STAGE TUBE: Cebu Theater Groups Unite Against Cancer

By Lee Cundangan

Manila, Philippines, April 26, 2013 -- If you think mainstream theater is most active in Manila, think again! Cebu City, the "Queen City of the South," has seven theater groups, collectively known as the United Artists of Cebu; and they are staging a benefit concert "Of Butterflies and Daisies" for Cebu Cancer Fight Inc. and playwright/director Daisy Baad, also a cancer patient, at Cebu Cultural Center, Lahug, Cebu City (across UP-Cebu) on Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28 at 7 p.m.

Each theater group performs per segment at the concert; before each performance, a "healing video tip," connected to the performance, will be played.

The concert repertoire features a diversity of original songs and inspirational, uplifting songs from Disney animated films and Broadway musicals.

Sonny Ouano Alquizola, Creative Thespian Club Inc.'s artistic director, one of the participating theater groups, told BroadwayWorld.com that the theme of the concert is about celebrating life, while at the same time fighting cancer by disseminating proper information.

This concert is also for Cebuana playwright/director Daisy Brillantes Baad, who forged a solid career in performing arts for herself over the last 30 years. She had always dreamed of bringing together various performing arts groups in Cebu.

"When she got diagnosed with stage four soft-tissue sarcoma recently, many of us who were under her wing not so long ago decided to do something to give back, not just to Ms. Daisy, but to other people with cancer as well," said Alquizola. "That is how the United Artists of Cebu was born."

According to Alquizola, the concert's title "Of Butterflies and Daisies" was inspired by Baad's first name, and the process of a butterfly's metamorphosis as suggested by Professor Bien Fernandez, Jr., a veteran stage director. "A butterfly doesn't have a long life span; we should appreciate its beauty while it lives. Butterflies also feed on daisies."

In putting on the concert, Alquizola admitted there were challenges at first. But he is grateful that everything fell into place. For him, it is a bit daunting to bring together more than 100 performers in a venue that can accommodate a large number of cast and crew.

As of this writing, Alquizola's biggest challenge is to fill up the Cebu Cultural Center, and to educate Cebuanos more about cancer and the beauty of theater and performing arts.

The United Artists of Cebu is composed of Buhilaman Theater Organization, Young Thespians of Cebu, SIDD Artists, Junior Troubadors, PACE Setters, Offbeat Concepts Production House, and Creative Thespians Club Inc.

Tickets are available at the Cebu Cultural Center box office or call (63)923-393-5628.

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