Zsazsa Zaturnnah ze Muzikal online
CARLO Vergara’s superhero comedy-musical Zsazsa Zaturnnah ze Muzikal which premiered online on June 20, is currently on view at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ YouTube channel (bit.ly/CCPOnlineYT). The musical stars Eula Valdez in the title role. On June 23, 3 p.m., there will be a live roundtable discussion titled “Ikaw ang Superhero ng Buhay Ko,” about queer representation in the arts. It will be online for one week.
Exhibit, playlist on Nat’l Artist Jose Maceda
The exhibit Attitude of the Mind was one of the activities included in the MACEDA 100 program that celebrated the birth centennial of National Artist for Music Jose Maceda (1917-2004). The exhibit catalog is now available for digital download on the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) website. Accompanying the text of the publication are nine audio tracks which were either based on actual pieces by Maceda or inspired by his musical practice. The exhibition catalog and audio playlist are also available online. Attitude of the Mind ran from Sept. 26 to Dec. 3, 2017 at the CCP’s Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery). To view the exhibition, visit https://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph/events/online/maceda-100-attitude-of-the-mind/detail.
Silverlens reopening
After three months of lockdown, Silverlens Galleries reopens with two exhibitions: Sustainable Anxiety by Pow Martinez and Little Blue Window by Corinne de San Jose on June 25. Sustainable Anxiety features eight new paintings that offer keen observations on living in this digital age. Little Blue Window features cyanotype prints depicting various aspects of our changing lifestyles. Gallery visits are limited and by appointment only (Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Walk-in visits will not be accepted. An online exhibition catalogue will be on view starting June 25. For more information, contact info@silverlensgalleries.com.
Tesoros goes online
Tesoros Philippine Handicrafts just opened its online store at https://tesoros.ph/ which includes food products, personal care items, fashion, accessories, and souvenir items.
Book celebrity greetings online
Fan mail, autographs, and signed posters are now a thing of the past with the release of CelebrityGreetings.PH, the Philippines’ first personalized celebrity shout out booking website. Through www.celebritygreetings.ph, Filipinos around the world can now request personal greetings from their favorite celebrities for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, or simple shout outs. The personal videos run for a minute.
Freelipiniana online
THE Likhaan: UP Institute of Creative Writing offers the Freelipiniana Online Library at bit.ly/Freelipiniana. It contains published literary works — novels, poetry, and anthologies — by Filipino writers and publishers. Read the introduction and how-to at bit.ly/FOLlaunch prior to your visit.
Lisa Macuja Elizalde in Don Quixote
BALLET Manila presents Lisa Macuja-Elizalde’s favorite roles from her Swan Song Series for streaming on its official social media pages, www.facebook.com/balletmanilaofficial and www.youtube.com/c/balletmanilaofficial. This week, Don Quixote which will be available until June 26, 10 p.m.
Walang Rape sa Bontok
THE LOCKDOWN Cinema Club initiative, the Habi Collective, and the Concerned Artists of the Philippines present free online streaming of documentaries, with Lester Valle’s Walang Rape sa Bontok on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/400805507. Password is: EndRapeCulturePH.
French film festival online
THE French embassy presents IFCinema a la carte, a festival of films from France and Africa, this month. While in normal years the films are shown in theaters across the country, this year the films will be shown online. Ten full features and 11 short films will be screened online at https://ifcinema.institutfrancaise.com/en/alacarte. All 21 films are subtitled in English and are available online until July 13.
BBC Shakespeare’s Macbeth
BBC Shakespeare presents the Royal Shakespeare Company staging of Macbeth featuring Christopher Eccleston in the title role. To watch, visit https://bbc.in/2YonTp.
National Theatre at Home
THE UK National Theatre at Home initiatives presents its 2019 production of Small Island. Based on Andrea Levy’s Orange Prize-winning novel, the show is directed by the National Theatre’s artistic director Rufus Norris. It stars Leah Harvey as Hortense, Aisling Loftus as Queenie, and Gershwyn Eustache Jr as Gilbert. To watch, visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUDq1XzCY0NIOYVJvEMQjqw. The show is available until June 25.
TP’s Mabining Mandirigma
TANGHALANG Pilipino, through the Pantawid ng Tanghalan fundraising project, presents the award-winning steampunk musical Mabining Mandirigma from June 12 to July 12 on iWant. To donate, visit https://bit.ly/KTXPantawidNgTanghalan. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/tanghalangpilipino/.
Livin’ La Vida Imelda
CATCH the late Carlos Celdran’s one-man show Livin’ La Vida Imelda, directed by Ralph B. Peña, for a limited free streaming from June 17 to 23 at the Ma-Yi Theater Company’s website (www.ma-yitheatre.org).
