Entertainment News (09/15/23)

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Murder mystery A Haunting in Venice now showing

THE LATEST movie adaptation starring Agatha Christie’s world-famous detective Hercule Poirot is now screening in Philippine cinemas nationwide. A Haunting in Venice, which opened on Sept. 13, is a chilling murder mystery from 20th Century Studios, directed by Kenneth Branagh (playing Poirot himself), who also gave us the first two adaptations of the character in Murder on the Orient Express in 2017 and Death on the Nile in 2022. This time, Mr. Branagh delves into supernatural territory, with the new film based on Ms. Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party, about the detective, who has retired in Venice, being pulled back into the world of solving crime when old friend and mystery writer Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) invites him to a nighttime seance. Though the goal of attending the seance is to expose renowned mystic Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh) as a fraud, a cold-blooded murder turns the whole affair into a case that Poirot must solve.

Tingin film fest celebrates romantic love in SE Asia

THE 2023 Tingin Southeast Asian Film Festival resumes physical screenings after migrating online due to the COVID-19 pandemic and takes on the complex topic of love. A project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the 6th iteration of Tingin will return to the Red Carpet of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall from Sept. 22 to 24, and screenings will be free to the public. The two full-length films this year are Philippines’ Gameboys: The Movie, which follows young male gamers who try to sustain a relationship amid the pandemic, and Indonesia’s award-winning social drama Yuni, about a young girl who is caught between social pressures and her dreams. Among the short films are Singapore’s Locarno-winning Here is Not There, about two migrant workers falling in love and dealing with the consequences of an unplanned pregnancy; Vietnam’s Touch, about a young man who has an attraction to his male roommate; Thailand’s Bangkok Department, about two mall workers who go on a date; Cambodia’s Sunrise in My Mind, about the strange mutual attraction between a salon worker and a delivery man; Malaysia’s Perhaps That Elephant is Still Asleep, which follows a Chinese boy and a Malay girl falling in love; Myanmar’s Evening Clouds, where two best friends run away to escape their individual fates; Brunei’s Atrophy, about a seemingly perfect couple unraveling over money problems; and Laos’ Tuktuk of the Fifth Kind, where a young man receives a mission from an alien. After the initial physical run, the festival’s short film selections will also be available on Vimeo and SolarFlix, from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 and Oct. 7 to Oct. 8, respectively. For more information, follow Tingin’s official pages (@tinginfilmfest) on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter.

Nyoy Volante, Juris Fernandez revisit classics

THE concert Soundtrip Sessions Vol. 2 will feature two of original Pilipino music’s (OPM’s) finest coming together: Nyoy Volante and Juris Fernandez. The show on Sept. 29 at the Music Museum in San Juan aims to take guests on a musical journey back to the hits of the 1980s and ’90s. Presented by Dragon Arc Events Management, it will also feature Kiko Versoza. Tickets, priced from P1,500 to P4,500, are now available via TicketWorld.

Run Fur Life scheduled at Bridgetowne

THE PET event Run Fur Life will be held on Oct. 1 at the Bridgetowne Estate in Pasig. With this year’s disco theme, it combines fun racing with fundraising as pets and their owners can run for a cause while dressed in their fanciest clubwear. Run Fur Life by Animal Kingdom Foundation, hosted by Robinsons Land Corp., hopes to raise funds to eliminate the dog meat trade, improve animal lives in the country, and benefit rescued, abused, and abandoned dogs. This year, a 5K division is being added to the marathon’s initial 1K and 3K divisions.

Parokya ni Edgar musical title announced

THE TITLE of Newport World Resorts’ (NWR) upcoming musical featuring songs by the 1990s OPM band Parokya ni Edgar was revealed on Sept. 11. Its name, Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical, was officially announced by the band’s frontman Chito Miranda. The tongue twister of a title is a reference to the band’s sophomore album that spawned some of their smash hits. Mr. Miranda revealed the musical’s name on NWR Musicals’ social media pages and said that the musical, developed by NWR’s production outfit Full House Theater Company, is slated to make its debut next year. A nationwide casting call is also underway, with auditions open for males and females aged 18 to 50 years old who can sing and dance. Those interested must submit their CVs, including an audition video singing 16 bars of any Parokya ni Edgar track, from Sept. 12 to Oct. 1 to PNE2024@gmail.com. A three-day in-person audition will take place from Oct. 16 to 18, and a final callback audition on Oct. 24 to 26. For more information on the musical, follow @newportworldresorts and @nwr.musicals on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and @nwresorts on Twitter.

Rep’s Theater for Young Audiences presents Snow White

REPERTORY Philippines’ Theater for Young Audiences (RTYA) opens its first production after the COVID-19 pandemic with a new version of a classic fairy tale. Snow White and the Prince is a love story between these two iconic characters. Written by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, the same authors of RTYA’s very successful 2017 production Rapunzel, Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale, it is a musical comedy for the young and

The young at heart and will be enjoyed by the whole family. On the eve of her birthday celebration, Snow White meets a charming prince at a ball but her dreams are shattered by her stepmother who is jealous of her beauty. For her protection, her loving nursemaid sends her to the forest to find the nurse’s seven (of course) friends. Also, in the picture are a magic mirror who can never lie and, the symbol of evil, an apple. Joy Virata, the show’s director and RTYA’s Creative Director, has gathered a group of both veteran and young actors to tell the story through simple and humorous dialogue and tuneful songs. Leading the cast are REP and RTYA regulars Carla Gueverra Laforteza and Pinky Marquez as the Queen with newcomer Julia Serad alternating. Veterans Chino Veguillas and Franco Ramos play the Mirror along with newbie Sebastian Katigbak. In the title roles are Kiara Dario, Rappel (Ashlee Factor), Jillian Ita-as and Anyah as Snow White and MC Dela Cruz, Neo Rivera, and Rapah Manalo as the Prince. Abi Suit, Ring Antonio and Cara Barredo alternate as the Nurse. Fourteen (seven times two) actors of all heights, weights, genders, and ages (and with varying theater backgrounds), play the friends. The show will run from Sept. 16 to Dec. 17. Tickets are available at Ticket 2 Me and Ticket World.