NineWorks' Christmas Carol Delivers Hope and Happiness

Nineworks Theatrical with the help of Globe Live  brought back Christmas Carol for a second run of  spreading holiday cheer. The re-imagined Carol had no semblance of a replay of the 2016 spectacular. With the intention of keeping everything fresh, everything except for the script was rehashed and the output is a more delicate presentation of "home". The staging was pretty much a well loved Christmas tree.  It was a luminous collection of ornaments that reflect our loved ones. It's that beautiful tradition  that ignites the Christmas spirit like no other. 

Nowadays, hate and hopelessness has become a norm. Hope is no longer accessible to all.  We've produced thousands of Scrooges through the years making this production's story relevant and even necessary.  The famous Christmas tale about a person bruised by life finding  hope with the help of three ghosts truly is art imitating life. What a wonderful thing it was to see   art used to create a paradigm shift.  Certainly there was more than one Scrooge who found hope and happiness the night I watched. This was production was a quick fix of fun and  it is a story (and a staging) that reminds you that the miracle is indeed within us all. 

Cast 

Miguel Faustman who took on the titular role of Ebeneezer Scrooge has done this show over a hundred times. Despite this, there is a freshness in his performance. This time around there was more delicacy. The story requires a lot of dramatics but Faustman delivers a quieter bitterness that resonates. At a certain point he quite frankly shocked me with a lively tap routine. Kudos to Director Robbie Guevara and choreographer Yek Barlongay for pushing an already awesome artist beyond his comfort zone. 

Chameleon Noel Rayos delivered an unbelievable performance in multiple character sketches. He skipped in and out of different roles with so much vigor and enthusiasm. As Marley (Scrooge's best friend who returns from the dead), Rayos was dark and earthy delivering his lines with harrowing emotion. In contrast he was comical as Mr. Fezziwig. His vibrant personality certainly came out in his spirited dancing. As if that wasn't enough to convince the audience of his versatility,he came out and performed cycling tricks on stage in the final scenes of the show. Truly he was valuable member of this cast.

Laurence Mossman and Mitzi Lao  individually  were pitch perfect with the quality and tone of their voices perfectly matching the emotional content of Menken's classic songs. But together the partnership seemed  friendly at best. 

Throwback Thursday

The production can boast of colorful production sequences featuring high powered  technical dancing.  I was truly  delighted to see the actors  pull off triple threat exhibitions. Numbers like Mr. Fezziwig's Christmas ball  and Abundance and Charity were athletic  highlights that added to the show's  entertainment value. There's actually more dancing in this show. It was a commendable effort from choreographers PJ Rebullida and Yek  Borlongay. It must be said however  that the bigger than life staging of the previous run was far superior than this one. For instance the staging of The Ghost of Future was like a scene from "Thriller" rather than a sophisticated interpretation of  painful regret. It was a bit caricature-ish  rather than organically spooky. I also could no longer recognize any  real fluid movement.  Some of the  sequences  looked quite cramped with an injury waiting to happen.   It is difficult not to compare because the previous staging  spelled out grandiosity and purposeful movement. Nonetheless someone with fresh eyes will  surely not complain at all. It was still a dynamic display of actors' skills. 

The rectangular stage was  adorned with a multi layered   surrealist old London set by Ed Lacson. It acted as the magic box that kept on revealing spurts of magic from unexpected places. The windows that depicted homes also  opened dramatically revealing ghoulish creature.   The angularity of the design allowed the stage to adapt to each of drastic scene changes.  While I thought it was a wonderful set, I did miss the intimacy of the old multilevel set experience. The immersive quality that the  2016 run generously provided was somewhat diminished. 

Intelligence and Empathy

Robbie Guevara directed this show with a relentless pursuit of finding new layers to the material. His approach shows a huge amount of intelligence and empathy.  I appreciated the highlighted presence of the three ghosts as a triad in the  first act and the finale because it made Scrooge's experience realistic. Don't we all feature real faces of people we've encountered in our dreams?  

It  must have taken a lot of heart to see that the children roles of story are the key to unlocking the story's hope. This time the children were presented ever so tenderly. What people saw was not simply their cuteness level but the clear picture of  untainted hearts. While their voices were velvety soft their message was   potent. Scrooge was changed by them.  To see a child change an adult with their kindness warms the heart. At the very end,  everyone sings the words " Let the stars in the sky, remind us of man's compassion. Let us love till we die  and God bless us everyone".  The  power of that message is amplified  with the children singing  it to the audience like a mantra. It was a reminder to see life lovingly through a child's eyes. Kindness and compassion are far more important than any other concern.  

                   

At the end of the day, he produced a show that delivers a snowfall of love. Like the uniqueness that every snowflake owns, Christmas Carol 2.0 was special in its own beautiful way. It is a gift of a heartwarming experience. Take a chance. Find hope and happiness in a different place.  Create new traditions and enjoy this gift from Globe Live and Nineworks Theatrical.

