Ballet Manila goes from Chopin to the Beatles in Deux

Ballet Manila caps its 23^rd performance season with Deux, a twin bill showcasing classical and contemporary ballet, on March 2-3,  9-10, 2019 at the Aliw Theater.

Pia Dames and Joshua Enciso

Pas de action from La Bayadere

Elpidio Magat and Joan Sia

Waltz from Les Sylphides

The first half of the program, featuring the classical portion of the show will highlight Les Sylphides or Chopiniana as it is more popularly known in Russia. Set to the Romantic music of Frédéric Chopin with lyrical choreography by Michel Fokine, Les Sylphides is an almost plot less ballet wherein the Poet is surrounded by his muses that are white-clad sylphs or air spirits, dancing in the moonlight. Ballet Manila CEO and Co-Artistic Director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde likens the atmosphere of the ballet to a trance like state when one is most creative. But there's more to the first half than just  poet and sylphs as other vignettes from the classical ballet repertoire will be performed also.

Hyuma Kiyosawa and Sayaka Ishibashi

Diane et Acteon Pas de deux

Girl from The Winding Road

Girl from The Winding Road

For the second half, the dancers switch gears and go contemporary with the world premiere of Martin Lawrance’s The Winding Road a new contemporary ballet set to the immortal music of The Beatles. For Lawrance, each of the nine songs he chose for this ballet tells a little story and he will weave these stories together through a winding road before they eventually coming together in the end. The Winding Road will be Lawrance's fifth choreographic work for Ballet Manila after Misfit or Maverick (2014), Rebel (2016), Amid Shadows (2016), and Aria (2018).

Osias Barroso, Rudy de Dios, Joan Sia, Martin Lawrance, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde,
Gerardo Francisco, Romeo Peralta, and Elpidio Magat

Ballet Manila's season ender Deux not just brings out the best of both styles of ballet featuring music by Chopin and The Beatles that has definitely stood the best of time. There is no question that I'll have for a spin recordings of the music to pump myself up in time for this show.

Noli Me Tangere, the opera returns at the CCP

J&S Productions Inc. in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, with the support of the Honorable Senator Loren Legarda, the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines, and E. Zobel Foundation Inc., bring back Noli Me Tangere, the opera by National Artists Guillermo Tolentino (libretto) and Felipe Padilla de Leon (music) on March 8-10, 2019.

Ivan Nery

Last staged at the CCP back in 2017 in celebration of the opera's 60^th Anniversary, the first ever full length opera in Filipino, based on the novel by National Hero Jose Rizal, returns once again in time for the CCP's upcoming 50^th Anniversary celebrations. The previous run drew hundreds of young people, especially students to the opera, which is a very welcome sign that this art form can be appreciated by a wider demographic aside from the stereotypical older set.

Nomher Nival and Bianca Camille Lopez

A mix of new and familiar faces make up the cast for the 2019 run led by sopranos Nerissa de Juan and Bianca Camille Lopez alternating the role of Maria Clara while tenors Ivan Niccolo Nery and Nomher Nival alternate as Crisostomo Ibarra. Sharing the role of Sisa are Allison Cervantes, Nicola Micaelle Peralejo, and Bernadette Mamauag while Joseleo Logdat performs as Elias. The rest of the leads are Greg de Leon as Pilosopo Tasyo, Nil's Flores and Ronnie Abarquez as Padre Damaso, Lawrence Roxas as Kapitan Tiyago (Abarquez sings Kapitan Tiyago at certain performances), Noel Comia Jr. and Mari Yapjoco as Basilio, and Santino Juan Santiago as Crispin.

Nerissa de Juan

Other cast members include Mia Bolaños as Doña Victorina, Oliver Pineda as Tenyente Guevarra, Jose Mari Javato as Padre Salvi, Charina Balmores as Sinang, Micah Galang as Andeng, Ma. Krissan Tan as Tiya Isabel, Timothy Racho as Alferez, Ruzzel Clemeno as Don Filipo, Tomas Virtucio Jr. as Albino, and Rare Jireh Columna as Victoria.

