Grease is BACK!

9 Works Theatrical's rerun of Grease is probably the best thing that ever happen in the history of my theater life. Grease is a play really close to my heart.

Back when I was in second year high school, my English teacher required our class to do Grease for finals with the other sections she was teaching. I was lucky enough to lip-sync Betty Rizzo's There are Worse Things I Could Do (since we didn't have lapel mics to do the actual singing). And besides that, I also choreographed Grease (the opening number), Greased Lightnin', and You're the One That I Want. That wonderful experience made me want to pursue a theater career after college.

And last year, since I had (and still have) a crush on one of the cast members (who will remain nameless for my sake), I watched 9 Works' run of Grease, where I only sat at the Balcony since I didn't have much money then (until now, actually LOL). I thought that the show was soooooooooo wonderful that I even blogged it here. Upon seeing how wonderful the production was, I felt the urge of wanting to belong in their theater company so when my OJT season came, I applied for internship at 9 Works and lucky enough, I got in! That brought me to my ushering experience for 9 Works' sister theater company, Sandbox Collective's Dani Girl and 9 Works' The Last 5 Years as well as Grease.

I remember seeing Robbie Guevara after watching Grease last year and I was like "Oh my gosh! The director is just few inches from me! Should I get his autograph? Should I have my picture taken with him? How should I approach him? Nah, nevermind I'm too shy to go near him (yeah, sometimes only sometimes, I get shy)." Then when I had my OJT, I was like "Oh my! The director of Grease is actually my boss! I wonder if I can have his autograph now. What will I say to him IF I approach him? Should I say, 'Hi Sir Rob, can I have a selfie with you?" And I remember him telling me "Don't call me 'Sir'." But now, I am like "Oh, hi Rob!" What is even more wonderful is that I am practically a part of Grease! Yey! Thank you Ms. Camille :D

Anyway, going back to Grease, I felt really honored to be able to usher for the show. And last night, during their opening night, I was allowed by the ever so cute and wonderful director Robbie Guevara to take pictures of the show and I will share them to you.

So, how different is this rerun from the first run? Well first, there are new cast members. Tippy Dos Santos now plays the role of Sandy, Guji Lorenzana is the new Danny, Antoinette Taus plays Rizzo, Steven Silva as Johnny Casino, Gab Pangilinan plays ChaCha, Alex Godinez is Marty, Nelsito Gomez as Sonny, and Marvin Ong alternates with Vincent Lim for the role of Doody. Second, personally I think this cast is better than the original run. I cannot pin point the specifics but I think part of the reason why is that this cast seem more energetic and more playful. I also think this is because the old cast members are more comfortable playing their roles and they helped the new cast members feel at home.

I must say I used to have reservations with the new cast, specifically Guji because I thought he was too boy-next-door type of guy, too sweet and too charming to play Danny, but upon seeing him onstage twice, I admit I was wrong. Guji may not be the bad-boy Danny, but he certainly is cool-guy Danny. I also thought Tippy was too nice and cute to play the transformed Sandy, but again, I was proven wrong. She is very versatile, kind of like Natalie Portman in Black Swan. She was able to transform from innocently sweet Sandy to very hot and cool Sandy.

I can also say that Rafa was a lot better this year than last year. I am not saying he was bad last year because he is not, he was good. But a lot better this year. His characterization of Kenickey became more bad-ass, quite like the original film of Grease. Antoinette Taus is also sooo good, she is just perfect for Rizzo. She was a big bitch, but you can see the vulnerability in her eyes when she sang There are Worse Things I Could Do.

Peachy Atilano and Sarah Facuri, whom I cannot stop calling Teacher Peachy and Teacher Sarah (from the summer workshop), are also so much better this year. Reb Atadero and Sab Jose are practically the clowns of the show, nuff said. Of course the other old cast members Harold Cruz (or Teacher Howie for me), Vince Lim, Angela Padilla, and James Stacey are also better this year.

The Teen Angel of Grease is also like last year's - different actors to play the role every show, so you better watch out for that! During the Press Preview, JM Rodriguez played the Teen Angel while last night, Franco Laurel was the Teen Angel.

However, a personal favorite of mine is Angela Padilla. I don't know why, but she's the one I keep on watching intently everytime I watch the show, especially when she is Ms. Lynch and the scene is when Sandy sings Hopelessly Devote to You.

You guys still have eleven shows to catch! Order your tickets now at Ticket World, or you can call or text 0917-554-5560. See you there!

GREASE!

Pink Ladies having some fun sleepover

T-Birds singing (and dancing) Greased Lightnin'

Sab Jose as Patty Simcox, pining for Danny

Sarah Facuri and Reb Atadero as Jan and Roger

A wop bop a lu bop a wop bam boom!

Tippy Dos Santos as Sandy Dumbrowsky

Peachy Atilano as Frenchy

 Franco Laurel, one of the Teen Angels, with Peachy Atilano who plays Frenchy

OJ Mariano, one of the other Teen Angels

Guji Lorenzana as Danny Zuko

Sandy, Roger, and Doody

Antoinette Taus as Betty Rizzo

Meet the Pink Ladies - Jan, Rizzo, Frenchy, and Marty

You're the one that I want!

Grease is the world!

We go together!

Always be together!

The wonderful music behind (or should I say above?) Grease

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!