i am a virgin

a virgin voter, that is.

Just like the 41-year old playwright, lyricist, composer and musical director Vince de Jesus, we are both virgin voters.  Well, he is already registered and I am not.  At least, not yet.. Maybe, that's why when he signed my production book, he wrote, ".. Bumoto ka!" ("Vote!")

The last number of plays I have reviewed and watched (Spring Awakening and The Three Penny Opera) were originally staged outside the country.  These productions already have a name on their own regardless as to who would stage it.  Thus, you would expect highly of the performance and nothing less than a good story.  A good story-line, music, lyrics and script would no longer be their problem.

Again, I entered the PETA Theater, not knowing much of what I was about to see.  So, i flipped open the production book for me to know more than the title of the play I was about to watch.  And as usual, I got sooo excited for the play to start.

It is entitled, "Si Juan Tamad, ang Diyablo at ang Limang Milyong Boto" and only one person wrote the script, the music and lyrics of the songs and is the musical director.  No less than, Vince de Jesus.  I have started to admire his works when I learned that he was the man behind the music of Zsazsa Zaturnnah. 

I was a little negative at first because I hate politics and everything about it.  Maybe that's one of the reasons why I haven't registered yet. 

It began with a musical narration and I loved it.  Their movements were so artistic and it's really good to know that this is original.  I was lucky to be able to see their first run.  Although, given that it's the first, there were still a few who buckled and the things that you wouldn't really expect would show up during the first run.

Oh! By the way, the talented Vince is also part of the cast.. So, I was wondering if he had conflicts with the director, him being the playwright and all that.

The play is about Juan Tamad a resident of the island called Filiminimon.  He is very much like the typical Filipino youth.  His parents are working and staying outside their island.  He lives with a very intelligent and loving grandmother.  And like his name suggests, because of apathy and indifference he is regarded as lazy.  Then, it was time for the people of Filiminimon to vote for a new leader.  Unexpectedly, Juan Tamad registered as a voter and took part of the said election rights.  And the play showcased the before, during and after of the election fever in Filiminimon. 

The story was very informative.  It was very much for virgin voters like me.  A virgin voter is someone who is eligible to vote but never voted for a public official in his/her entire life.  And as they have researched, in the coming 2010 Philippine elections, there are 5 million virgin voters!  And this could really make or break the future of the Philippines.  Most probably this is the driving force to have such play.

Despite the load of information you would get, it was never an ounce boring.  All the members of the cast have high energy, thus, you will never feel down.

Here are my favorite members of the cast:

Joann Y. Co as Lola Anitan - she made me believe that she is really an old lady throughout the play. (of course I know that she's not)  She was really in character all throughout.

Sheenly Vee D. Gener as Mariang Batibat - and a whole lot more.  and inspite of the randomness and great difference of the characters she play, she was always at the right tone.  Such a versatile character actress.

Carlon John Josol Matobato as Zombie - i like him on stage basically because of the way he moves.  You could not deny that he should be part of the choreography somehow.  so, i got to go back to my handy-dandy production book, and alas! Additional Dance Choreography was attributed to him.

By the way,  I loved the theater tricks used in the zombie scene.  Kudos!

What is great about this play is that it did not stop in telling the audience to register and vote.  It also has tips on how to vote wisely and the best part is, what would happen after elections.  What should one do?  What if the one you voted for did not win?  Life definitely doesn't and shouldn't stop there.  And I'm so glad that the play did not stop their either.

Thus, Filiminimon could really mirror the Philippines because it's not Utopia.  And there are lines and points in the story that would really make you think.  Hopefully, the little waves created by this musical in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos would not just settle in vain.

Okay, this could mean that I too should go and have myself registered.  Still thinking about it..

Two thumbs and two big toes up for this play!  For the cast, the music, the production design, all in all!

I would be watching again tonight and during their re-run next year with a different set of cast..  and I would still be enthralled and I would still think it's awesome.

Looking at the current state of our country, I believe this play, even after the 2010 elections, would still be in.  Despite the theme, in the Philippines, this is timeless.

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spring awakening: winter slumber

tin and i were invited to watch the staging of spring awakening by atlantis productions.  after reading the plot from their website, i expected to be in heat after the show.  but we were left cold.. and it was not because of the AC nor the weather.

i'm not sure if it was right to have set my expectations high.  but this is a professional stage production.  the ticket is not cheap and it was two hours of my life.  although, it was very hard for me to forget the previous production i saw, wherein, i felt nothing but awe.

since the tickets were pricey, we bought the cheapest.  since as my friend said, the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC is not that big, so proximity to the stage would not matter much.  but it did..  it sure did.

i'm not sure how they do it, but we didn't seem to notice that the house was open already.  we even needed to ask the people who sells the very costly production, which we didn't buy, if we could go inside already.

when we were already seated, there were musical instruments on stage.  i got excited.  it was my first time to watch a musical with live music.

i'm not sure what time the play actually started, but the wait was long enough for me to notice that there was no house music!  are they cutting on electrical costs?

