Oliver Oliveros - Page 48

BroadwayWorld (BWW) Philippines Awards' nominees Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (Best Leading Actress [Musical] for 'Next to Normal'); Jay Glorioso (Best Leading Actress [Play] for 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore'); Vince Tañada (Best Direction of a Musical and Best Leading Actor [Musical] for 'Cory ng EDSA'); Frances Makil Ignacio (Best Actress in a Featured Role [Play] for 'The Joy Luck Club'); and 'Cory ng EDSA' (Best Musical) were big winners at the 24th Aliw Awards, an award-giving body that recognizes excellence among Filipino practitioners in the fields of theater, opera, dance, live vocal performance, and instrumental performance.

Lea Salonga, Adam Jacobs, Ali Ewoldt, Jose Llana, and Angel Desai led a company of mostly Filipino-American Broadway actors in SUITES BY SONDHEIM, a tribute concert to American musical theater icon Stephen Sondheim, at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center last night. THE BOOK OF MORMON's co-book writer, co-composer, and co-lyricist Robert Lopez, who's part-Filipino, was also honoured with an Award of Excellence at the concert.

BroadwayWorld.com's Richard Ridge and I, on two different occasions, have recently interviewed Lea Salonga about her newest project in New York City: SUITES BY SONDHEIM, a tribute concert to Stephen Sondheim, that will feature Filipino-American Broadway actors, and singers in a one-night-only performance at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center tomorrow, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Leviathan Lab, a newly-established professional creative studio that's helping Asian American artists in advancing their careers in theater and film, recently met with some members of the press and presented excerpts from its inaugural production of William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night, which opens tonight and will run until Saturday, November 19 at Arclight Theatre (152 West 71st Street).

Congratulations to BroadwayWorld.com (BWW) Philippines Awards' nominees, whose names are below, and were shortlisted from around 500 nomination entries sent from October 6 to 31.

While the city was being pummelled by a historic October snowstorm yesterday, Broadway actor-singers Lea Salonga, MiG Ayesa, J. Elaine Marcos, and members of the Filipino-American community braved the bad weather to get to Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall for The Oustanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA-NY) Awards, which recognizes individuals and organizations that have influenced the Filipino-American community in a positive way.

Right on the heels of her Disney Legend citation that had recognized her iconic vocal recordings for two Disney Princesses Mulan from MULAN and Jasmine from ALADDIN, Lea Salonga, born and raised in the Philippines, is set to receive another accolade: the Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA-NY)Awards' Heritage Award on Saturday, October 29 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Right on the heels of her Disney Legend citation that had recognized her iconic vocal recordings for two Disney Princesses Mulan from MULAN and Jasmine from ALADDIN, Lea Salonga, born and raised in the Philippines, is set to receive another accolade: the Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA-NY)Awards' Heritage Award on Saturday, October 29 at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall.

Needless to say, we value your opinion. Thus, on our third year as a regional site of BWW, we've previously announced that we're accepting nominations for the first BWW Philippines Awards, an award-giving program that allows you to nominate and vote for your favourite musicals, straight plays, and stage personalities that made the 13-month eligibility period from September 2010 to October 2011.

Longtime cast members of the dance, percussion, and visual comedy show STOMP Angus H. Little, Melanie Joseph, Johannes Bohun, Nigel Clarke, Mikey Lantis, and Andy Pang enthusiastically promoted their show and wowed the crowd at Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, and Glorietta malls last weekend. STOMP's currently playing for a limited run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines until Sunday, October 23.

The non-traditional Off Broadway show, STOMP, which has been packing in audiences at the Orpheum Theatre in East Village, New York since 1994, will have a limited run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theatre from October 18 to 23

Atlantis Productions Inc. (NEXT TO NORMAL, IN THE HEIGHTS) has just released one of its first promo artworks, which shows one of its lead stars, Rachelle Ann Go, posing as the little mermaid Ariel, her mid-torso resting on a bed of corals, and her synthetic fishtail flashing in the background, for its upcoming production of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID running from November 18 to December 11 at Meralco Theatre.

Apparently, MiG Ayesa isn't saying goodbye just yet neither to 'Stacee Jaxx' nor to ROCK OF AGES because Atlantis Productions Inc., a prolific theater company based in Manila, Philippines whose recent productions have included the Asian premieres of NEXT TO NORMAL, and IN THE HEIGHTS, has just announced that Ayesa will be reprising his role as 'Stacee Jaxx,' a decadent rock star, when the smash Broadway musical Rock of Ages opens in Manila in June/July next year (venue to be announced).

I just broke one of my self-imposed rules: Never watch a movie alone again in the United States, more so in New York City. But, who could possibly let go of the opportunity to join the audience (although virtually) at Royal Albert Hall during Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 25th anniversary presentation of their longest-running musical together, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA?

A community, non-profit theater company based in Peoria, Theater Works, and its latest production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1951 Broadway musical THE KING & I, which was based on the 1944 novel 'Anna and the King of Siam' by Margaret Landon, will run until Sunday, October 16 at Peoria Center for Performing Arts.

United International Pictures, through Solar Entertainment Corporation, will release the film format of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh's 25th anniversary production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Royal Albert Hall in selected digital cinemas starting Wednesday, October 12.

Our theater scene in the Philippines, especially in Metro Manila, has never been as vibrant as in recent months, and we owe our hardworking, excellent theater practitioners the recognition and appreciation they deserve.

When esteemed actress-director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo visited the Big Apple a few months ago, she handed BroadwayWorld.com a copy of her latest CD album titled "Light," which contains recordings of some of the best Broadway musicals that she's been a part of; among the tracks, "Light" from NEXT TO NORMAL, whose positive message of family survival overrides the general downward spiral themes of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, was reassuring, and which Yulo (Diana Goodman) has recorded with co-actors, Jett Pangan (Dan Goodman), Jake Macapagal (Dr. Madden), Felix Rivera (Gabe Goodman), Bea Garcia (Natalie Goodman, and Markki Stroem (Henry), became our instant favorite.

Philippine Development Foundation USA (PhilDev), a non-profit organization that supports community and entrepreneurship programs in the Philippines, has just released its promo video for PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: SUITES BY SONDHEIM, a benefit concert at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on November 7 that will feature Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga, and an impressive roster of Filipino-American Broadway stars.

Repertory Philippines (REP), the country's premier English-language theater company, and Stages Production Specialists Inc. (Stages), a fast growing event and talent management firm, have started their month-long run of Anthony Drewe and George Stiles' musical incarnation of PETER PAN at Meralco Theatre.