Evo & Grace: The WanderLusts

Another Stephen Sondheim musical is soon to open in Manila on September 13, Company is under the Direction of Topper Fabregas, according to him, the story about being single has gained a lot of attention, seemingly insignificant word. “There’s no ‘the’ in the title,” he clarifies. “It’s just COMPANY.” Musical Director Rony Fortich concurs: “It’s about companionship,” he declares. “If you say ‘The Company,’ it sounds like it’s about a corporation.” To make matters more complicated, the Tony Award-winning musical comedy stars (among others) OJ Mariano and Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, both from the country’s premier vocal group known as The CompanY… which, to add to the confusion, actually took its name from Sondheim’s show. One of the finest theater actors of today, OJ Mariano will play the central character of Bobby,  Oj started his career in recording with Star Records. In 2010, he burst onto the theater scene playing Tom Collins in RENT (9Works Theatrical), for which he won a ...

The two Elsa of Brgy. Cupang, Aicelle Santos and Celine Fabie (Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz) From being the most important film in the Philippines, Himala is now considered an immortal musical in the theater scene after bagging major awards in Gawad Buhay 2019 and that validate the reason it should be return on stage this September, of course under 9 Works Theatrical with Sandbox Collective. Ricky Lee award-winning story and Vince De Jesus genius in music is still the major reason why this Pinoy musical keeps coming back on stage since its opening in 2003, and this time again under the direction of award-winning theater Director, Ed Lacson, Jr.   Vince De Jesus and Ricky Lee “When were inform that it will be musical in 2003, this is a movie waiting to be made into a musical, tragedy, rape lahat ng elements ng drama andun, and beyond the drama madali syang panoorin pero it’s sad, it’s happening in real life” De Jesus said. Lee believes that Himala is still releva...

Vien King and Shiela Valderrama-Martinze for Passion The Philippine Opera Company is turning 20 years old this September 2019, and to celebrate its glorious anniversary, they are staging Stephen Sondheim’s Passion, a 1994 Tony Awardee for Best Musical that tells a story of one soldier who falls in love with two women at the same time, one with lust and the other is one true love. “Passion is an operetta, and Stephen Sondheim is considered as a composer of contemporary opera, Marketing wise we want to do something, not commercial but more relatable, more accepted or accessible, it boils to marketing” Karla Gutierrez, Artistic Director of Philippine OperaCompany said during its launching last August 12. Director Guevara, Shiela, Karla of POC and Vien (Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz) Directing Passion is multi-awarded Director Robbie Guevara, a proud Stephen Sondheim fan he religiously read, watch and follow all the works in the theater of Sondheim, that makes him perfect to...

The much awaited Dani Girl, A musical about hope by The Sandbox Collective and 9 Works Theatrical is the most beautiful local produced theater musical so far for 2019, it gives you a lot of realization about life, those simple things that we go beyond in daily grind yet we fail to recognize its effort. Dani Girl is a journey of cancer patient Dani and her friend Marty, on how they accept their fate of living limited because of a deadly disease,  with the help of their guardian angel they try to find answer, why all people its them who need to suffer, why all people in the whole world, they are the one who have this disease that cure is not a sure win. This year’s re-staging is really great, with the inclusions of visuals such as videos and graphics, it was more beautiful than you can imagine, of course all the music put together are superb to listen and well choreograph to please the audience. The part that Dani needs to say goodbye to her mom after being in coma is ...

Philippine Stagers Foundation, Inc is identified in producing grand spectacle theater play that is base on history that shapes our nation, mostly watch by different schools, State Colleges and Universities throughout the Philippines, their latest production, Sindak 1941 is an added laurel to their growing list of hits. In Sindak 1941 , is the newly enhance and complete story of their previous play entitled “Filipinas 1941”, a story of two brothers trying to earn a living in a time there is no God, a time the Japanese occupy The Philippines with no mercy. Sindak or scary stand to its title, it did show a lot of scary and miserable things experience by Filipino in the arms of the Japanese military, the unforgettable Bataan Death March, the comfort women issues and mass killing, and the so-called hero of World War II, Gen. Douglas MacArthur. The play is so brave in pointing out some wrong notion, in correcting some historical facts that its writer and director, Vince Tanad...

