7 is the Perfect Number

They say seven is a lucky number. Some even says that seven is the perfect number. I usually do not agree since I never liked the look of number seven, especially if that is how my grade starts. But I guess, there is always an exemption to the rule. Just like this year, I am celebrating my seventh year of becoming an Anjelicaholic.

Photo credits to Ana Flavia Francesconi

Seven years ago, I never liked watching films. I never even thought of having a job in the industry of acting and production. All I thought was that I want to become a teacher, period. But on September 5 of 2007, I saw The Addams Family of 1991 and unwillingly fell in love with the Addams matriarch - the ever so wonderful Morticia Addams.

The first character of Anjelica I ever saw which remained a favorite of mine

I remembered praying before I sleep that hopefully the woman who played Mrs. Addams is still alive. And thank goodness, Anjelica Huston is still very much alive until now.

I remember clearly how I got to watch The Addams Family, as if it was just yesterday. Seven years ago, my Filipino teacher asked us to do a movie review of a recent film. Since I was no film buff, I have to rent from a local video store. So my mom, my sister, and I went to the mall carrying my sister's membership card. When we got there, we got into a fight with the staff there because they said that my sister was not registered and we cannot rent unless we are members. We argued that how could it be possible that my sister is not a member when she has a membership card. It took several phone calls, further arguments, and confirmations until the staff, with their manager, decided that to shut us up, they will give us free membership despite that I was a minor and my sister and I do not have valid IDs in hand. And so I rented the film I wanted to review and reviewed it. I passed my paper and probably got a good score.

Having that membership card entitled me to rent movies, as long as it will be three films per week (as per my mom). And the first movie I rented after the movie review was The Addams Family VCD because I remembered seeing it as a child and being scared of them (I do not know exactly why but probably it was because they were wearing black). Anyway, I rented it on a Tuesday and I had five days before having to return it.

My all time favorite movie

 
When I got home, I immediately watched it in our desktop computer (we did not have a television set that time). The next day, my sister invited me to watch the film again and I obliged, not telling her I already watched it the day before. Since we did not have speakers for our computer, we had to rely on the CPU's built-in speakers which were not that loud. We already finished the first disk when my sister realized that we can watch with the earplugs on so we can understand the lines. Hence, we watched the first disc for the second time. The next day, a Thursday, I was not able to watch The Addams Family because my mom was already home before I was and she knew I already seen the film and watching it again would not make sense (to her). And then on Friday, I watched The Addams Family again. That was when I realized how beautiful Morticia was.

That started my addiction to Morticia Addams, which led to my addiction to Anjelica Huston. I remember saving up for the VCD of The Addams Family and Addams Family Values. I also remember keeping my VCD of Addams Family Values under my clothes because I was not allowed to buy consecutively. During those hype moments, I would go to the internet shop before going home from school and download loads of Anjelica's pictures and printing them. I would also print fan fictions about The Addams Family and keeping those, together with the pictures, in a clear book which is already thick. I would even print Anjelica's pictures in wallet-size photo paper and just keep them. And funny enough, I still have them at home.

Reading Addams Family fan fictions caused me to write fan fictions as well. And idolizing Anjelica made me want to become an actress as well.

Anjelica Huston has been my inspiration for the past seven years (and plus two other wonderful actresses as well). And I am so thankful to my Filipino for having us make a film review, without of which wouldn't make me know Anjelica Huston.

The magnificent ANJELICA HUSTON!

And I guess, all I want to say is... HAPPY SEVENTH ANJELICAHOLIC ANNIVERSARY TO ME!



Photo credits to Anjelica Huston Fan Page.

The Last 5 Years - and My First Year

The Last 5 Years starring Nikki Gil and Joaquin Valdez

This August, 9 Works Theatrical staged The Last 5 Years to celebrate its 5 years and I am so thankful to be part of it. To those who missed L5Y, you missed a wonderful show, just make sure to watch the rerun of Grease this November and La Cage this February.

Anyway, L5Y is about the roller coaster love story of Cathy, a struggling theater actress, and her beau-turned-husband Jamie, a rising novelist. Cathy tells her story from end to beginning, while Jamie tells her story from beginning until end, both way saying two things - it was a hopeful relationship but crashes harshly down.

Mio Infante's wonderful set

A first look at Mio Infante's set is already a sign that the audiences are up for an unusual play. The stage was not made to face the center of the audience area but to the right side of the audience area. The platform was uneven with five pillars/frames and scattered chairs attached all over it, which I heard many people interpret as the last five years of the couple and how unstable the relationship was. However, personally I interpret the set as frames (like those in photographs) which symbolized the memories of the couple's last five years. A key set piece in the play was the bed which served as indicator of the mood of the scene, as well as how long time had passed.

Nikki Gil as Cathy Hyatt, a struggling actress

Joaquin Valdez as Jamie Wellerstein, a rising writer

The lights and projections were another story. Each sequence in the play has their own special lighting and projections which, together with the music, helps deliver the love story. A personal favorite of mine was during the boat scene, in which the lights were blue and made to look like the flowing river in New York as well as the projections of the sights in New York.

Cathy and Jamie during their wedding, featuring 9PO :)

The pivotal part of the play, which I think made the audience realize how the story flows, was Jamie and Cathy's wedding. The wedding was the only part of the play in which Jamie and Cathy were physically together and the only song where they sing the same song.

 

Watching L5Y once is not enough for the audience to fully understand and appreciate the play. Structurally, L5Y was written to be watched twice - or even more, making the first viewing have the purpose of understanding the story, while the succeeding viewings have the purpose of appreciating Robbie Guevara's direction, as well as Nikki Gil's unbelievably wonderful voice and Joaquin Valdez's unnaturally long-ranged voice.

Goodbye...

My personal take on L5Y is that Cathy and Jamie's relationship did not prosper because Jamie was too busy managing his fame that even though he loves Cathy so much, he somehow neglects her sadness for not being able to be as successful as he was, as well as his tendencies to look, and eventually sleep with, other women. But I am not saying that the failure of their relationship was exactly all Jaime's fault, actually, I believe that it was otherwise. I believe that Cathy was very ambitious that her inability to level with Jaime's fame and success was a huge blow to her that it made her pity herself so much. And through Cathy's songs, I can say that she is also too self-centered, most of her songs were about her and her dreams, while Jamie's were about his dreams which were to be happy with Cathy, and how he wants Cathy to be happy too.

I would like to thank Ms. Camille Santos for giving me the opportunity to usher for The Last 5 Years. Without her, I wouldn't be able to have this wonderful theater experience which I will treasure for the rest of my life. I'd also like to thank Rob, Ms. Anna, Sir Santi, Sir JonJon, and the whole 9 Works family for being so friendly and nice to me. I'd also like to thank my co-ushers and FOH guys, Ate Claui, Ate Gabby, Ate Ann, Ate Shirl, Ate JB, Ate Karyl, Karl, Nico, Nica, Teena, Marj, and Erik - I hope to see you and work with you again! And lastly, I would like to thank my friend, Kat, who I feel is my long lost theater buddy :D

with my long lost theater buddy, Kat

with Cathy

and Jamie

and the man behind this great show, Rob

Congratulations again to everyone who made The Last 5 Years possible! See you guys in Grease!

There is No Place Like Home

I have five words that encapsulate how I feel for the past few weeks:

I WANT TO GO HOME!

Sorry. I just feel the need of 'saying' that out loud.