Dear Evan Hansen: My New Musical Favorite

I don’t remember how I got to know Dear Evan Hansen, the musical.  Maybe it is because I so love songs from various musicals and I adore Broadway musicals that is why my algorithm just simply popped Dear Evan Hansen on my internet searches in the past.

And since I live half-way around the world away from New York City, I just have to satisfy myself from listening to the beautiful soundtrack of this musical and watch snippets on YouTube of Ben Platt singing the musical’s songs on American TV shows.

where majority of the letters were written…

stole a shot at the end of the show

the cast…

One of my workmates can attest that I am a fan of this musical because when he (Chef Juan Carlos Lima) travelled New York for a short holiday 2 years ago, I actually asked him to buy me a souvenir shirt of Dear Evan Hansen. Chef Juan Carlos when I was showing him the photo of the Dear Evan Hansen shirt looked so puzzled and so funny because he does not have any idea on what I was talking about.

But now that I am in New York, I promised myself that no matter what, I will have to watch this award-winning musical.  And I did not fail myself because last Wednesday I got to actually see it at the Music Box Theatre!

Its an Experience!  Only the stone-hearted will not be moved by this musical.

where it’s running…

Dear Evan Hansen though profoundly contemporary will definitely struck everyone’s inner chord.  Everyone can actually relate to the story and there seem to be like an Evan Hansen in all of us!  And I agree to the popular reviews in past that it will instantly pierce the viewers’ heart and will burrow it through to their consciousness.  I for one was crying.  As in like C.R.Y.I.N.G!  I was like having waterfalls on my freaking face! And I was not the only one who was crying because I can actually see and hear people in the audience sniveling, sobbing and clearing their snot!

May you be a young or an old person, a parent, a person with or without a parent, a student, a worker, a friend, a person with insecurities (which everybody got), a person who feels being like an outsider (who hasn’t?), Dear Evan Hansen definitely is one of the most relatable musicals I have ever seen! Even on the first song, you will already be so hooked because it is way too relatable!  It is as if the musical knows us so much and was written about each and every one of us.

I thought I already saw my favorite musical when I was here in New York four years ago.  Well, I guess that has changed.  And I think it would take a very beautiful masterpiece of a musical to topple Dear Evan Hansen as my favorite.  Dear Evan Hansen is clearly an EXPERIENCE!

my playbill… love it!

#youwillbefound

I only have one wish now that I have seen Dear Evan Hansen.  And that is someday, this great musical arrive the shores of Manila because like what the musical says…‘no one deserves to be forgotten’.  And when it arrives in Manila, I will be one of the first persons to watch it again.

Ang galing! Peyborit!

Saw It Twice: The Greatest Showman

It has always been my personal stance that it will take an exceptionally brilliant movie for me to watch it again for the second time in a movie house.  The two movies that I can recall watching twice during its regular run in the theaters were David Cameron’s Titanic and Pixar’s Inside Out.

Well, Titanic and Inside Out now has been equaled by the outstanding and admirable musical drama movie by Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman.  I first saw The Greatest Showman with friends and officemates last Friday.  And as soon as the credits rolled at the end of the movie, I just knew that I have to see and enjoy it again in the big screen. 

saw it first with colleagues and officemates

Well tonight, I saw it again.  This time I am with Nengkoy, my sisters and nephew Luis.  Here’s the five reasons why I decided to see it again tonight (Sunday, February 4, 2018):

One: The Music

I think I have fallen in love with the music of the movie.  Each song in the movie are so superb.  The melody in the whole selection are so brilliantly easy to the ear.  The songs in this musical are so infectious and addicting you just want to listen to it again and again and again. And the lyrics especially in five of my favorite numbers (A Million Dreams, Never Enough, This Is Me, Rewrite The Stars and Tightrope) are so powerful it cuts through deep into my being.  It would be hard to listen to the songs and not get emotional.

Two: The Story

It’s one movie that is so light yet magically entertaining.  You need not have a big brain to bring inside the movie house to comprehend and understand the undemanding plot of the movie.  And since the storyline is clear-cut, easy and light audience ends up loving every character in the film.  And most importantly the story is positive. 

Punctuated with memorable songs, The Greatest Showman is a feel-good movie, I ended up flashing a relaxed smile and with a happy heart (in both occasions) as I walked walk out of the theater.

Three: The Message

An unabashed piece of pure entertainment movie would often end up without a substance.  But The Greatest Showman is something rare and different.  It is one of those highly enjoyable film that exudes the message of courage and acceptance. 

