summer workshop season

nothing to watch! most if not all theater companies are focusing on workshops this season. and after, it will be mostly workshop showcases. none of which would really merit a review since it will all be amateur productions with very limited budget and prep time. plus the main purpose of these are really just to give the 'graduates' a chance to showcase what they've learn during the workshop.

exited and very much looking forward to some professional performances scheduled within the next few months though.there's the repeat of DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN, starring Joel Trinidad, Atlantis Production's LEGALLY BLONDE and Rep's EQUUS.

till then, i shall remain quiet because franclee speaking, i could really use a break!

HARING +UBU-L

Sipat Lawin Ensemble’s Filipino adaptation of Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi, the first avant garde theatrical piece is so wrong in many levels that it has gone full circle and became so right. It’s offensive, gross, filthy and oh so awesome. I loved it.

Sipat Lawin Ensemble is an edge-work site-specific theater company formed mainly by graduates of the Philippine High School for the Arts and other collaborating artists. I welcome the entry of this group of really talented, unassuming geniuses into the “mainstream” theater scene. They really are a breath of fresh air to the commercially (as commercial as theater gets) motivated performances that major companies stage these days.

Haring Tubul is not broadway in anyway. Nor is it a politically correct PETA production. It’s entertainment but so much more. It is so unfortunate that I cannot invite everyone to watch this performance for the simple reason that not everyone is intelligent enough to appreciate it.

To those who want depth and profundity, this play will not leave you wanting for it offers a very deep socio-political commentary; albeit sandwiched between profane language and obscenity. Look beyond the racy language and the humping and pumping and the gore and slime, and you will find a message so relevant to us today. Power hungry, greed, ambition, gluttony, avarice are words we usually relate to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and many traditional politicians. Yet this play is so much more than an attack on the country’s political leaders. It pokes your consciousness and makes you think, but it does it so subtly that you just get entertained only to realize later on that “oo nga no?”

You laugh and wonder why you are laughing so hard about something that propriety dictates as improper. You laugh when you should be offended; only to realize that its obscenity is precisely what makes it funny. It’s so disgusting it’s provocative. So impertinent that it is pleasantly entertaining.

An avant garde piece like this can and will only work with a strong ensemble cast (Acey Aguilar, Nar Cabico, Sheenly Gener, Dorothea Marabut) and an artistic and production staff of the highest caliber (music/sound designer Teresa Barrozo, prod designers Leeroy New, Eisa Jocson, Santi Obcena & Tuxqs Rutaquio, and director JK Anicoche). Sipat Lawin Ensemble is just that. Young, talented, brilliant, gifted -- artists committed to their craft without coming off as cocky; takes pride in what they do and keeps their dignity without insulting their audience’s intellect.

Franc lee speaking, Haring Tubul has got to be the most entertaining theater production I have seen this year. I know it’s only March, there’s so much more plays to watch and I can’t wait to see what Sipat Lawin Ensemble is offering next.

I f I must summarize my Haring Tubul experience in a phrase, I only have this to say…”PUTANG INA, ANG GANDA!”

Itim Asu

I have had the chance to witness two (2) dance performances lately; Myra Beltran’s re-adaptation of Virginia Moreno’s’ ITIM ASU (February 24, RCBC Plaza) and Ballet Philippines’ NEO-FILIPINO.

ITIM ASU or the Onyx Wolf has been staged several times; it inaugurated the CCP Little Theater in 1970 with National Artist Rolando Tinio directing fellow National Artist Daisy Avellana in the lead; Anton Juan also staged his own interpretation of the this Virgie Moreno classic with Lolita Rodriguez and Vic Silayan (who also played the role of Gen. Bustamante in the Tinio version) and of course the very memorable modern dance interpretation of Alice Reyes for her dance company that is now known as Ballet Philippines.

So, why restage, or as Myra Beltran would say it, “reconstruct” this masterpiece? She did write a lengthy director’s notes explaining why. As always, there’s the usual “trying-to-be-deep-and-profound-but-really-just-a-load-of-crap” explanation. I always thought that dance pieces no matter how long or short it is, should be able to speak for itself. You may have the most profound intention but the piece has to be judged by the actual dancing, not the blurb, not the synopsis.

