Supertyphoon “Yolanda” showed the best and the worst of social media. In the immediate aftermath, at least, there was none of the irreverent humor that Filipinos are known for, we who make fun of anything and anyone, even and especially our own misfortune. The enormity of the tragedy was such that not even the worst kibitzers on social media had the guts to post any wisecrack.
When “Katy” opened on Jan. 27 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, not only was it the first local production to raise its curtain this year, it was also a harbinger of sorts.
He bared everything as Dave Bukatinsky in “The Full Monty”; he was Dennis Dupree in the rerun of “Rock of Ages”; and he was equally memorable as Mr. Stephens and Reverend Bliss in “Carrie The Musical.”
Singing actress Pinky Amador gave what may well be the performance of her life as French chanteuse Edith Piaf in Pam Gem’s “Piaf” (Atlantis Productions, directed by Bobby Garcia at the Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza). Bravura acting dovetailed with singing that remarkably sounded like the late, celebrated Piaf.
In Atlantis Productions’ “Piaf,” audiences are greeted by a room made of wide, drab, wooden panels and crumbling shutters that reach the rafters, a visual metaphor for the vast, high-reaching yet damaged life of the play’s titular French chanteuse.
It is late afternoon in a dance studio in Makati, where the cast of Atlantis Productions’ “Piaf” is winding up rehearsals for the day. The play, which premiered Friday night at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of RCBC Plaza, has occupied the mind of its lead star, Pinky Amador, for a good number of years.
REPERTORY Philippines’ “No Way To Treat A Lady,” a musical comedy thriller with book, music and lyrics by author/composer Douglas J. Cohen, opens March 1 and runs until March 24, at Onstage Greenbelt 1. Audie Gemora directs.