The message of being yourself, issues on body image and embracing what makes you unique are well within the highlights of this brilliant movie.

Another rare feat for this movie is that (though it is not a cartoon or digital animated movie) there was no sex nor swearing in the whole length of the film!  That itself is something extraordinary in this time and age of movies.

Four: Nengkoy

After seeing and enjoying it the first time.  I promised myself that I will have to bring Nengkoy to the movie house for her see, hear and experience the joy, the dazzle and the spectacle that The Greatest Showman bestows.

Fifth: It’s a Celebration of Humanity

And lastly, as stated by one of the theatre critics in the movie, The Greatest Showman is one good representation of a “Celebration of Humanity”

second time with nengkoy and family

nengkoy posing with anne wheeler, phillip carlyle and p.t. barnum (talents at the cinema). i was a little disappointed because i was looking for the bearded lady talent but there was none.

Ang galing!

Wow Morisette!

The Filipino translation for the word “beast” is halimaw.  And halimaw is how I would describe the strength, depth and power of the singing voice of Morisette Amon during her participation in the recent Asian Song Festival held somewhere in South Korea.

This kind of a Filipina beast simply slayed it!  This was such a phenomenal performance.  Her pure talent is out of this world! And she looks absolutely gorgeous in that video!

What is so surprising with this number is that I was less impressed by her whistling capability.  Maybe it’s because a number of good singers can do the whistle.  I was more impressed and surprised by the unique squeaking sound that her voice makes.  That is so rare and exclusively Morisette.  That squeak would most probably be the most beautiful squeaking sound that I’ve ever heard.

World klas ang lola mo!

The Weakest Link in Pinoy Big Brother House 7th Season

I was once a big fan of the Filipino edition of Big Brother reality show.  I was such a huge follower especially during the pilot season, I once wanted to audition and be part of the show.  But due to very long queues of people also wanting to live inside the house, I never had the courage to enlist myself or tryout for a possible slot as a housemate.

Years after, on a night that I had the opportunity to watch an episode of the latest edition of Pinoy Big Brother (now on its 7^th season), I got to view the face-to-face nominations among housemates. And from the present and remaining housemates, the majority of their reasons for nominating another house buddy to be evicted from the house was because they find this housemate as a big threat from their winning.  These housemates would further explain that the ultimate reason why they chose to nominate their nominee was because the concerned housemate was very good during physical challenges.

Physical challenges inside the Pinoy Big Brother house are mini-contests or activities in which chosen nominees for eviction battle it out to win the activity.  Physical challenges would require physical stamina and mental cleverness. The housemate who wins the physical challenge shall be saved and will not be included in the week’s nominated housemate for eviction.

the weaklings… i’m not surprised everybody are still inside the house

the under performers on the safe zone… i’m not surprised the deserving dude in this group has been evicted

the strong, witty and deserving…. i won’t be surprised that this group will soon be totally evicted, only 2 strong contenders in this group remain, they are subjected to physical challenges week after week

And true enough and due to such prevalent reasons of the present crop of housemates during the nomination night, the possible evictees on this week’s elimination are those who seem to possess huge personalities with competent mental and physical capabilities.

This makes me sad for the show because if all personalities with proficient skills, talented flairs and brilliant cleverness would be kicked out, then the Big Brother house would end up with weak, futile and absurd inhabitants!  And true enough the present crop of housemates who were saved for this week’s nomination are a bunch of weaklings, dense and dimwitted lots.

If I am a housemate, I would nominate the weaklings inside.  I will nominate the spineless and the doormat.  I will propose that the weak and feeble be kicked out from the house.  They don’t deserve to win!  I will let the strong and clever stay.  It is because I wanna be surrounded by people with tough and stalwart personas, I wanna be hemmed in with people with brilliant minds and clever thinking.  These are the types who deserves to be the Big Winner!

what happened???

In the past season, Pinoy Bog Brother was a big deal because you are viewed as the earthling who has the impeccable wit, the amiable social skills and the agreeable personality that represents what a true Filipino should be.  But if the present reality show would continue to slant the show on how weaklings are gonna win, then I would no longer want to be the Big Winner of the Big Brother house.  Winning is like saying you’re the weakest housemate and that people commiserates with you.  The reason why you won is because people feels sorry for you!  That sucks!