What do I think about Myra Beltran’s latest opus? Well, the performance to begin with was not very impressive. I understand the dancers were mostly from the UP Dance Company; therefore they were still very young and raw talents. But that is no excuse, I have seen young dancers do so much better. The choreography was very Myra Beltran, there was nothing I haven’t seen before (from Myra or any other choreographer/dancers). Of course she had to take the “multi-media” route with video projections and recorded narrations embedded or intertwined with canned music by various artists. The video projections at the very least were a distraction to the core of the performance, the dance. It didn’t realy contribute anything meaningful to the piece as it was merely a montage of images and what-nots. Absolutely unnecessary. I suppose if you are confident enough with your dancing and choreography, you wouldn’t really feel the need to “collaborate” with other artists and insert pointless creations into your masterpiece. Another thing that really bothered me was the narration. In between some dance pieces were letters of Rizal to reformers and some radio broadcasts, which were conceptually fine by me; I just hope they asked someone with better diction to do the recording.

The clincher for me was Myra’s own performance. You are the choreographer and director. This whole thing was your idea, your concept performed through the young dancers of UP Dance Company. Why do a solo in the middle of the action? If you really wanted to showcase yourself, you should have casted yourself to play the lead! Otherwise, leave the dancing to your dancers. Let them tell your story. Let them deliver your message.

Franc Lee speaking, Myra Beltran’s “reconstruction” of Virginia Moreno’s ITIM ASU was… well… self indulgent on her part, a lackluster performance and was overall, a big bore. Good thing the performance was free of charge.

latest culture happenings

It's been a while since my last entry. i've been pretty busy lately. since then i have had the chance to catch PETA's Juan Tamad ang Diyablo at 5 Milyong Boto, Ballet Philippines' Neo-Filipino, Dulaang sipat lawin's Haring +Ubu-L, Myra Beltran's Itim Asu and a few movies.

I will post my review of the said performances soon.

On Romeo and Bernadette

In contrast to the almost always sold out performances of RENT (by 9works Theatrical), Repertory Philippines’ love month offering ROMEO AND BERNADETTE, almost always ran on an empty theater. This is due, perhaps, on Rep’s lack of publicity; add to that the unknown play and author, and RENT getting all the attention from the press/media and even the corporate sponsors didn’t help either.

This is a shame because between the two plays, I actually preferred Romeo and Bernadette (R & B). I compare the two for the following reasons:
1. both opened on February 5 and will close on February 28;
2. both are musicals (with a live band on stage) and both set in New York City;
3. both plays are in English.

The similarities, however, end there. I know I shouldn’t be comparing the two because these are two very different plays. One is very real, the other a farce. One’s a drama, the other comedy. One’s being done by a newly created theater company, the other by the country’s oldest theater company! So, I shall stop comparing and will instead write my comments on R&B. Anyway, I think I pretty much said enough about RENT in my previous post.

So here goes…

Romeo and Bernadette is well, Romeo and Juliet. With a twist. Romeo didn’t die, just fell into a coma and woke up 500 years later to see his Juliet in Bernadette Penza – daughter of Salvatore Penza, leader of a mob family in Brooklyn. Again, I don’t want to waste my time writing about the play’s plot and synopsis so just Google it if you wish.

The play is very tongue-in-cheek; very camp. And I think it’s important for the viewer to know that for him to truly appreciate the comedy, otherwise, the cast would just seem so overly acting and weird. If you enter the theater with this mindset, then everything would make more sense. If not, you’ll probably still enjoy the performance; but would think the actors could use some acting lessons or something.

Notable in the entire play is the cast’s exaggerated Brooklyn accent. I believe this was necessary to show a clearer contrast with Romeo’s Shakespearean English. A great part of the show’s comedy is anchored on the language and accent, and I think the cast did a pretty good job at it. They were consistent at most, that when they falter, you find yourself easy to forgive.

And now, my view on the cast:

