Tinay Goes Theater-ing

Hello guys! Diary entry ko ito, actually. Kaso kaso kasi, gagawa rin naman ako ng blog post, tinamad na akong gumawa ng ibang composition. Kaya kung ano yung nasa journal ko, yun na rin yung ilalagay ko dito. Hehehe #tamad lang ang peg. Hahaha!

Nung Sabado, nagpunta ako sa show ng TAP (Theater in Alternative Platforms) - yung Ampalaya Monlogues nila, at nanood din ako ng Wicked. Actually, dapat hindi naman ako pupunta sa Ampalaya Monologues, may class kasi ako. Kaso, nagkasakit yung prof namin, so wala akong gagawin mula 12 noon hanggang 8pm; kaya nagpunta na ako sa show ng TAP.

Ampalaya Molonogues

Bes, ibang klase ang utak ni Mark Ghosn! Ang galing niyang magsulat! Lahat yata nung monologues siya yung sumulat - kung anim o walo yun. Different scenarios, iba't ibang hugot, iba't ibang lebel ng pag-ibig at heartbreak, gawa ng iisang utak! May tungkol sa pakikipag-away sa kabit gamit ang metaphors ng teaching, may young love, may cross cultural love, may proposal, meron ding pag-accept na dalawa sila sa puso ng jowa niya (shunga ba si koya or what?), basta bes, PERFECTION! Talagang masasabi mong antaba ng utak ni Kuya Mark!

Tapos, super friendly nilang lahat! Kahit hindi ko sila kilala (lahat) at hindi rin nila ako kilala pa (kasi hindi pa naman nakakapag-introduction kineme), naramdaman kong welcome naman ako kahit paano! 

Ay siyempre, nagtaka naman kayo bakit FC ako sa TAP. Sumali kasi ako sa internship kineme nila, at nung Sabado yung unang beses kong sumama sa event nila as part of the internship kemeroo.

Ang pinaka-ikinatuwa ko ay yung theater experience. Matagal na kasi since na-involve ako sa theater prod - Tick, Tick... BOOM! pa. So, yung pakiramdam na hirap na hirap akong magpalobo ng balloon (yung di ko alam kung magkaka-beke ba ako o aatakihin ng hika) at ang kaakibat na hirap ng pagbubuhol nung lobo, yung ticket at merch sales, at pag-surround sa sarili ko ng theater people, perfect talaga! Nakaka-miss, iba sa feeling, gusto kong ulitin ulit :)

Seasonal ang shows nila, dapat abangan niyo at manood kayo. Eto yung links sa Facebook pages nila, para updated kayo:

TAP - Theater in Alternative Platforms

Ampalaya Monologues

Wicked

So, Wicked. Wicked was... well, wicked! Hahaha! Another perfection itu! Ano ba naman kasi ang i-expect mo sa international prod? Kapag hindi perfection, ay magdemand ka ng refund! Charot!

May mechanical dragon sila sa set (na medyo naloka ako kung bakit meron dahil as far as I saw, wala namang ibang function yung dragon bukod sa manakot... baka yun talaga ang purpose niya) na gumagalaw talaga! At least, yung ulo, kamay, at pakpak. May pagflash pa ng ilaw sa mata. Pati yung contraption ng ulo ng wizard, epic din. Ang talagang iniisip ko ay kung paano ginawa at pinapagalaw yun. Yung buong set nila, amazing talaga! World class!

Malayo kasi yung seat ko, so hindi ko gaano kita yung mga mukha nung actors. May chance tuloy akong i-imagine na sina Kristin Chenoweth at Idina Menzel yung gumanap bilang Glinda at Elphaba. In fairness, yung actress na gumanap na Glinda, hindi mahirap na i-imagine na si Kristin Chenoweth - magkatunog sila eh!

ANG GALING NILANG KUMANTA, BES - EFFORTLESS! Usually kasi di ba, kapag high note (lalo na for Glinda na manipis ang boses), masakit pakinggan, tipong nakakarindi. But not for the Wicked cast. Kahit putok-litid ang Defying Gravity, pay pagka-soft pa ring pakinggan. Yung feeling/ramdam mong minamani lang niya yung pagkanta.

Bago ko pa napanood yung show, aware na ako sa ilang kanta ng Wicked. Pero mas na-appreciate ko yung mga kanya nung napanood ko na yung show. Ramdam ko talaga yung message ng For Good, mangiyak-ngiyak nga ako eh. Kahit nga kaninang umaga nung pinanood ko yung pagkanta nila Idina at Kristin ng For Good, naiiyak pa rin ako eh. LOL, ang senti ko. The feels din yung Defying Gravity. Dati pa namang the feels yung kantang yun, pero iba kasi yung makita mo ng live at maintindihan mo yung konteksto nung kanta. Pero ang favorite at current LSS ko ay yung Popular. Light lang kasi yung kanta, mababaw, nakakatawa, at ang cute kantahin (or at least, i-attempt kantahin) - basta, fun song talaga. Eto yung Youtube clip ng Popular.

Pero more than the amazing songs, beautiful sets and costumes, at siyempre magaling na performers, na-realize ko yung social relevance nung musical; particularly sa line exchanges na 'to:

GLINDA: Well, I'm a public figure now! People expect me to --

ELPHABA: Lie?

GLINDA: Be encouraging!

Kung tutuusin, parang wala lang yung lines, pero bes, malalim eh. Lalo na sa konteksto nung play, kung saan nalaman ni Elphaba na fraud yung wizard at gusto niyang isiwalat yung katotohanan. Pero ang nangyari, binaligtad nila yung kwento at pinagmukhang masama si Elphaba. Siyempre, may credibility yung wizard at nagalit yung mga tao kay Elphaba.

