For its fifth anniversary celebration, Upstart Productions Inc. presents a nature-inspired version of a well-loved modern classic: Into The Woods. 

A fairy tale musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Into The Woods will be presented in Manila in the garden amphitheater known as Kasalikasan, a tree-lined “living art piece” in the heart of BGC. It is one of the few instances of a venue providing the main inspiration for a show. “When we did Forbidden Broadway in Kasalikasan in May 2014, it was a huge success,” explains Joel Trinidad, Upstart founder and director of the piece. “So we started thinking about what other shows we could do here to really take advantage of this beautiful space.” The idea for Into The Woods came almost immediately. “We’ve always loved the musical,” shares Upstart Managing Director Onyl Torres, who does double duty as Vocal Coach for the present production. “So why not do it in the actual woods?”

Besides Noel Trinidad and Rachel Alejandro, another way that this particular production will be unique is in its use of celebrity guests. “We’ll have a different one for each of the eight performances,” shares Torres. “But we won’t tell audiences who is performing when—it’ll be a surprise.” It is a strategy that Upstart has used before and is happy to use again. “When we did it for Forbidden Broadway, no one had ever done it before,” explains Trinidad. “Now, other theatre companies are doing the same thing!”

But after countless actors, countless directors, and countless productions all over the world—including an upcoming Disney movie—does the musical have any surprises left for Manila audiences? Trinidad believes so. “There’s always something new to discover, something new to share,” explains Trinidad. “The material is just that good.”

Upstart Productions Inc., BGC and AVIVA present Into The Woods. 6:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays from February 21 to March 15, 2015, at Kasalikasan Garden, Crescent Park West, Bonifacio Global City. Also brought to you by Plana Forma, Picasso, Alex Ruelo of ImagineNation Photography, Citrusnap and Mac. Tickets available from Ticketworld. Call 8919999 for details.

I like watching theater productions but most of them were musicals and had never watched a straight play. Maybe because I haven't heard or searched for one that was staged in the Philippines.

That is why I'm glad that there is one to be staged this month with our very own, veteran singer and theater actress, Becca Godinez. The award-winning Fil-Am play, FLIPZOIDS is set to make a debut in the Philippines this coming July 17.

About Flipzoids

Set on a beach in Southern California, “Flipzoids” is a funny and highly moving story aboutthree Filipino immigrants in America navigating through the shifting landscape of home, desire, loneliness and belonging.  The play examines what it means to be an outsider, to be Filipino and/or American, to be a hybrid.

The Raving Reviews

“Becca Godinez’ Aying was a beautiful powerhouse.  Her performance wasn’t performative, as she truly took on the life and characteristics of this amazing provinciana… She was able to bring them…to the kind of slightly heightened realism that makes live theater so wonderful.” 
                                                                                                                                 R P Gonzales - pLAywriting in the City

“Jon Lawrence Rivera, the director, does a marvelous job.  His vision is simple, his characters complex and lyrical. It is a magical play about a journey home with no one having a solution to get there.  Or maybe they are home, they just don’t know it. In any case, Rivera brings to life a wonderful play that will lift your spirits and swathe your life…”

“…the mesmerizing Godinez is earthy and ephemeral, hilarious and heartbreaking.”
                                                                                                                              J. Webb - Backstage LA Theatre Review

“It’s a triumphant return to stage acting for Becca, who inhabits Aying with natural ease, as she shifts from teasing Redford… to movingly expressing her homesickness…”
                                                                                                                                                     R Nepales – Inquirer LA

The Venue

Music Museum will house the production from July 17 til the 19th. With the way the story was laid out, it is the best venue I must say. The space and seating capacity will make the play a bit more intimate and closer to the audience.
 
Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director for Playwrights’ Arena in Hollywood, CA. This award-winning theatrical work is brought to life by a trio of outstanding performers: Becca Godinez, Ellen D. Williams and Maxwel Corpuz.

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly..

This is just a few lines from the timeless hit "Beauty and the Beast" for the Disney animation of the same title. And finally, the Filipino audience will experience hearing the phenomenal song along with the rest of the repertoire this coming January 2015.

Disney Theatrical Productions, NETworks, Broadway Entertainment Group, and Ovation Productions will present the first International Tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in celebration of the production’s 20th anniversary.

The tour will play in markets to include Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. The musical, which will reunite the original Broadway creative, will be seen for the first time in these territories. For Manila, Beauty and the Beast will be handled by veteran concert promoter Renen de Guia of Ovation Productions which is, coincidentally, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Venue is the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) main theater and dates are in January 2015.

Beauty and the Beast as described by producers “is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.”