Virgin Labfest online
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Tanghalang Pilipino and Writers’ Bloc present the special online edition of Virgin Labfest (VLF), the theater festival of untried, unstaged and untested works, from June 10 to 28. Dubbed VLF 2020 Kapit, 10 main featured plays, as well as staged readings and revisited plays will be performed live online during the first week of the festival. Live performances are free to view on CCP Facebook live. The recorded versions will then be streamed on Vimeo website and/or app from June 14 to 28. For the full schedule, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph), CCP official social media account in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and the Tanghalang Pilipino and VLF pages. There are also free sessions of the Playwright’s Fair and CoLab, the discussions with collaborators (including festival directors, designers, stage and production managers, and directors). Join the online Tambayan (Hangout place) at Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/VLFTambayan/) for conversation or interaction with the VLF artists and staff. To create a Vimeo account, go to vimeo.com/ondemand and join. Once the account is set up, search for Cultural Center of the Philippines or VLF Kapit, and browse through the page to read the full description, watch the trailer, and make a purchase.
4 exhibits at Vinyl on Vinyl
AFTER being shut for three months, Vinyl on Vinyl reopened on June 6 with four new exhibits. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, viewing is by appointment and the gallery will only allow three to four people to enter at a time. On view are Denis Bato’s exhibit A Line Starts and Ends with a Point; For/Ages by Anjo Bolarda, which features an army of human-faced spoons; Forest of Agencies by Isola Tong, where the artist considers the relationship between queerness and the forest; and Faye Pamintuan’s gestural paintings in oil on canvas in Ugh. The gallery is at the La Fuerza Compound 1, Chino Roces Ave., Makati. For details contact info@vinylonvinylgallery.com.
New show at BenCab Museum
JOHN Frank Sabado’s solo show, Distinction, which is up at BenCab Museum’s Gallery Indigo until Aug. 2, can be viewed online at the museum’s exhibit Facebook page (https://web.facebook.com/pg/bencabmuseum/photos/?tab=album&album_id=3113556848702650). The exhibit features Mr. Sabado’s new series of intricate pen and ink drawings that take a deeper look into the distinct ethnic markers of the peoples of the Philippine Cordillera. Also on view is Art Lozano’s show, Nesting Ground, which features one of the artist’s favorite subjects, the Volkswagen Beetle.
CAST Recording
CAST Recording’s third radio drama: Arnold Bennett’s A Question of Sex is now on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5bLSOsJPkZnIaEFDfSSHbl?si=ndUICgUUQj-UKIjxEGbW6w&fbclid=IwAR06k5DEB0zRa4b1jCqeglmtENl3lTwCAwlcOiLltwcNGjg84r8qHdhmL-M). Directed by Nelsito Gomez, the reading features Reb Atadero, Sarah Facuri, Cathy Azanza-Dy, and Jeremy Domingo.
National Museum of the Philippines
THE National Museum of the Philippines has released a new coloring set with Larry Dianco’s illustrations of endemic orchids such as the waling-waling. To download, visit https://www.facebook.com/nationalmuseumofthephilippines/photos/a.195151237175869/3282991451725150/?type=3&theater.
J.K. Rowling’s The Ickabog
Best-selling author J.K. Rowling is releasing her new children’s novel The Ickabog online. Several chapters are currently available, with more chapters to be released over the next weeks. The book is set for full release in November. Read the chapters for free at https://www.theickabog.com/.
Swans for Relief
Thirty-two premier ballerinas from 22 dance companies in 14 countries — including Ballet Philippines’ Denise Parungao and Jemima Reyes — dance in a video of Le Cygne (The Swan) to the music by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed by cellist Wade Davis. The video was done in support of Swans for Relief, a fundraising program organized by dancers Misty Copeland and Joseph Phillips. Funds will be distributed to participating dance companies as a COVID-19 relief fund. To watch performances, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT14o5Wq7gE/. To donate, visit https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/swansforrelief.
NCCA online
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) presents The National Artists series of Sagisag Kultura TV at the NCCA Youtube (https://tinyurl.com/NationalArtistSeries). Premiering episodes include videos of National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa-Gocquinco, and National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kalisag.
Tanghalang Pilipino’s Pantawid ng Tanghalan
Tanghalang Pilipino launches the Pantawid ng Tanghalan fundraising project to sustain its commitment to providing the public with artistically excellent and socially relevant productions during the pandemic. Until June 30, the theater company is streaming six of its original plays through iWant. The streaming plays are Lam-ang: An Entho Epic Musical; Mabining Mandirigma; Coriolano; Pangarap sa Isang Gabi ng Gitnang Tag-araw; Der Kaufmann; and Sandosenang Sapatos. To donate, visit https://ktx.abs-cbn.com/events/25444/pantawid-ng-tanghalan.
NHCP Museums
LEARN about Philippine history by visiting various National Historical Commission of the Philippines museums across the country online. To do so, visit https://www.facebook.com/historymuseumsPH/photos/a.474072142988822/769005046828862/?type=3&theater.
Foo Fighters at the Wembley Stadium
THE Foo Fighters’ concert film Live at the Wembley Stadium is now available online at the band’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcwBsntqjmY&feature=emb_title). The show features guest performances by Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.
