Les Miserables (2012)

 

Why even bother to write about the film adaptation of the musical Les Miserables, when I can't ever be objective about it? You know what? I'm not sure, either.

This post was spurred by Hyperactive's Facebook link to his review and our eventual mini-discussion in the comments.  If he had not suggested that I write about it, I probably wouldn't have, simply because I don't think it matters anymore. But maybe I do have a story here. So I will explain why I saw it the way that I did.

Les Miserables was my gateway drug to musical theatre.

It was almost 20 years ago when I was introduced to the musical by a classmate of mine. We were in sixth grade. She told us about Les Miz because her cousin was playing Gavroche in the Manila production. I wasn't the only one who got hooked; there were a bunch of us who didn't see the show but became fans. The inevitable happened--we craved for more. Thus, the other mega-musicals of the era followed: Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera, the rest of the Andrew Lloyd Webber canon...

I remember sharing the double cassette tape of the Les Miz Original London Cast recording with my brother. The song titles were printed on white stickers on either side of the tapes, which eventually became beige with our constant handling. The tapes were so overplayed that our players would sometimes eat them. (Oh, I don't want to explain this to the kids anymore. Basta.)

My brother and I enjoyed the Les Miserables 10th Anniversary Concert, too. He was the one who bought the album. I believe we even recorded the televised show on VHS. By the time the 25th Anniversary Concert came around, everything was online already, so it wasn't that hard to geek out.

Yes, I bought a book for its cover

Point being, I love the show. Nevermind that I only watched it in 2000 from the farthest section with a cheap ticket from Leicester Square. (Joanna Ampil played Eponine. That made me really happy.)  Nevermind that I didn't finish the 1400-page complete and unabridged book. I still managed to absorb the easy 300+ pages of an abridged version. Cheater.

Clearly, I am not the biggest fan of the musical either--I can't remember every name in the OLC ensemble and it's not even my favorite musical of all time--but I'm sure we Les Miz lovers number in the millions and we are passionate about it to this day.

So when the film casting speculations started to circulate, of course I was breathless with anticipation. When the teasers started coming out, I was still able to contain myself. When the excerpts surfaced, I felt I had seen enough and that I could manage my expectations.

Wrong.

When the featurettes were posted, I watched them all and enjoyed the production details that I missed from not doing theater for years. And when vulture.com came out with Les Miserables advent calendar (go on, open it!), I checked it every week (not daily--that would have been really unbearable) because I needed a fix.

I avoided reviews like the plague and went home to the Philippines for the holidays annoyed that the only thing in the way of me watching Les Miz was the Metro Manila Film Festival, which starts on December 25 every year. Mmff talaga!

When I came back to Kuala Lumpur, I made sure to watch Les Miz on the first weekend I could. But when I did...(And this is the part where I need to plagiarize my Facebook comments and assume that you've seen the film.)

The film started out big and grand, as I had never seen the chain gang before. But like the ship in the opening sequence, the film quickly showed that it wasn't the watertight epic I was hoping it would be. The big question was:

Where were the melodies? Where there actually songs?

It's unthinkable to accuse Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil of creating music that is forgettable. Their forte is getting audiences to remember the themes. How come nothing stuck?

I might have the answer: the music was sacrificed in the name of ownership and acting. Then again, you don't have to rewrite the sheet music to own a song. It's also possible to act and still stay more or less faithful to the book (and I don't mean the Victor Hugo one).

I've admired Hugh Jackman since I found out about The Boy From Oz. Since his "Bring Him Home" made me cringe, I don't know what to think of him anymore. Man, was that unlistenable.

There is nothing bad you can say about Anne Hathaway and she's a shoo-in for the Oscar. Her part of the story was the most moving one for me. (Though the actress is only human, as Ricky Lo knows. I don't intend to watch his or Manny the Movie Guy's interviews, but Jessica Zafra's dissection of the non-event is enough for me.) That doesn't spare her from Hatha-haters, though.

The Thenardiers are not as effective as they are onstage. And really, is it too much, Mr. Mackintosh, to have a Marius with dimples? Just kidding.

