Direk Albert's new love is named Alexa

Yes, you read the banner correctly. Albert Martinez has a new love and the name is Alexa.

But before you jump to conclusion, let me add that Alexa is not a woman. It’s the latest state-of-the-art camera with a woman’s name and only three of its kind is distributed in the world, one of them Albert is using in his directorial debut, the period piece Rosario which is intended for this year’s Metro Filmfest.

According to its maker, ARRI Digital Camera Systems, “Alexa is a compact, lightweight camera that will redefine the limits of motion picture capture with ultra-fast workflows and image quality akin to 35mm film…it stands alone as the most complete and powerful digital production system ever built.”

That’s why Albert loves Alexa and that’s what he has in common with Martin Scorsese who is the only other director known to be using the same camera for his new movie, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, a 3D movie that started shooting last June.

Said Albert: “I want to make a beautiful Filipino film that is comparable to Hollywood films. The Philippine movie industry has a lot of beautiful stories and I have always been frustrated on how these stories do not translate well on the big screen. Poor image quality, despite high cost of production. Alexa will change that…”

Well, let’s see if direk Albert can fulfill his promise come Metro Filmfest --- with the help of his Dear Alexa.

Like in movies, but pain is real

In KC Concepcion’s acting debut in an episode of Charo Santos-Concio’s Maalaala Mo Kaya, there was a scene in which KC cried over her father at the morgue. The father was played by Ricky Davao.

That scene was replayed last Sunday, Aug. 8, at the morgue of The Heritage. This time, it was for real, with Ricky playing not a character but himself, crying over the body of his father Charlie Davao who died of colon cancer that morning at age 75 (turning 76 in October).

Ricky was on a ferryboat from Ormoc City to Cebu when he got an urgent call from a relative that Charlie, who was at the Philippine General Hospital, was attached to an oxygen tank because he had difficulty breathing.

“I talked to him on the phone but he was just groaning,” recalled Ricky. “I said, ‘Dad, forgive me’,” and, although very weak, he answered, ‘Me, too’.”

Throughout the trip from Ormoc to Cebu, Ricky was crying and crying, making other passengers wonder what the matter with him was. He left Manila Saturday morning, a day after a special mass for Charlie at a PGH function graced by Charlie’s close showbiz friends. “He was ill, all right, but I didn’t think he would go so soon.” Charlie was diagnosed with colon cancer in Dec ember last year and was given three months to live. He survived five months longer than that.

Charlie died two hours later. Instead of staying in Cebu upon the invitation of Annabelle Rama who was there with a group of reporters for an audition of the new TV5 show Star Factor, Ricky went straight to SM Cebu to claim his plane ticket, still sobbing uncontrollably. Onlookers thought he was in a movie shoot. Sadly, there was no camera around. It was for real.

At The Heritage morgue, he saw his dad’s corpse wrapped in a red blanket. The attendant asked Ricky if he wanted to see Charlie. Ricky said yes and the attendant lifted the red blanket, and another blanket, and another blanket, and still another blanket.

“My dad was wrapped in four layers of blankets,” said Ricky. “I’ve done similar scenes in some of my movies at iba pala when it’s happening in real life.”

Charlie was one of the industry’s finest character actors. (Trivia from Baby Gil: Charlie was the first Filipino superhero on TV, he played the title role in the top-rating action-adventure show Code Name: Apollo.)

(Note: Charlie’s remains lie at The Heritage in Taguig City. He will be buried tomorrow morning after the 8 o’clock mass.)

Cats’ Moonlight sung in Tagalog

One of the little surprises in Cats Now and Forever (which continues to earn standing ovation from audiences from the CCP since it opened last July 24) is when Alyse Davies, who plays Silabub, sings a stanza of the moving song Moonlight in Tagalog in the opening of Act II. (Lea Salonga as Grizabella sings the memorable Memory with such power that I thought her voice shook the CCP.)

Now it can be told: It was Pete Lacaba (famous for his salinawit) who translated into Tagalog the opening lines of Moonlight (sung in the tune of Memory). He translates the opening verse in Tagalog which goes:

Liwanag, hanapin ang liwanag

Ang iyong ala-ala ang gabay na sundin

Sa liwanag, ligaya ay matatagpuan

Bagong buhay ay darating

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats Now and Forever, produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, Concertus and All Youth Channels in association with The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific, is now on its last two weeks and will close on Aug. 22.

In an interview, Lea explained that during her rehearsals in Sydney the musical director of the show, Paul White, asked her if anyone could translate the verse in Filipino. It was suggested that Pete was the purr-fect person to translate the verse. Hence, the Filipino verse in the play. The touring production usually translates that same verse in the national language of the country they visit. It has been translated in Mandarin, Korean and now in Filipino. Aside from the songs, the production usually incorporates a piece of culture of the country they visit in their stage design. If you get to witness Cats before it closes, be sure to spot some parols hanging or scattered in the junkyard set of the play.

(Note: For ticket inquiries, contact 0915 985 7830, 403 8646 or 403 8678. Or call TicketWorld at 891-9999.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected] or at [email protected])