Di ba ganun din ang gobyerno natin? Kapag may nakaalam ng kurapsyon, malamang sa hindi, malalagay sa panganib yung tao. Or kung hindi man, pahirapan maghanap ng ebidensya na talagang may kurapsyon. At tayo naman, mas gusto nating makarinig ng words of encouragement kaysa sa mga realidad. Kaya nga maraming nagagalit sa media dahil laging 'bad news' ang nirereport.

Yan ang gusto ko sa entertainment industry eh, hindi lang sa musical theater - may capability para magbukas ng diskurso na tungkol sa makabuluhang bagay sa paraang ma-eenjoy; hindi lang basta sa pamamalita sa dyaryo, radyo, o TV, na hindi appreciated ng lahat (marami kayang nagpapatay ng TV kapag news na). Sana lang, gamitin ito ng Philippine entertainment industry nang magkaroon naman ng saysay yung mga palabas sa TV at pelikula.

Eto yung vlog ko tungkol sa araw ko nung Sabado! Enjoy!

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La Cage aux Folles Bid Everyone Au Revoir

Yes, 9 Works Theatrical’s La Cage aux Folles has already left the stage two weekends ago.

Yes, this blog is actually delayed.

Yes, I am having sepanx (after watching La Cage for two runs).

But seriously, the purpose of this blog is to put those who have not watch in an envious fit (hopefully).

Before anything else, I would like to pardon the photos of the show included in this blog, as they came from the previous run. Still, the photos are spectacular, since the show itself was magnifique.

Now, I will give you reasons why you guys should have watched La Cage:

1.       La Cage promoted LGBTQI relationship, and it was not malicious at all (except for Hanna)

Michael de Mesa and Audie Gemora

Many people always think about sex and its ‘dirtiness’ when they think about LGBTQU relationships. But in La Cage, you could see that LGBTQI relationship is just like any heterosexual relationship. Of course, there is the ever presence (and ever stereotypical) ‘male’ and ‘female’ characters, but you can see that there is nothing wrong with a gay relationship. Albin and Georges were not malicious, they are just simply in love with each other.

2.       La Cage was about parenting

Steven Silva and Michael de Mesa

With a very discriminating society, people always think that in order to create a family, there must be a female (the mother), a male (the father), and the child (a heterosexual child). Some people even believe that the existence of the LGBTQI is brought by the devil. But in La Cage, you can see that a family is not exclusive to only blood relatives nor to sexual assignment. In La Cage, a family are those who you love, no matter what they are. Also, La Cage showed that two males can be the parents of a child, and still the child is well-loved.

3.       La Cage was not a pa-twitams love story

Steven Silva and Joni Galeste

Yes, La Cage featured the love story of two couples, though one couple was not as highlighted as the other, BUT it was a story about true love. By true love I mean knowing how to accept your partner’s faults and knowing to forgive them, understanding each other’s needs, and still retaining the fire burning after all these years. In all honesty, whenever Audie Gemora and Michael De Mesa would do With You on My Arm, I am like a giggling teenager because they are so cute together. Their chemistry is appalling, especially during The Song on the Sand.

4.       La Cage had wonderful numbers

Cheeno Macaraig

After seeing the show in its two standing ovation-flocked runs, the songs in La Cage did not tire my ears. The tap numbers, the can-can number, and of course, The Best of Times were very catchy and entertaining. Every time the audience members passed by me after the show, there was no day that none of them was singing or humming I am What I am or We are What We Are.

5.       La Cage had amazing costumes, make up, and set

La Cage aux Folles

I thought that the costumes for Grease were wonderful. I thought that the set for The Last 5 Years was breathtaking. I was wrong, because La Cage’s costumes and set were far more wonderful breathtaking. The quick changes of the Cagelles were even more amazing: in one number, the ensemble would have to look like a man and the next number they would have to look like Cagelles. For those drag fashion fans, I think you missed half your life by missing La Cage. The gowns used at the Finale were so beautiful (well, duh, they were designed by the best designers in the country).

6.       La Cage had the best cast ever

We face life though it's sometimes sweet and sometimes bitter

With Audie Gemora and Michael De Mesa leading the cast of 9 Works Theatrical’s La Cage, you already know that you are in for a very good show. Upon watching the both charming Steven Silva and Joni Galeste, you realize that you have just witnessed a great show. But the presence of Sheila Francisco, Raul Montesa, and Noel Rayos brought the roof down. And of course, there are the Cagelles (Dindo Divinagracia, Randi De Guzman, Cheeno Macaraig, Chesko Rodriguez, JP Basco, PJ Rebullida, Arnold Trinidad, Rafa Siguion-Reyna, Carlos Deriada, Analin Bantug, Mako Alonso, and Mara Javier)… nuff said!

7.       La Cage was just a perfect show

We are what we are!

And to prove the I am having sepanx, let me tell you my dream last Friday. By some unknown miracle (or seizure), Manager JonJon asked me to be one of the Cagelles for the closing show. Having no choice, I had my self made-up by Joni, dressed in the costume for the first number, and wore an outrageous wig, in less than 30 minutes before the show. The scary part was that, the lipstick brush Joni was using was probably embedded with blade as my lips bled every time she spread the lipstick on my lips. I could actually taste the blood. I dunno what happened next, because thank goodness, I woke up. Talk about weird and scary dream.

Au revior, La Cage!