Oliver Oliveros - Page 24

True to its core mission of showcasing the talents of Asian-American theater artists, National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), which presented the Broadway musical 'Hello, Dolly!' last year, is now facing the challenge of staging Lionel Bart's beloved Broadway musical OLIVER!, featuring a 65-member all-Asian cast made up of 20 child actors, including Bonale Zon Fambrini, who will play the title role; 25 professional adult actors; and 20 members of the NAAP Broadway Community Chorus.

There are only two seasons in the Philippines: the dry season and the wet season. Technically, it's the wet season in the country from June to August; nevertheless, the local theater scene remains bustling with activities during these 'bring your umbrella' months.

Robert Scott Wilson or Rob Wilson, erstwhile Peter 'Pete' Courtlandt on ABC's daytime soap 'All My Children' and the first-ever male model on CBS' longtime game show 'The Price is Right,' is set to debut as Ben Rogers in the Daytime Emmy Award-winning soap Days of our Lives today, 1 p.m., on NBC.

Apolla Enchino's erotic drama 'A New York Love Story' will have its world premiere at SOHO International Film Festival at Village East Cinemas (189 12th St. and 2nd Ave.) tonight, 9:15 p.m. The film stars Enchino, Richard Short, Siobhan Flynn, Miguel Pinzon, and ALADDIN on Broadway's Princess Jasmine, Courtney Reed. For tickets, check it out HERE.

The Heights Players ('Yentl,' 'Doubt'), a not-for-profit theater company based in Brooklyn, closes its 58th season with the seminal theatrical piece WEST SIDE STORY, which features book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and original direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Thomas N. Tyler ('A Chorus Line,' 'Finian's Rainbow') directs this production, which runs until Sunday, May 25, at 26 Willow Place, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The 25th anniversary production of MISS SAIGON's Gigi Van Tranh, Rachelle Ann Go ('Little Mermaid,' 'Tarzan'), made a surprise appearance singing 'And There It Is,' written and composed by Scott Alan ('Detour in Los Angeles,' 'Home'), at the celebrated musical theater composer's Wednesday night (May 13) concert at Hippodrome Casino-London. On stage, playing the piano, Scott performed at the Hippodrome for four consecutive evenings from Tuesday, May 13, to Friday, May 16.

True to its core mission of showcasing the talents of Asian-American theater artists, National Asian Artists Project (NAAP), which presented the Broadway musical 'Hello, Dolly!' last year, is now facing the challenge of staging Lionel Bart's beloved Broadway musical OLIVER!, featuring a 65-member all-Asian cast made up of 20 child actors, including Bonale Zon Fambrini, who will play the title role; 25 professional adult actors; and 20 members of the NAAP Broadway Community Chorus.

The social media team behind the 25th anniversary production of MISS SAIGON, currently in previews at Prince Edward Theatre (28 Old Compton St.), and Australian-born photographer Michael Le Poer Trench, who has been photographing the sung-through musical since its early years, have officially released the promotional photograph of multi-award winning recording artist-musical theater actress Rachelle Ann Go for MISS SAIGON.

Broadway stars John Cudia ('Phantom of the Opera,' 'Les Miserables'), Michael James Scott ('Book of Mormon,' Disney's 'Aladdin'), Kathy Voytko ('Nine,' 'Oklahoma!'), Raymond Jaramillo McLeod ('Jekyll and Hyde'), and Q. Smith (Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's 'Mary Poppins') banded together, alongside Broadway's veteran musicians Charles and Annbrit duChateau ('Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark,' Disney's 'Aladdin,' respectively), Dave Phillips ('Book of Mormon'), and Charles Descarfino ('Elf,' 'Porgy and Bess'), to raise funds for the Young At Arts' scholarship program Monday, April 28, at Christ Church Bronxville.

Synergy Production and Marketing Inc., founded by husband and wife team Ronald and Grace Labaguis, to promote emerging Filipino-American artists and performers in the East Coast, successfully wrapped up its maiden project, a concert billed as 'An Evening of Original Philippine Music with Cecile Azarcon and Sounds of Manila,' featuring musical direction by Lorrie Ilustre, held Sunday, April 27, at Symphony Space on 95th Street and Broadway.

