Ballet Manila, Aliw Theater to stage grand comeback with Rise!

Ballet Manila is set to stage a grand comeback with Rise! a double bill presentation incorporating ballet, opera, pop music and orchestral music happening on October 7, 2022, 8:00 PM and October 9, 2022, 5:00 PM at the newly renovated Aliw Theater.

Lisa Macuja-Elizalde 

Rise! is significantly important for Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Ballet Manila's CEO and Artistic Director. For years, she has celebrated her birthday in October with a special performance by her company at the Aliw Theater, which in itself was a gift from her husband, Fred J. Elizalde. But the October 2019 fire that gutted Star City, coupled with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, have put this birthday tradition to a stop.

Romeo Peralta

Now, three years later, Ballet Manila's dancers are ready to go on stage in front of a live audience. Joining the dancers for Rise! are multi-awarded recording artist Bituin Escalante, classical singers Jade Riccio, Ivan Nery, and Chris Arceo, a 12 member opera ensemble, and a 60 piece orchestra to be conducted by Gerard Salonga.

Bituin Escalante

The first half of Rise! will be the latest iteration of Ballet & Ballads with Bituin Escalante as the featured vocalist performing songs of hope in keeping with the overall theme of this part of the program.

Abigail Oliveiro and Mark Sumaylo

The show's second half will be the return of La Traviata. This opera by Giuseppe Verdi was turned into a ballet by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde and was staged to cap Ballet Manila's 24th season shortly before the pandemic forced everything into lockdown. Back then, with the company still reeling from the fire, the production held at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura was downscaled with the dancers performing to recorded music. With Rise!, the production will be closer to her original vision of having live singing and a live orchestral accompaniment.

Jade Riccio

Soprano Jade Riccio will sing the role of Violetta with tenor Ivan Nery as Alfredo, and baritone Chris Arceo as Giorgio Germont. Veteran opera singer Andrew Fernando, who suddenly passed away in mid-August, was originally tapped to sing the role of Giorgio Germont.

Bituin Escalante, Jade Riccio, Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Luna Inocian, Abigail Oliveiro,
Mark Sumaylo, and Gerardo Francisco, Jr. 

The creative team for Rise! is led by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde as overall Artistic Director, theater artist Michael Williams as the Stage Director, playwright Luna Inocian as the Scriptwriter, Gerard Salonga as Music Director, and Gerardo Francisco Jr. and Martin Lawrance as Choreographers.

Met Opera in HD returns to cinemas

The Cultural Center of the Philippines with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Filipinas Opera Society Foundation Inc., and Ayala Cinemas bring Metropolitan Opera productions in HD back to the big screen this October 2022-February 2023.

CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo

Silenced for two years because of the pandemic, the Met Opera in HD series returns for its 7th season bringing five Metropolitan Opera productions recorded live, with additional behind the scenes footage, to the Greenbelt 3 Cinemas.

Italian Ambassador Marco Clemente

 Dr. Jaime Laya
Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. President

A reception was held last September 27 to officially relaunch of the Met Opera in HD Season 7 screenings. The reception was followed by a private screening of La Traviata, replacing the previously announced Carmen due to technical difficulties. The La Traviata that was shown was still hampered by technical issues as well with the audio getting muted for around a second at random parts of the opera. It will be a letdown if these issues persist at the regular screenings.

Regular screenings begin on October 4, 2022 with Georges Bizet's Carmen. Clémentine Margaine stars in the title role, with Roberto Alagna singing Don José, Aleksandra Kurzak as Micaëla, and Alexander Vinogradov as the toreador Escamillo. Conductor Louis Langrée leads the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in this Richard Eyre production.

On November 15, 2022 sees the screening of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata which is the first Live in HD appearance of conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin as the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director. This new production by Michael Mayer stars Diana Damrau as Violetta, Juan Diego Flórez as Alfredo, and Quinn Kelsey as Germont.

Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites will be shown on December 6, 2022. The Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts this John Dexter production that stars Isabel Leonard as Blanche de la Force, Erin Morley, Adrianne Pieczonka, and Karen Cargill as some of Blanche’s fellow sisters, David Portillo as Chevalier de la Force, and Karita Mattila as Madame de Croissy.

A rare encore performance at the Met can be seen with Gaetano Donizetti's La fille du régiment on January 10, 2023. Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena stars as the young lovers Marie and Tonio. Joining them are Stephanie Blythe as the Marquise of Berkenfield, Maurizio Muraro as Sgt. Sulpice, and award-winning actress Kathleen Turner in a cameo appearance as the Duchess of Krakenthorp. This Laurent Pelly production is conducted by Enrique Mazzola.

Wrapping up the 7th season is Camille Saint-Saëns' Samson et Dalila showing on February 7, 2023. Roberto Alagna and Elīna Garanča star in the title roles with Laurent Naouri as the High Priest of Dagon, Elchin Azizov as the Philistine king Abimélech, and bass Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Old Hebrew. Sir Mark Elder conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra in this new production by Darko Tresnjak.

Soprano Bianca Lopez-Aguila and pianist Michelle Nicolasora

All screenings will be at Greenbelt 3 Cinemas. Tickets for each screening are priced at P450 available at the ticket booth or can be booked online via www.sureseats.com.

David Gómez-Ramírez mesmerizes at PPO season opener

Conductor David Gómez-Ramírez and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra 

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra opened its 38th season with flair as Spanish conductor David Gómez-Ramírez sets the tone for the season and also the standard for the rest the shortlisted conductors gunning for the position of PPO's Music Director/Principal Conductor

The concert had a mesmerizing start with Redentor Romero's Philippine Portraits handled deftly and reverently by Gómez.

