October 2008: Happy elsewhere

One whole week with my sister and three nieces! I think I did more eating and shopping (alright, my sister shopped, I walked with her) in that one week than I did in the previous six months. I loved baby-sitting the girls so my sister could spend some undisturbed time with family and friends. I hope they can come back next year, and for a longer period!

Before they arrived, I squeezed in five performances in three weekends. Hubby-dear had to watch more. Much more.

La Bohème
Philippine Opera Company
http://www.philippineoperacompany.com
Music by Giacomo Puccini • Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Helen Quach • Directed by Floy Quintos

Disney's Mulan Jr.
Repertory Philippines
http://www.repertory-philippines.com
Directed by Joy Virata • Choreographed by Denisa Reyes

Piaf: Love Conquers All
MusicArtes
Written by Roger Peace • Director, Designer, Actor: Naomi Emmerson • Piano Accompaniment by Carmela Buencamino-Sinco

New Beginnings
Ballet Philippines
http://www.balletphilippines.org
Night Creature
Choreography by Alvin Ailey • Restaged by Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish • Music by Duke Ellington
The Hurt We Embrace
Choreography by Max Luna III • Music by Jan Ap Kaczmarek
Mga Awit
Choreography by Max Luna III • Music by Michael Dadap • Lyrics by Nelson Navarro
Thresholds II
Choreography by Alan Hineline • Music by Jerome Begin

Master Class
Philippine Opera Company
http://www.philippineoperacompany.com
Written by Terrence McNally • Directed by Michael Williams

The Eraserheads: Ang Huling El Bimbo

Ted recently told me that he doesn't know any Filipino songs. I'm no great shakes with them either, to tell you the truth. My husband despairs of me ever remembering song titles, lyrics, artists and tunes! I don't listen to music at home or at work (I like silence) though I do enjoy live performances tremendously. So I told Ted that I'll ask around and post some especially for him. Here's my first: "Ang Huling El Bimbo" by The Eraserheads.

I know that most of you won't understand the lyrics because it's in Tagalog, so here's the synopsis of the song from Wikipedia's entry on Ang Huling El Bimbo:

The first and second verses tell about the narrator's youth, when he would frequently visit his childhood friend, a girl, by hanging around in her huge house after school. The girl was a good dancer, but she was at her best when dancing the El Bimbo. The boy would often visit the girl after school to learn the dance, and always felt awkward doing it. It was at this point that the boy realized he was in love with the girl.

The third verse fast-forwards to the present, after the narrator and his childhood friend had not met for a long time. The girl, according to gossip, became an unwed single mother and apparently earned a living as a dishwasher in the then-seedy district of Ermita, Manila. Finally, the narrator reveals that his childhood friend had died after being hit and run by an unnamed vehicle.

At this point, the narrator regrets not being open with his feelings. He ultimately realizes that his feelings will remain forever unrequited and that the only time he'll be able to dance with her again will be inside his dreams.

The events of the narrator's childhood seem to be set before or around the 1960s or 1970s, as he mentions that his childhood friend looks like Paraluman, a Filipina actress popular in the 1940s.

Song lyrics | Ang Huling El Bimbo lyrics

You can read a short biography of The Eraserheads in AllMusic and a longer one in Wikipedia.

February 2008: Happy elsewhere

An embarrassing richness of plays this month, aside from one ballet and the Japanese drummers. Two of the plays were by university theater groups, and I have to say that the best of the year so far was by one of them: Dulaang U.P.'s "Orosman at Zafira." Awesome!

Skin Deep
PETA: Philippine Educational Theater Association
http://www.petatheater.com
Written by Vincent de Jesus • Directed by Nor Domingo • Music by Lucien Letaba and Arranged by Melvin Corpin • Choreographed by Christine Crame-Santillan



Hakbang sa Hakbang
William Shakespeare's "Measure for Measure"
Tanghalang Ateneo • Ateneo de Manila University
http://tanghalangateneo.multiply.com
Translated and Directed by Ronan Capinding • Choreographed by Ina Luna



Hamlet
Repertory Philippines
http://www.repertory-philippines.com
Written by William Shakespeare • Directed by Ana Abad Santos-Bitong



Le Corsaire
Ballet Manila
http://balletmanila.ph



EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson
Tanghalang Pilipino
http://www.tanghalangpilipino.com
Written by Ed Maranan • Directed by Chris Millado • Music by The Dawn



Wadaiko: The Drums of Japan
Ryo Shiobara and Daida
Ryo Shiobara: http://www.dondoko.com/prof.html



Orosman at Zafira
Dulaang U.P. • University of the Philippines - Diliman
http://orosmanatzafira.multiply.com and http://www.upd.edu.ph/~dup
Written by Francisco Baltazar • Directed and Choreographed by Dexter Santos • Music composed by Carol Bello

If only cats caterwauling sounded like this

Cat's Meow
Philippine Madrigal Singers
www.philippinemadrigalsingers.com
Chonan, South Korea
January 24, 2007

January 2008: Happy elsewhere

Aside from my job, shopping, errands, and eating out with family and friends, these are what took me out of the house in January 2008:

Kudeta
Tanghalang Pilipino
http://www.tanghalangpilipino.com/
Written by Mustapha Matura • Translated by George de Jesus III • Directed by Floy Quintos



If It Ain’t Baroque, Don’t Fix It: The Bach Family Business
Clarion Chamber Ensemble
http://www.clarionensemble.com/
Johann Sebastian Bach • Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach • Johann Christian Bach • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart



Johnny Alegre Affinity
http://affinityjazz.multiply.com/
Johnny Alegre, Guitar • Colby dela Calzada, Bass • Ricky Posadas, Drums



Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
http://www.sweeneytoddmovie.com/
Directed by Tim Burton

Thank you, Charice. Thank you, Ellen.

After a year marred by questionable government deals and a failed coup attempt led by a rebel soldier elected into the Senate who decided he wanted to hole up in a five-star hotel with his men, this little girl with a big voice from Cabuyao, Laguna gave the Philippines a much-needed morale boost at year-end. Charice Pempengco is all of 15 years old and she appeared in The Ellen DeGeneres Show on December 19.

Enjoy! She's fantastic!