Perhaps, Legarda continues, it is also because of how the social realities during Rizal’s time are not too far from the issues and problems our society faces today. “Batang Rizal is timeless and it will always be able to speak to any generation and inspire them to believe in and be part of that heroism.”
After fifteen years since its original run, the 2022 staging now features a new cast, new set, and new animations. The cast features Tim Mabalot, Yhuan Gatbunton, Gold Villar-Lim, Norbs Portales, Carlon Matobato, John Moran, Teetin Villanueva, Jovy Vieja, Raven Relavo, and Marynor Madamesila.
Watch Batang Rizal’s online streaming via KTX.ph from October 14-16, 2022, and the limited run at the PETA Theater Center on November 25 and December 2 (9:00 AM and 3:30 PM).
For ticket inquiries and touring packages, contact Mitch Go at 0917-539-1112.
For streaming tickets, go to www.ktx.ph/category/batang-rizal.
Batang Rizal is also part of PETA’s Hero Vision creative campaign, which aims to trigger conversations and reflections on heroism – and to inspire Filipinos to choose to live heroically every day.
In celebration of its 53rd anniversary, the Cultural Center of the Philippines will hold a one-night musical spectacle on September 10, 8:00 p.m. at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.
Dubbed “Musikal II” the gala will provide a rousing start to the moving out and improving the CCP Main Building that will bring it up to par with the world’s best facilities. The CCP building will be closed beginning January 1, 2023, for rehabilitation for two years.
The “Hanggang sa Muli” show starts with a gala Musikal II which consists of songs from original Filipino musicals from 2015 to 2021.
It will feature songs from Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!, Kanser the Musical, Felix Starro, Ang Larawan, LapuLapu, ang Datu ng Mactan, Guadalupe, Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko, F(r)iction, Changing Partners, Ang Huling El Bimbo the Musical, Binondo, A Tsinoy Musical, Dekada ‘70, A Game of Trolls, Mabining Mandirigma A Steampunk Musical, Aurelio Sedisyoso A Rock Sarswela, The Quest for the Adarna, Ding Ang Bato, Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady, Himala, Isang Musikal, and Daluyong ng Diwa.
Leading artists from various theater companies will perform in the show. Among them are Bituin Escalante, Bayang Barrios, Arman Ferrer, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Carla Guevara Laforteza, Sandino Martin, Reb Atadero, Delphine Buencamino, Topper Fabregas, Upeng Fernandez, Vic Robinson, Ricci Chan and Juliene Mendoza.
On the creative and production team are Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, director, Ejay Yatco and Vince De Jesus, musical directors/arrangers, choreographers Daniel Cabrera and PJ Rebullida, Lights Designer John Batalla, Sound Engineer Aji Manalo, Set Designer Ricardo Eric Cruz, Technical Director Dong Calingacion, and Stage Manager Ed Murillo.
The two new compositions of Vince De Jesus, specially commissioned for Musikal II will highlight the production. Entitled Muling Gisingin and Nandito Pa Rin Ako, these will be performed by the all-star cast.
Yulo envisioned Musikal II to herald the return of the Filipino musicals.
This event is invitational but certain sections are free and open to the public. Tickets for the public will be released at the CCP Main Ramp two hours before the performance on a first-come, first-served basis.
The show will be live streamed on the CCP Facebook page.
For more information, visit the CCP (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates.
The Manila Wrestling Federation (MWF), the country’s prime professional wrestling brand, will crown its new MWF Pinoy Wrestling Champion on September 11, Sunday, 5 PM at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Its annual live extravaganza titled MWF Road To Fate 2022is set to be headlined by an elimination-style match to determine the Philippines’ top athlete-entertainer, who will represent the country in the burgeoning Southeast Asian pro wrestling scene.
Pinoy-Flavored World-Class Talent
The four contenders for the prestigious MWF title are the best of the best in the Pinoy wrestling scene today.