The production is directed by Rob Roth and choreographed by Matt West. It features costume design by Tony Award winning Ann Hould-Ward, lighting design by Natasha Katz, scenic design by Stanley A. Meyer, sound design by John Petrafesa Jr., and music supervision by Michael Kosarin. There is also music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman, a book by Linda Woolverton, and additional songs with music by Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice.

Beauty and the Beast will run from January 8-25, 2015, 8PM with matinees at 2PM Saturdays and Sundays at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater, CCP Complex. Tickets available starting July 30, 2014! Call Ticketworld at 891-99-99 or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph or Beauty & the Beast hotline: 02 571-8568.

For inquiries and other concerns send  an email to info@beautyandthebeast.com.ph. Be updated! Follow the Broadway musical - Facebook.com/beautyandthebeastph and Twitter.com/BATBph.

Media celebrity G Töngi, newly appointed Artistic Director of Upstart Productions, heads the cast of a dramatic reading of the powerful American play The Baby Dance, brought to you by Metrobank Card Corporation. 

Upstart Productions' G Tongi and Joel Trinidad with co-actors in Baby Dance..

It was different king of setup for a production. Simply no props, no sets, not even costumes. Totally new for me personally; yet interesting. You need to listen carefully to every line the actors were saying. There is no actual acting (just like those we see in most theater productions) but you could feel the actors acting thru verbal and facial expressions. Impressive!

But What is Dramatic Reading...

Drama is literature written for performance--or at least written in a style that would allow for stage performance. As a text form, drama can be thought of as story told though spoken remarks and stage directions. It relies on simulating the language of everyday speech as well as the encounters and interaction of speech: lying, confronting, prevaricating, concealing, admitting, proclaiming, and a wealth of other social/linguistic interactions. 

And of all the literary forms, drama is the one in which the author/dramatist almost never speaks directly to the audience/reader. 

(from source)

About Baby Dance..

Jane Anderson’s The Baby Dance, the performance of which also doubles as Ms. Töngi’s birthday celebration, is the story of a well-to-do suburban couple and their desire to adopt the unborn child of a poor couple living in a trailer park. Witty and deeply moving, the drama ex-plores the complications and consequences of surrogacy from the first meeting of the contrasting couples to the fateful day of the baby’s birth.

Birthday celebrant, G Tongi..

An actress turned playwright, screenwriter, and director, Jane Ander-son has won numerous awards, including an Emmy for writing the 1993 TV movie The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Tex-as Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. Her recent accolades include an Emmy nomination for writing and directing the movie version of The Baby Dance, the script of which she adapted from her own play; a Writer’s Guild of America nomination for her work as a writer on the enormously successful TV series Mad Men; and the screenplays for the 2005 film The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (which she also directed) and the 1994 Nicolas Cage romantic comedy It Could Hap-pen To You.

The Baby Dance was originally produced by The Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California, and then subsequently produced at the Wil-liamstown Theatre Festival. The Manila cast features Ms. Töngi and some of her closest friends in theater, including Upstart founder Joel Trinidad, who also directs the dramatic reading.

The Kick Off...

Metrobank Card Corporation in cooperation with Century City Mall presents Upstart Soundstage: The Dramatic Readings. Starting Sunday, June 15, at 7:00 pm at the Century Plaza Event Center, 5th floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Makati, and playing continuously every other Sunday from then on. Tickets at P300 for plays, P500 for musicals, available at the door. From Upstart Productions.

It was such a joy for me to watch another musical. The production was amazing, lots of well-known hits, I bet no audience would not recognize even a single song. I sang along with performances/hits like I Love the Nightlife, Boogie Wonderland, It's Raining Men, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I will Survive and more..

Priscilla Queen of the Desert tells the story of Tick, Bernadette and Adam, a glamorous Sydney-based performing trio who agree to take their show to the middle of the Australian outback. They hop aboard a battered old bus (nicknamed Priscilla) searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they ever could have dreamed. (from source)

I purchased a seat in the balcony area but it was upgraded to VIP (a big thanks to an HS friend). All the while, the VIP seat is just one of those located in the middle part of the audience. But when I got there to claim my ticket, I was escorted to one of NPAT's VIP boxes. As in "wow"! I have a great view of the view from upstairs and comfortably seated in a lazy chair.

from my IG account..

from my IG account..

Jon Santos, Leo Valdez and ensemble..

Jon Santos, Leo Valdez, Red Concepcion and ensemble..

Jon Santos, Leo Valdez, Red Concepcion and ensemble..

Jon Santos with ensemble..

Jon Santos, Leo Valdez and Red Concepcion..

The cast having a dance party with the audience..

Jon Santos, Leo Valdez, Red Concepcion with ensemble..