Not even the presence of the original stage Jean Valjean, Colm Wilkinson (as the bishop), could save the film. But he was the model of simplicity, true to his character. And that is because he didn't need to prove that he can sing. It was nice to have Aaron Tveit and Samantha Barks there. I'm on the fence about Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne. I will be harsher to movie stars than to theater people, but props to them for going through six weeks of rehearsals.

As for Javert...poor guy. Moving on...

You left your coat, dear. Every woman is an Eponine. That's why we react to that waist. It's hard enough to breathe, all the more to sing. © Universal Pictures  

Schoolboys. Just as foolish in the 19th century. © Universal Pictures

Let's face it: there's nothing quite as amazing as a revolving barricade. The barricade is a character on its own. If it is not dynamic, it is dead.

The zooming-out-to-the-heavens shots reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera film. Joel Schumacher was crucified for that (but more because he gave Batman nipples than for anything else), but in hindsight, POTO is much more watchable than Les Miz. Not so sure I'd listen to its soundtrack but I definitely cannot listen to the Les Miz film soundtrack. Or even watch it again. In a few years, perhaps, for a sing-along. An aside: you should see the version I saw in the cinema. It had subtitles in English, Malay and Chinese. Mic na lang, karaoke na!

Ay, sorry. Where was I?

I want to believe that Tom Hooper is an intelligent director and that he tried his darndest to put this film together. There were some smart choices there--live singing and the addition of the new song, to name two. Surely he could have done something to make the lovebirds not look like complete fools. He doesn't really care about them, does he?

It's understandable that the female echo in "Drink With Me" disappeared, but taking away the Fantine-Eponine harmony at the finale? That, for me, was the last straw.

And now, a word on all those closeups. The cinematography is as unforgivable as it is unforgiving. If you're going to be all auteur with a musical of this magnitude, you'll alienate not just theatergoers but film lovers for whom every shot, every angle has to be meaningful.

Les Miserables went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was robbed! That was a much smaller film but very well made. Fine, smaller films are much easier to get right. In the case of Les Miserables, scale was always part of the equation. But it is not the only thing that matters.

Do you hear the (theater) people sing praises for the movie? It had heart, yes, but I'm not sure if it beat with the glorious music that is the soul of the musical we love. And that is why it made me more miserable than I thought I would be.

P.S.
I wanted to pick a fight (and still do) with my boss when he said that the movie is better than the musical. It makes my blood boil. Then I stop to think. Am I the more irrational one, 24601?


P.P.S.
Les Miserables is still a motion picture event and a milestone for movie musicals. Some viewers might need hankies. If you haven't seen the film, go see it. Let's compare notes afterwards. Talking about it helps me make sense of these intense reactions that took me quite a while to explain. (Another reason why this entry is getting longer and longer.)

The fall of heroes

The past week has provided me with my fill of the Bard. First, I saw Ralph Fiennes' film directorial debut, Coriolanus, an adaptation of one of Shakespeare's lesser known plays. I was unfamiliar with the text, so I came with few expectations, though I had heard it had good reviews.

The film, set in modern-day Rome, uses the media (mainly TV) as an important driver of narrative. The rise and fall of Martius Coriolanus, played by Fiennes, is charted through his encounters in battle (exemplified by an action-packed sequence early in the film) and his public and political appearances.

Certain lines uttered by the bald Fiennes occasionally reminded me of his Lord Voldemort role in the Harry Potter series, but I think his acting and directing put him at par with Kenneth Branagh--no small feat in my book.

Brian Cox (not the physicist--I would have loved that but he wouldn't have been as good) as Menenius, Paul Jesson as Brutus, James Nesbitt as Sicinius and Vanessa Redgrave as Volumnia are noteworthy. The different accents (including Gerard Butler's Scottish) add diversity to the characters.

Despite the liberties in adaptation, John Logan's screenplay is faithful to the text (swords are mentioned, not guns). Doubtless some people in the audience did not expect to hear verse (the local poster had no mention of Shakespeare), but that they stayed on shows that a classic done well will touch mainstream viewers, though it might not fill the cinema. I hope Fiennes takes on other plays for the silver screen.


King Lear is perhaps the first of Shakespeare's work that I ever came across. The comic book version I had in grade school was still quite heavy for children, but I retained enough interest to see the 2007 RSC production in London. PETA's new production of Haring Lear, the first Filipino adaptation of the play as translated by Bienvenido Lumbera and directed by Nonon Padilla, has layers of hurdles to overcome.

It was my first time to see an all-male cast as it was done in Elizabethan times, which I found quite interesting.

Call it the bald kabuki, with a Punch and Judy puppet thrown in. The largely monochromatic staging by Gino Gonzales appears to be an homage to the late Salvador Bernal, who I believe was supposed to design the production. The color blocking in the makeup indicates the genders, but often masks expression. Fortunately, some of the actors have wonderfully rich voices. For its fluorescent tubes, Jojo Villareal's lighting gave me a flashback of Shoko Matsumoto's design for Atlantis Productions' Next to Normal last year. There are some lovely atmospheric moments that you wish you could take a photo of.

Some surprising directorial and design choices, however, tend to distract and call for further suspensions of disbelief. The use of English for certain lines, understandable with the apparently post-colonial reading, becomes grating after hearing mainly Filipino. Collapsing the parts of Cordelia and the fool may sound like a good idea in the beginning, but it becomes confusing in the end, when Cordelia reappears.

Teroy Guzman as the monarch is not stark raving mad but a character you would want to sympathize with. Although this might not be Guzman's best performance, props to him for what he has to go through for 30 shows. Getting drenched for prolonged periods in an airconditioned theater poses a grave health risk and I am concerned about what his body has to go through. It makes you want to scream "Why?!? Is this The Tempest?" I hope the cast has stocked up on vitamins. I saw a Saturday afternoon matinee, the second show for the day and the third for the entire run. I forgave the incredibly low energy of the first few scenes and was relieved that it picked up eventually.

George de Jesus as Oswaldo steals the scenes with his one-liners and facial expressions, and literally stops the show. The story of Edgardo (Myke Salomon) and Edmundo (Jay Gonzaga) overshadows that of the three sisters, possibly a function of the actors playing females not wanting to go cross the line between feminine and flamboyant gay. I appreciate the restraint. I don't remember them getting that much attention before, but the brothers have presence (and that is in addition to the biceps).

PETA has had a very strong season starting with William, then Care Divas (which I wish I hadn't missed--it is generally said to have done very well) before Haring Lear. I hope they continue to do work that consistently makes you want to rush to the theater all throughout the season. And I hope that regardless of what I have written, you will go see Lear and discuss it with me.

Paghihintay kay Godo

Kung teatro ang hilig mo, alam mo kung ano ang Paghihintay kay Godo (Waiting for Godot) ni Samuel Beckett. Absurdo. Bitin. Pumupukaw sa kaisipan.

Itatanghal ng Teatro Baguntao ng Mataas na Paaralang Ateneo de Manila ang dula sa ika-7 ng Enero, alas 7 ng gabi at ika-14 ng Enero, alas 3 ng hapon at alas 7 ng gabi sa Bulwagang Hayes, Ateneo de Manila. Salin sa Filipino ni Rolando S. Tinio at sa direksiyon ni Ronan B. Capinding, ipinapangako ng produksiyon na magiging kakaiba ang pagsasadulang ito at magiging akma ito sa mga kabataang magsisipanood.

P150 ang isang tiket; P120 bawat isa kung 10 ang bibilhin. Para sa mga katanungan, makipag-ugnayan kay Mauel Lacuna sa numerong 09994949466.

Video dump of the week

I don't necessarily agree with all the lyrics, but the son of the queen's chaplain nails it.

One of the more fascinating TEDTalks I've seen lately.

Not fascinating, but a wake-up call. The internet is making the male of the species socially awkward.

Makes me feel hopeful for non-formulaic Filipino films.

From where I'm sitting: thoughts on Philippine cinema and theater

I won't pretend that this is a survey of recent Philippine film and theater since I haven't seen enough. But based on the last two indie movies and five plays and musicals I have seen over the past two months, I am optimistic about Philippine arts and culture, at least in these areas. Without launching into reviews of each of these works, I would like to point out what seems to be working, from where I'm sitting.