● Crystal –The undisputed “Queen of Philippine Wrestling”, Crystal put women’s wrestling in the country under the international spotlight by competing against some of the world’s toughest female wrestlers, which include Japanese Joshi legend Emi Sakura, and in the 2019 WWE tryouts in China. In addition to her in-ring achievements, international media was also drawn to Crystal’s indelible allure when she was featured in an episode of Netflix’s “Midnight Asia”.
● Nigel “Suplex” San Jose – MWF’s ultimate everyman underdog, Nigel San Jose has always risen above all odds armed with his unwavering determination and passion. Debuting in 2018 as an MWF trainee, San Jose had immediately impressed the whole Pinoy wrestling scene with his high-impact moves, holds and throws that allowed him to rise up the ranks early in his wrestling career. While this is his first high-profile match and his first exposure to media attention, Nigel San Jose guarantees to leave fans breathless with his undeniable fighting skills.
● Jake De Leon – Dubbed as “Mr. Philippine Wrestling”, De Leon is already a multi-time Philippine wrestling champion and has represented the country in numerous matches internationally, including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and most notably in mainland China – where he participated in the WWE tryouts in 2019. A Philippine wrestling pioneer with almost a decade of in-ring experience, Jake De Leon is one of the most respected and accomplished Filipino athletes in the genre.
● Fabio Makisig – Fashioning himself as a modern Pinoy folk anti-hero, Fabio Makisig has captured the attention of MWF fans with his no-nonsense, street-smart bravado and spectacular athleticism. Having survived living in a tough Batasan neighborhood all his life, the “Walang Kasing Lupit, Walang Kasing Astig” Fabio has etched his name in Pinoy wrestling history by facing – and defeating – multi-time WWE titleholder TAJIRI. He was also featured in an episode of the ABSCBN News Channel documentary series “Mukha” in 2018.
A Uniquely Filipino Championship Belt
Designed by artist Manuel Mesina III, the MWF Pinoy Wrestling Championship’s design celebrates the Filipino spirit just like the Philippines’ King of the Road – the Jeepney. Colorful, vigorous, attention-grabbing and always action-packed, the MWF Championship perfectly encapsulates Pinoy wrestling’s heart and soul.
It was first held by Robin Sane, another international-level Pinoy wrestler, in 2018, and Ho Ho Lun from Hong Kong, one of Southeast Asian wrestling’s most significant and pioneering figures, in 2019, before being vacated early in 2022 due to the pandemic.
MWF Road to Fate 2022 marks the uniquely Filipino championship belt’s homecoming.
Tickets are now available online via Ticket2Me. For more details, visit www.manilawrestling.com.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines announces that the musical Bayan Bayanan: Letters from Home, originally scheduled on July 15, 16, 2022 (7pm) and July 17, 2022 (3pm) has been postponed to better ensure health and safety of the performers and the audiences.
The new dates are July 29-30 (7pm) and July 31, 2022 (3pm). Ticket holders are advised to keep their tickets as the same tickets will be honored.
Bayan Bayanan: Letters from Home is a new musical based on the classic play of Bienvenido M. Noriega, Jr. presented by the CCP in partnership with Erehwon Center for the Arts.
The Cultural Center of the Philippines and Erehwon Center for the Arts present “BAYAN BAYANAN: Letters from Home,” a new musical based on the classic play of Bienvenido M. Noriega, Jr. This will be staged at the CCP Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo on July 15, 16, 2022 (7pm shows) and July 17, 2022 (matinee).
This production enjoys the special support of the Embassy of France in the Philippines, which has designated the play as part of their series of celebrations for the 75th anniversary of the Philippines – France diplomatic relations. The Embassy has sponsored the participation of French actress, Ms. Uno Zigelbaum, for a special role in this musical.
In 1947, the Philippines and France signed a Treaty of Amity which established diplomatic relations with the two countries.
The French government had also conferred honors on Bayan Bayanan director, Anton Juan. To honor his contributions to the arts, the French Republique knighted Juan Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres and Chevalier de l’Ordre National de Merit.
