Madonna’s Filipino fans should thank the SM Group for deciding to bankroll the Queen of Pop’s concert on Feb. 24, 2016, at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
It’s certainly no mean feat, but it comes at a high cost, as everyone knows by now.
People have taken to social media to express their shock at the ticket prices—P57,000 for the front rows, P3,000 for the bleachers—and yet many are said to be panicking that these would be sold out soon.
But according to SM Tickets (tel. 4702222), there’s no cause for alarm since tickets are very much available in all sections starting 10 a.m. today, July 26.
A pre-selling of tickets was held for several days to prioritize members of Madonna’s official fan club Icon, Citi cardholders and Globe Telecom subscribers.
The involvement of Citi and Globe as sponsors is good news—this will allow many people to buy tickets on credit.
The pricey tickets may be due to the concert’s total production cost, including Madonna’s talent fee which, sources say, could be as high as $4 million (P180 million).
Style and attitude
“Saturday Night Fever the Musical” is a refreshing take on the original film version because the live action onstage gives a warmer, more immediate recreation of the disco lifestyle and subculture of the mid-1970s.
The reviews of the musical’s ongoing run at The Theatre at Solaire (until Sunday, with two shows, 3 and 6 p.m.) have noted its interestingly modified plot and the cast’s fine acting.
But the songs and, of course, the dancing still make a wonderful difference—it turns out that the Bee Gees’ lyrics to “Staying Alive,” “Night Fever,” “If I Can’t Have You” and “How Deep Is Your Love” have aged well and, in fact, sound as relevant as ever.
Moreover, the dance moves that also originated in the movie—and are faithfully rendered in the musical—made us realize that the EDM-fueled grooves of kids these days pale in comparison to the style and attitude of the disco crowd of yesteryears.
New bars
There are lots of new bars around town; here are three worth checking out:
The Brewery at The Palace
9th Ave. corner 36th St. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; tel. 0917-6383339, 0917-8139429
Towering barrels at the back of the bar indicate the freshness of the four types of draft beer being brewed here: pilsner, India pale ale, wheat beer and brown ale.
The brown ale is a bit like the malty San Miguel Cerveza Negra. The chicken tenders go well with it.
The music on the night we visit consisted of reggae and new wave including The Police.
Smoky Bastard
Hole in the Wall, 4/F, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue Makati City
The array of local and imported craft beers is impressive though the price of each one is almost four times the cost of SMB Pale Pilsen in a QC bar.
Finishing two bottles with 7-percent alcohol content is like having four Pale Pilsens with a cool buzz.
Grape Escape
Maginhawa StrEAT Food Park, 91 Maginhawa St. UP Village Quezon City
This pizza and pasta joint is the only spot on Maginhawa food row that serves wine—and reasonably priced at that.
The Italian cabernet sauvignon (P700) is quite good along with the margherita pizza.