Calamba Joe Breaks Barriers

Cebu’s legitimate theater to   wander offshore was every  local dramatic guild’s dream that was too remote, seemingly impossible, to be realized. Barriers such as world class standard of excellence, logistics, connections and credibility are to be hurdled before one could even touch first base. There is also the aspect of credentials that should not fall short of outstanding for any personality or group to even be considered by impresarios for foreign presentation.

Al Evangelio, the Cebuano playwright and director, had done a feat in the context of arts and culture that could be so hard to duplicate – he broke all aforementioned barriers in 2001 when he brought his own Philippine Centennial Commission prizewinning music play on the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, Calamba Joe, for a tour in America from west to east: Anaheim, Los Angeles, Connecticut and New York. 

Ten years after, Al Evangelio is again poised for another benchmarking achievement: a European tour of the same play Calamba Joe, to commence with a premiere presentation at, no less than, the Knokke Heist Cultural Center in Brussels on June 19 to punctuate the 149th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, to be followed immediately on the 21st by a garden dinner show several hundred miles away in the residence of Zoren and Rhoda Rasmussen in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the Danish Queen is expected to attend.

The 15-member group composed of Emmanuelle Jones Mante, Khristine Gentica, Elsie Mi Legaspi, Melchor Castillano, Lorenz Angelio Evangelio, Apples Abarquez, Johar Lapasaran, Malaya Macaraeg, Vanessa Latonio, Krissan Dominic Sudiacal, Marnie Victorillo, Jugie Gonzalez Ponce, Jenkin Cabanit and Serapio Serenio Jr. will be flown to Basel, Switzerland, for a dinner theater show on the 25th at the famous L’Esprit Theater Restaurant. The following day they will be at panoramic City of Lucerne, Switzerland to perform for a fund raising activity of a Filipino organization.

With Al Evangelio’s name and tutelage, the performers are vested enviable professional status with the given credentials of the artistic director: Outstanding Individual Cebuano Centennial Awardee in Culture and Arts of the City of Cebu, Most Outstanding Stage Director ’05 of Fame Philippines, CAMMA Awardee 2000 (Catholic Mass Media Award) for best TV Serial – Bastonero aired on GMA-7, Outstanding Waray Sangayaw Awardee ’09, TOJA Awardee (Ten Outstanding Josenian Alumni), Palanca winner for full-length playwriting in 1996, Philippine Centennial Commission prizewinner in Screenplay and Musical play in 1998, won 11 out of 12 awards in Drama Competition at University of California, Los Angeles, USA (UCLA) in 1993 and a host of citations, prizes and awards that make him the most decorated artist in Cebu.

On June 15, barring all obstacles, Pasundayag Sugbo will depart for the most important mission in Europe to flaunt the valor, heroism and intellectual depth of a fallen martyr and hero, reflective of our racial lineage, to fan the nationalistic fervor and pride deserving the declaration: PROUDLY PINOY!

If you want to help our Cebuano artists, please text or call Al Evangelio at 0918-443-5671.

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Yoly Sanson Oporto celebrated her 82nd birthday with a dinner and luncheon at her beautiful residence. Her birthday began with a Thanksgiving Mass held at the Talamban Parish Church. It was a moment of cheer and happiness.