- Perfectly casted in the role of Bernadette is Cris Villonco. Cris, I believe, is one of the finest actors (musical or otherwise) in her generation. She said to have had doubts with doing a comedy since she’s done mostly dramatic roles before. But she was very funny. Effortlessly funny. And that voice! She, to borrow a line from the play, “has a voice of an angel.” Perfect.
- Playing Romeo is PJ Valerio, who surprisingly, did an awesome job! I guess the role was perfect for him too. Romeo’s character requires the actor to “ham it up” a bit. A task that was apparently not very difficult for PJ. Believe me, I’ve seen him in previous performances, and this wasn’t a far stretch for him. However, for this particular play, his “acting style” actually did him good. And the singing was nice too.
- The scene stealers of the show are Red Concepcion and Liesl Batucan, although it’s not entirely their fault. Their characters were meant to be that. The comic relief in a comedy about a tragedy. And they effectively played their parts.
- Another notable “scene stealer” is Rem Zamora who played… everybody else. From an accordion player to a tenor to a gay florist, a dance instructor, an immigration officer, etcetera, etcetera…
- Interesting too, were the “senior” actors who played the parents; mafia bosses Dido dela Paz and Jim Paoleli, and Juno Henares as Bernadette’s Veronese mother. Dido’s voice was sometimes annoying though, he should seriously consider quitting smoking. He’s beginning to sound like Baby Barredo!
- The odd men out were Kenneth Keng and Jamie Wilson. Odd men because of the entire ensemble, they were the weakest. Kenneth obviously is new in the business. He seemed like a head-less chicken running around the stage. And he could use some voice lessons too. I didn’t realize, until after watching Kenneth, that Fred Flintstone was from Brooklyn. Jamie, on the other hand, is a veteran of the stage. You would think that after all these years in theater he’d have learned to sing better. They weren’t really that bad, they were just not very good.

Over-all, I found this play rather entertaining; a pleasant theater experience. If only more people knew about it, many more would have had pleasant evenings at the theater.

Franc Lee speaking, Rep’s Romeo and Bernadette was… well, pretty cute.

my rantings on RENT

First of all, I would just like to note that it’s great that the theater scene seems to be very much alive. More shows mean more things for me to write about.

For my initial entry in this new-found outlet for expression, I have decided to share my views and comments on the two English musicals currently showing in Manila: the much publicized production of RENT and the “unheard of” production that is ROMEO AND BERNADETTE.

Let me begin with Rent.

I will not bother writing about the play’s plot and synopsis. If you haven’t heard of it, then I suggest you google it. This play ran on Broadway for quite some time and a film version has been made, so there is no excuse for anyone not to have heard of or about it.

Which leads me to what I believe is this production’s dilemma. Because it has been staged in Manila twice, with a film version, plus the recorded Broadway version, the ever popular soundtrack, etc.; the expectation on this latest staging is rather high. Comparing the current cast and staging with its predecessors is inevitable.

I did not want to compare this cast with the previous Manila production, but I guess, that would be quite impossible. I saw the first run of Rent with Bituin Escalante, Ricci Chan, Calvin Millado, JM Rodriguez, etc. I remember it was staged in Music Museum. And I remember how awe struck I was with the play’s music and message. This seemed very long ago. I tried to watch this version with very little expectation; but was hoping to, at least, be inspired by it. Oh, I was inspired, indeed. I was inspired to start this blog so I can rant and rave about this production and the many ones to come.

This latest staging of Larson’s take on the opera La Boheme is produced by the newly created 9works Theatrical with Robbie Guevara at the helm.

This play left me wanting. I wanted more, needed more. I went home rather disappointed. The cast were mostly newbies in the industry. And it showed. It seemed to me like they didn’t really know what they were doing or what they were talking about. It’s a given that most of them were infants in the 90’s in which the play is set; but that to me, is no excuse. You don’t have to get raped to play a rape victim!

To sum it up, I believe that this cast is too raw; too inexperienced to tackle such an important material. Perhaps if they open two months from now, they’d be better. Unfortunately, they only run till the end of February.

Generally it actually isn’t that bad. It’s just not very good. There are a few shining moments. There are a few great discoveries. Most of them sound really good, some even great. They can sing. But that, I’m afraid is not enough. If they opted to do a concert version, it would have been awesome, perhaps, amazing. But they didn’t.

Overall, this production seemed like a very high-budgeted, uber-promoted and well publicized workshop showcase. Had it been a workshop showcase performance, I would probably think it was superb. But it wasn’t. It isn’t. This was, is supposedly a professional theater production. The choreography didn’t help either. In fact, there were scenes where I felt were too choreographed. Maybe because the actors were inexperienced, and they didn’t know what to do with their bodies, they had to be told to do this and to do that. There were some scenes where they were literally miming the lyrics of the songs! There were too much unnecessary movements and gestures which, to me, were a distraction. An experienced professional would know that on stage, oftentimes, less is more.

This cast lacked the sense of self control (control their energy, voice, etc.) and discipline needed by an actor on stage. And they seemed to have very little grasp of their individual characters. They lacked understanding of their character’s depth and inner emotional struggles.

