Musicals and other September things

The year has come to September. It is a wet one. We are having a September in the Rain, “The sun went out just like a dying embe September in the rain…” But life goes on.

Billie Joe Armstrong has gone into his annual, month-long hibernation, “Wake me up when September ends…” And of course, the days are shorter, “O, it’s a long, long while from May to December but the days grow short when you reach September…”

December is the month to look forward to. That is why Jose Mari Chan has emerged from hiding ready to sing his “Whenever I see girls and boys selling lanterns on the street…” He is indeed the best harbinger of the Christmas Season in the Philippines.

And while we are on JMC, I honestly think somebody should collect for posterity all those memes online about him and Christmas. There are a lot and some are really cute and clever. I have a few favorites. Tops among them comes from some years ago. The Winter is coming from Game of Thrones.

Well, she still has the holidays Halloween and Thanksgiving Day to go through this year but thanks to her Pinoy fans, Mariah Carey is now also joining our very, and I mean very long Yuletide celebration. So, get ready to go, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas/ there is just one thing I need…” Soon.

September this year means that we will finally get the chance to watch Hamilton. The acclaimed musical by Lin Manuel Miranda about the American founding father Alexander Hamilton will be playing at The Theatre in Solaire starting Sept. 17 and on to Nov. 12.

I know, the tickets are pricey and traffic on the roads to Solaire is usually bad, but, hey, this is Hamilton and it is right here. We do not have to scrounge for difficult to get tickets anymore like they do in Broadway or the West End. Besides, Rachelle Ann Go is playing Elizabeth Hamilton and having a Filipino as one of the leads in the show is something for us to be proud of.

Closer to home is Rama, Hari. The famous ballet and rock opera from 1980 is getting a much-welcome revival this month. Based on the Sanskrit poem, the Ramayana, it was adapted into Tagalog and turned into a true masterpiece of Filipino theater.

Just think five would be Filipino National Artists collaborated on Rama, Hari. The show has book and lyrics by Bienvenido Lumbera, music by Ryan Cayabyab, production design by Salvador Bernal, English translation by Rolando Tinio and the choreography and direction by Alice Reyes.

Rama, Hari will be at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on Sept. 15 and 16 and at the Samsung Theater in Makati on Sept. 22 and 23. Try to make time for this one so you can marvel at how talented Filipinos are.

For a taste of Nordic pop music done the electronic way, there is the exciting sound of Anna of the North, all the way from Norway. She is on her Crazy Tour and will be performing at the Samsung Hall in Taguig on Sept. 29.

And because the mood around us has turned festive, it is also time to get your dancing shoes all clean and shiny and ready for their twinkle toe moments. Do these to the tune of “Hey hey hey, ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember/ ba-dee-ya, dancin’ in September/ ba-dee-ya never was a cloudy day… September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Then in the morning wake up to Neil Diamond’s “September morn we danced until the night became a brand new day/ two lovers playing scenes from some romantic play/ September mornings still can make me feel that way.”