Squaring a Rock

Beyond the mental image of an unnatural four-sided rock, this column’s title refers to how we’ve been double-dosed with Rock of Ages. There’s the playful Hollywood version, that highlights Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta Jones and Alec Baldwin; and there’s the truly wonderful stage presentation running at the CPR Auditorium at RCBC (until July 8) with Mig Ayesa, the surprising Vina Morales, Nyoy Volante, Aiza Seguerra and Jet Pangan. And for my money’s worth, if you’re seeking an exhibition of sheer singing talent, I’d gladly put my vote on the stage play!

To their credit, both versions know that the Chris d’Arienzo material should be treated lightly, played for laughs and, more than anything, finds strength in musical nostalgia. Think Mamma Mia!, but instead of Abba tunes, we’re subjected to the rock anthems and ballads of the late 1980s. Like in the case of Mamma, these songs are given turns in a story that takes no prizes for originality and relies on energy, earnestness and hyperbole! Great formula, and if the film version has mountains of cash to spend and over-produce, one can’t deny the fun that celebs such as Tom and Catherine are having with their over-the-top portrayals.

Rather, it’s how with a small theater and, I would presume, a limited budget, director Chari Arespacochaga manages to come up with a night of celebration and enjoyment, and gets the tightly-wound cast to pull all the stops, and get us off our seats and cheering wildly! Nyoy cuts loose with impeccable singing, and the surprise of the night would have to be Vina, who, in her first stage musical, puts aside any hint of star ego, and goes all out to make the role of Cherrie her very own! Without the different camera angles and film edits, the immediacy of theater and our feeling right at home from the get go can be credited to Jet Pangan and his Lonnie (played by Russell in the film). Like the Engineer of Miss Saigon, he’s practically omnipresent, guiding us through the slight storyline, and compensating for that with jokes and asides that sparkle.

Novels that give us great food for thought — and in the case of one, courts indigestion!

And there’s magical talent in the musical comedy’s support cast! Look out for Franz (Bibo Reyes) when he sings Hit Me With Your Best Shot, along with Aiza. My son, Matteo, rated this number his personal highlight and concurred with me in calling the stage play the more enjoyable and impressive experience. While the first act is much stronger than the second, there are still enough surprises and show-stoppers to carry the night through, and the cast well deserves the standing ovation they received the night I watched. To be honest, I hated most of these songs when they first hit the charts (I was more into the singer-songwriters and jazz), but context and nostalgia had me grinning like an idiot. Bawdy, and entertaining, kudos to Atlantis for this production.

Two beauties and a beast

The Landay novel is a “beauty” of a legal thriller, bringing us to new places of serious enlightenment; while Towles’ first novel is a beautiful evocation of a period we associate with the likes of The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night. As for Leyner, he’s back with a post-modernist vengeance, that makes his latest qualify for “beast” status!

Defending Jacob  William Landay (available at National Book Store). A courtroom drama, a dissection of what family means and the lengths we’ll go to protect it, and an examination of conscience and responsibility. Andy Barber is the assistant DA of Newton, an affluent suburb of Boston. A 14-year-old is murdered in the same school his son, Jacob, attends and the drama ensues when all fingers point to Jacob as the possible murderer. Two narratives make this an interesting structured novel  one has to do with Andy looking back at the incident, investigation and trial, while a second is transcripts of a later hearing. Ominous!

Rules of Civility  Amor Towles (available at National Book Store). While this is Towles’ first novel, one can mention authors such as Fitzgerald and Capote when describing this very polished, delicately balanced and nuanced novel. Kathy Kontent is our plucky heroine, and its 1938 pre-war Manhattan cafe society. She and her best friend Eve meet the seemingly high society bon vivant Tinker Grey and as their lives intersect, we’re treated to what is both a celebration and elegy to this era. The writing is as dry as a martini, with lines like, “They hunted deer with dogs that were better bred than me.” This is one is a truly highly recommended read!

The Sugar Frosted Nutsack  Mark Leyner (available at National Book Store). Leyner may not be everyone’s “cup of tea.” He’s post-modernist, rants and raves, pokes fun at everything and everyone via stream of consciousness, and I loved his Et Tu, Babe?. With Nutsack, Leyner brings in a pantheistic array of gods exiled in Dubai, wreaking havoc on the life of one ex-butcher from New Jersey, named Ike Karton. Via this conceit, Leyner makes commentary on modern life and our obsession with triviality. Think of a motormouth afflicted by Tourette’s, treating us like we all suffer from Alzheimer’s, and that’s what reading this novel is like. Be forewarned!