There is an audience. Ang Babae sa Septic Tank and Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington are by no means regular studio fare. And maybe that's their appeal. Sure, there are mainstream TV and movie actors in it, but there's more to them than the usual stars. The subject matter and the treatment are brave, unusual and fresh: Babae is a commentary on "poverty porn" seen in Filipino movies that make the festival circuit and Zombadings is about gay zombies. This can be taken for a sign that the local audience (urbanites, at least) is ready for non-formulaic works. Indies have been shown in mainstream theaters before but these two films show that commercial success is possible.

What do Dulaang UP's Rizal X, Entablado's Sa Kanyang Dapitan, Tanghalang Ateneo's Sintang Dalisay, PETA's William, and Atlantis Productions' In The Heights have in common? Make that the first four--the last production is the odd one out. The first four are geared toward student audiences. The first three are university-based productions. The first two are about Jose Rizal since it is the sesquicentennial of the national hero's birth this year. Sintang Dalisay and William are based on the works of William Shakespeare.

What does this imply? Material that is based on or adapted from an existing play can come alive, which shows that one need not have an exact Noli Me Tangere or Romeo and Juliet to talk about the lessons and truths from those works. Certainly new material or new treatment can work. Also, that the student audience is still the most convenient one to market to because it can be required for classes. Not that In The Heights suffers in terms of marketability. It had enough names and the reputation of Atlantis to pull in the theatergoers and benefits from Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning music and lyrics.

Sa Kanyang Dapitan needs a bit of work on the second act but what it proves is that different perspectives can make history come alive. Sintang Dalisay makes a classic even richer with the use of local culture. Transposing Romeo and Juliet to the Muslim South took away some of the lyricism of the lines, but the beautiful igal dancing and gamelan music added more than was removed.

What Rizal X and William show best is that there is a new breed of young standout performers. This is a playwright's dream. Bring on the young characters. William will surely have a touring life for years to come. It made Shakespeare comprehensible to high schoolers with the use of rap Rizal X dared to be experimental, with interesting (and sometimes puzzling) results. It reached out to the young audience with the use of music, an unusual set and comtemporary staging.

So before the attack of the big shows later this year through early 2012--Seussical, Stomp, The Little Mermaid, The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia--let's remember to support original plays and independent cinema. Let's make sure these young talents earn a living and encourage writers to produce work that will cross over to more mature audiences while at the same time get young people interested in the arts. Mabuhay!

Meadowlark

Too much negativity to end the month with. How to dispel it? I think music is the best way.

Can I tell you a story through song? Here's a one-take of Stephen Schwartz's "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife, with a good number of timing errors and progressively degenerating as it goes. Just let them go and enjoy the tale, will you?

[Image via FCIT]

maARTe ako

Thank you for saying it. Especially Topper Fabregas' line: "If it's not shared, it is just the work of a crazy person." Agree.



CREDITS
Producers: Mayk Juat, Jake Macapagal, Pam Imperial
Director Mayk Juat
Cinematographer: Nix Lanas

[via Gibbs Cadiz]

Loss, laughs and lunacy: Virgin Labfest 2011 Set D

An appetizer would be nice. Krista Ann Taclan's Fragment entitled Kontrabida, Inc., which pits Princess Punzalan against Bing Loyzaga started off the two-and-a-half-hour Set D of the 7th Virgin Labfest yesterday afternoon. The festival brings untried, untested plays to the Cultural Center of the Philippines' Tanghalang Huseng Batute for a two week run--five sets that run for four shows each, in addition to three staged readings.

Set D opens with The Valley Mission Care, written

by Russell Legaspi and directed by Missy Maramara. Although it runs for under an hour, the play can easily stand on its own, with the set, lights, video and sounds all working together to suggest the different locations. The Valley Mission Care revolves around an elderly Filipino man (Siegfried Sepulveda) and his Filipina carer (Mayen Estanero) in an American care home. Starting out on the comic side, the play concludes as a tearjerker. There is much about it that feels very honest to me. It also makes good use of Richard Cunanan as the doctor and in a couple of scene-stealing bit parts.

