Category: Musicals

There’s a world-class show in town, and you shouldn’t miss its limited run here in Manila! DRUM TAO is a different kind of musical drum concert where the performers are trained in martial arts and prefer to practice outdoors in the forest to prepare for this awesome sensory experience. It’s like watching synchronized drumming–very animated … Continue reading DRUM TAO: Why Watch the Art of Japanese Drums?

Isn’t it great that Manila gets to see Rock of Ages two ways–on stage and in the cinema–at the same time? The Broadway musical (Manila production), led by Mig Ayesa, opens just as the Rock of Ages Movie, led by Tom Cruise, starts its run. I was given the chance to watch the musical’s preview … Continue reading ROCK OF AGES Manila: 8 Reasons Why You Should Watch the Live Musical First!

Forbidden Broadway is a parody of famous Broadway Musicals (think Live Bubble Gang Spoof Skits Concert) like Into the Woods, Les Mesirables, Cats, West Side Story, Rent, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Mamma Mia, to name a few. It’s a very timely show considering some of these Broadway musicals have been staged in Manila and … Continue reading Forbidden Broadway Manila Spoofs Spoiler

Cirque Mother Africa opened last night in Newport Performing Arts Theater and will only run for 5 days (April 19-22, 2012) in Manila. It is a two-hour show with a 20-minute intermission. Take note, it’s not a Cirque du Soleil show. I had the impression that it was because of the term Cirque. It’s more … Continue reading Cirque Mother Africa Review (Read this First)

I don’t get to see a lot of standing ovations in most of the shows in Manila. Usually, the Manila audience would give a standing ovation if Lea Salonga was in the cast, or if it’s an international production like Mamma Mia. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo’s new theatrical adaption of Jekyll and Hyde in Manila gets a standing … Continue reading Jekyll and Hyde Manila’s Standing Ovation!

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown is a stage musical adaptation of the popular comic strip Peanuts by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. It’s a live version of the comic strip acted and sometimes sung by Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and friends. Honestly, we are not too familiar with the characters and we did not grow up reading … Continue reading Charlie Brown Happiness 😀

I must admit I didn’t know what to expect from Fuerza Bruta, a Buenos Aires original show, which literally means “Brute Force”. All I know is that it is 360-degree-immersive experience and not-your-usual-cliche-Broadway-show. And if you like Cirque de Soleil, you’ll probably like this too. To best experience the show, it is better that you … Continue reading FUERZA BRUTA Manila ♥alentine Premiere!

For people like us, who grew up in the “Dancing Queen” generation, watching Mamma Mia was pure pleasure. How we wished we could interact with the show! Once the musical started, I kept reminding myself not to hum, lip sync, nod my head, tap my feet, or play invisible drums with my hands because theater … Continue reading ♬ Mamma Mia, ♪ Here I Go Again ♩My My, How Can I Resist You? ♫…

Watching this play brings back memories of Vagina Monologues with a focus on clothes (instead of Vaginas) as witness to memorable events in a woman’s life. Each of the women shares her story and memories about Bras, Boots, Purses, Birkenstocks, the Madonna era, etc. Yes, it is a show for women, but the guys could learn … Continue reading Love, Loss, and What I Wore