‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ to stream on YouTube for free

Theater fans get a rare treat this Holy Week as the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will be made available for free on YouTube.


“‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ was written as a rock album, so has always worked best as a staged concert,” noted Lloyd Webber on his Facebook page.

As part of the series “The Shows Must Go On!” which kicked off last April 3 with the 2000 filmed version of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” starring Donny Osmond and Joan Collins, the 2012 tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” recorded live from the O2 Arena will be available globally on YouTube starting Friday at 7 p.m. (UK time) for 48 hours.





Directed by Laurence Connor, it stars Ben Forster as Jesus, Tim Minchin as Judas, and Melanie C of the Spice Girls as Mary Magdalene.

Although the show will be free to watch, people will be encouraged to make a donation to various charities.

Meanwhile, those in the United States can also catch the NBC Live broadcast of “Jesus Christ Superstar” starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles on April 12 at 7 p.m. (US time).

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Michael Jackson life to be turned into musical

NEW YORK - The life of Michael Jackson will be coming to Broadway in a musical incorporating the King of Pop's tunes penned by a leading US playwright.

Producers of the musical announced the project on Tuesday without revealing a title and said they aimed for a premiere in 2020.

The musical, which is being co-produced by the late King of Pop's estate, will be written by Lynn Nottage, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Nottage, a professor in the theater department of Columbia University, most recently won acclaim for "Sweat," a play about a blue-collar town in Pennsylvania that sees an eruption of ethnic tensions with immigrants as industrial jobs vanish.

The play, for which Nottage traveled to Pennsylvania to do first-hand research, premiered in 2015 and was later seen as a prescient look at the people who voted in President Donald Trump.

The Jackson musical will incorporate his music and feature choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, a prominent force in ballet.

Wheeldon has written original works for the Royal Ballet in London based on Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale." 

In New York, Wheeldon has written both a ballet and a musical based on "An American in Paris," Gene Kelly's 1951 movie inspired by the music of George Gershwin.

It remains to be seen how the upcoming musical will portray Jackson, who has largely been seen as a tragic figure since his 2009 death, although the involvement of his estate raises expectations that the work will focus on the positive.

Jackson found stardom in his childhood as part of The Jackson 5 before achieving unprecedented success as a solo artist, with his 1982 "Thriller" remaining the top-selling album of all time.

Jackson died while under propofol, a powerful anesthetic administered by his personal doctor to help him sleep. The singer had been acquitted four years earlier of allegations of child molestation, which he strenuously denied.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fil-Am designer nominated for another Tony

Nominations for the best of Broadway are out and Filipino-American Tony Award-winning set and costume designer Clint Ramos is up for another Tony.

This time, for best costume design of a musical for "Once On This Island" starring another Tony-winning Filipino, Lea Salonga. 

"Once On This Island" is also up for a Tony for outstanding revival of a musical.

Ramos will be competing with Gregg Barnes of Mean Girls, Ann Roth of Carousel, and David Zinn of Sponge Bob Square Pants.

Ramos is also nominated for drama desk award for outstanding costume design for the same musical.

Competing with the same contenders plus Catherine Zuber of My Fair Lady and Dade Avite Bella of the musical An American Tall Tale.

The following are nominees in key categories for Broadway's 72nd annual Tony awards, to be presented on June 10 at Radio City Music Hall.

Best play:

"The Children," Lucy Kirkwood

"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two," Jack Thorne

"Junk," Ayad Akhtar

"Latin History for Morons," John Leguizamo

Best musical:

"The Band's Visit"

"Frozen"

"Mean Girls"

"SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical"

Best revival of a play:

"Angels in America"

"Edward Albee's Three Tall Women"

"Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh"

"Lobby Hero"

"Travesties"

Best revival of a musical:

"My Fair Lady"

"Once On This Island"

"Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel"

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play:

Andrew Garfield, "Angels in America"

Tom Hollander, "Travesties"

Jamie Parker, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two"

Mark Rylance, "Farinelli and The King"

Denzel Washington, "Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh"

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play:

Glenda Jackson, "Edward Albee's Three Tall Women"

Condola Rashad, "Saint Joan"

Lauren Ridloff, "Children of a Lesser God"

Amy Schumer, "Meteor Shower"

Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical:

Harry Hadden-Paton, "My Fair Lady"

Joshua Henry, "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel"

Tony Shalhoub, "The Band's Visit"

Ethan Slater, "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical"

Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical:

Lauren Ambrose, "My Fair Lady"

Hailey Kilgore, "Once On This Island"

LaChanze, "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical"

Katrina Lenk, "The Band's Visit"

Taylor Louderman, "Mean Girls"

Jessie Mueller, "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel"

Best direction of a play:

Marianne Elliott, "Angels in America"

Joe Mantello, "Edward Albee's Three Tall Women"

Patrick Marber, "Travesties"

John Tiffany, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two"

George C. Wolfe, "Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh"

Best direction of a musical:

Michael Arden, "Once On This Island"

David Cromer, "The Band's Visit"

Tina Landau, "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical"

Casey Nicholaw, "Mean Girls"

Bartlett Sher, "My Fair Lady"

Best book of a musical:

"The Band's Visit"

"Frozen"

"Mean Girls"

"SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical"

Best original score (music and/or lyrics):

"Angels in America"

"The Band's Visit"

"Frozen"

"Mean Girls"

"SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical"

- with a report from Reuters

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Meet the other 'Kim' of Miss Saigon

LONDON – Seasoned theatre actress Tanya Manalang still finds her West End debut 'surreal.’

The 26-year-old alternates as Kim, the lead role for the musical revival Miss Saigon, originally played by Lea Salonga more than two decades ago.

The musical hit, which returned to West End after a 15-year absence, stars Jon Jon Briones as The Engineer, Alistair Brammer as Chris, and Eva Noblezada as Kim.

"I still can't believe I'm here. It hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm playing a leading lady in the West End. Sometimes, I'm just out there on the stage and I still can't believe it's happening. I feel very blessed, and I'm very thankful that I'm here," said Manalang.

In an exclusive interview at her dressing room at Prince Edward theatre before the show, she shared with ABS-CBN Europe how the Manila production of Miss Saigon shaped her dream to make a name in theatre.

"I was around 11 or 12 (years old), in CCP in Manila. Lea (Salonga) was Kim and it was the first time I saw her perform upclose. It was breathtaking: the way she did everything. I was so inspired to actually do something in musical theatre," she narrated.

She added: "It was the first major musical I saw in my life. And when I saw Lea do it, I said I want to do the same thing when I grow up".

Theatre training

She began her formal training in theater at age six and she did not stop to nurture her skills in the performing arts. She was recently educated in the musical theatre at the Arts Educational School and London.

At age eight, Manalang had her professional theatre debut as Lucy Pevensie in an adaptation of CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Trumpets, Meralco Theatre, Manila).

She played Liesl in 'The Sound of Music" and Tuptim in "The King and I". Both shows were musicals produced by Resorts World Manila (Newport Performing Arts Theater, Manila).

Auditioning for Miss Saigon

Manalang confessed she was halfhearted when she auditioned for Miss Saigon in Manila because she wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave the country. But she was certain she wanted to be part of the Cameron Mackintosh production.

With a little push from her theatre friends, family and mentors, she gave the audition a try.

"Pinush nila ako. I got a call back from the audition. And then after that, iba na yung feeling. I had only two hours to learn 'I give my life for you' for the call back. And after, I thought this is a sign," she said.

Now alternating for the lead role at West End, she wanted to follow in the footsteps of former Kims: Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson and Joanna Ampil.

"Every time I get feedback from them--from Ate Lea, from Tita Monique, from Jo, it's just so inspiring. It just feels really good to make them proud," said Manalang.

Miss Saigon family

Miss Saigon boasts of an international cast of 18 nationalities, with diverse mix of talents and culture. This mélange is now 'family' to Manalang.

"I feel so at home with them. They make everything so comfortable and easy for me. And it's just a great thing that we've become one big happy family here," she said.

The revival musical of Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil is described by Manalang as a 'darker version, more organic, passionate and sensual.'

She hopes to inspire younger and aspiring actress to reach for their dreams.

"I never imagined myself to be here, to be where I am right now. Just never stop dreaming, never stop praying," she said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cherie Gil plays Vogue editor in one-woman play

MANILA -- Veteran actress Cherie Gil takes on the role of a fashion icon in a one-woman play which will be staged next month.

Gil is the star of My Own Mann Productions' "Full Gallop," a play that focuses on noted fashion columnist and editor Diana Vreeland of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar magazines.

The play is set in New York in 1971, when Vreeland was just fired from Vogue and is figuring out what to do with her life.

In a press conference for "Full Gallop" on Tuesday, Gil recalled being offered to do the play by director Bart Guingona.

"On my birthday, Bart came and I think he just dumped it on my lap and he said, 'Here is the script.' And though I browsed through the script I really didn't delve into it yet… Then I thought to myself, she (Vreeland) is the woman that I wanted to become, even just for a few nights," she said. "Everything fell into place quite effortlessly."

Noting how she sees herself in Vreeland, Gil said: "I find that we have a lot in common. First of all, she's crazy. She has a lot of things going on at the same time, may pagka-bipolar. And at the same time, she sees the world in a different light. She is more than just fashion and outfits. She can never remember names. She loves the tango and I love the tango. She's a wonderful mother and I'd like to think I'm a wonderful mother. She stays on track and she loves what she does. Nothing stops her from wanting to keep on going."