when the play finally began, i almost fell off my seat or maybe stand up and demand a refund.  the girl was singing on a microphone!  a hand-held mic!  after the song, and they started to say spoken lines, they have lapel mics!  why?  i'm not sure who to ask and during the whole duration of the show i was looking for the answer.  but i couldn't seem to find the logic behind it.

there was an instance wherein jett pangan had problems with his lapel mic.  since we were seated at the top most part of the auditorium, it was amazing to still be able to hear his voice and i was able to understand what he was saying.  so, why the mic?

their use of the hand-held mics were pretty distracting.  the only instance wherein i enjoyed their use of it was during the performance of Nar Cabico and JC Santos of The Word of Your Body (Reprise). 

i'm really sorry, but i have been brought up to the unplugged voices of the artists on stage.  regardless of the quality of the sound system.  if their reason was the live band, they should have just had the music recorded, then naturally projected their voices.

this photo is from the atlantis productions website
i'm not sure when i was able to get over that fact.  most probably it was towards the end of the first act and/or when act two began.  since i don't want my money go to waste, i tried to look past, or should i say hear past, the microphones.  so, here are the jagged thoughts regarding the show:

• sitti can sing other than bossa nova songs. but during her solo (The Dark I Know Well), Bea Garcia swallowed her whole.
  
• the main cast was eye candy.  were there even auditions?  there are rumors that atlantis productions pre-cast.  how true?  i'm not sure.  but based on the cast, i would most likely belive it.
  
• Nicco Manalo's portrayal of Moritz during the first few scenes gave me the impression that the character was gay.  i almost believed that the character was gay until the scene with Ilse.
• what i do love about this production is their transition from one scene to another.  kudos to Chari Arespacochaga on that one.  i think it was clean, well thought of and systematic.
• i still think Nicco Manalo could be a good actor.  but even with a microphone on hand, i could not understand some words in his songs.

• the last part of act one awakened all of our senses (specially lemon) because of the sex scene, I Believe.  and it was cool that act two began exactly where act one left off.  there was butt exposure.
  
• Bea Garcia played the role of Ilse brilliantly.  she's my favorite among the cast.  i would like to see her in other theater productions.  
• Kelly Lati doesn't know how to cry.  Or even stage cry.  Her sobs during the time the mother was guessing who's the father of the child Wendla was carrying, did not make enough distinction between the sobs for the boys and the one for Melchior.  She also did not cry during the scene wherein Wendla asks Melchior to hit her.  
• i love Jett Pangan's agony as the father of Moritz during the song Left Behind.
• my favorite song and scene was the one for Totally Fucked.  this is when i concluded that Bea Garcia is brilliant.
• runner ups for favorite song would be Those You’ve Known and The Song of Purple Summer.
• i'm not sure how much i like or not like Joaquin Valdes.  he is another eye candy but there are times that his voice is creaky whispery falsetto
  

 after the curtain call, cast sang Seasons of Love from Rent.  they asked for donations to be able to assist Red Cross to help those devastated by the typhoons.  again, Jett Pangan was having trouble with his lapel.  even so, he was able to sing it beautifully.

if you are rich and have nothing to do, i could mention the play to you, but most probably i would just ask you to treat me.

the run is until October 18.  i hope you'll enjoy it more than i did. 

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and it came to pass

 i have been blogging for about five years now.  you will see the evolution of my entries here.  it didn't create a fuzz and i'm not sure if anybody even noticed it.  most probably none.

 i'm not sure if my goal now is to get noticed.  but i really really want to be good at this.  at blogging i mean.  i am a frustrated writer.  the math genes from my dad lead me to take up an engineering course that i'm still yet to finish (hopefully).  but i did have the longest record of having better grades in english than in math.  then, my mom saw this movie with christina ricci, prozac nation. and got this idea that i might somehow be like elizabeth if i take up journalism.  thus, even she herself had doubts of me becoming a software engineer and was supposed to stop me to go to the first day of school, it was not the path i took.

 this one would still contain much about the same thing but will be presented in a much better manner and less personal and/or psychotic.  there are entries that when i go and read them back today, i would have a problem deciphering what i was really talking about.

 i may have an idea of what to put in it but i was stuck in getting new blog name.  so, i sought the help of my friends and asked for suggestions on what word would best describe me.  after a couple of responses, i trimmed it down to six.  then, i held out a poll, and a third of the votes say that "jagged" is the best word to describe moi.

i would like to thank eric capacia of fierce blogs for suggesting this word to me, and as he puts it.. "...jagged.. Somebody who is very keen of her environment even though you play oblivious at times..."  thanks, eric! Ü

 so here in the jagged barn,  one would find entries about life, stories about my view on what's happening around, my take on movies, plays, music, food, television shows, books, gadgets, internet finds and whatever i happen to come across with. and almost everything that life would offer.  so, watch out.

 

after twenty five years of existence, laarni lopez is now jagged!

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