Mga Lobo Tulad ng Buwan, written and directed by Pat Valera is the kind of show that you need to know something about before diving into it or else you will spend the entire time trying to understand the context (which happened to me). Without the benefit of a background, I could only tell that memory and loss were part of it, but it didn't dawn on me that they were referring to the Princess of the Stars tragedy until curtain call, when the Sulpicio Lines jingle played. A light bulb in my head lit up when I heard it. Mga Lobo Tulad ng Buwan feels like a performance art piece because of the paper-strewn set. It shows the roundabout process of acceptance and moving on, also in a roundabout way, hence the themes and lines feel taxing on the actors and draining to the audience. I felt as if I saw in the women players the witches of Macbeth transplanted to a fantasy land of giants and mermaids. Inspired by a Storyline episode, Lobo does not fall short of symbolism. The cast (Mary Jane Alejo, Katte Sabate and Chic San Agustin) must be commended for their energy and for giving their all into their roles.

The last play in the set is Bawal Tumawid, Nakamamatay, written and directed by Joey Paras. Mayhem becomes Valentine's Day as commuters wait near a mall on EDSA. Chance brings Mang Caloy (Leo Rialp) and Eva (Kiki Baento) together at a coffee shop, as a bunch of supporting actors break the dialogue between the two with well-placed quips. Much of the comedy rests on the shoulders, possibly the hips, of Baento, who is a mile-a-minute yakker hoping to attend her father's funeral. The similarities of the situation of Lolo Frisco in The Valley Mission Care to Mang Caloy here robs it of surprise. However, the story's riotous ending is feel-good way to end a set.

The three plays, though similar in theme, certainly differ in execution. There are many ways of dealing with the loss of a loved one, but it is clear that the hurt lingers long after the other is gone.

I have to call out the leaking ceiling of the theater for being the show's single biggest distraction. Just when I have suspended my disbelief, I am reminded where I am because of the dripping roof. Hope they fix it soon.

I find it very encouraging that a good number of students were in the audience, though I guess that young people make up a big chunk of the Labfest audience. It is also interesting that the playwrights in this set all came to Labfest initially as actors. The majority of this year's crop of playwrights are also first-time writers for the festival. While it will take time to hone the writing, this is a very good place to start.

Tuesdays with Mia: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Being the token musical theater fans in the office, Mia and I wouldn't feel so good passing up two free tickets to the Australian touring production of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Having seen a good deal of local talent, we would never have paid for the tickets to the show, knowing that Pinoy artists could do as well, if not better. That said, we went to CCP's Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo as both fans and skeptics.



The song selection is what you'd expect from an ALW revue. The show has several of ALW's greatest hits, which would be familiar even to non-musical theater fans. The only songs that I had not heard before were the ones from Starlight Express, as the pop hits from the musical did not make it to that suite. The selection is an excellent showcase of Lloyd Webber's range, from nearly blasphemous to sincerely religious. The arrangement did not seem to be in a predictable order, though between the two of us, we were able to predict how the encore would go.

The orchestration did not disappoint. The male talent, vocally at least, seemed stronger than the female. Mia and I are huge fans of Michael Cormick. I like Andrew Conaghan except when he hams it up. Delia Hannah is practically a Patti LuPone stand-in. The best number was the gospel choir song "Vaults of Heaven" from Whistle Down the Wind, which had both of us saying "like" afterwards.

However, there were moments when the whole treatment was unbelievable, and not in a positive way. Worth pointing out: Judas' Song from Jesus Christ Superstar, which opened the second half of the show and the boyband version of No Matter What. Sume-Stephen Gately (bless his soul) at rumo-Ronan Keating.

Perhaps the somewhat mature audience was reserved, which is why the comedy doesn't draw laughs. The choreography doesn't always work, though I appreciate that there was movement. But the costumes had too much sparkle for my tastes--understandable, of course, without the benefit of props and elaborate sets.

The sets are built for touring: low staircases on casters, four LED screens for projections, which can distracting at times, but pull you back in when you feel like tuning out. It was actually wonderful not to have projections for the highlights of Phantom of the Opera, showing just how powerful the music and the voices were on their own.

The best video snippet has to be the interview of ALW where he says that the downside to his work is that whenever he goes to a restaurant with a pianist, they play the opening notes of Phantom--hilarious.