Thus, if this is how the game is gonna be played and how the show is gonna turn out, I’m pretty sure, those who has been evicted from the Pinoy Big Brother house are so very happy that they have gone out.  This only means that these should-be-glad evictees are not the weakest link of the show!

And for me, I am as glad as that of the evictees, because I am no longer hooked by this show!

Hala! Labas ka na dyan! Daliiii!

Queen Meryl

If your life story would be featured in a film, who among the actors and actresses would you want to portray your character?  Since it will take metric tons to depict my charm, appeal and personality, it will take a true thespian, prolific performer and sensational artiste to take on my character.  I actually think that no living male actor can do my role.  But one actress (for that matter), I guess, can level up and take on the extreme challenge of being my character.  I would certainly choose the most celebrated actress of all time, Meryl Streep.

Meryl Streep is so good, give her the character of a chair, she can certainly act like one.  And you will be left stunned and entertained at the end of her characterization of being a genuine chair.

queen meryl

I personally have lost count on how many Meryl Streep movies that I’ve seen.  But in each movie, she was simply frank, authentic and valid.  She is so effective you would actually forget that she is Meryl Streep, the actress.

And just yesterday, I was again extremely impressed by Meryl Streep when she rendered a very powerful speech when she was given the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Golden Globes.  It was intense, it was true, it was charming, it was emphatic.  Such a poignant speech actually shook the whole America out of its wits!  It is because, what she was saying seem to shake and wake them all up.

Why was Meryl so effective and made a buzz all over the world in her yesterday’s speech?  It was because everybody – at the back of their brain – seem to be being told, lectured, chided and harangued by Miranda Priestly, Margaret Thatcher, Sister Aloysius Beauvier, Florence Foster Jenkins, Joanna Kramer, Violet Weston, Sophie Zawitowski, Donna of Mama Mia and The Witch of Into The Woods all at the same freaking time!

That is how powerful Meryl Streep is!  She’s so powerful she should be crowned and dubbed as the Queen of America!

Aydol! Ibang lebel kung tumira si Ateng!

The Imaginary Flaming Torch of Miss Philippines World 2016

The recently concluded Miss World 2016 beauty pageant shall be remembered as one of the pageants in history in which the best deserving candidate who gave the best answer was not bestowed the crown.

All top five candidates during the final Q&A portion of the contest – considered to be the ultimate component that will determine who shall be crowned as Miss World – gave pretty good responses to the question thrown at them by previous Miss World winners.  These past winners including the lady host (Miss World 2013 from the Philippines) who carried the imaginary burning torch of the pageant were still impressively beautiful.

During the final Q&A, one lady stood out to be the best among all these pretty candidates.  The whole world in fact loved the answer articulated by Ms. Philippines.

catriona gray: a big loss for the miss world organization

It was sincere, gentle and well composed.  It was so damn good, genius and impressive.   I could not see myself being able to organize such a metaphoric, to the point of poetic, type of thinking.  Too bad judges settled for a shallower and simpler type of response.  Thus, the crown goes to Ms. Puerto Rico.

I heard and read in social media, that Filipino netizens were truly upset about the outcome of this year’s Miss World pageant.  A lot of Filipinos tagged the pageant as this year’s the best cooking show in the world.

I guess, we Filipinos have the right to feel such.  I know we Filipinos will not berate or react this way if we know that the winner truly deserves to win.  Cases in point were the close wins of Shamcey Supsup the Miss Philippines during the 2011 Miss Universe pageant as won by Ms. Angola and that of Ariela Arida’s time during 2013 Miss Universe when the crown was given to Ms. Venezuela.  We Filipinos simply accepted the fact that these ladies were indeed deserving of their title and can indeed continue carrying the pageant’s flaming torch.

But we were similarly upset, annoyed and agitated when Miss Philippines Janine Tugonon who gave an impressive answer than Ms. USA but the latter was adjudged as 2012 Miss Universe.

And for this year’s version of Miss World, it was truly disappointing.  And being so upset and putting a pinch of metaphor on my disappointment, I would love to grab the imaginary flaming torch that Miss Philippines was talking about and throw it so freaking hard at the judges so as to burn them to smithereens!

Booo! Nasaan ang hustisya?!

Happy Chemicals Caused By The Robert & JT Moves

It’s already midday Tuesday in Manila before night time falls in California.  Does this means that we in Manila needs to be more patient and takes more time to wait before we could watch the next dance routine of JT and Robert?

a magical tandem

this cute boy is a great storyteller

That’s exactly what I thought when I patiently waited for the airing of SYTYCD: The Next Generation season after they were gone for 2 weeks to give way to the airing of the Summer Olympics.  And when I saw the phenomenal Mr. Jobangles routine, my impatience just suddenly vanished.  It was worth the wait!