 Its last remaining shows from Dec 21-22, 26-27 at 8pm and Dec 17 and 25 at 7pm.

 For tickets to A CHRISTMAS CAROL, contact Ticketworld at 891-9999! Happy Holidays!🎄

#GlobeLive9WTACC #TheMiracleWithin

Passages

 

Passages is defined as  the act or process of moving through, under, over or past something on the way from one place to another. Sounds like a simple concept of gravitating towards something. The truth of the matter is the word is as complex as it gets.   When someone moves forward they allow themselves to feel, accept and respond to whatever emotions, opportunities and or obstacles come their way.  Bringing with them what they want to bring from the past, they eventually take the step forward. This Sunday June 11, 2017, BGC Arts Festival will present a  show that intends to share  the art of people who are in passage.  Five dancer-choreographers will present  pieces that represent their artistic journey. (Elena Laniog-Alvarez, Al Bernard Garcia, Erl Sorilla, PJ Rebullida, Dingdong Selga)

Having seen parts of the show, I find that it is one that gives a lot of hope for artists. It is an affirmation that your feet will lead you exactly where you are meant to be. Watch the show and you just might find the inspiration to move forward. 

Have a visual taste. 

All accompanying text are just a play of words and do not necessarily represent the choreographers' point of view. #hugot

Out of the Shadows (Self Titled)

Choreographed by Al Bernard Garcia 

Performed by JM Cabling, Al Bernard Garcia and Rita Winder 

Stepping out of the shadows 

Mind tells you you're alone but the heart knows better.

You move forward but you feel the wind blowing you backwards.

Your body weakens, your heart momentarily stops.

Something, someone steadies your feet

Suddenly you feel the warmth of the light. 

 You're in the light. 

Are you happy now?

 A Cup of Me 

Choreographed by Elena Laniog Alvarez

Performed by Rita Winder and JM Cordero 

Waking up to a new day with an unfamiliar breeze 

Speaking with an unfamiliar tongue

Moving forward unto the maze with unfamiliar uncertainty

Waking up familiar with the once unfamiliar breeze

Speaking comfortably with a familiar tongue

Moving forward passionately to uncertainty

Things change.

Vici

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by Victor Maguad 

I am me

strong yet soft,

masculine yet feminine,

simple but colorful.

Do you love me?

Can you love me?

Inday 

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by Gia Gequinto

Another day. Passing through another day. 

Beautiful Embrace (Self titled)

Choreographed by Erl Sorilla 

Performed by JM Cordero and Erl Sorilla

Sometimes you look at nothing but you see something. 

Sometimes you see something but pretend you see nothing. 

Butter Pls

Choreographed by PJ Rebullida

Performed by Karmela Cortez Jabla, Bianca Perez, Christine Crame  

Is there anything I haven't given you?

Neo Filipino 2016, For Art's Sake

Photo Courtesy of Neo Filipino https://www.facebook.com/neofilipinodance/?fref=ts

Neo Filipino is the third leg of the intensifying rally towards artistic freedom in dance. Perhaps  with the recent success of Wifibody.ph and Bagong Sayaw,  the  undeniable  pulsating momentum   has put my expectations to an all time high.  After all, the  well communicated objective of this program was " to question, to inquire and to  challenge notions ". With the esteemed Ms. Denisa Reyes at the helm,  I was almost certain that the pieces individually and collectively would deliver a strong point of view. 

Five established choreographers were given twenty or so minutes to make an impression. Note that when I say impression, I do not mean that there is an intention to impress, only to leave a question, a feeling, or a strong desire for the audience to savor. 

Ma. Elena Laniog-Alverez' Sasesi opened the show. I was surprised to see this piece because I could have sworn I had seen it before. And so I was taken aback when I confirmed that  it was an updated version of an old piece from years back. But after  much reflection, I realized it was a fitting hello.  It was a  humorous  play of verbatum and movement  meant to  state what is obvious to many.  Irrationality has made its mark in the millennial world.  Word play has seized to be exclusively about knowledge and  logic but rather a hurtful and often destructive contretemps. Sometimes the conversation is more about noise than it is about content.  It was cleverly communicated by the three adorable slithering amigos( JM Cabling, Dingdong Selga and Al Garcia). With their witty familiar chatter, I loved each person's contrasting contribution to the noise. 

    

   

Raul Alcoseba presented "Kanaan".  Carissa and Candice Adea formerly of Ballet Philippines  were his instruments in portraying the sketch of  life and loss. The reality of the grief was stirring. Having known of the sisters' personal  experience of losing a loved, the piece to me became a window to their soul. The piece started with two people looking at grave with an emptiness that ironically  consumed the Little Theatre.  They moved forward and replaced the emptiness with the madness of  missing someone. They coped by being strong for each other. They survived by living in the world that kept going on despite their loss. And then they stood still. ..... and went back to square one.  Tears. Mr. Alcoseba sure knows how to paint a picture. In this alternate universe of loss, the physical partnership of the Adea sisters was undeniably  beautiful. Two peas in a pod, they extended themselves both physically and artistically.  I had much appreciation for this piece. My only criticism was that it was too long. After a while the pace slowed down and what was left was the lingering sadness in the room  that soon made it uncomfortable. It ended almost too quietly. 