I was wondering where The Beautiful Game went, expecting something like "Let Us Love in Peace" but maybe it also counts that "Our Kind of Love" has the same tune as "Love Never Dies", the title tune from Lloyd Webber's latest show, the sequel to Phantom.

"There's something missing," said Mia.

"Story?" I asked.

We couldn't tell exactly. Mia, who had seen Atlantis Productions' Aida last week, wished sponsors would come in for local productions instead. I agree. There are so many shows this year that could be great.

For your enjoyment, three ALW songs, one tune:

Our Kind of Love from The Beautiful Game, sung by Donny Osmond
The Heart is Slow to Learn pre-Love Never Dies, sung by Kiri Te Kanawa (my favorite version)
Love Never Dies from Love Never Dies, sung by Sierra Boggess (Cringe at "infiltrate my soul". Where are you, Tim Rice?)

Lastly, meet Phantom, Ramin Karimloo. The London run of Love Never Dies closes down in August.

RSC stamps!

I only recognize Judi Dench, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, but the starts don't even matter.

To quote Kris Aquino, "Love, love, love..." And yes, I quote her precisely because it's inappropriate.

[via Creative Review]

A declaration

Allow me to say something bold.

Next year, I will take a sabbatical. (I hope I can take one every five years--it would be five years since my year in Europe by 2012).

I will work on my solo exhibit. I will do theater. I will travel. I will write. If I get lucky, maybe I'll even get to sing and dance in a chorus, but that would be pushing it.

The primary goal is to create a considerable body of visual work. If that is my first and last one-woman show, then at least I can say I was able to do it and not regret that I never had time for my art. I will need a gallerist who believes in me, and a lot of inspiring conversations to keep me going. Will you sign up for the task?

It will not be easy. It will drain my resources and some people will not support the idea. But I have made this declaration to the universe. I will put in the hours. God will take care of the rest.

And here's a little something for you. It's not complete because I haven't quite learned the whole song yet. Slightly out of sync, a number of bum notes, but it's not completely terrible.

My 29th birthday
29 March 2011

Modern family

When Atlantic Productions announced its 2011 season, musical theater geeks must have screamed collectively (I did, by myself, in front of the computer). Never has there been a musical lineup this strong, at least on these shores.

Of the four musicals, I thought that the first one, Next to Normal, would be the one I would skip. I was familiar with the songs of the four shows and I have to admit that NtN's soundtrack was my least favorite of them. I have a vivid memory of listening to it in the family car with my brother and parents on a rainy night in 2009, strong language and all. It was All Saint's Day. We were on the way to Manila Memorial Park to visit my uncle's grave. Could any setting be less normal?

Next to Normal is the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical about a family coping with the mother's psychological state, an offshoot of the son's early death, which still haunts her 17 years later. It is not the usual storyline for musicals, but that is how contemporary musicals are. No longer the feel-good tuners of the 20th century, the new breed of musicals have unexpected subjects--in this case complicated family dynamics and how little we know about the human brain--and succeed without relying on big budgets and special effects.


NtN is definitely and acting piece as much as a singing one, and Atlantis Productions' impressive cast delivers. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Diana is, in a word, perfectly flawed. There is no one in town who can pull it together as a woman falling apart the way she can. I did have flashbacks of her as Aldonza in Rep's Man of La Mancha while I was watching, but more than all her previous roles (and she has had an amazing theatrical career), this must be among the most challenging, if not the most challenging role that she has done. I also have to mention that she directed an very touching production of Little Women last year, which I really should have written about.

Jett Pangan is incredibly forceful even without big gestures or reactions. Sniffles can be heard during "I Am the One (Reprise)". It was my first time to see him onstage and I immediately fell in love. Who says rock stars can't take on characters different from their band personas?

It is hard to find fault with Felix Rivera as Gabe, the son who wasn't there. I didn't think he had to show his well-toned upper body, but I'm sure that not a few were happy that he did. Bea Garcia as Natalie makes me think of a moodier version of Ellen Page in Juno. There was a scary moment in "Everything Else" but she is right on the mark all other times. Markki Stroem is a revelation as a sincerely loving Henry, with some Michael Cera-like movements. I hope he continues to do theater. It's a pity that Jake Macapagal has more spoken lines than sung because he has a great singing voice.

