Livin high and takin it easy



While recent Broadway hit musicals are aimed at bringing classic narratives to a similar young hip audience: Rent, which updated a famous tale about Paris bohemians of the 1830s and Spring Awakening based on a controversial German play in 1891, BANAAG AT SIKAT Isang Rock Musical, which is based on Lope K. Santos’ literary opus Banaag at Sikat as filtered through a book and lyrics by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera, universalizes its socialist theme by juxtaposing central, turn-of-the century Philippines (1911) with music that’s very much today, Indie Rock.
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Tanghalang Pilipino, CCP’s resident theater company, announces the first of its auditions for its 24th Theater Season: Idol! The search is on for the cast of BANAAG AT SIKAT, Isang Rock Musical, TP’s season opener. Auditions will be held on May 19 at the CCP-Bulwagang Amado Hernandez (Conference Room), from 2 PM to 7 PM.

Banaag at Sikat book cover

With book and lyrics by National Artist for Literature Bien Lumbera, music by Lucien Letaba, production design by National Artist for Theater Design Salvador Bernal, and under the direction of Jose Estrella, BANAAG AT SIKAT, Isang Rock Musical, is based on Lope K. Santos’ groundbreaking literary opus of the same title about the breakup of the Filipino family and the rise of socialism in the country. It universalizes its socialist theme by juxtaposing central, turn-of-the century Philippines (1911) with music that’s very much today, Indie Rock.

BANAAG AT SIKAT, Isang Rock Musical will open at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP-Little Theater) on August 6, 2010. This rock musical is a bold experimentation in its deployment of contemporary musical idioms as pop, folk, blues, jazz, bass rhythms, brass riffs, melodic anthems to the overriding rock genre while it fuses with some traditional Filipino-Spanish rhythms (danza and tiempo de balitao) in modern orchestrations.

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Dulaang U.P. Presents Heinrich von Kleist’s 'Amphitryon'

Dulaang UP’s fourth production for its 34th Theater Season is a Roman comedy by German playwright Heinrich von Kleist’s Amphitryon- a tale of love, godly games and mistaken identities. Filipino translation by Jerry Respeto, directed by José Estrella.

Amphitryon is a moral fable that challenges our deeply rooted beliefs about love, infidelity and identity. It presents a loving and faithful wife who is left alone by a husband-king engaged in battle. God–Jupiter falls in love with her, disguises and presents himself as the long-lost husband. After the disguise and deception the god-lover disappears, and the mortal husband, King Amphitryon, returns. Would she recognize the difference?

The cast includes Neil Sese, Lex Marcos, Diana Malahay, Gilleth Sandico, George de Jesus, Paolo O’Hara, Diana Alferez and Natasha Cabrera.

Amphitryon will run from September 9 to September 22, 2009 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd floor Palma Hall, UP Diliman, Quezon City. For inquiries call the Dulaang UP office at 9261349; 4337840; 9818500 Local 2449 or 2451.

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I am off to watch the gala on Friday, September 11. Excited much! Hahahaha. And then perhaps, will have dinner at Cocina Juan in Maginhawa St. in U.P. Village. Excited much!