The Kundiman Party returns at the PETA Theater Center

Friends and acquaintances from the theater and music scene were in disbelief upon learning that I failed to see The Kundiman Party when it had its initial (later, extended) run last year.

Written by Floy Quintos, directed by Dexter M. Santos, and produced by the UP Playwright's Theater, this play was the talk of the town as the plot that deals with the millennials' discontentment with the current socio-political affairs, as well as the kundiman art songs woven in it, resonated well with audiences.

Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino

Now, as the country moves forward (for better or for worse) after the midterm national and local elections, The Kundiman Party makes its much awaited for a limited run this May 24-Jube 2, 2019 at a new venue, the PETA Theater Center as part of its Stage of the Nation Season.

Rica Nepomuceno

Leading the cast is Shamaine Centenera-Buencamino who returns to reprise the role of the reclusive voice teacher Maestra Adela. Joining her are the returning Titas namely Frances Makil-Ignacio, Stella Cañete, Jenny Jamora, and Missy Maramara. Also returning are Miah Canton and Rica Nepomuceno, portraying singers from different eras trying to find their voice in these times.

Miah Canton

A trio of new additions join the party in this run starting with pianist Gabriel Paguirigan, who has won countless competitions and has performed and competed numerous times here and abroad. This will be his first ever acting role which is also the major reason why I absolutely cannot miss this year's staging.

Playwright Floy Quintos

Also joining the cast is Boo Gabunada who was last seen in Mula Sa Buwan and Ang Huling El Bimbo. Rounding up the new additions is seasoned actor Nonie Buencamino as Senator Juancho Valderama, who will have a square off scene with his wife Shamaine.

The kundimans to be performed in the play will feature piano arrangements by National Artist for Music, Ryan Cayabyab with additional scoring by Krina Cayabyab. These kundimans include Bituing Marikit, Kundiman ng Luha, Mutya ng Pasig, and Nasaan Ka Irog by Nicanor Abelardo and Madaling Araw, Pakiusap, and Pilipinas Kong Mahal by Francisco Santiago.

The cast and creative team of The Kundiman Party

The creative team of The Kundiman Party is composed of Floy Quintos (playwright), Dexter M. Santos (director), Mitoy Sta. Ana (production designer), Krina Cayabyab (musical designer), Meliton Roxas (lights designer), Nour Houshmand (assistant director), Io Balanon (technical director), and Steven Tansiongco (video and graphics designer).

The Kundiman Party runs from May 24, 2019 up to June 2, 2019 at the PETA Theater Center.

PPO's Symphonic Sunsets concert delights jam packed UPLB grounds

Yoshikazu Fukumura conducts the Philippine Philharominic Orchestra

The most recent Symphonic Sunsets @Makiling had a change in venue with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra performing at the UPLB Freedom Park in Los Baños, Laguna this time around.

The shift to a more accessible venue at the University of the Phililpines Los Baños grounds did bring out a sizable crowd that stretched far back as my eye could see. It is always a delight for me to be in the midst of an audience outside of the typical CCP crowd as it gives me the chance to see a different reaction and feedback to the performances.

The UPLB audience

The UPLB audience reacted more to the upper half of the program with Ranera conducting medleys and mash ups of familiar and popular tunes. Some couldn't contain themselves and started to hum/sing along with the recognizable tunes from Overture on Philippine Folk Songs arranged by George Bernard Green, Selections from Les Misérables arranged by Bob Lowden, Eraserheads Suite arranged by Ryan Cayabyab, Bohemian Rhapsody/Queen Medley arranged by Herminigildo Ranera. Pipo Cifra's Terre e Luna (Earth and Moon), a symphonic mashup of two recent, massive local hits, Mundo and Buwan, and an encore of The Avengers theme by Alan Silvestri proved to be very popular with the crowd. This half of the program also gave the audience an introduction to the orchestra and the various instruments in it through a lecture/demo by Ranera.

Herminigildo Ranera conducts the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

The audience's unfamiliarity with Yoshikazu Fukumura's more traditional/classical line up, comprised of Gioacchino Rossini's Overture to La Gazza ladra, Johann Strauss Jr.'s Annen Polka and Emperor Waltz, Arturo Marquez' Danzon No. 2, Frederick Loewe's My Fair Lady Selection, and an encore of Leroy Anderson's Serenata, led to a more muted but still appreciative applause. The outdoor setup didn't give an opportunity to showcase Fukumuras deft touch in bringing out the nuances and dynamics from the PPO as evidenced by their season concerts earlier this year. It would be great if the UPLB audience can also get to experience how electrifying an orchestra performance under Fukimura could be inside a theater with great acoustics.

It remains to be seen if PPO's performance at the UPLB campus will be a regular occurrence but based on the very impressive audience turn out, I wouldn't be surprised to see if it does especially with UP President Danilo Concepción's opening remarks that already proposed some changes to make succeeding concerts more inclusive.

The Symphonic Sunsets @Makiling was presented by the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with the University of the Philippines and Philippine High School for the Arts.

Come May 18, 2019, 5:00 PM, back at the Tanghalang Maria Makiling at the National Arts Center in Makiling this time, the Manila Symphony Orchestra gets to participate for the first time at Symphonic Sunsets @Makiling. To be conducted by Jeffrey Solares, the MSO will perform a varied program with music ranging from classics, movies, OPM, and more.

ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra plays Bernstein, Gershwin, and Rachmaninoff

The ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra presents the latest installment of its Classical Concert Series this May 17, 2019, 6:45 PM at the ABS-CBN's Studio 2..

With Gerard Salonga conducting, this evening puts the spotlight on the orchestra's very own Jesper Colleen Mercado, who will be the featured pianist in George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.

Other pieces to be performed are Leonard Bernstein's Candide Overture and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s monumental Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27.

As always, the concert is free admission and one just needs to contact Ms. Joji Cardones at (0998) 969-7329 to secure one's seat.

Tribute to National Artists for Music at the CCP

The Filipino Heritage Festival Inc., in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, presents Himig ng Bayan, a tribute to the National Artists for Music this May 9, 2019, 8:00 PM at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The works of these National Artists will be performed by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Herminigildo Ranera, soprano Rachelle Gerodias, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, violinist Coke Bolipata, tenor Cristiani Rebada, Himig Sanghaya Chorale, and Danspace Ballet School. The production will be under the direction of Dennis Marasigan.

For ticket inquiries, e-mail heritagemonth@yahoo.com.ph