The cracks and the off-center lights of the set makes you feel that something is amiss. The musicians, led by Ceejay Javier, sound great. Bobby Garcia's direction doesn't call attention itself. Effective. Long before curtain call, it was obvious that the show would merit a standing ovation. I couldn't wait to get on my feet.

I watched the opening night through the kindness of M and M. I think I'll see it again. I'm willing to pay for it this time. As for the rest of the season, I will not miss In The Heights (September) for the world. Since STAGES will be doing The Light in the Piazza in July, I think I might not see Aida again (the theater budget is limited), though I would want to see it if they have an incredible title character. (The lead I had seen on Broadway massacred, and I mean seriously ruined what could have been a beautiful show. My brother and I were furious after it.) Not sure if I'd go see Disney's The Little Mermaid. The TRUMPETS version is enough for me, and since I had seen the other Disney shows (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast), I'm good already with those experiences. But who knows, right? It's going to be a spectacular year for musicals and the theatergoers of Manila should congratulate Atlantis for giving us material of this quality, delivered very well.

Next to Normal runs at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, until March 27.

Missing Oscar

I have not seen the Oscar-nominated films. And that is fine for now.

There are two reasons why I was rooting for The King's Speech. Here's one. And the other.

Not great, but there are so many musicals connected to this year's awards that it almost makes sense to post the clip that didn't make it to the ceremonies.

BONUS: Kenneth Branagh talking about the Short Film (Live Action) nominees. Not embeddable, so just click. My reason for including this? Here you go.

Ayyy, fan. (In terms of the post before this one, Group B.)

QC Saturday

The work pile isn't getting any smaller and the canvas will be untouched this weekend. I want to scream, but thinking about it, no amount of lung exertion will make things better.

Still, I should be thankful that I was able to cross out a few work items from my list, that the EM AVP shoot went well, and that I was able to watch a play for free. Counting my blessings.

The last time I had a clapper in front of me? College.

The video, which will be used to promote Erasmus Mundus, was shot with a Canon 7D.

Location: Chef Tatung's, 17 Matipid St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City

Mr. Pagsi

Saw Sa Kaharian ng Araw, B's favorite play, courtesy of a free ticket from K, who bought 10 tickets and just wanted to give them away. And he wants to treat us again. Sweet. (Reminds you of "Adeu, Barcelona!" in the post below this one, no?) It gives me hope that there are people out there who are giving without expecting anything in return.

Alright, back to work. Time to transcribe the untranscribe-able.

Last show syndrome

It's eerie, this peace. For months, I dreaded this day: the last show, when it all ends and I have to retreat to my workaday world. I'd be depressed when this is over, I thought.

But then I met New York-based theater director and designer Loy Arcenas earlier this week.

"I've always believed that theater is an art that is experienced in the moment. It is not something you can keep in pictures," he said. "I have no problem in watching my work be destroyed at the end of the run of each show. As far as I was concerned the production was the product itself.... That was that and I move on to the next one."

And then I thought of the way I was holding on to this production as if it was the only thing I was living for. Of my 500+ photos. Of the several videos I took of the finale dance, like a mom documenting her kids' milestones. Of tirelessly going on to Facebook to interact with the cast.

Hearing what Loy had to say hit hard. Let go.

On the way home from the show, there was this strange feeling. Blank but not empty. Content that the show went very well, pleased that we had a great audience, happy that my personal performance ended on a high, ready to wake up tomorrow and go on as usual.

I think I will stop here. No more shows unless absolutely necessary. It's time to focus on the next project: a group exhibit next month.

This does not mean I won't be sentimental, however. I'm wearing my TBT shirt to sleep tonight. I don't think I am the only one who will.

A true story

There was once a high school girl who loved theater. Her class asked her to direct the class play, a musical based on one of Shakespeare's more famous works.

There was once a high school boy who fell in love with the girl. He was quiet and shy and had nothing to do with theater. But to win the girl's heart, he decided to change that. For the first time, he auditioned for a play in his school--the same play the girl was directing for her class. He won a part and invited the girl to watch. The girl, having no interest in the boy but wanting to make him feel better for his efforts, went to watch him onstage.