Cecile Azarcon, esteemed Original Philippine Music (OPM) composer-lyricist, and premier local band Sounds of Manila (SOM), together with renowned musical director-arranger Lorrie Ilustre, are set to fill up the Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway and 95th Street) via their concert titled 'An Evening of Original Philippine Music with Cecile Azarcon and Sounds of Manila' on Sunday, April 27, at 7 p.m.

Google's office on Eight Avenue hosted a conversation with Tony Award-winning musical revival PIPPIN's new lead stars Kyle Dean Massey (Pippin) and Ciara Renee (Leading Player), together with original cast members Bethany Moore (Player, Catherine understudy) and Orion Griffiths (Player, Acrobat), earlier today, which was streamed live on YouTube, moderated by Google's Alan Seale and YouTube Next Lab's Mark Douglas.

Following its Philippine premiere in 2011, London's West End and Off-Broadway's percussion sensation, STOMP, will return to the Cultural Center of the Philippines' (CCP) main theater for a limited eight-performance engagement from Tuesday, June 17, to Sunday, June 22, producers Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Concertus Manila recently announced.

Manhattan Shakespeare Project (MSP), an all-female Shakespeare theater company, will celebrate its 'patron saint' William Shakespeare's 450th birthday by blowing out birthday candles and reading bawdy writings penned by the master playwright at The Thirst Fan Bar (254 W 31st St.) on Sunday, April 20, at 7 p.m.

Tony Award nominated rock star Constantine Maroulis (“Rock of Ages,' 'Jekyll and Hyde') and former “Rock of Ages” co-star Angel Reed have joined showband singer-graphic novelist Arnel Arcedo's UNSELFIE campaign to raise funds for 13-year-old John Carlo Zaparita and his siblings, Angelo, 11, and Adrian, 6.

Remember then 18-year-old contestant on “The Voice Australia” Season Two who stuttered when talking, but would command your attention once he began singing Josh Groban's “Broken Vow”? Melbourne-bred Harrison Craig, now 19, coached by soul and R&B singer Seal, went on to win the title of “The Voice Australia,” and is set to release today, Friday, April 11, his second album titled L.O.V.E., produced by Universal Music Australia.

Before I entered college at De La Salle University-Manila in 1991, I attended my first musical theater workshops with GANTIMPALA THEATER in Manila: the first one was with actor-director Roobak Valle, our workshop facilitator; we did an original musical titled 'Dormitoryo: 24 Oras'; the second one was with Mr. Valle again (I was one of his assistant facilitators at that time); we did Don delos Reyes' 'Bien Aligtad.' Both musical theater workshops were so much fun. We--the participants-had seemingly incurable withdrawal symptoms at the end of the summer.

The actors' convention ACTORS PRO EXPO, billed as 'Surviving Actors Expo' in the United Kingdom, will make its US debut at The Radisson Martinique on Broadway (49 W 32nd St.) on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrepreneur actress Felicity Jackson, best known for her appearance on BBC's 'The Apprentice' Series 7, founded Surviving Actors in 2009 to aid working actors by holding trade shows.

Queen and Ben Elton's smash musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, built around 24 of British rock group Queen's biggest hits, including 'Another One Bites The Dust,' 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love,' 'We Are The Champions,' 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' and 'We Will Rock You,' opens at the Warner Theatre (513 13th Street NW) on Tuesday, June 3, and will run eight performances until Sunday, June 8. For tickets ($55-75), visit ticketmaster.com or warnertheatredc.com.

In August last year, about 700 Filipino theater fans' Facebook-based petition to bring the smash Broadway musical 'Wicked' to Manila was deemed successful; the 'Ozian' stage spectacle opened at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) five months later, which ran 42 performances. Apparently, these fans are at it again: a newly created Facebook-based petition page to bring the critically-acclaimed reimagined production of Sir Cameron Mackintosh's LES MISERABLES to Manila is up and running--engaging every visitor to like its cause!