CCP Channel is now up
THOSE who want to access Filipino arts and culture at any time, anywhere, can now turn to the CCP Channel. It aims to be a gateway to exclusive performances, award-winning films, and original productions straight from the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Subscriptions are P99 monthly and P599 annually via cpchannel.culturalcenter.gov.ph.
Collection of essays on PHL cinema, TV published
THE Ateneo de Manila University Press recently released one of its newest titles, Are You Still Watching? Dispatches and Essays on Filipino Cinema and TV by Don Jaucian. It provides in-depth film journalism that plucks people from behind the screen and brings them closer to the reader, from fly-on-the-wall accounts of a rom-com’s premiere night to intimate reportage of an encounter with a National Artist for Film. It is available at the press’ store and website.
Love, Loss, and What I Wore in Cebu
THE play Love, Loss, and What I Wore is set to be staged from Aug. 16 to 17, 8 p.m., at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City. Written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron, based on the book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman, it is presented by 2TinCans Philippines. It is a heartwarming and hilarious collection of monologues and ensemble pieces about women, clothes, and memory, serving as a time capsule of a woman’s life told in the voices of a rotating cast of women. Directed by Charlene Virlouvet, this Cebu staging features members of the 2TinCans Theatre Company — Liana San Diego, Mikee Amagsila, Regina Binueza, Shanice Kae Suarez, Shifrah Bouchikhi-Enclona, and Vanessa Fe. Tickets are available via 2tincans-philippines.yapsody.com.
VLF XX: Hinog gets one-night-only extension
VIRGIN LABFEST: HINOG will present a special one-night-only extension on Aug. 21, 8 p.m., at the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (Blackbox Theater) after it was postponed last July due to inclement weather. Dubbed VLF XX: Extended, it will feature selected plays from its recently-concluded 20th edition: Minating ni Mariah ang Manto ng Mommy ni Mama Mary by Eljay Castro Deldoc, Mommy G by Jobert Grey Landeza, and Presidential Suite #2 by Siege Malvar. Tickets are priced at P800 (regular) and P1,000 (premium), available at Ticketworld and Ticket2Me websites, and at the CCP TIG Box Office.
Pinter’s Betrayal translated into Filipino
THE play Kaliwaan, which is an adaptation of Betrayal by Harold Pinter, freely translated into Filipino by Guelan Varela-Luarca, will be staged in August. Presented by Stages Production Specialists, Inc. and co-presented by MusicArtes, Inc., it is directed by Loy Arcenas and stars Missy Maramara, Nor Domingo, and Ron Capinding. The limited, two-weekend run will be from Aug. 22 to 31. For the full schedule and to buy tickets, visit https://bit.ly/KaliwaanMNL2025. Tickets range in price from P800 to P1,250. It will be staged at The Mirror Studio Theater, SJG Bldg., 8463 Kalayaan Ave., Makati City.
Cardboard art workshop at The M
THE Metropolitan Museum of Manila is holding a workshop for turning everyday cardboard boxes into expressive figurines. Participants will get to design, sculpt, and produce one-of-a-kind characters using recyclable materials. The workshop will be facilitated by Baste Cacho. It takes place on Aug. 30, 2:30 to 5 p.m., at the third floor art studio of The M in BGC, Taguig.
Manila International Book Fair returns in September
THE Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) will be held from Sept. 10 to 14 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City. This year’s theme is “Stories in Every Form,” celebrating the diverse and evolving landscape of literature and content creation.
Pingkian: Isang Musikal returns
AFTER a Best Musical win at the 2024 Aliw Awards, Pingkian: Isang Musikal will be back onstage from Sept. 12 to Oct. 12 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez in the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Pasay City. The full-length musical follows the journey of Emilio Jacinto, the young revolutionary who navigates the complexities of leadership in the final years of the Philippine Revolution and the beginning of the Philippine-American War. It stars Vic Robinson as Emilio Jacinto. His co-stars include Gab Pangilinan, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, Kakki Teodoro, Paw Castillo, Almond Bolante, Joshua Cadeliña, and Marco Viaña. It is directed by Jenny Jamora and written by Juan Ekis, with music by Ejay Yatco and choreography by Jomelle Era. Tickets are available via TicketWorld and Ticket2Me.
Dear Evan Hansen cast for Singapore announced
BASE Entertainment Asia has announced the cast for the award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen, which will have its Singapore premiere at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. It runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 16. It stars Ellis Kirk as Evan Hansen, returning to the role after appearing in the West End production. He is joined by Rebecca McKinnis as Heidi Hansen, reprising the role she played in the original London cast.