Gil, who has been studying Vreeland's character for the past six months, admitted that it is quite a challenge to portray the fashion icon's vivacious and larger-than-life character.

"I'm still preparing. I'm not quite there yet… Nobody speaks like Diana. And what also made her iconic is her vernacular, the way she spoke: marvelous, divine, ghastly and all those kinds of kabaklaan. I would love to say all that. My gay friends would love it as well," she said.

"But beyond the fashion, the glamour and maybe even the superficiality of it… I want to emanate the human side of her with the help of Bart (Guingona). It's actually quite poignant. It all starts with who she is, but then, she is one of those iconic women symbolizing those strong forces of nature. And I'm only given a few nights to put my heart and soul for that past six months that I have been doing," she added.

"Full Gallop" will open a the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Plaza in Makati City with a gala night on March 14. Regular performances will be on March 15 and 21 at 8 p.m., and March 16 and 23 at 4 p.m.

Homage to fashion, beauty industry

While it is a one-woman play, "Full Gallop" will have the special participation of actress G Tongi and will feature the creations of top designers Rajo Laurel (costume), Joey Mendoza (set) and John Batalla (lighting). Ruben Nazareth, meanwhile, will be in charge of Gil's hair and makeup during the play's short run.

According to Gil, "Full Gallop" serves as an homage not only to Vreeland, but also to all the fashion and beauty experts that she has worked with over the past decades.

"I could not have done it on my own, being stylized and being basically created to have this sort of fashion image without the friends I've had in the fashion industry and beauty industry from the get-go… This is the perfect time to give them an homage, so to speak. They've been there to support me and speak of fashion and beauty and how they influence everyday life," she said.

Guingona, for his part, said they will do their best to make "Full Gallop" their own "without losing the spirit of Diana Vreeland."

Noting how the play has been presented differently on Broadway and in London, he said: "In the first place, very few people here know Diana Vreeland so there's no need to be so boxed into what she really looked like. What we need to do is to be true to the spirit of Diana Vreeland rather than to the letter. Everything we do here, Rajo is going to give us designs that are inspired by Diana."

"It will be a beautiful stylized set that captures [Diana's] spirit," he added. "Why would you do it the way they did it? We're doing it here so might as well rethink and redefine it and make it our own."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Addams Family' takes stage with 'very Filipino' story

MANILA - Cue the finger snaps and prepare to sing along.

Atlantis Production is set to end its 14th theatrical season with the whimsical musical comedy about the creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky family, "The Addams Family."



Running from November 15 to December 1 at the Meralco Theater, Pasig City, the macabre musical, based on the 1938 comic strip drawn by Charles Addams, will feature an original story that is every father's nightmare.

Wednesday Addams (K-La Rivera) has grown up and fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man, Lucas Beineke (Ryan Gallagher) -- a secret she confides only in her father.

In saying yes to his daughter's request to keep the secret between them, Gomez Addams (Arnell Ignacio) must do something he's never done before -- keep a secret from his beloved wife.

"I deeply relate to Gomez as a father and his relationship with his daughter, Wednesday," Ignacio said during a recent press conference for the stage play.

Veteran actress Eula Valdez, fresh from her award-winning performance in the musical, "Nine," will play Morticia Addams, known to "Addams" fans for a skin so pale, eyes so black and dress cut down to Venezuela.

"Sobrang loving wife," Valdez said in describing her character. "Sobrang importante sa kanya na maging truthful 'yung bawat isa."

Valdez, in the same press conference, also promised to offer a different take on the character from those who have played Morticia before her, including the award-winning Anjelica Huston.

"Ayaw kong may magaya doon sa pinanuod nila. Alam mo 'yun, pag kinopya lang parang walang kang trinabaho," she said.

The rest of the ghoulish ensemble will be played Nyoy Volante and Jimmy Marquez alternating as Grandma, Jamie Wilson as Uncle Fester, Carla Guevarra as Alice Beineke, Calvin Millado as Mal Beineke, Warren Saga and Anton Posadas alternating as Pugsley Adams, and Ikey Canoy as Lurch.

"Mukha nga kaming mga baliw," Valdez said, "pero 'yung value namin napaka-intact, inspiring even. Sa panlabas, akala mo ang pananaw sa buhay ay magulo at pariwara. Pero yung kalooban, very basic 'yung foundation -- family. [It's] very Filipino."

Director Bobby Garcia added, "We are thrilled with the amazing cast we have assembled. 'The Addams Family' will be a perfect way for families to end the year."

For tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or Ticketworld at 891-9999. You can also visit their website www.atlantisproductionsinc.com for more details.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Lea Salonga was once rejected for 'My Fair Lady'

MANILA -- Tony Award winner Lea Salonga was once rejected for the role of Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady" just because she was Asian.

On ANC's "Storyline," Salonga recalled receiving a phone call from her agent offering her a role after her award-winning stint with "Miss Saigon."

But minutes later, her agent called back. "They're not gonna see you because you are Asian," Salonga mimicked the words of her agent.

"What's that got to do with anything?" she then asked in disbelief.

According to Salonga, the role of Eliza Doolittle is traditionally played by a Caucasian actress. She eventually got to play the role popularized by Audrey Hepburn in the movie version in Manila with Repertory Philippines.

But instead of dwelling on the rejection, Salonga wanted to prove that race has nothing to do with talent.

Long after that phone call from her agent, Salonga was invited by producer Cameron Mackintosh to play the role of Eponine in "Les Misérables."

Salonga, who won the Tony for best actress in "Miss Saigon," explained that she wanted to use that opportunity to prove that traditionally Caucasian roles can also be played by Asians.

"I wanted to prove we can extend the suspension of disbelief that this little Asian actor can play this traditionally Caucasian role and you would believe everything that's happening on stage," Salonga said.

The actress said she wanted to play Eponine even more than Kim in "Miss Saigon" because it wasn't just about the role itself.

"I was driven to make that work and I worked really hard on that role, harder than I ever did in Kim. Because this wasn't about money, this wasn't about commercial success. For me, I wanted to prove that it can be done," speaking about her fight against discrimination.

Salonga became the first-ever Asian to play the role of Eponine in the hit musical.

After a performance, Salonga recalled how Mackintosh approached her and said: "You do not look Asian when I see you up there."

"That was what I needed to hear," said Salonga, who again broke racial barriers when she played Fantine in the same musical.

"The Voice of the Philippines" judge also shared that she intends to keep singing as long as fans would still listen to her.

"I am going to continue to do this as if there is anything else for me. And truthfully, I don't think there is nothing else out there for me. I feel like I am custom-built to spec to do what I do," Salonga admitted.

"As long as there are people who enjoy what I do then I will be around to do it," she added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'Miss Saigon' returns to PH for auditions

MANILA, Philippines – The hit musical “Miss Saigon,” which launched the international career of Filipino actress Lea Salonga, is gearing up for a revival in London’s West End.


And just like in 1988, when producer Cameron Mackintosh and the songwriting team of Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, “discovered” Salonga in Manila, the production team is again flying to the Philippine capital to hold auditions for the lead role of Kim, the 17-year-old Vietnamese bar girl, as well as ensemble cast members.

According to the website Broadway World, the auditions will be held at the Philippine Opera Company’s headquarters Opera Haus in Makati on November 19-22.

A Facebook page has been set up to provide more details on the Manila auditions.


“‘Miss Saigon’s’ executive producer, director, choreographer, and musical director will be flying in from London to hold auditions for the restaging of the hit musical, which paved the way for Filipino talents such as Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, and Isay Alvarez, among others to shine on the world stage,” Dong Alegre, the representative of Mackintosh in the Philippines, told Broadway World.

“Miss Saigon,” based on Giacomo Puccini’s popular opera “Madame Butterfly,” had its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane London on September 20, 1989 with Salonga and 13 other Filipinos, including Monique Wilson, Isay Alvarez, Robert Sena, Pinky Amador, Michael Williams and Junix Inocian.

The musical about a Vietnamese prostitute who falls in love with an American solider during the fall of Saigon ran for over 4,000 in London before closing in 1999.

It opened on Broadway in 1991, also with Salonga, who won a Tony Awards for her performance. It closed in New York in 2001.

According to the “Miss Saigon” official website, the musical has been performed in 25 countries and 246 cities and has been translated into 12 different languages

‘It begins again’

In her Facebook page, Salonga couldn’t help but notice the timing of the upcoming Manila auditions.

“And so it begins again... It was in November 1988 that I auditioned for ‘Miss Saigon.’ Whose life is going to change this November 2012?” she said in a post on Facebook on Saturday.

“Who would be your bets for the West End revival of ‘Miss Saigon’? Auditions are in November,” she said in another post.

Among those mentioned by Salonga’s Facebook friends are “American Idol” Season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez; Repertory Philippines’ actress Cara Barredo, who currently appears in Rep’s “The Wizard of Oz” as Dorothy; and Manila-born Singaporean Julia Abueva, who starred in a Singaporean production of “Spring Awakening” early this year.

According to Broadway World, audition requirements will be announced soon.

source: abs-cbnnews.com