“Rak of Aegis,” Peta’s hit musical-comedy about a fictional urban community perennially beset by floods, and which uses for its musical score the songs of the iconic rock band Aegis, romped off with 11 awards–including Outstanding Original Musical and Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical (Maribel Legarda)–at the 2014 Gawad Buhay!, the annual Philstage Awards for the Performing Arts, making it the most-honored production at the ceremonies held June 11 at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
(See complete list of winners below.)
In the acting categories, three stars generally more known for their film work got rewarded for their stage appearances last year: Cherie Gil (Female Lead Performance in a Play) for Actor’s Actors Inc.’s “Full Gallop,” where she played the fashion doyenne Diana Vreeland; Robert Arevalo (Male Lead Performance in a Play) as the terrifying patriarch in Tanghalang Pilipino’s production of Nick Joaquin’s “Mga Ama, Mga Anak”; and Yul Servo (Male Featured Performance in a Play) as the conflicted son Biff in “Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente,” Rolando Tinio’s translation of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” also staged by TP.
The other acting awards went to relative newcomers or young actors—Kim Molina (Female Lead Performance in a Musical) and Pepe Herrera (Male Featured Performance in a Musical), both for “Rak of Aegis;” and Red Concepcion (Male Lead Performance in a Musical) for Resorts World Manila’s “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
Veteran actors Liesl Batucan and Tami Monsod tied for Female Featured Performance in a Play for their work in Repertory Philippines’ “August: Osage County” (which also won Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play as well as Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play, by Chris Millado), while the award for Female Featured Performance in a Musical went to Bituin Escalante, for “Priscilla” (also the winner for Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical).
In dance, two Ballet Philippines productions—“Cinderella” and “La Revolucion Filipina”–got three awards each, including Outstanding Modern Dance Production for the latter, choreographed by Agnes Locsin. Ballet Manila, meanwhile, bagged two awards—for Bam Damian’s choreography for “Aramica” from “Heart2Heart: Ballet and Ballads,” and Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Modern Dance, again for “Aramica.”
The Natatanging Gawad Buhay! for Lifetime Achievement was given this year to Onofre Pagsanghan, founder of the 60-year-old Dulaang Sibol; and Amelia Lapena-Bonifacio, who pioneered and popularized Filipino puppet theater.
COMPLETE LIST OF 2014 PHILSTAGE GAWAD BUHAY! WINNERS IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES:
Outstanding Original Script
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Original Libretto
• Liza Magtoto, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Translation or Adaptation
• Rolando Tinio, “Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
Outstanding Musical Direction
• Myke Salomon, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Original Musical Composition
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Choreography for a Dance Production
• Bam Damian, “Aramica” [from “Heart2Heart: Ballet & Ballads”] (Ballet Manila)
Outstanding Choreography for a Play or Musical
• Gio Gahol, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Costume Design
• Carlo Pagunaling, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Lighting Design
• Katsch Catoy, “La Revolucion Filipina” (Ballet Philippines)
Outstanding Sound Design
• Myke Salomon and Happy Constantino, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Set Design
• Mio Infante, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Female Lead Performance in a Play
• Cherie Gil, “Full Gallop” (My Own Mann/Actors’ Actors, Inc.)
Male Lead Performance in a Play
• Robert Arevalo, “Mga Ama, Mga Anak” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
Female Featured Performance in a Play (tie)
• Liesl Batucan, “August: Osage County” (Repertory Philippines)
• Tami Monsod, “August: Osage County” (Repertory Philippines)
Male Featured Performance in a Play
• Yul Servo, “Pahimakas sa Isang Ahente” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
Female Lead Performance in a Musical
• Kim Molina, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Male Lead Performance in a Musical
• Red Concepcion, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (Full House Theater Company)
Female Featured Performance in a Musical
• Bituin Escalante, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (Full House Theater Company)
Male Featured Performance in a Musical
• Pepe Herrera, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Female Lead Performance in Modern Dance
• Carissa Adea, “Songs of the Wayfarer” [from “The Blue Moon Series”] (Ballet Philippines)
Male Lead Performance in Modern Dance
• Richardson Yadao, “La Revolucion Filipina” (Ballet Philippines)
Female Featured Performance in Modern Dance
No nomination/winner
Male Featured Performance in Modern Dance
No nomination/winner
Female Lead Performance in Classical Dance
• Denise Parungao, “Cinderella” (Ballet Philippines)
Male Lead Performance in Classical Dance
• Earl John Arisola, “Cinderella” (Ballet Philippines)
Female Featured Performance in Classical Dance
• Katherine Trofeo, “Cinderella” (Ballet Philippines)
Male Featured Performance in Classical Dance
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Modern Dance Production
• “La Revolucion Filipina” (Ballet Philippines)
Outstanding Classical Dance Production
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play
• Chris Millado, “August: Osage County” (Repertory Philippines)
Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical
• Maribel Legarda, “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play
• “August: Osage County” (Repertory Philippines)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical
• “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Modern Dance
• “Aramica” [from “Heart2Heart: Ballet & Ballads”] (Ballet Manila)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Classical Dance
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play
• “August: Osage County” (Repertory Philippines)
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical
• “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (Full House Theater Company)
Outstanding Original Play
No nomination/winner
Outstanding Original Musical
• “Rak of Aegis” (Peta)
Outstanding Production for Children
No nomination/winner
Natatanging Gawad Buhay! for Lifetime Achievement
• Onofre Pagsanghan
• Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio