Music theater and arts education for CCP 2013

The New Year promises to be an interesting one as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has released its thrust on three areas of development namely, musical theater, arts education and strengthening of CCP’s online presence.

Imagine starting the year on Jan. 19 at the Little Theater with the Metropolitan Opera production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida in high definition video and full Dolby sound through satellite technology. If Verdi’s fame and success were translated into today’s terms, he would be a rock star lionized and iconized by hundreds of thousands of Italians yet living an almost unhappy life. He wrote close to

100 operas including Aida, Otello and Falstaff and his famous Requiem Mass.

An opera in four Acts, Aida is a tragic love story between the young Egyptian warrior Radames of Egypt and his secret Ethiopian lover Aida. When both are captured and forced to choose between repudiating country for love, they instead choose to die together.

From Jan. 16 to Oct. 27 at the Little Theater, Katy, a revival of the musical based on the life of Bodabil Queen Katy dela Cruz, features original music by Ryan Cayabyab, libretto by Jose Javier Reyes, musical direction by Mel Villena and direction by Nestor Torre. Isay Alvarez, Tirso Cruz III, Gian Magdangal, Lou Veloso, Epy Quizon, Tricia Jimenez and Dulce star in the musical.

Four other original Filipino musicals are set for the year namely, Ibalong, a new musical inspired by Bicol’s folk epic; a reprise of Mario O’Hara’s Stageshow on the lives of vaudeville stars of yesteryear; one on the life of Filipino hero Andres Bonifacio; and a children’s musical based on the book Unang Baboy sa Langit.

On Jan. 25 at the Main Theater, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) celebrates it 40th anniversary with Olivier Ochanine conducting Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, Dino Decena playing the violin in Schumann’s Symphony No.1–Spring and Ryan Cayabyab premiering his new music.

It should be significant to note that in opera, operetta, musical theater and musical revue stagings, Broadway, West End and original Filipino works will come together and learn from one another. Talents of the Paris-Manila Conservatoire will present in August, Jacques Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne, a light comic operetta portraying aspects of Parisian life to the accompaniment of the PPO.

In collaboration with the French Embassy, opera teachers from Paris will coach Filipino opera singers with possibly the best to be sent to France on scholarship grants. Besides this, CCP will launch a music theater workshop also in August, 2013 where New York professionals will work with their Filipino counterparts in upgrading voice, dance and acting skills for musical theater.

According to Chris Millado, CCP artistic director, its arts education program was earlier jumpstarted in 2012 when CCP started bringing shows, exhibits and workshops reaching out to artists and audiences in the regions. An important development on radio is the airing of Diskarte, a radio variety show;

the children’s show Wan Dey Isang Araw on 702 DZAS- FEBC Radio; and Culture Carousel on 98.7 DZFE FM. On TV, CCP produces Maarteh, a tele-magazine on arts and culture on Net25.

We first heard of the CCP- produced Culture Carousel when Pinay violinist Donnie Fernandez died in New York and was honored by full military honors. A child prodigy at eight, winning NAMCYA

first prize for solo instrument, she was called “Little Vivaldi” and “The Little Violinist Who Charmed Van Cliburn” at 10.

She moved to the US, studied in Juilliard and Yale, and gave recitals at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Kennedy Center. Donnie then joined the US Army Orchestra serving as assistant concertmaster at the time of her death. As a member of the Army Orchestra, she played for every US president since Gerald Ford.

Cultural Carousel is a weekly radio program hosted by Irene Rada, CCP PR and Linkages director, Saturday, 12 noon to 1 p.m. often showcasing outstanding Filipino artists. For details, call CCP PRLD at 832-1125.

In addition, CCP celebrates Andres Bonifacio’s 150th birth year, Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, National Artist Salvador Bernal Retrospective, Pasinaya Open House Festival, Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition, Virgin Labfest, Earth Day Festival, Fiesta Folkloriada, Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival and Ballet Festival during the year.

(E-mail the author at [email protected].)