Bye, Dani Girl! Thank you!

Last Sunday, July 27 The Sandbox Collective's Dani Girl's last night to stage. It was a wonderful experience being able to usher for most of their shows. On my last blog post titled Dani Girl in Manila, I 'reviewed' Dani Girl. Now, I will just post the perks I had for ushering for Dani Girl.

Congratulations to all the cast and crew of Dani Girl!

Meet the everyone who made Dani Girl possible

Anna Santamaria, Ejay Yatco, Mitzie Lao, Luigi Quesada, Kayla Teodoro, Rebecca Coates, Toff De Venecia, Reb Atadero, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, Pamela Imperial, Maronne Cruz, Kuya Marcel, Khal, Bym Buhain (not in the photo)

  
Meet the cast of Dani Girl

 

Rebecca Coastes as Danica Lyons

Mitzie Lao as Danica Lyons

Shiela Valderrama-Martinez as the Mother

Pamela Imperial as the Mother

Luigi Quesada as Marty

Reb Atadero as Raph and Marty

Loy Martinez as Raph

Mr. Fritz

Celebrity Sightings!

Audie Gemora

Nikki Valdez

Shamaine Buencamino

Nonie Buencamino

Aicell Santos

Benjamin Alves

Micah Muñoz

Aga Muhlach

Charlene Gonzales

Cris Villonco

Carla La Forteza

Christine Bersola-Babao

And...

Lea Salonga

Dani Girl in Manila

My wonderful exposure in theater during my internship last summer at 9 Works Theatrical brought me to a yet another wonderful theater experience this month - ushering for The Sandbox Collective's Dani Girl: A Musical Good for the Soul.

The Sandbox Collective is a Manila-based performing arts theater collective. It is also 9 Works Theatricals's sister company. And for its first project, The Sandbox Collective staged the off-Broadway musical Dani Girl: A Musical Good for the Soul as pert of their RE:Imagined program, directed by Toff De Venecia.

Dani Girl is about 9-year old girl named Danica Lyons who is battling leukemia. Throughout the play, Dani finds different ways to answer the question "Why is cancer?" in order for her to get her hair back, with the help of her friend, who is also a cancer patient Marty, her guardian angel Raph, and her beloved teddy bear called Mr. Fritz.

Having watched the show since the Press Preview (I only missed 2 shows, so that is 11 shows seen in total), I can say that I am now able to critique (in some way) the performance. Well, in all honesty, there is nothing to critique and there are a lot of things to commend. Take the set for example, it is superb. The stage were divided into three strategic levels, symbolizing the reality and the imagination of Dani, only to be separated by a small space. I think this somehow shows that there is only a fine line that separates the reality and the imagination, and it is up to you to decide which side you will live by. There is of course, the glass surrounding most of the stage. For me, its purpose is to show that everything is visible, but that does not mean everything is at our hand's reach. For me, it somehow presents the cliche "so near, yet so far". And who can forget the dragon? In totality, the set, specifically the imagination part of the set were conceptualized so creatively that I would not have imagined the story of Dani as such. It is super impressive.

Then there is the music of Ejay Yatco, originally made by Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond. The songs transported the viewers into places no one has ever imagined. They also made the audience laugh as Pablo gives his rap, but is also made us cry when God sings Requiem. Dani Girl really is indeed a musical good for the soul.

And lastly, the actors. I am no expert but I can say that they are super duper great. Rebecca and Mitzie's performances as Dani were so great that I sometimes think that they really are Dani. Luigi and Reb as Marty made the audience laugh as he show how movie geek he is. But I think everyone agrees that the life and soul of the party is Reb and Sir Loy as Raph who has 13 incarnations throughout the shows. For me, the best characters of Raph is Tommy the Schoolboy and Pablo the... well, you must watch Dani Girl to find out who Pablo is. And there is of course the compassionate Mother of Dani. Both Ms. Shiela and Ms. Pamela tore my heart as she bids Dani goodbye. And it quite irritates me that even though I already seen Dani Girl 10 times, never has it failed to make me sport a big bunch of wet tissue after each show.

Dani Girl is starred by Rebecca Coates as Dani, Mitzie Lao also as Dani on selected performances, Luigi Quesada as Marty, Reb Atadero as Raph and also as Marty on selected shows, Loy Martinez as Raph on selected performances, Shiela Valderrama as the Mother, and Pamela Imperial also as the Mother on some shows. Dani Girl: A Musical Good for the Soul still has two shows left (tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow night), so buy your tickets now! It is a show worth watching.

  

 

 

 

 

Last Friday's cast (from Left to Right): Reb Atadero, Rebecca Coates, Loy Martinez, and Pamela Imperial

with Mitzie Lao, the other actress playing Dani

with Shiela Valderrama who also plays the Mother

with Luigi Quesada, the other Marty

with Pamela Imperial who plays the Mother

with Rebecca Coates, the actress playing Dani

with Reb Atadero, who plays Raph and Marty

I also would like to congratulate in advance all the cast and crew of Dani Girl: A Musical Good for the Soul for having a magnificent run! Until your next show!

By the way, I would like to thank Ms. Camille and Ate Gabby for giving me this wonderful opportunity of ushering for Dani Girl. I am once again smitten by theater and each night, the happiest memory would be having the chance to have the autographs and pictures of known people in the industry and of course having been able to watch a super great show. I just love the theater!

A Journey Home

This post will be different from my other posts. This will be a bit religous, but not so much.

On my way home, I was riding this jeepney which unfortunately stalled in the middle of the high way where there is no easy access for the passengers to get another ride. Instead of getting pissed off like the other passengers, I just silently prayed. Prayed that we'll get another ride, prayed that we'll all be safe, prayed that the driver will be able to get back his lost salary for the day, and prayed that I will still be able to get home before 8:40 so I can still catch My Destiny :) Kidding aside, when we finally get to ride a jeepney, whose driver was a bit but not quite reluctant to let us ride his vehicle because we were not going his official route, I felt deeply sorry for the jeepney driver whose vehicle stalled. I honestly almost cried. I mean, because of what happened, his take home pay will be smaller. According to the driver who gave us a lift, the jeepney's clutch was ruined and that costs much for a driver. And with a small take home pay, what will happen to his family? His hungry children?

I now remember the time, about two years ago, when almost all of the gasoline of the jeepney I was riding was wasted because his tank leaked. The poor driver even got his whole shirt soaked with gas because he attempted to stop the leaking of his tank. I remember not bothering to get back my fare so he could at least have a little more money. I know 15 pesos is not much, but it was something.

Come to think of it, I now feel guilty of wanting and getting my fare back. I now remember the look of the poor driver when I asked him if he will return our payment, he smiled somewhat sadly and said that he will personally give the new driver our fare because the money he has were whole bills. I know it is my right to get back my money, but comparing myself with the driver, I was more fortunate. His sad smile haunts my conscience.

Lord, may you bless the poor driver. May he still be able to feed his family, despite what happened tonight. Please also bless the gallant driver for the kindness he showed. And lastly, Lord, may there be more kind-hearted people around to help the less fortunate.

Realization: patience is a virtue. Why be mad because you were late on your way home, when someone just lost his pay for the day, which may mean hunger for his family? Remember, it is not always 'I' that matters.