Angel Aquino pushes herself to the limit with full-length theater debut in ‘Closer’

By Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon.com
Original Article can be found HERE

 

Angel Aquino. (Photo by Jojit Lorenzo)

“I like to challenge myself as an actor.”

That’s Angel Aquino’s quick response when asked why she continues to accept offbeat roles in films, television and, this month, in theater with her casting in Red Turnip Theater’s maiden production of “Closer”, a faithful staging of Patrick Marber’s award-winning play.

“Closer” was also adapted into the big screen by acclaimed filmmaker Mike Nichols (“The Graduate”) in 2004 and starred Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Clive Owen and Natalie Portman.

Asked by InterAksyon how she reacted when she was first offered the role of American photographer Anna Cameron played by Julia Roberts in the film version, Angel admitted that she initially did not take it seriously.

“I was like, ‘Wow! Let’s go for a reading’. But as we got into it, I began to wonder, what did I get myself into?” she recalled.

Although Angel had her first taste of theater back in 2002 when she was included in the cast of New Voice Company’s production of “The Vagina Monologues”, “Closer” is actually her first full-length theater debut.

 

Angel (third from left) with 'Closer' castmates Marc Abaya, Cris Villonco, and Bart Guingona.

“I have this huge stage fright. I do hosting jobs and sometimes I screw up my lines. Hindi puwedeng ganun in a dialogue-heavy play like ‘Closer’. I really need to do this right,” she confessed.

To her credit, Angel has done a really good job of bringing Anna to life and, together with fellow stage greenhorn Marc Abaya, holding her own against theater veterans Bart Guingona and Cris Villonco.

“But it’s a wonderful material. It’s beautifully written and I think it’s something that every actor would aspire to be part of so I feel it’s a privilege to play Anna,” she added.

As acting challenges go, “Closer” is not the only project that pushes Angel’s acting ability to its limit. She has been essaying some of the most memorable characters in recent memory, such as the title role in Topel Lee’s psychological horror drama, “Amorosa: The Revenge”; a transgender in Adolfo Alix, Jr.’s provocative Cinemalaya 2013 feature “Porno”; and the unfaithful wife of a hired killer in Erik Matti’s “On The Job”.

And then there’s her recent CineFilipino Best Supporting Actress turn as Pilar, the mysterious new woman in a small town in Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s acclaimed lesbian coming-of-age drama, “Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita”.
“I was in Lucena doing a fashion show so I wasn’t able to attend the awards night. But I kept telling everyone involved in the film to keep me updated and they texted me all night, and I was so happy with the awards we won,” she exclaimed.

Under the sheets with Teri Malvar in 'Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita'.

Angel admitted that she was surprised that “Ang Huling Cha-Cha” was one of two films to be honored with the festival’s Best Film award. “But I’ve always believed in the film. The first time I read the script, I really wanted to do it, it was such a great material and Pilar was a great character to play.”

She said she was also very happy for her young co-star Teri Malvar, who won Best Actress. “The vehicle was really good for her and brought out the best in her acting. I really wanted her to win because she worked so hard,” she admitted.

One of the film’s highlights was a kissing scene involving their respective characters. For Angel, doing delicate scenes is part of one’s growth as an actor.
“A kissing scene is a kissing scene. Kahit sino pa yan, dapat halikan mo siya the way you should kiss that person in real life, whether it’s a man or a woman, whether you like it or you don’t, you just have to do what needs to be done when you’re playing a role,” she pointed out.

As for being regarded as a sensual actress, Angel chalks that up to years of experience.

“When you’ve been acting for several years as I have, you learn a few things, develop a few tricks and experiment on some traits you’re not very familiar with like, yes, sensuality. You just have to bring that to the fore.”

Directed by Ana Abad Santos, “Closer” runs every Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until October 27. Venue is at Whitespace located at 2314 Chino Roces Ave. Extension (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension), Makati.