During the performance, the boy appeared onstage with a bouquet of flowers and stopped the scene by crossing over to the audience and handing the flowers to the girl. Although she considered what he did the sweetest thing anyone ever did for her--not just the gesture but going through weeks of rehearsal just so that she would see him--she never changed her mind about him. From then on, she hated flowers because they reminded her of the boy. She asked other boys not to give her flowers. But the girl and the boy remained friends and stayed in touch through the years.

More than 10 years later, the girl missed theater and decided to audition for a play. She got a part and invited the boy to watch. The play was in his school, with the same theater group he performed with and in the same theater where he performed and gave her the flowers.

The boy had no interest in the girl anymore, but watched the play as a friend.

At curtain call, the girl received a bouquet. It was not from the boy, but that did not matter. It could have come from anyone, could have been bought by a friend, an admirer or a total stranger and the reaction of surprise would have been the same as that night more than a decage ago. But something had changed, perhaps because so much time had gone by. Holding the bouquet in her hands, the girl realized one thing: she did not hate flowers anymore.

[UPDATE: The girl told the boy about this post. He read this and sent the girl a long email that made her teary-eyed every time she read it.]

Ang Negosyante ng Venesya

Most of you already know that I'm appearing as Nerissa in Teatro Baguntao's production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, translated into Filipino by Rolando Tinio. We have had eight shows so far, but since I have alternates, I've only appeared in two (both for Ateneo HS freshmen). Next Saturday we have a gala, possibly my second-to-the-last show. The venue is tiny, but if you are sure to come, let me know so I that can reserve a ticket or two. Tickets are at P150. My last performance will either be a benefit show or an outreach show out of town, so it's Saturday or never.


Joining the production in November has been nothing short of a riot. Although I know that my writing gets read and people view my paintings, I never get to see my audience. Live performance has instant feedback and gives a different kind of high. Being the oldest member of the entire production, I find working with teenagers stressful yet fun. It must be karma for teasing my brother for hanging out with kids. I do get a kick out of blending in. It feels great to feel this young.

Notes on Kaos

The Vegas-by-way-of-Broadway show Kaos at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila is an interesting production that is high on camp, able to out-Disney the shows at Disneyland. The story is simple enough for non-English speakers to follow: lonely prince follows the girl of his dreams to her kingdom as an evil advisor threatens to bring chaos into the equation. But the Kaos of the title is the white lion which is somehow woven into the story. (There are notes in English, Chinese and Korean in case you still get lost, but really, is there anything to explain?)

The singing is quite good. I found the selection of songs quite puzzling, but the pace is just right. My mom is not sold on the acting of Gian Magdangal as the prince. Lacking in passion, she said. The love interest is played by Martha Joy, who is a revelation (because I have never heard of her before). Joel Trinidad, the advisor, has mastered wicked laughter but comes off more as a narrator than a villain. That works just as well. I could barely make out the lines of Jemuel Victorino as the king. A costumed Manila Symphony Orchestra provides the musical accompaniment. The costumes are dazzling, though a little too sparkly and neon for my taste. The large LED screens work wonderfully with the sets.

The stunts, illusions and the rare animals alone are worth the price of admission, assuming you have not seen a traveling circus lately. The performers have very specialized skills and come from different parts of the world. I hope they all have insurance.

Verdict: if you want entertainment for an hour and a half, definitely go for it. The 1500-seater Newport Performing Arts Theater is not deep, so don't be afraid of the cheap seats. Then again, the ticket price isn't exactly inexpensive (starting at P988). I hope that in the future, the theater will host other kinds of productions, not just spectacles like Kaos.

Careful Guy

It took me two views to realize what the song was based on. Did anyone get it?

The writing on the (Facebook) wall

NYT's tech guy David Pogue, a funny geek who can accompany himself on the piano (summa with distinction in Music from Yale), has written a love letter to the Canon S95. My brother has been talking about this for months. Must. Upgrade. Soon.

Why does this matter to me? Read Pogue's bio. You know I have a soft spot for former Broadway accompanists. If you haven't seen them yet, go look for his performances on TED.com.