The show was fabulous. But it not all singing, partying; the musical has a story.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the Musical opened May 9 and will end July 13.. Personally, I will again watch it definitely.. It's worth it!

I'm wasn't aware of the Tony Awards not until Broadway diva Lea Salonga won her own Tony Award. I love theater productions. I somehow know how was  it like since I was part of a school production back in my high school days and a few productions years back in the recording industry. All I know is that the Tony Awards is one of the most prestigious award giving event for theater.

But what is the Tony Awards?

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known informally as the Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. To be eligible for Tony Award consideration, a production must have officially opened on Broadway by the eligibility date that the Management Committee establishes each year.

And this year, the list of those nominated has been announced..

Best Play
"Act One"
"All the Way"
"Casa Valentina"
"Mothers and Sons"
"Outside Mullingar"

Best Musical
"After Midnight"
"Aladdin"
"Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"
"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Revival of a Play
"The Cripple of Inishmaan"
"The Glass Menagerie"
"A Raisin in the Sun"
"Twelfth Night"

Best Revival of a Musical
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
"Les Miserables"
"Violet"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Samuel Barnett, "Twelfth Night"
Bryan Cranston, "All the Way"
Chris O'Dowd, "Of Mice and Men"
Mark Rylance, "Richard III"
Tony Shalhoub, "Act One"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Tyne Daly, "Mothers and Sons"
LaTanya Richardson Jackson, "A Raisin in the Sun"
Cherry Jones, "The Glass Menagerie"
Audra McDonald, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill"
Estelle Parsons, "The Velocity of Autumn"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Neil Patrick Harris, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Ramin Karimloo, "Les Miserables"
Andy Karl, "Rocky"
Jefferson Mays, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
Bryce Pinkham, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Mary Bridget Davies, "A Night with Janis Joplin"
Sutton Foster, "Violet"
Idina Menzel, "If/Then"
Jessie Mueller, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"
Kelley O'Hara, "The Bridges of Madison County"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Reed Birney, "Casa Valentina"
Paul Chahidi, "Twelfth Night"
Stephen Fry, "Twelfth Night"
Mark Rylance, "Twelfth Night"
Brian J. Smith, "The Glass Menagerie"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Sarah Green, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Celia Keenan-Bolger, "The Glass Menagerie"
Sophie Okonedo, "A Raisin in the Sun"
Anika Noni Rose, "A Raisin in the Sun"
Mare Winningham, "Casa Valentina"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, "Cabaret"
Nick Codero, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Joshua Henry, "Violet"
James M. Iglehart, "Aladdin"
Jarrod Specter, "Bullets Over Broadway"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Linda Emond, "Cabaret"
Lena Hall, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Anika Larson, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"
Adriane Lenox, "After Midnight"
Lauren Worsham, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Direction of a Play
Tim Carroll, "Twelfth Night"
Michael Grandage, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Kenny Leon, "A Raisin in the Sun"
John Tiffany, "The Glass Menagerie"

Best Direction of a Musical
Warren Carlyle, "After Midnight"
Michael Mayer, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Leigh Silverman, "Violet"
Darko Tresnjak, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Book of a Musical
Chad Beguelin, "Aladdin"
Douglas McGrath, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"
Woody Allen, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Robert L. Friedman, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
"Aladdin" (Music: Alan Menkin; Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Begeulin)
"The Bridges of Madison County" (Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown)
"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" (Music: Steven Lutvak; Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak)
"If/Then" (Music: Tom Kitt; Lyrics: Brian Yorkey)

Best Choreography
Warren Carlyle, "After Midnight"
Steven Hoggett and Kelly Devine, "Rocky"
Casey Nicholaw, "Aladdin"
Susan Stroman, "Bullets Over Broadway"

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Jason Robert Brown, "The Bridges of Madison County"
Steve Sidwell, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"
Jonathan Tunick, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Beowulf Boritt, "Act One"
Bob Crowley, "The Glass Menagerie"
Es Devlin, "Machinal"
Christopher Oram, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Christopher Barreca, "Rocky"
Julian Crouch, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Alexander Dodge, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
Santo Loquasto, "Bullets Over Broadway"

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jane Greenwood, "Act One"
Michael Krass, "Machinal"
Rita Ryack, "Casa Valentina"
Jenny Tiramani, "Twelfth Night"

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"
William Ivey Long, "Bullets Over Broadway"
Arianne Philips, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Isabel Toledo, "After Midnight"

Best Sound Design of a Play
Alex Baranowski, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Steve Canyon Kennedy, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill"
Dan Moses Schreier, "Act One"
Matt Tierney, "Machinal"

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, "After Midnight"
Tim O'Heir, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Mick Potter, "Les Miserables"
Brian Ronan, "Beautiful - The Carole King Musical"