 

Catch Red Turnip Theater's CLOSER

OCT 26 2013 | SAT | 3PM| Whitespace, Makati

Patron Ticket Prices: 1000 

 

Contact:  Onay Sales 0917.908.0565 or Jayme 0927.202.2017

   

‘Maxie The Musicale’ –‘It’s the movie but not the movie’

By Cora Llamas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Original Article can be found HERE

Darwin Mariano and Carlo Francia (producers), JJ Pimpinio, Janine Santos and William Elvin Manzano (composers), Nicolas Pichay (playwright and lyricist) and Dexter Santos (director-choreographer)

Curtains will open a month from now, but the buzz has it that theater showbuyers have been lining up for months to get a piece of the action. The main attraction is “Maxie The Musicale,” a stage adaptation of the indie film hit “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros.”

 

Jayvhot Galang as Maxie

The Cinemalaya film explores the coming-of-age story of a young gay boy and his crush on a twentysomething police officer. That Maxie, the young hero, comes from a family of petty thieves who are on the radar of the crusading Victor, adds a Romeo-and-Juliet spin to the tale. 

The musical’s cinematic origins and the film’s huge fan following have triggered huge interest for the theatrical production. At the same time, they have also made potential audiences ask: How faithful—or different—will “Maxie The Musicale” be vis-a-vis its source material? 

Darwin Mariano, the musical’s executive producer, quotes playwright and lyricist Nicholas Pichay for an answer: “It’s the movie—and it’s not the movie.”
 
Original choice
Fidelity could be guaranteed by the fact that Pichay was the choice of the original film producers to adapt the movie to the stage. The playwright also consulted with the the movie’s screenwriter, Michiko Yamamoto. Directing the production and providing choreography is Dexter Santos. 

 

JOJO Riguerra (Victor) with Raymond Lee
(producer of “Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros”)

“We will follow the story,” says Mariano. “But we do want to maximize the fact that it’s now a stage play, and there are a lot of things you can do in the theater and not on film.” 

Among them are 26 musical numbers (so far), consisting of a wide variety of styles from the boisterous “Tabo-Tabo” that has cops and criminals dancing (separately) in the showers of a prison station; the bittersweet “Pelikula” that has Maxie escaping into the fantasy world of film; and the poignant “Love Letter,” where Maxie finally confesses his feelings to Victor. 

What remains intact is the spirit of the movie. “It’s about the loss of innocence,” says Mariano. “All of us have that period in our lives when we see that the world is not perfect, our parents have flaws… The story captures that very well.  The movie is about love, and it’s not about the gay angle. That Maxie is a gay boy is not an issue, but the fact that he happens to belong to a family of crooks. If the main character were a little girl, the movie would have worked as well, I think.”

At the same time, Mariano concedes, “We are benefiting from a time when gay-themed material is not as scandalous anymore as it was years ago.”

Last-minute casting
Jhayvot Galang, the 14-year-old who plays Maxie, is an openly gay boy accepted by his family. His was a last-minute casting that just might spawn a star turn. For months, the producers and artistic team could not find their main hero, until a friend posted on their Facebook wall a video of the young Galang auditioning in a noontime show. What Mariano saw impressed him so much that he tracked the boy’s address to his home in San Andres, Manila, and personally asked him to audition. 

“The minute he sang his first note, we knew we had our Maxie,” says Mariano. Galang was then sent to do the rounds of theater workshops to develop his acting and singing skills. 

Jojo Riguerra, who plays Victor, is a model and a theater actor who has done work for Gantimpala Theater and other companies. Aside from his thespian abilities and attractive features, what sold him to the artistic team was his six-foot height. 

“That was necessary to underline the disparity in the ages of Victor and Maxie,” says Mariano. Santos, who was in New York when they were casting for Victor, did the auditions through Skype. 

Positive response
Rehearsals are in full swing for the Nov. 9 opening, and the songs (by William Elvin Manzano, JJ Pimpinio and Janine Santos) and material are being fine-tuned. Mariano says he wants “a fun show that is movement-heavy… and with humor, power and delicacy.” 

He is happy that many are responding positively to news about the musical. Along with his business associate Carlo Miguel Francia, Mariano has been an active showbuyer of productions such as Dulaang UP’s “Orosman and Zafira” and New Voice Company’s “The Vagina Monologues.” “Maxie The Musicale” is the first show they are producing, and Mariano hopes it won’t be their last. 