The Cast of Dani Girl (Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz) 5 years after, the exhilarating musical by Michael Kooman and Christopher Diamond’s Dani Girl is making a comeback this 2019 still produce by The Sandbox Collective with 9 Works Theatrical. It’s a story of 9-year-old girl Dani Lyon that is stricken with cancer , and her magical and transformative journey, together with her fellow warrior and best friend Marty, they go along with imaginary game shows, to outer space and all the silly games in between. This is a comeback directorial for Toff De Venecia after he first produces and directs it in 2014. This year’s production is very much new in all aspect according to him, there are talkbacks after each show and strong multimedia effects were added in this re-staging. Dani and Marty (Photo by Erickson Dela Cruz) “I love it because it’s about overcoming adversity, I love that it celebrates human agency, parang it celebrates a child's imagination and fighting spirits,...

  There are only quite few premier theater production companies in the Philippines consistently displaying the best plays and musicals from both Broadway and West End. My theatrical experiences both as patron and press has always been amazement and astonishment with 9 Works Theatrical. Their latest theater installment on its ninth year, Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! was making headlines when they transformed and transcended the classic repertoire of APO for the millenials to recognize and for the oldies to reminisce, what really take shape and take place during the '70s? Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! is a brand new original Filipino musical production of 9 Works Theatrical, the theater for all season and Globe Live, the company's original production arm known for providing Filipino access through world-class entertainment, co-presented by FOXlife and FRONTROW, with music by Danny Javier, Jim Paredes and Boboy Garrovillo, musical arrangements and orchestrations by Daniel Bartolome and...

The musical’s songs are carefully selected and tailored fit to form a narrative, from the hits to the hidden gems. It promises to be a melodic treat for fans and theater fanatics alike, with lush choral arrangements that give a fresh twist to the songs that we know and love. Bring out your blue jeans and get ready to do the hustle, because 9 Works Theatrical and Globe Live are presenting an original musical: Eto Na! Musikal nAPO! The APO Hiking Society is an OPM legend, and it was only a matter of time that a musical set to the tune of their songs was created. Santi Santamaria, executive producer of 9 Works Theatrical, is thrilled about Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!: “This year, together with our sister company the Sandbox Collective, we staged our very first Filipino musical Himala Isang Musikal, which had a phenomenal run, and with Globe Live, we won multiple awards for Disney’s Newsies in the recent PHILSTAGE Gawad Buhay Awards. Now, we’re thrilled and somewhat pressured, coming fro...

The series of unexplained miracles and events that changed the world forever is the basis of the stranger than fact and fiction, GUADALUPE: The Musical. The incredible true tale and miraculous stories of the our Lady Of Guadalupe is a brand-new theatrical musical production in english comes onstage at The Meralco Theater from 28 September to 14 October 2018, which is presented by the Julie Borromeo Performing Arts Foundation. “The story of Juan Diego of Guadalupe is practically a musical already,” quips Borromeo, who is both producer and choreographer of the show along with Rose Borromeo. “But what makes this story different is all the supernatural elements in it that simply can’t be explained.” Of these there are many, and all a matter of public records: the painted images on Juan Diego’s now famous tilma(or apron), which show no evidence of any brushstrokes, and whose pigments come from a source unknown to nature; the seeming impenetrability of the cloth from which it was mad...

Repertory Philippines (REP) open this year with a bang with its first stage production offering “A Comedy of Tenors”. Directed by Miguel Faustmann, this operatic comedy by Tony Award-winning Ken Ludwig promises a hilarious chaos that could left you gagging. A way to start REP’s 51st Season. Set in 1930’s Parisian Hotel, the narrative revolves around the chaotic mayhem as the veteran tenor Tito Merelli, the uprising star Carlo Nucci and Max prepare for their concert that would be leave a mark as the concert of the century. As the preparation draws toward the performance night, the gang finds their selves in the intersection of secret love affairs, mistaken identities and romantic misunderstanding that stirs the quirks and qualms of the different personalities of the characters. Through-out the 2-hour show, humorous banters and timeless comedic acts will surely keep you indulging. 1930’’s Paris is known for their marble hotels which grandeur was captured by the set design. The ...