Itchyworms quarantine album launch
FILIPINO rock band Itchyworms will be launching its fifth album, Waiting for the End to Start, via an online listening and live commentary party on Aug. 17, Monday, at 7:30 p.m. on the band’s official Facebook page. The album has nine songs, all of which were recorded while in quarantine, thus the lo-fi feel of some of the songs. The songs were meant to describe the band’s experiences while being stuck at home.
Rustans.com first birthday
THE online portal of the retailer Rustans is holding a one-day sale on Aug. 15 to celebrate its first anniversary. The sale will include offers from over 150 brands and up to 60% off for select items. The sale will be on Rustans.com.
Fully Booked storytelling, drawing
LOCAL bookshop Fully Booked will be holding a storytelling session via its Facebook page featuring the children’s storybook, Luis and the Enchanted Creatures, by Marcy Dans Lee on Aug. 15, 2 p.m. The session is part of the bookstore’s ongoing Literary Festival. Another event in conjunction with the Literary Festival is a Diwata Drawing Workshop with Ian de Jesus on Aug. 15, 3 p.m., via Zoom. The workshop fee is at P500. Fully Booked will also be holding an online conversation with author Dean Francis Alfar on Philippine Speculative Fiction on Aug. 16, 3 p.m., on the Fully Booked Facebook page. For more information, visit bit.ly/FullyBookedLLF2020.
Sa Kuwento Natin Storytelling Sessions
IN CELEBRATION of National Language Month, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is holding storytelling sessions every Saturday at 6 p.m. featuring indigenous Filipino tales read by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario. The storytelling sessions will be streamed on the Sentro Rizal NCCA YouTube page (link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCThmRl8kj3TJ30T1PjlRBaw).
Cinemalaya Virtual exhibitions
THE Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival is currently holding two exhibitions alongside the film festival: The Cinemalaya: Stream Consciousness and Gawad Alt 2.0: Ligalig. The Stream Consciousness exhibit features film posters, behind-the-scenes photos, filmmakers’ portraits, and exclusive video clips of the iconic objects from the Short Feature, Indie Nation, and Tribute sections of this year’s Cinemalaya. Meanwhile, the Ligalig exhibit features over 50 posters from Gawad Alternatibo’s animation, documentary, experimental, and short feature categories, as well as posters and character designs from the inaugural emergent media category. The virtual gallery can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/100529615008612/posts/151241463270760/?sfnsn=mo. For more information, visit the Cinemalaya Facebook page.
Crisostomo Ibarra on BP Onstream
AFTER Gabriel Barredo’s Opera ballet, choreographed by Redha, was streamed on the Ballet Philippines (BP) website, BP will now be streaming the 2016 staging of Crisostomo Ibarra with choreography from Paul Alexander Morales, starting Aug. 15. Crisostomo Ibarra is the full-length ballet version of Jose P. Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere. The ballet can be streamed on ballet.ph.
PPO’s Pocket Concerts
THE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) continues performing online through the MUSIC FOR HEALING: PPO in Quarantine Pocket Concert Series. One of the three pocket concerts, namely PPO in your Living Room will be streamed on Aug. 14, 8 p.m., through the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ website. The performance features trombonist Ricson Poonin interpreting the song “Lead Me Lord,” popularized by Gary Valenciano; Viola Ensemble players Joy Allan De la Cruz, Rey Casey Concepcion, Ferdinand Dumlao, Magdalena Fernandez, Joven Aquisap will be performing Ernani Cuenco’s “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal”; bassoon player Frenvee Andra will be rendering George Canseco’s “Hiram”; and PPO String Quintet members Dino Decena, Christian Tan, Rey Casey Concepcion, Giancarlo Gonzales, Rommel Cruz playing Ernani Cuenco and Levi Celerio’s song “Kalesa.” The Music for Healing: PPO in Quarantine Pocket Concert Series is an ongoing program of the PPO which continues through August and which can be viewed from the PPO FB page and the CCP YouTube as platforms.
PPO Instrument Petting Zoo features the trumpet
THE Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra’s (PPO) Instrument Petting Zoo continues with its live online program with featured trumpet player Glober C. Calambro on Aug. 16, 4 p.m., via the PPO Facebook page. Glober will talk about the trumpet and demonstrate how it is played in the instrument petting zoo session. He will also perform classical pieces suited for the instrument. A project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the instrument petting zoo aims to promote appreciation for musical instruments of the orchestra and its music among children and families. It is held every Sunday at 4 p.m., and runs for several months. Catch the Musical Instruments Appreciation Series on the official PPO Facebook page.
TP’s online productions for Buwan ng Wika
THE beauty of the Filipino language takes centerstage as Tanghalang Pilipino (TP) releases performances that are based on Philippine literary works in celebration of Buwan ng Wika in August. These performances will be streamed online under PansamanTanghalan, found at the official TP Youtube channel. Pamanang Pahina consists of dramatic readings of Filipino children’s books from OMF Library-Hiyas, which will be performed by members of the Actors Company, with the Anino Shadowplay Collective providing the striking visuals. Starting off the storytelling series is “Ang Bagong Kaibigan ni Bing Butiki” written by Yna Reyes (with illustration by Jason Moss) and adapted for this performance by Nono Pardalis. This episode, about an encompassing friendship between unlikely characters, is now available online. Meanwhile, CCP Online is featuring TP’s play Nang Dalawin ng Pag-Ibig si Juan Tamad. Adapted for stage by Rody Vera, with direction by Jonathan Tadioan and featuring the TP Actors Company Nang Dalawin ng Pag-ibig si Juan Tamad was originally performed at the CCP in February 2018 as part of TP’s 31st Season. It was also the Philippine entry in the 7th World Theater Congress in Moscow, Russia in 2018. Nang Dalawin ng Pag-ibig si Juan Tamad can now be streamed at the official CCP YouTube channel. TP also has the new Bagong Tagpo productions which provides an opportunity for the audiences to see how a TP production is developed. The first is Heneral Rizal, a monologue written by Floro Quibuyen, featuring a performance by TP Artistic Director Nanding Josef, under the direction of Chuck Gutierrez. This little-known tale of National Hero Jose Rizal’s brother Paciano will be premiering in Cinemalaya 16: Stream Consciousness. This marks the first collaboration between TP and the largest Philippine Independent Film Festival. Heneral Rizal will be streamed in PangsamanTanghalan starting Aug. 16. Finally, the second installment of Handa, Awit features inspiring songs from two landmark musicals from TP. Mark Bautista, Gian Magdangal, Cris Villonco, Arman Ferrer, and Noel Rayos reunite to perform songs from Noli Me Tangere: The Musical and Walang Sugat for this online concert which streams on Aug. 30. To help TP continue its artistic presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic, donate via the fundraising Pantawid Ng Tanghalan at KTX via https://bit.ly/KTXPantawidNgTanghalan.