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, "The Cripple of Inishmaan"
Jane Cox, "Machinal"
Natasha Katz, "The Glass Menagerie"
Japhy Wideman, "Of Mice and Men"

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Christopher Akerlind, "Rocky"
Howell Binkley, "After Midnight"
Donald Holder, "The Bridges of Madison County"

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the TheatreJane Greenwood

Regional Theatre Award
Signature Theatre

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Rosie O'Donnell

Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre
Joseph P. Benincasa
Joan Marcus
Charlotte Wilcox

Ready to bring your story to the stage? Learn how to write plays from five-time Palanca Award-winning writer, Dr. Joem Antonio, in Amateur Playwriting. This is a three-hour workshop that will be held on January 18, 2:00 PM at U-View, Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street.

Aspiring playwrights will learn the differences between theater and other media, constructing a story for the script, making a story feasible for stage performance, and formatting a script for directors and actors. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a basic method to follow in writing theater plays.

For more information, please visit http://playwriting.bluebackpack.com or contact Mia Madarang of Blue Backpack Events Management at info@bluebackpack.com or +639175861906.

I always knew Andres Bonifacio as the "Father of the Philippine Revolution" and "Supremo" of the Katipunan based of what I learned from our history textbooks. 

In line with the 150th birth anniversary, Tanghalang Pilipino came up with a production showing more of Andres Bonifacio - his struggle and sacrifices before becoming what we all know until now. All of these performed through opera, which is totally new for me because it was my first time watching a theater production in that approach. And it did justified the whole story. 

more photos..

Do watch San Andres B. and every scene is worth watching. I was glued to my seat until the end. Well done!

I am a fan of theater.. Going back to my high school days; when Shakespeare was introduced in class, that started my fascination with theater works.. Even tried joining the theater group, not as an actor but as part of the production team..

Anyway, enough of the flashbacks.. It was my first time watching a Trumpets production.. I was really excited when I got an email and be invited to witness "The Bluebird of Happiness".

Happiness.. Where does one find happiness? Is it with the things you buy? boosting career? people you love? It will really depend on how you think of happiness.. But in watching the musical, it will teach you it's not always in material things that happiness can be found. Even the simplest of simplest moments that one could find that much need happiness.. 

Aside from the meaningful message the musical play is sending to the audience, the cast did a wonderful job portraying their roles. My favorite character was Night (Joel Trinidad). I liked his evil-ish role and the in-between comic lines. Second will be Tylette (Lynn Sherman). Both characters added "spice" in the kids' journey in find the Bluebird of Happiness. If not for these two characters, the scenes would be plain and dull.

Production design was awesome! I love the "3D-ish" effects, if I may call it, especially the scene showing 'The House of Luxury'. My first reaction when the lights opened was "WOW!"

Overall, Trumpets "The Bluebird of Happiness" is a must see musical for the whole family..

"The Bluebird of Happiness" opened last September 27, 2013 at the Meralco Theater.. 

What happens when two kids embark on a magical adventure to find happiness?

The Bluebird of Happiness follows the unforgettable adventure of poor kids Mytyl and Tyltyl search of a mythical creature called the bluebird of happiness. They are accompanied by their dog, their cat, and a candle in human form named "Light" who help them on their journey. Together, they explore wondrous and mysterious lands and meet interesting and enchanted characters in their quest for true happiness.

They visit "The Land of Memory" where they encounter their long dead grandparents, "The Palace of Night" where nightmares and horrors creep from dark corners, "The Forest" filled with trees who have a grudge against humans, "The Land of Luxury" that holds all kinds of riches and bounty, and "The Land of the Future" where sadness is unknown and “The Graveyard” where they must face their worst fears. Despite of all the places they visit they end up where they started and find that the "Bluebird of Happiness" is right in their own home. 

“It will be an unforgettable, magical adventure for all families,” says Trumpets President Audie Gemora on why he chose this project to mark Trumpets’ musical comeback. “Trumpets prides itself with productions like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Joseph The Dreamer, Little Mermaid, among others. Now, we’ve found an apt material for our comeback and have assembled an artistic team composed of the finest artists in the local musical theater scene including director and librettist Jaime Del Mundo, composer Rony Fortich, musical arranger Mon Faustino, scenographer Mio Infante, lighting designer John Batalla, and choreographer Nancy Crowe.

Audie promises that The Bluebird of Happiness will have all the elements that made audiences love previous Trumpets productions.

The Bluebird of Happiness will start enchanting families at the Meralco Theater from September 27 to October 20, 2013. For tickets, contact the Trumpets office at 901-4364 or TicketWorld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph. For more details, Like the Official Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BluebirdbyTrumpets) and Follow the Official Twitter Account– (@TheBluebirdMNL)