JT and Robert on the dance floor are simply magical!  They’re the best thing I’ve ever seen on SYTYCD!  Their partnership is something so joyous.  Their routines week after week speaks volumes!  Their routines are no longer about the technicality of their dance moves.  It’s no longer about their having good lines and flexibility.  It’s already about awesome and touching storytelling in which happy chemicals are emitted by the people who sees their dance performances.

Now watch and be touched…

Ninakaw ng dalawang ‘to ang puso ko.

Tuos: An Exotic 2016 Cinemalaya Entry

I have always believed that a superb art no matter what medium it is should be something that emits emotion subject to the sensors’ perception.  It should be an art that is open to the subjective interpretation by the people who experiences it.

This precept is especially true of the Filipino film entitled Tuos, an official entry in the 2016 Cinemalaya Film Festival presently running at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.  The conduct of the story as well as the moods of each of the characters in the film are all subject to the interpretation by the viewers.

cultural!!!

exotica!

Directed by Derick Cabrido, I consider Tuos as one of the most exotic Filipino film from among the Filipino films that I have seen.  Though the movie has the tendency to get quite dragging, some of the rich colors of the Filipino customs and culture were shrewdly presented.

And aside from the impeccable acting of the legendary Filipino actress, Nora Aunor who plays Pina-Ilog in the movie, what particularly impressed me by Tuos were the additional layers of art that were fittingly mixed in the story.  The landscape presented in a modern visual art and the haunting old folklore of a song mixed together during the animation portion of the movie were pure brilliance.  These layers of art added up to the already rich texture of the movie.

When the movie ended and was already rolling its credits, I was left s mystified, stunned and thinking.  With my limited cerebral capacity, I tried interpreting the scenes and the narratives that were presented.  And there’s one last thing that I realized about Tuos, that it is indeed one exotic and powerful movie that only the smart and brainy human beings would be able to appreciate.

Sori na lang sa mga bobo, pang matalino lang ang pelikulang ito.

Laughing at Conjuring

Two weeks ago was movie night in the office.  I was the one who initiated the invitation for this mini-gig.  The movie in my mind was the terrifying second edition of Conjuring and as expected only few agreed to join.  Not everyone, I guess, in the office is keen on watching creepy movies.

The movie is supposed to be cerebrally ominous and emotionally disturbing.  But what turned out during our viewing was the opposite.  Watching Conjuring 2 suddenly felt like me and my colleagues entered into some fun horror house of some amusement park.  This is because we were giggling our hearts out while awaiting the big scare of a scene!  And we would cackle so hard because the movie was so effective in startling our wits out!

before the movie… from right: gelene, cherrie, neil, rosely and jb

after the movie… from right: gelene, cherrie, neil, rosely and valak (MWAHAHAHA!)

The fun feeling and pleasurable laughter we had seem to overpower the supposed feeling of intense fright and terror.  Conjuring 2 then suddenly became a super fun and enjoyable movie.  It is a must see movie with fun friends!  Can’t wait for its third installment!

 Mamatay-matay ako sa katatawa!

Dory and Doris

There are two interesting and colorful characters I knew after watching two heart-felt movies this quiet weekend.  One is a blue fish who is suffering from short term memory loss while the other is an old lady who is diagnosed with compulsive hoarding.

The blue forgetful fish is Dory from the movie Finding Dory (voiced by Ellen De Generes) while the loony yet passionate old lady is Doris from the movie Hello My Name is Doris (played by Sally Field).

I can totally relate to both characters!  It is because aside from their being single, loveless, perky and fun, both are serious mental cases.  And after watching both movies and trumpeting explosions of laughter, one thing is for sure, I adore both characters!

Though Dory and Doris may have different issues in their lives, one similar aspect in the wide spectrum of their being is that both are searching for their own self-sufficiency, individuality and life’s happiness. Both characters through their story relays that it is okay to make mistakes and that the search for joy, identity, and self-sufficiency can sometimes be achieved through some unique and unexpected ways.

Dory and Doris are some potent characters who will pull you out from your comfort zone so that you can move on to the next chapter of your life.  And because of these, it’s indeed so nice knowing Dory and Doris!

Kaloka ‘tong dalawang ‘to!