Here are the GOOD parts:

- The ensemble as a whole turned out to be pretty good; it’s when they break into solos that things start getting iffy!
- The veterans in the cast were notable, as expected. Carla Guevara was simply perfect for the role. Her Maureen was so much better than Monique Wilson’s in the original Manila run. Raul Montesa, Noel Rayos and Ring Antonio helped strengthened the ensemble.
- The break-through performance was, hands down, that of OJ Mariano as Collins. The guy can sing. And he can sing really well. And for a new comer, his acting wasn’t bad either. In fact, it was pretty good. He was believable and his character, real. More so than Michael de Mesa’s portrayal.

And now, the NOT-SO-GOOD parts:

- The leads Gian Magdangal and Fredison Lo unfortunately failed to carry the great responsibility that their respective characters entailed. Gian can sing, his voice was almost perfect for Roger, which is probably why he got the part in the first place. But this young man has zero depth. As in nada. He seemed restless on stage, his eyes were empty. It seemed to me like he went through his blocking because he was told to do so. There was no purpose to his being. He was just, well … there. He simply sang his songs (very nicely) and uttered his lines. But this role entails so much emotion, so much angst. He’s freaking dying of AIDS for crying out loud! I didn’t get anything from him. A stranger I met during the intermission even had the same comment. And this was her first time to see Rent. She just happened to be one of the very few creatures on earth who never heard of Rent. She apparently goes to the La Salle School of business in RCBC and decided to stop by the theater to watch. She’s not a regular theater goer either. And yet, she felt “parang may kulang.”
- Fred Lo looked more like Harry Potter than Mark. And he’s supposed to be Maureen’s ex-boyfriend, not her son! He looked like a baby next to Carla Guevara, and Carla looks so much younger than her age.
- Job Bautista as Angel. Oh my, where do I begin? Simply said, he was a disaster! A total miscast. This is the one the producers chose out of the hundreds who auditioned? I don’t get it. First of all, he has a lisp or something which is least to say, bothersome. His dancing wasn’t that great (I know many who can do the split and do it better); and his singing, Oh, his singing. He had the unfortunate task of following through the footsteps of Ricci Chan and Jake Macapagal; that in itself is a pretty tall order; and the producers should have realized that. So why hire this inexperienced, classically trained singer to tackle the very important, pivotal role of Angel whose vocal stylings require that of an R&B belter? I literally felt relieved when Angel died because that meant a respite from his annoying presence. Angel’s character had to be more than just your regular parlorista. He’s more than just a drag queen. Job, however, was nothing more than a skinny, cheap looking bakla from the kanto! And what the hell was that outfit all about? What on earth were you thinking Rajo Laurel????
- There are 2 Mimi’s. Nicole Asencio and Cara Barredo. I was privileged to watch both actors. Nicole can sing. She sings very well. Her voice is perfect for the role. But the girl cannot act. Just like Gian Magdangal, she should have been great had it been a concert version. She was as empty as an old politician’s promise. There was simply nothing there, aside from the pleasant sound of her voice. Cara, on the other hand, was obviously the more experienced one. Her units were clear. You see the intent, the purpose, the emotion and the internal struggle. However, the songs were simply not her range. She’s a classically trained singer and Mimi’s songs are more pop-rock. I’m not saying she did badly. In fact, she was pretty good. If I had to choose between an actor who can sing and a singer who can’t act, I’d choose the actor everyday of the week and twice on Sundays. Musical theater, after all, is so much more than singing.

And that is what this staging of RENT needed: More actors. Real actors (who just happen to have the pipes to belt Season’s of Love). They were bound to be compared to the many actors and singers who have had the chance to play these roles before them. It would be stupid for anyone to expect a cast that would surpass the original. I never expected anything like that. I understand that would have been a tough order. I would have been satisfied with an equally talented cast; If not in singing, then in the over-all performance. And this country has never been wanting of talents. There is so much talent going around. This cast after all found a more effective Maureen and a better sounding Collins. Why didn’t they try to complete the line up? Why stop there?

Franc Lee speaking, this production of RENT is… well, for lack of a better word… blah!

I shall write about Romeo and Bernadette tomorrow. I didn’t expect this to get this long!

hello

today's my first day, and first time to ever blog. i shall post my initial review within the day. just need to go to work!

watch for my honest to goodness review on RENT and ROMEO AND BERNADETTE. SOON!