“Right now, the economy is good, that’s why theater is growing and the middle class is watching,” he says. Beyond the businessman in him, though, is the dramatic arts buff who regularly trooped to the Cultural Center of the Philippines in his high school and college years to watch plays produced by Tanghalang Pilipino. 

“We have no illusions about being groundbreaking,” Mariano says. “We don’t want to produce Broadway material because there are already many who are doing that. We want to showcase Filipino talent—and we want to produce Filipino material.” 

Catch Maxie The Musical: on December 7 | Saturday | 8PM
Ticket Prices: 1200 (VIP), 1000 (Orchestra) and 800 (Balcony)

For reservations, contact:  Onay 0917.908.0565

Robert / RC Marzan 0922.888.5348
Jayme del Rosario 0927.202.2017
Ma-Ann Alimagno 0917.593.5895

 

The ‘Closer’ I get to you

By Tim Yap (The Philippine Star)

Original Article can be found HERE

 Red Turnip Theater's first offering: Closer opening on October 4  

Photos by DIX PEREZ Sittings by DAVID MILAN        

      

MANILA, Philippines - I never did like Disney. Preying on innocent minds and making us believe in fairy tales and happily ever after is pretty cruel, don’t you think?” said Ana Abad Santos, hands down my favorite theater actress slash director and now the founder of The Red Turnip Theater — the new kid formed by not-so-new kids around the theater block that’s bringing the play Closer close to us this October. 

In between surfing, doing movies, organizing events and marketing for a sports brand and shooting teleseryes, Ana Abad Santos is now back in her element, with a vengeance that is palpable as I hear her talk about her new theater company’s new project.

But first I was curious. Why the name Red Turnip Theater? “The late great Bibot Amador used to say, “You can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip... But you can damn well paint it red.” Ana turns pensive as she recalls that turning point.  “As we were building the company, that quote kept running in my head.

“Maybe as a reminder that love and passion are not enough. You gotta have guts and nerves of steel. And boy, did that woman have all of the above!” Ana emits a different glow whenever the topic turns to where she started and where she intends to go.

Pursuit of love and other drugs

“Both as a salute to a great mentor and a symbol of passion, and humor — we named our company Red Turnip Theater.” Ana formed the company with other theater veterans Rem Zamora, Cris Villonco, Jenny Jamora and Topper Fabregas.

Their first project? Closer. Some of us might be familiar with the movie adaptation of the play that was based loosely on an opera, but this one proves to be even more exciting. “Closer is a painfully humorous dissection of the human heart and it’s tirelessly sad pursuit of love.” Call it jaded but don’t we catch ourselves swinging to and fro that pendulum depending on the moments of our lives?

 

Ana shared with me some of the stellar lines from the play.

“Try lying for a change. It’s the currency of the world.”  — Dan. 

Or this, “The poor are more generous.” — Larry.

 “Have you ever seen a human heart? It looks like a fist wrapped in blood!”  — Larry.

“I don’t want to lie. I can’t tell the truth.  So it’s over,” said Alice. With a script that’s as amazing as this, and with a cast so brilliantly assembled as pictured above in this exclusive PhilStar Supreme shoot, how can you not want to see the show this October?

Oh and the exciting part about this run is that the show will be staged at Whitespace, with Friday night shows starting at 9 p.m. There’s also a bar where you can get drinks and have a glass of wine while watching the show, and food from Cibo (upon order), too! Now that’s what you call adjusting to the times. 

I then look at Ana and I see her aura turn into a deeper shade of red. “In spite of its modern tone, it has a very classic rhythm. Very poetic. Imagine Romeo and Juliet hundreds of years later is still ruining our lives. Love remains elusive. Why do the greatest love stories end in tragedy? Death keeps it alive.  It cannot survive in everyday life. We don’t have the space.”

