‘El Bimbo,’ ‘Himala’ lead nominees for Gawad Buhay

Original Filipino musicals led the nominations for the 11th Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards for the Performing Arts.

Audie Gemora and Celeste Legaspi announced them yesterday via Facebook Live from The Theatre at Solaire.

Leading the field with 12 nods apiece were the Eraserheads jukebox musical “Ang Huling El Bimbo,” produced by Full House Theater Company (FHTC) and Resorts World Manila, and 9 Works Theatrical (9WT) and The Sandbox Collective’s (SC) 15th-anniversary staging of “Himala, Isang Musikal,” adapted by Ricky Lee from the 1982 Ishmael Bernal classic and set to music by Vincent de Jesus.

The APO Hiking Society musical, 9 Works’ “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!,” closely followed with 11 nominations. Add to that the seven nods snatched by Sandbox’s “Lungs,” a two-hander that pits having a child and global warming against each other, and that’s a collective 30 nominations for the sister companies.

Among the nonmusical productions, the pioneering female astronomers of Repertory Philippines’ (Rep) “Silent Sky” reaped 10 nominations, while Red Turnip Theater’s (RTT) “A Doll’s House, Part 2”—the unauthorized comedic sequel to the Henrik Ibsen play—tied with “Lungs” with its seven nominations.

This year, there were no nominees for outstanding production for children, original script, original musical composition and male featured performance in a play.

Now on its 11th year, Gawad Buhay is the first industry awards exclusively for the performing arts.

It is juried by an independent panel of critics, scholars, artists and theater enthusiasts. Outstanding individual and group achievements in various artistic and technical aspects of play and musical productions and performances are recognized in quarterly citations deliberated on by the jury members, who are required to watch all productions of Philstage member-companies for the entire year. From the quarterly citations, the jury selects the final nominees qualified for the awards by the end of the performance season.

Beginning in 2018, the Gawad Buhay will focus on theater productions; categories for dance and ballet productions will no longer be included.

Philstage is the only alliance of professional performing arts organizations in the Philippines. Its members include 9 Works Theatrical and The Sandbox Collective, Actor’s Actors Inc./The Necessary Theatre, Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines, Culturtain Musicat Productions Inc., Full House Theater Company (Resorts World Manila), Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Peta, Philippine Opera Company, Repertory Philippines, Red Turnip Theater, Stages, Tanghalang Pilipino, Trumpets and Twin Bill Theater. —CONTRIBUTED

2018 nominees

Outstanding Original Libretto

1. Robbie Guevara, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)

Outstanding Translation or Adaptation

1. Ian Lomongo, “’night, Mother” (Peta)
2. Rody Vera, “Manila Notes” (Tanghalang Pilipino/TP)

Outstanding Musical Direction

1. Daniel Bartolome, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. Vincent de Jesus, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
3. Myke Salomon, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)

Outstanding Choreography

1. PJ Rebullida, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. Dexter Santos, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)

Outstanding Costume Design

1. Joey Mendoza, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)
2. Joey Mendoza, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
3. Raven Ong, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale” (Rep)
4. Carlo Pagunaling, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
5. Eric Pineda, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)

Outstanding Lighting Design

1. John Batalla, “Balag at Angud” (TP)
2. John Batalla, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
3. Monino Duque, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
4. Miggy Panganiban, “Lungs” (SC)
5. Barbie Tan-Tiongco, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)

Outstanding Sound Design

1. Rards Corpus, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. Rards Corpus, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
3. Jethro Joaquin, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
4. TJ Ramos, “’night, Mother” (Peta)

Outstanding Set Design

1. Jodee Aguillon, “Lungs” (SC)
2. Gino Gonzales, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
3. Ed Lacson Jr., “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
4. Joey Mendoza, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
5. Ben Padero, “’night, Mother” (Peta)

Female Lead Performance in a Play

1. Cathy Azanza-Dy, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
2. Meann Espinosa, “Manila Notes” (TP)
3. Sab Jose, “Lungs” (SC)
4. Sherry Lara, “’night, Mother” (Peta)
5. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)

Male Lead Performance in a Play

1. Jake Cuenca, “Lungs” (SC)
2. Lorenz Martinez, “A Comedy of Tenors” (Rep)
3. Gabs Santos, “Lungs” (SC)
4. Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)

Female Featured Performance in a Play

1. Caisa Borromeo, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
2. Sheila Francisco, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)
3. Sheila Francisco, “Silent Sky” (Rep)
4. Issa Litton, “A Comedy of Tenors” (Rep)
5. Elle Velasco, “Manila Notes” (TP)

Female Lead Performance in a Musical

1. Tanya Manalang, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
2. Aicelle Santos, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)

Male Lead Performance in a Musical

1. Reb Atadero, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
2. Alfritz Blanche, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
3. Boo Gabunada, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
4. Jobim Javier, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
5. Gian Magdangal, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)

Female Featured Performance in a Musical

1. Bituin Escalante, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
2. Sheila Francisco, “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
3. Neomi Gonzales, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
4. Carla Guevara-Laforteza, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale” (Rep)
5. Kakki Teodoro, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)

Male Featured Performance in a Musical

1. Jon Abella, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. Steven Hotchkiss, “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale” (Rep)
3. Sandino Martin, “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Play

1. Oriza Hirata, “Manila Notes” (TP)
2. Melvin Lee, “’night, Mother” (Peta)
3. Andrei Pamintuan, “Lungs” (SC)
4. Cris Villonco, “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)
5. Joy Virata, “Silent Sky” (Rep)

Outstanding Stage Direction for a Musical

1. Robbie Guevara, “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. Ed Lacson Jr., “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play

1. “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)
2. “Manila Notes” (TP)
3. “Silent Sky” (Rep)

Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical

1. “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. “Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)
3. “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)
4. “Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale” (Rep)

Outstanding Play—Original or Translation/Adaptation

1. “’night, Mother” (Peta)
2. “Manila Notes” (TP)

Outstanding Musical—Original or Translation/Adaptation

1. “Eto Na! Musikal nAPO!” (9WT)
2. “Ang Huling El Bimbo” (FHTC)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play

1. “A Doll’s House, Part 2” (RTT)
2. “Lungs” (SC)
3. “Silent Sky” (Rep)

Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical

“Himala, Isang Musikal” (9WT/SC)