The Menchu Quick Change Chronicles

The Menchu Quick Change Chronicles
Dec. 13, 2016

The cast of Resorts World Manila's Full House Theater staging of "Annie" created a series of backstage videos featuring Menchu Yulo-Lauchengco's stage exit for her quick change called "The Menchu Quick Change Chronicles."

Here is a compilation of all the videos from Caisa Borromeo's Facebook account. Enjoy!

Episode 1: The Virus



Episode 2: The Finish Line



Episode 3: The Walking Dead



Episode 4: What is everyone running away from?



Episode 5: The Matador



Episode 6: This is SPARTAAAA



Episode 7: At the stroke of midnight



Episode 8: The Hostage



Special episode: The Annie-quin Challenge



Episode 10 (Mid-Season Finale): The Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo Winter Collection



Mid-Season Break



Episode 12: Ang ProbinsyAnnie



Episode 13: Menchu's Revenge



Finale: HanniGans and Ships


"Annie" runs until Dec. 25 at Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Paranaque City. Tickets: Ticketworld.com.ph. Details: RWManila.com.

How TJ Ramos crafted the soundscape for 'Mabining Mandirigma'

How TJ Ramos crafted the soundscape for 'Mabining Mandirigma'
and won a Philstage Gawad Buhay for it
By WALTER ANG
Dec. 10, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TJ Ramos

Tanghalang Pilipino's "Mabining Mandirigma," a musical about Apolinario Mabini, a leader during the Philippine revolution against Spain, is currently on its third rerun.

First staged last year, the production won 12 awards from Philstage Gawad Buhay, including Outstanding Musical (directed by Cris Millado), Script (Nicanor Tiongson), Musical Direction (Joed Balsamo) and Choreography (Denisa Reyes).

Mabini is played by Liesl Batucan (the role was originated by Delphine Buencamino). TP's Actors Company, its resident pool of actors, fills out the rest of the cast (Outstanding Ensemble).

Its set (Toym Imao) and costume design (James Reyes), using steampunk as the visual reference, also won top honors. Steampunk blends 1800s aesthetics (e.g. British Victorian era or American Wild West era) and steam-powered machinery with futuristic touches.

Another winner was the sound design by TJ Ramos.

"The steampunk sound references industrial elements that work using steam-metals clanging, gears ticking, etc. Majority of the sound design and even the music arrangement [for 'Mabining Mandirigma'] was based on that idea," says Ramos.

He crafted the musical's sound "personality" by watching and listening to movies like "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and "Back to the Future 3."

Aural elements

Scene from Mabining Mandirigma.
Photo by Kurt Copon

What exactly is sound design? "It's the overall aural elements of a production," he says. And a sound designer? "Think of it as being the director for the 'sounds.'"

"Whether for a musical, dance or play, aside from creating music and sound effects for the scenes, you also consider the space. Where is the sound coming from? Offstage? Behind a set piece? The audience area? It adds another dimension to the sound narrative of the production."

Ramos says this is why sound designers also work on the sound equipment's setup such as microphones' and speakers' positions on stage and around the theater.

"Sound designers manipulate all these elements to create a holistic aural experience based on what's needed by the script and the staging."

Designing sounds
Ramos begins work on a show by listing down the sound effects as he reads the script. He then makes studies or samples.

"Then it's constant correspondence with the director, the actors, the stage manager," he says. "Theater is a collaborative process. Aside from my own ideas, I absorb suggestions from everyone involved."

In addition to his library of sound effects, he says, "I sometimes get royalty-free sound effects from the internet. For specific sound effects, I create and record them."

He fine-tunes the sound units as he attends rehearsals: "Once we enter the theater for technical week, that's when I execute the sound system set-up."

Baptism of fire 
Ramos didn't even know what sound designing was when he was studying music production at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

In his senior year, he got composer Joed Balsamo as his on-the-job-training adviser. Ramos recalls: "He asked me to do the music and sound cues of the Virgin Labfest. Little did I know that I was supposed to create music and sound effect cues for all 15 plays all at the same time!"

After his baptism of fire, Ramos credits sound designer Jethro Joaquin for mentoring him further: "He'd let me design some of his cues. Eventually, he gave me my own productions to design."

Ramos has gone on to win Outstanding Sound Design nods from Philstage Gawad Buhay for other shows such as "Encantada," "Stageshow" and "Der Kaufmann."

"Mabining Mandirigma" runs until Dec. 18 at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, Cultural Center of the Philippines. Tickets: Ticketworld.com.ph. Details: Fb.com/TanghalangPilipino.




Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/246990/tj-ramos-crafted-soundscape-mabining-mandirigma

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Ela Lisondra: Swinging from London's 'Miss Saigon' to Manila's 'Christmas Carol'

In BGC, an open-air 'A Christmas Carol' starting tonight
Ela Lisondra: Swinging from London's 'Miss Saigon' to Manila's 'Christmas Carol'
By WALTER ANG
Dec. 3, 2016
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Ela Lisondra.
Photo by Hugh Maynard

9 Works Theatrical's "A Christmas Carol"--the classic story of stingy Ebenezer Scrooge and how he changes for the better after being visited by three Christmas ghosts--opens tonight and runs until Dec. 25 at Globe Iconic Store, Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater, Bonifacio Global PCity (BGC), Taguig.

That's the same open-air space where 9 Works presented the punk-rock musical "American Idiot" as a live concert experience several months ago, in collaboration with Globe.

This version of "A Christmas Carol" features the music of Alan Menken ("Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid," "Little Shop of Horrors," "Pocahontas," "Hercules," "Tangled") and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens ("Once on This Island," "Anastasia").

Playing the Ghost of Christmas Future is Ela Lisondra, who is marking her first Christmas back in the Philippines after eight years of performing in various productions around the world, most recently in "Miss Saigon" in London.

What is she most looking forward to this holiday season? "The hamonado," she says. "Kidding aside, it's being with my family."

"I missed the feeling of a strong family bond. Pinoys are very family-oriented. In other countries, Christmas is more of a celebration, a reason to get fat and to buy and give presents. For us, being in a big Catholic country, we don't forget the real reason behind the season."

Female swing

Miguel Fastuman as Scrooge

Lisondra was also part of "American Idiot." Before that, she spent the past two years playing Miss Everyone Else in "Miss Saigon"--that is, she was one of the production's two female swings, someone who takes the place of absentees.

She had to learn 10 female roles, Gigi's (the role originated by Isay Alvarez) ensemble bits, and even a few male roles. She had to be ready to do any one of them (or several) on any given show.

"Nobody understands how terrifying it is to get a few hours' notice that you'll be on for another role. You think to yourself, 'Shoot! What does she do again?'" she says.

"I had to remember that role's lines, harmony, costumes, props, hairstyle, entrances and exits, the quick [costume] changes and who the dresser was. Backstage, where do I sit? Onstage, who is my GI and where is my spotlight? What's my back story for this particular role?"

Boot camp

Note from Jon Jon Briones, who played The Engineer.

"It was really difficult in the beginning and the pressure was high." Once she'd gotten used to it, Lisondra made it fun for herself by ensuring she had different artistic choices and background stories for each of the roles. "That's what kept it challenging and exciting." 

With actors taking vacation leaves and getting injured or sick, swings are always on. She once covered five people in one show.

Prior to "Miss Saigon," she honed her chops as a performer in Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland in shows like "Mulan," "The Lion King" and "High School Musical: Live!" Lisondra says these experiences, plus the "Miss Saigon" boot camp of sorts, has only made her hungry for more.

"Being a late bloomer, I still need to learn and experience more theater. Being home in the Philippines gives me that opportunity. Performing in my home country feels good."

In "A Christmas Carol," she will be working with Miguel Faustmann as Scrooge, Raul Montesa as Bob Cratchit, Norby David as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Franz Imperial as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Rocco Buser and Dewayde Dizon as Tiny Tim.

Robbie Guevara directs, with Daniel Bartolome as musical director. Onyl Torres is assistant director, Daniel Bartolome is musical director. PJ Rebullida and Yek Barlongay, choreographers; Mio Infante, set designer; Martin Esteva, lighting designer; Ian Cartalaba, costume supervisor; Myrene Santos, hair and makeup designer; Jaime Godinez and Rards Corpus, sound designers; Chuck Ledesma, sound effects designer; GA Fallarme, video designer. 

Now that she's back, "I'm happy to break the chain of working on Christmas day," says Lisondra. "Wait, no, I'm working pala on Christmas this year!"

Tickets: 0917-554-5560, Ticketworld.com.ph. Details: Fb.com/9WorksTheatrical.



Inquirer.net link:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/246182/bgc-open-air-christmas-carol-starting-tonight

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