Catch Red Turnip Theater's CLOSER
October 26 | Sat | 3PM | Whitespace, Makati
Patron Tickets at Php 1000 each

Contact Onay 0917.908.0565 or Jayme 0927.202.2017

Review: Atlantis turns 'Carrie' from flop to hit

By Vladimir Bunoan, ABS-CBNnews.com
Original Article can be found HERE

Mikkie Bradshaw as Carrie in the bloody prom scene of the stage musical "Carrie." Photo from the Facebook page of Atlantis Productions

MANILA -- Atlantis Productions' stage musical version of Stephen King's "Carrie" opened to a prolonged standing ovation on Friday despite its notorious reputation as one of Broadway's biggest flops when it first opened in New York in 1988.

The ecstatic audience response in Manila was a vindication for book writer Lawrence D. Cohen, who was the special guest on opening night at the RCBC Plaza in Makati, where "Carrie" will run for three weekends until October 6.
During curtain call, an obviously emotional Cohen thanked "the gifted and fearless" director Bobby Garcia and the entire production team "who have done justice and credit to 'Carrie' anywhere in the world."

Cohen, who also wrote the screenplay for the 1976 movie directed by Brian de Palma, noted that "Carrie," based on King's debut novel, "has become more resonant now than when it was written 40 years ago and when the movie came out. It's found some astonishing way, I think, to touch us and move us and, most of all, hold the mirror up and remind us what it is to be human."

"We are so lucky to have Bobby and this incredible company to remind us that 'Carrie' speaks a really important truth that we all need to stand in other people's shoes, that we need to have empathy for each other and, most of all, whoever we are and wherever we live, we are all connected," Cohen said in his speech.

The stage musical "Carrie" didn't get this kind of acceptance from either audiences or critics when it premiered in 1988 and ran for only five performances. A 2012 revival of the show, a massive reworking of the original with some entirely new songs, got a better response but its reputation has been so soaked in hatred -- Time magazine at that time even made a poll of theater critics to see if "Carrie" was indeed the worst musical of all time (it wasn't) -- such that The Hollywood Reporter advised its creators "to just embrace their battered creature for the freak that she is."

As such, it was surprising when Atlantis Productions announced that it was including "Carrie" in this year's lineup. But Garcia apparently was among those who saw something admirable about the much-maligned musical.

In a Facebook post before Friday's opening night, Garcia wrote: "25 years ago, I fell in love with this musical. And here we are opening the first international production with an amazing group of people on stage and off. Feeling like that 18-year-old who saw the show in 1988. Blessed, grateful and inspired."

"Inspired" is an apt description for Garcia's reworking of the musical. With Otto Hernandez's creepy set design of a decaying barn house, with high windows that suggests an old church and prison bars at the same time, moodily lit by Martin Esteva, "Carrie" opens silently as the cast enters the stage one by one.

Old discarded black-and-white TVs then run a home-made video of the prom a la "The Blair Witch Project" capturing the mayhem that ensued before cutting to a video of a police interrogation of a student, Sue Snell (Yannah Laurel), as she recounts the tragedy.

This interrogation frames the entire musical, which is composed of flashbacks leading to the movie's famous prom scene with Carrie drenched in pig's blood, the culmination of a series of cruel jokes played on her by her classmates at high school, which unleashes horror on her tormentors.

The real horror on display here isn't so much a teen freak with special telekinetic powers but the bullying that occurs to kids who don't fit into the popular teen mindset. Indeed, with news rife with tragic tales of bullied kids who are led to suicide, "Carrie" resonates to a modern audience who were too young -- or perhaps they were not even born yet -- when the movie spooked audiences in 1976.

Carrie (played by young actress Mikkie Bradshaw) isn't scary per se (although Bradshaw gives her a mean stare) but more of an un-cool outsider with her extreme religiosity, frumpy clothes and sullen posture. She has been raised by a righteous, religious fundamentalist mother (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo), who in shielding Carrie from sin also deprived her of a sense of normalcy.

These characterizations helped lift "Carrie" from being just a tale of paranormal revenge as it highlights more the psychodrama that has forced this tormented teen to use her psychic abilities with disastrous results. The result is a moving, engrossing dark musical that is intimately emotional yet grandly theatrical at the same time.