Jerrold Tarog’s Senior Year
WRITTEN, directed, edited and scored by Jerrold Tarog, the film Senior Year (2010) is now streaming on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/404089376). Set in a Catholic school the story follows the struggles and anxieties of students during their final year in high school.
Dulaan UP’s Adarna
DULAANG UP’s play Adarna (2013) is now streaming online. Adapted by Vlad Gonzales and directed by José Estrella, the story is based on the narrative poem about three princes’ quest to save their ailing father by capturing the Adarna bird which is believed to have curative powers. To watch, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=hV2UPXi1wMA&feature=emb_title.
National Library of the Philippines
THE National Library of the Philippines offers free scholarly eResources including research related to COVID-19. The list of resources come from the National Emergency Library, Cochrane Library (Medical & Health Science), De Gruyter — Journals (Multidisciplinary), and more. To view access links to eResources, visit https://www.facebook.com/NLP1901/photos/a.375779479606724/912930019224998/?type=3&theater.
Guggenheim artbooks
THE Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum offers downloadable items from its archives for free. Titles include modern and contemporary art books about Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Vassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt and more. The archive is searchable by artist, year, medium and artistic style or movement. Visit the archives, https://archive.org/details/guggenheimmuseum.
IkotMNL tour from home
THE Museo de Intramuros, Ayala Museum, and Presidential Museum and Library in Malacañang Palace have partnered with Google to put their works online. Learn new things at home and visit the museums through a virtual tour: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/malacanang-presidential-museum-and-library; https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/ayala-museum; and https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/intramuros-administration.
Film masterclasses
LEARN film concepts through interviews and film retrospectives from more than 60 directors, producers, writers, and actors including Bong Joon-Ho, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnès Varda, Spike Lee, Werner Herzog (with Roger Ebert), Jane Campion, Jodie Foster, Todd Haynes, Ang Lee, Jessica Lange, and Clint Eastwood. To watch, visit https://walkerart.org/magazine/series/dialogues-film-retrospectives.
Radiohead Concerts
BRITISH rock band Radiohead has been uploading some of its concerts via its official YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/radiohead). Fans of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band, known for songs like “Creep” (1992) and “Fake Plastic Trees” (1995), can watch the concerts Live from a Tent in Dublin (2000) and Live in Berlin (2006).
David Guetta: United at Home
FRENCH DJ David Guetta, the man behind the song “Titanium” (2011) featuring singer SIA, held a live concert fundraiser inside his Miami home benefiting the World Health Organization and other charities. The two-hour concert is currently available on his YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/user/davidguettavevo).
Frank Lloyd Wright virtual tours
THE Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, in partnership with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation is offering #WrightVirtualVisits every Thursdays (1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific time) in participating sites. Check the participating sites at https://savewright.org/news/public-wright-sites-swap-virtual-visits/.
Color Tolkien characters
THE official Facebook page of the late author J.R.R. Tolkien has uploaded an illustration of Smaug the Magnificent from The Hobbit Movie Trilogy Colouring Book. Download the coloring sheet at https://bit.ly/2wKY3lp.
Harry Potter exhibit online
THE British Library’s Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition is available online through Google Arts and Culture. Its features include video clips and sketches, a Q&A with exhibit curator Julian Harrison. To view, visit https://artsandculture.google.com/project/harry-potter-a-history-of-magic.
Hogwarts online
HOGWARTS Is Here, an online version of the Harry Potter series’ magical school by Harry Potter fans that allows visitors to take courses like the characters from J.K. Rowling’s book series. Various courses include Astronomy, Herbology, History of Magic, and Transfiguration. The website also includes a forum, groups, and library feature. Visit http://www.hogwartsishere.com/.
Color Manolo Blahnik designs
MANOLO Blahnik shares a selection of his original sketches for coloring. The shoe designs are downloadable at https://www.manoloblahnik.com/gb/smile.html.
Podcasts on Philippine crime
STORIES After Dark features podcasts on Philippine true crime and mystery stories. It currently has 14 episodes including The Maguindanao Massacre (2009), The Ozone Disco Fire (1996), and Pepsi Paloma: Rape or Publicity Stunt? Suicide or Murder? (1982/1985). To listen, visit https://www.facebook.com/storiesafterdarkph/.
Palacio de Memoria virtual tour
ART and history enthusiasts can now go on a virtual tour of Palacio de Memoria, the resplendent Colonial Revival mansion, and marvel at its luxurious facilities and hundreds of Euro-Filipino paintings, sculptures, art displays, and historical pieces online. It features the showroom of Palacio de Memoria’s auction house, Casa de Memoria or the Casa, which houses the Lhuilliers’ unrivalled collection of antiques, the Mosphil Lounge, and a passenger plane that was refitted to be a lounge for special occasions. To view the complete Palacio de Memoria’s virtual tour, visit https://www.palaciodememoria.com/tours. For more updates, follow @thepalaciodememoria on Facebook and @palacio.de.memoria on Instagram.
E-coloring books
THE Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute of Los Angeles offers the Color Our Collections edition for 2020. To view, visit http://library.nyam.org/colorourcollections/page/11/.