"This is about Us" choreographed by Jay Cruz truthfully had me lost in translation.  I've seen some of  the encouraging feedback about the piece online and I fully respect them  but I was in total disconnect as I sat in the audience. I read the brief but I thought that it was a fusion of several ideas all injected in one piece. It wasn't simply about revelation and appreciation of a single person in society. It was also about how society  collectively yearns  for different things at different stages in their lives. At least that is how I understood the brief. But the construction of the piece was so jarring that I couldn't embrace the piece as a whole.

Instead I chose to look into portions of the choreography in my attempt to comprehend it. It starts with  a several dancers dancing about  a cloth  milking the movement as the cloth rises and falls. It then reveals PJ Rebullida clothed with nothing but his courage. His nudity needs no explanation. He performed with honesty a solo that to me made a strong statement.  His movement was telling of his conflict. The demise of this piece was when the rest of the dancers took over the stage with 80 % of the them topless. Yes 80% of the ensemble was topless. At first I couldn't comprehend the meaning behind leaving out two members of the group clothed. Surprisingly the clothing was more distracting than the nudity because it was a crack in the concept. I was looking for the meaning of the contrast. There is even a section where all the topless people laid down and  a fully clothed dancer  Rhodam Prudencio   comes in inspecting their bodies with urgency. Was he the non conformist? Was it his own reveal? Or was it repentance of wanting to be clothed with society's expectations? 

I also felt that that each section of the suite was a new story that was unfolding by the time the piece ended, I already forgot about Rebulida's courageous  revelation and the five minute pas de bourree contract series. So many different characters were  introduced  that I was left overwhelmed. If the piece was meant to question, it did. But the questions came far to many that I no longer was able to enjoy in full the beautiful moments of each section because I was too busy comprehending it. There was a lot of honesty but in the end I sought clarity. Artistic choices are   presumably for art's sake. Was it worth it ? 

As with any piece there is always something beautiful to cherish.  Art after all is gift that keeps on giving.  So I will take the liberty of celebrating moments. Cruz created moments for Julie Alagde in the ensemble. Simply she  is a joy to watch. Her organic fluidity is nothing short of poetry.  Clothed or unclothed she stood out as she did  every movement with incomparable  fullness  and passion. I wanted to  extend her airtime so that we could all just take a moment to celebrate her talent. Rhosam Prudenciado and Jed Amihan matched her intensity with  a mature take of the  athleticism that the piece required. They made sure that their repetition of steps were not just replays but solid meaningful steps.  They also partnered their girls competently. 

Ronelson Yadao and Krisbelle Paclibar presented a universal dancer disorder with "Mirroritis".  It was a simple concept that was relatable in content. Paclibar and Yadao are very good dancers and thespians and so it is very difficult to find flaws in the piece because they impress with their bankable technique.  Paclibar was strong and athletic, while  Yadao was suave and charming. With regards to their choreography, particularly memorable was their choice of music and wise use of the mirror as a prop. Leaps and sustained poses with the mirror were cute  and their pas de deux moments made me chuckle. I just thought twenty minutes was again too long for the piece.

                   

Lastly there was "On Cracked Ground", Ma. Elena- Laniog- Alvarez's second piece for the evening. I was impressed beyond measure with her new creation about poverty of the spirit and the mind.  This piece is one  that will catapult her to a higher league. What was brilliant about this piece was that she did not rely on stereotypes or characters, she portrayed poverty in different textures. She remained focused on the concept and not the dancer. Her ensemble brilliantly delivers echoes of reality.  Contemporary dance often looks like a hodge podge of improvisation but her piece has none of that. Every movement was deliberate, measured and attached to a specific silence or a specific note as well as a specific emotion.  Thankfully the dancers understood all it, mastered it and committed to the overall vision.  The vocabulary of this piece was rich. It  had quite a few difficult steps done in unexpected interrupted canon sequence. The UP Dance Company executed each step flawlessly. I couldn't have asked for more from this piece.

Coming into this show, my expectations were quite sky high. I have long believed in the tradition of Neo-Filipino. After writing about each piece  I realized it has done what it promised to do at least for this audience member. Revisiting the pieces almost left my brain going on overdrive Each piece was inclusive and I felt soothed by the art.  But I take home one important lesson from this show. Collaborations require more than a dancer performing a choreographer's steps nicely . It requires more than  sincerity  of the dancer and sincerity of the choreographer. It really boils down to alignment and a unified belief in a concept. Otherwise the audience witnesses a conversation with too many  voices, that of the dancers and that of the choreographer. Beautiful sentences do not necessarily make good conversation. More voices doesn't mean the point is understood or appreciated.  Reflections.  I am thankful for the dose of art and the intellectual and emotional stimulation.  Thankful for Neo-Filipino.