Bianca ready for bigger roles?

Bb. Pilipinas Universe 2009 Bianca Manalo is now cast in the hit TV series, Magkaribal where she plays Gelay’s (Bea Alonzo) friend. “Gelay is a friend. But who knows Victoria and I might just become friends.” She did not go through workshops to play her role. People say, Bianca is a natural. Asked if she is ready to tackle bigger roles, she quipped, “Kakayanin ko.”

Bianca revealed she did not inform her family when she first joined Bb. Pilipinas. Her reason? “I did not want to be pressured. My sister was Ms. World finalist, my aunt, was also a finalist in the Ms. International. Hindi ko alam kung paano ako haharap sa kanila. Ayokong ma-pressure.”

Sister Kate Manalo Hernandez, remembers, “Dinadala ko yan sa rehearsals ko.” She also said Bianca was tomboyish. “She played toy guns as a kid. Niloloko nga namin yan na tomboy. At ang itim itim!”

Daddy Rod Manalo is so proud of his girl. “Sa dami ng kanyang sakripisyo alam ko na may mararating na maganda.”

And Bianca is at the threshold of something big and exciting in her life and career.

Quality entertainment

Michael Williams, artistic director of the new group Theater Down South said that his company is the only one that caters specifically to audiences in the South Metro area — Parañaque, Alabang, Las Piñas and further down South. As a new entry to the burgeoning theater scene, Theater Down South will provide quality family and educational entertainment for the communities in these areas.  Previous productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rapunzel and Treasure Island have been well received, and the company has already begun to have a regular following. This was boosted by the company’s Summer Theater Workshops, and also by its special holiday shows and events.

The company also has a strong educational component which it promotes through children’s shows and curriculum-based productions. These shows feature thematic lobby exhibits, which provide pertinent historical and literary information about them. With A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for instance, a 3D replica of the Globe Theater was on display along with a graphic chart outlining the relationships of the characters in the play.

For Treasure Island, the lobby was transformed into a beach with a shipwrecked boat and filled with informational posters about the history of pirates as well as the life of Robert Louis Stevenson, upon whose book the show was based. 

In addition, during shows for school audiences, study guides are given to teachers and the actors are made available for meet-and-greet sessions, open forum after the performance and even pre-show visits, to teach students about theater etiquette and what to expect from a live show.  It is the company’s belief that developing an early appreciation for the art form will help create future audiences and perhaps inspire a new generation of theater practitioners, too.

This year, Theater Down South adds two more musicals to their repertoire: The Princess and the Red Carp, an original children’s musical based on the earliest known retelling of the Cinderella story, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, the Tony award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim both to be directed by Michael Williams.

With their latest offerings, Theater Down South hopes to welcome new audience members alongside returning patrons and to continue helping theater to thrive in the South Metro area. Here’s Theater Down South 2010 Season schedule:

The Princess And The Red Carp Book by Joonee Garcia and Michael Williams, music and lyrics by Joonee Garcia, Aug. 22, 29 to Sept. 5, 12, 19, 2010, 3 p.m.; A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Oct. 2, 3, 8, 9, 24, 30; 8 p.m.; A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare.

For details, call 0916-6436976, 505-6380, 891-9999 (TicketWorld) and e-mail at [email protected] or log on to www.theaterdownsouth.com.