The prom climax was thrillingly staged with collapsing set pieces, effective visual projections and red lighting, but it was the scene after that with a blood-drenched Carrie seeking refuge with her mother that was more chilling.

Apart from the affectionate directorial handling, the performances of Bradshaw and Lauchengco-Yulo proved to be a key winning element to this staging's success. Bradshaw, in her first lead role, shows precision in her singing, making her duets with the vastly experienced Lauchengco-Yulo very powerful. Bradshaw also makes Carrie less of a weirdo to make the audience root for her.

Lauchengco-Yulo has the more difficult task with her role as the strict, nearly mad mother. It's easy to make Margaret into a monster mom, a tyrannical Christian, but the veteran actress managed to make the audience understand her character. Margaret, like Fosca in Stephen Sondheim's "Passion," which Lauchengco-Yulo also played, isn't at all likable but if handled well, can evoke some sort of pity despite her flaws.

This is what Lauchengco-Yulo achieved in "Carrie." Moreover, she is also given the play's most dramatic songs -- the terrifying "And Eve Was Weak" and the sad "When There's No One" -- which Lauchengco-Yulo turns into show-stopping numbers.

The songs, made by the tandem of Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford ("Fame," "Footloose"), are actually uneven with some overly dramatic and bombastic ensemble numbers but there are some melodic ballads here which are radio-friendly enough, like the duet "You Shine" sung with pop polish by Laurel and Markki Stroem, who also gave "Dreamer in Disguise" a laidback singer-songwriter feel.

But "Carrie" is definitely a group effort and despite some minor scenes with pops of unnecessary humor, the ensemble was, on the whole, realistic, sticking with the play's dark theme without overplaying it.

Atlantis' success with "Carrie" proves that even a musical that's been butchered on Broadway can have some sort of redemption.

   
Catch CARRIE on its closing weekend run! 
OCTOBER 5, 2013 / SATURDAY / 8PM /RCBC 
Ticket Prices: 1700, 1600, 1300, 800 and 700

 Contact:   
RC Marzan 0922.888.5348 
Onay Sales 0917.908.0565

View Available Seats Here: 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au4HQl0TAAC_dC1RLVVKbmZXNzViSXVLeWJKakIxNEE#gid=0

SHE Rocks: Menchu Lauchengco still enjoying theater after 15 years

By Maridol Rañoa-Bismark
Yahoo!
Original Article can be found HERE

Photo courtesy of Atlantis Productions.

What else can you do after you’ve earned the title “First Lady of Philippine Musical Theatre,” and you’ve wowed critics by playing practically all the challenging roles available to stage artists?

You don’t rest on your laurels. Not when you’re Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.
Voice coaches Jai Sabas in the Philippines and another one in New York, among others help Menchu keep her voice pitch-perfect for musicals.

“You could do things that could hurt your voice, especially in this country where you end up singing songs not necessarily in your vocal range. So you have to go back to your voice coach, ” she explains.

Menchu also makes sure she rests her voice to prepare it for all the singing and even screaming she does on stage.

“You need discipline. You don’t party after rehearsals and just go home and rest. You have to take care of your body.”

Menchu needs all the energy she can get in the upcoming production of “Carrie” the musical where she plays deranged mom Margaret White who cries and shouts – in song – all at the same time.

“It’s fifth gear in every scene. I get mad and I’m screaming. It’s one of the hardest roles I’ve ever done. This is another level of difficulty. It’s such an intense role.”

It’s so intense it even requires her to slap Mikkie Bradshaw – who plays Carrie, the teenage girl equipped with telekinetic powers that frightens her mom so.
The role can sap the energy of the most hyper actor, and Menchu is no exception.


Cartoons to relax
What does she do?

“I watch cartoons,” she smiles.

Cartoons – and the love for her craft – keep Menchu going.

“I like to accept roles that stretch and challenge me. I have no time to relax. I’m on my toes. I want to do justice to every role. You wanna push yourself constantly.”

Menchu has been pushing herself constantly since age 15, or 35 years ago, when she started in theater.