He also led the orchestra to a very confident showing of Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88 bringing much needed optimism and cheer to an audience who had waited for more than two years for the resumption of the PPO's season. While the Dvořák symphony is an often played, repertoire staple, Gómez delivered a magnificent display of colors and textures that made this piece sound fresh and exciting.

By the time of the encore, Gómez both had the orchestra and the audience at the palm of his hands via a masterful rendition of the Intermedio from La Boda de Luis Alonso by Gerónimo Giménez.

The only blemish in what might have been a flawless outing was the performance of Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102 by Dmitri Shostakovich with Clement Acevedo as the piano soloist. At times, the orchestra was not in sync with Acevedo despite the pianist opting for a more relaxed and less frantic pace with this concerto. The orchestra's unfamiliarity with this piece was apparent by how tentative they were, lacking the cheekiness and playfulness that this defines this concerto. Thankfully, the sublime second movement showcased what a capable pianist Acevedo is which was also evident with his encore, a nostalgic take on Evocación from Iberia Book 1 by Isaac Albéniz.

Despite the misstep with the concerto, the PPO still had a promising start to the season. Display materials at the venue also made it known that the PPO's final two concerts of the season will be conducted by Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng on March 17, 2023 and Associate Conductor Herminigildo Ranera on April 28, 2023.

Italian Film Festival Manila brings Italian movies back to cinemas

Italian films make a comeback in cinemas with the Italian Film Festival Manila happening on September 29-October 2, 2022 at the Venice Grand Canal Mall.

Organized by Cineforum Bresson and the Philippine Italian Association, in partnership with the Venice Grand Canal Mall and the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the festival offers a selection of 7 contemporary films, to be introduced by festival director Antonio Termenini, shown for free, on a first come, first served basis, at the Cineplex of the Venice Grand Canal Mall. Aside from the film screenings, the festival program will also include talks by industry professionals 

Here is the line up for the Italian Film Festival Manila.

3/19 (2021)

Director: Silvio Soldini

Cast: Kasia Smutniak, Francesco Colella, Caterina Forza

The life of Camilla, a successful lawyer, is turned upside down by a car accident which fatally wounded a boy and for which she feels responsible. With the support of Bruno, the mortician who identified the deceased, Camilla tries to rediscover herself.

America Latina (2021)

Directors: Damiano D’Innocenzo, Fabio D’Innocenzo

Cast: Elio Germano, Astrid Casali, Sara Ciocca

Massimo is a dentist from Latina, happily married with two daughters. One day he goes down to the cellar and finds a girl tied up and gagged, begging for help.

L'Arminuta/The Return (2021)

Director: Giuseppe Bonito

Cast: Aurora Barulli, Carlotta De Leonardis, Fabrizio Ferracane, Sofia Fiore

August, 1975. A thirteen-year-old girl is taken away from what she thought was her family and returned to the home where she rightfully belongs. Having lost the ease of her previous life she has to learn how to live in a small and austere home with five brothers.

A Chiara (2021)

Director: Jonas Carpignano

Cast: Swamy Rotolo, Pio Amato, Koudous Seihon, Susanna Amato

Chiara Guerrasio is a bright young girl with a strong personality who is very much loved by her father. When he leaves for a long business trip hidden truths about her family emerge which impact the balance in her life.

Lasciarsi un giorno a Roma/Breaking Up in Rome (2021)

Director: Edoardo Leo

Cast: Claudia Gerini, Marta Nieto, Edoardo Leo, Stefano Fresi

There is nothing more complex than dealing with a breakup after ten years of living together. One needs to find the right ways and words ... and it may require the advice of a columnist to learn how to proceed. But what happens if this request for advice ends up with the person one is breaking up with?

Una notte da dottore/Doctor on Call (2021)

Director: Guido Chiesa

Cast: Diego Abatantuono, Frank Matano, Alessandro Betti

After a night of daring (mis)adventures. Pierfrancesco, a doctor making house calls on the night shift, and Mario, a pizza delivery rider, learn to support each other and improve their respective lives.

Il silenzio grande/The Great Silence (2021)

Director: Alessandro Gassmann

Cast: Massimiliano Gallo, Margherita Buy, Marina Confalone

In Naples in the 1960s, Mrs. Primic decides to sell the family villa with the consent of almost all the heirs. The only one who objects is Valerio who feels like a stranger among his loved ones. A story dense with misunderstandings, conflicts and confrontations within this dysfunctional family, that discovers that “existing” is not necessarily the same as “being alive”.

Here is the screening schedule of the Italian Film Festival Manila.

September 29, 2022

7:30 PM America Latina

September 30, 2022

5:30 PM Il silenzio grande

8:00 PM Una notte da dottore

October 1, 2022

5:30 PM A chiara

8:00 PM 3/19

October 2, 2022

2:30 PM L'arminuta

5:30 PM Lasciarsi un giorno a Roma

The Italian Film Festival Manila is organized by Cineforum Bresson, with the support of the Direzione Generale per il Cinema e l’Audiovisivo, and the financial support of the Embassy of Italy to the Philippines; locally organized by The Philippine Italian Association, in partnership with the Venice Grand Canal Mall, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, the MINT College, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Ateneo Association of European Studies Students, and UP Euro-Filipino Understanding and Relations Organization; in media partnership with Art+ magazine, The Philippine Business and News, and two students’ magazines: TheLaSallian and The Laurel Standard.