Allison Cervantes

The ensemble rounding up the cast includes Roxanne Abuel, Neomi Giron, Eden Dumlao, Sheila Gamo, Ma. Rovelyn Bautista, Criselda Go, Ma. Blanca Buesa, Katrine Sunga, Angelica Benipayo, Ma. Arielle Tuason, Erielle Fornes, Ma. Vicella Villasin, Ma. Pilar Ramos, Marifel Motilla, Jose Miguel Espiritu, Lorenz Sarrondo, Renz Nathaniel Cruz, Airo Saret, Kevin Jeremy, John del Rosario, and Joseph Billeza.

Nil's Flores

The creative team is led by co-directors Jerry Sibal (also the set and c-costume designer) and veteran actor-director Jose Jeffrey Camañag. Music director and conducting the 53-piece Noli Symphony Orchestra is Herminigildo Ranera. Former CCP President Raul Sunico serves as project director, Albert Figueras as co-costume designer, Dennis Marasigan as lighting designer, Ronan Ferrer as chorus master; Dingdong Fiel as rehersal pianist and assistant musical director, Cyril Balderama as choreographer, as Alan Dela Rama, graphic and video designer, TJ Ramos as sound engineer, and Jojo Casim as production manager.

Joseleo Logdat

The opera will be performed with English supertitles.

It will be interesting to hear how both Noel and Mari tackle their respective roles as Basilio since they've grown into adolescents since the last production. Notable also are the three sopranos who will make their debut as Sisa whose aria is among the most awaited highlights of the opera. It was no surprise for me seeing Ivan and Nomher cast as Ibarra as these two are among the most solid tenors of their generation. Along with Nerissa de Juan, who, for me, was the revelation from the 2017 production and Madz alum Bianca Camille Lopez, it pleases me that the young and upcoming talents from just a few years ago are now given the spotlight as leads with the return of Noli Me Tangere.

Fukumura, PPO raise Brahms 2nd Symphony up a notch in latest concert

Yoshikazu Fukumura and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

An evening of comfortable viewing was what the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's most recent concert delivered despite principal conductor and music director Yoshikazu Fukumura having to resort to plan B and stepping in to lead the orchestra himself due to unforeseen circumstances with the previously announced guest conductor/pianist who is unable to perform in the country

The program for that night, made up of German Romanticism with Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to Der Freischütz, Op. 77, J. 277 and Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73 sandwiching the Viennese Classical of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E flat major, K. 543 is drastically different from the initial lineup. While these changes lessened the excitement for me, Fukumura more than made up for it by managing to raise the level of the PPO on this night.

When the updated program was released, I wondered why he chose to do the Brahms second symphony again and not another one that he is yet to conduct with the PPO. I suspect that he went back to this, as well as the Weber overture, since they are comfortable and do not really pose a challenge to him considering the circumstances that led him to conduct at this concert. So the resulting performance was pure pleasure to the ears. His first ever collaboration with the PPO was conducting this particular Brahms symphony while he was still a guest conductor and it earned him a very good impression on me. May I add that this Brahms 2 was an improvement over the previous one, with the chemistry between Fukumura and the orchestra more evident. The PPO thankfully have redeemed themselves from the uncomfortable experience I've had during the last time I saw them.

Lastly, I cannot recall the last time that I applauded a horn player so enthusiastically. This makes me hopeful that she gets to do the solo in the next concert that has one of the most exquisite horn solos in the repertoire.

Diomedes Saraza Jr. recital to open MSO 2019 Rush Hour Concert season

The spotlight will be on violinist Diomedes Saraza Jr. as the Manila Symphony Orchestra opens its 2019 Rush Hour Concerts season with Concertmaster in Focus on February 21, 2019, 6:30 PM at the Ayala Museum.

This recital with Pianist Mariel Ilusorio and the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Solares will feature the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Georges Bizet/Franz Waxman, Fritz Kreisler, and other showpieces.

Diomedes Saraza Jr. recently made his debut as the concertmaster of the Manila Symphony Orchestra at their 2018-2019 season finale concert held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last January 30, 2019.