Theater has been her “happy place,” and Menchu feels blessed she can go back to her comfort zone anytime she wants. The good roles just land on her lap, and for that she feels “lucky and honored.”

“I’ve been very blessed. It would be wrong to complain.”

Menchu’s followers – who have seen her grow up in theater – are enjoying the journey along with her.

 

Catch CARRIE on its closing weekend run!  

OCTOBER 5, 2013 / SATURDAY / 8PM /RCBC  

Ticket Prices: 1700, 1600, 1300, 800 and 700 

 

 Contact:   

RC Marzan 0922.888.5348  

Onay Sales 0917.908.0565 

 

View Available Seats Here: 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au4HQl0TAAC_dC1RLVVKbmZXNzViSXVLeWJKakIxNEE#gid=0 

   

‘Carrie’–a musical prelude to Halloween

By Walter Ang

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Original Article can be found HERE

Atlantis Productions will stage the suspense-horror musical “Carrie” in the weeks leading up to Halloween. 

The musical is based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel (first published in 1974) about a girl who is bullied in school and suffers under a cruel mother. She soon discovers a special power that she wields over her tormentors. 

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo headlines the show as the titular character’s mother Margaret White, while Mikkie Bradshaw (“Rock of Ages,” “Nine,” “Disney’s Aladdin,”) will play Carrie. 

An upcoming film adaptation has Julianne Moore as Carrie’s mother and Chloe Grace Moretz (“Hugo,” “Kick-Ass,” “(500) Days of Summer”) as Carrie. Prior to this version, there was a 1976 film adaptation directed by Brian De Palma, starring Sissy Spacek in the title role. 

The musical version debuted on Broadway in 1988 with book by the film’s screenwriter Lawrence Cohen, music by Michael Gore (“Fame,” “Terms of Endearment”), and lyrics by Dean Pitchford (“Fame,” “Footloose”). 

The 1988 version was critically panned and closed after only five performances. The incident was notorious enough to be immortalized in the title of Ken Mandelbaum’s book “Not Since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops.” 

Last year, a reworked version by the original collaborators was staged on a limited engagement Off-Broadway, earning numerous nominations from different award-giving bodies. 

Atlantis is staging the 2012 version. “It is a beautifully tragic retelling of the Cinderella story with an amazing Broadway pop score,” says Atlantis’ artistic director Bobby Garcia, who is directing the show with Jamie Wilson as assistant director and Ceejay Javier as musical director. 

Choreography is by Cecile Martinez, with set design by Otto Hernandez, lighting design by Martin Esteva, sound design by Bobbit Jacinto and costume design by Raven Ong. 

   
Catch CARRIE on its closing weekend run! 
OCTOBER 5, 2013 / SATURDAY / 8PM /RCBC 
Ticket Prices: 1700, 1600, 1300, 800 and 700

 Contact:  
RC Marzan 0922.888.5348 
Onay Sales 0917.908.0565

View Available Seats Here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Au4HQl0TAAC_dC1RLVVKbmZXNzViSXVLeWJKakIxNEE#gid=0 
   

Red Turnip Theater's CLOSER
October 26 | Sat | 3PM | Whitespace, Makati

Patron Tickets at Php 1000 each
Contact Onay 0917.908.0565 or Jayme 0927.202.2017

Cast: Marc Abaya, Angel Aquino, Bart Guingona, Cris Villonco

CLOSER
by Patrick Marber

Closer is the third play written by English playwright, Patrick Marber. The play was premiered at the Royal National Theatre's Cottesloe Theatre in London in 1997. It won the Evening Standard Best Comedy Award and later the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play in 1998.

Closer made its North American debut at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway on 25 January 1999 where it ran for 172 performances on Broadway and won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play and was nominated for both Tony and Drama Desk awards.

Four lives intertwine over the course of four and a half years in this densely plotted, stinging look at modern love and betrayal. Twelve scenes chronicle the love affairs, rivalries, seductions and betrayals of four characters (two men, two women), in a spare, intense style, sometimes coarse, sometimes obscene, but calling for real sensitivity and vulnerability in the acting.