Philippine Opera Company Opens 15th Year Anniversary Season With The Re-Staging Of “Ang Bagong Harana”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In the midst of so many foreign pop acts and musical productions from Broadway and the West End, one small theatrical effort made waves four years ago. It was a musical revue featuring traditional and contemporary Filipino songs, sung not by legends of Classical singing, but by a troupe of dedicated artists. The show was Philippine Opera Company’s “Ang Bagong Harana”.

In celebration of its 15th Year Anniversary Philippine Opera Company's bringing back "Ang Bagong Harana" this October. "Ang Bagong Harana" is very fitting to celebrate POC's Pearl Anniversary not only because it is one of POC's successful shows but also to promote that our heritage is our country’s best asset. “Ang Bagong Harana” will also remind us to put our country's future first especially in the coming election.

From children’s songs to tribal chants, from planting songs to courtship ditties, from stirring kundiman to the delightful showstoppers by Sylvia la Torre, “ANG BAGONG HARANA” will showcase the best of all the Filipino composers from different music genres --- Nicanor Abelardo, Ryan Cayabyab, Willy Cruz, Francisco Santiago, Antonio Molina, Resti Umali, George Canseco, Ernani Cuenco, Levi Celerio, Jose Estrella, Constancio De Guzman and Felipe de Leon, to name a few.

What was the secret of this small revue’s success?

The Normal Heart Is All Set For Re-Run This October

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The recent, very-limited run Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart” by The Necessary Theatre was called “important,” some critics hailing the quality of its acting, its direction, and design. It drew raves from a very wide spectrum of audiences, theater-goers and non theater-goers alike.

But for all the praise garnered for different aspects of the production, the two most common sentiments were: 1. How the play has awakened the viewer to the HIV crisis in our own country and 2. A real clamor for a repeat of the show.

In 1981 in New York, a mysterious disease was ravaging a very specific, very “specialized” demographic: gay men. It aggravated deep-seated feelings of hatred and festering bigotries against, and even within the ranks of its victims. The confusion, chaos, panic and paranoia could have been a scenario from a b-grade disaster movie except that the crisis was very real and very frightening. No cause for the fatal illness was yet known, no strategies for prevention, no cure remotely in sight.

One doctor understands that the disease is transmitted sexually. She recruits a writer with a reputation for abrasiveness to combat the epidemic in two ways. First, he noisily clamors, if almost singlehandedly, for action against City Hall and the Health Department; and then fights against his own community,-- the gay community-- to convince its members to cease all sexual activity among themselves.

Ballet Philippines' Sarong Banggi Celebrates The Filipino Family on Oct. 16 to 18

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Rediscover local musical treasures in a new ballet about the Filipino family. Ballet Philippines’ Sarong Banggi features new works by six exciting Filipino choreographers set to classic folk songs from around the country, arranged and orchestrated by Ryan Cayabyab, the country’s best-loved composer. Renowned fashion designer Rajo Laurel designs the costumes for this ballet.

The show features choreography by Carissa Adea, Ronelson Yadao, Cyril Aran Fallar, Paul Alexander Morales, Nonoy Froilan, and Carlo Pacis. Each choreographer brings to the stage his unique impression of the Filipino family in a new contemporary ballet with the cast led by Jean Marc Cordero, Earl John Arisola, Rita Angela Winder, and Monica Amanda Gana.

“Sarong Banggi will tug at the audience’s heartstrings with its nostalgic music and earnest look at traditional Filipino values,” says Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales”. “It will be exciting to see these choreographers’ different takes on familiar themes; love, loss and reconciliation that cements the Filipino family”

When asked by Morales to create two pieces for the show, Hong Kong-based choreographer Carlo Pacis was excited at the chance to come home and work with Ballet Philippines again. “As a Filipino living overseas, I felt that it was my responsibility to give back.” Pacis, former soloist of the Hong Kong Ballet is a two-time awardee for Outstanding Choreography at the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards.