30 years of Sinulog

Sinulog time is definitely one of the best party weekends in Cebu! The Sunday street parade is normally the highlight of the occasion. But for people like me who don’t like the daylight, there are several fun festivities at night.

The night festivities started at Formo in Banilad Town Center. There was a great line-up of performers that started on Thursday featuring Bon Sellner with Y101’s Goldrush, a mix of ‘60s, ‘70s and R&B. On Friday, Nuvo in Greenbelt 2 (Makati) came and conquered Cebu with its resident DJ Arnel Genterone dishing out house tracks together with mix masters Hans Congmon, Marlon Orellano and Jude Flores. Saturday had Nuvo again bringing everyone back to the fabulous days of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. Hosting both nights were the king of nightlife Louie Ysmael and Cacay Moras.

On Thursday, Vudu gave guests a taste of Jimmy Hendrix, The Cure and Billy Idol. On Friday, Tag Asia, the country’s premiere privilege membership club, launched in Cebu with DJ Skratchmark doing his thing together with Vudu’s R&B residents Kutlyfe and Krizz in the main room while Marlon Orellano and Maxie Perez cradled the Privé Lounge. On Saturday, NBK’s duo of Manolet Dario and Bombi Balquiedra were joined live by guitar marvel Chico Cristobal. After the parade on Sunday, everyone trooped on over to check out Hey Jude Boracay’s DJ Manster as he kept the beat going.

Everyone enjoyed Coors Light and San Miguel Light beers as PLDT Watchpad and RCTV were also there to capture the revelry.

Rent starts on Friday

Rent is set in New York City’s East Village and this rock musical is a modernized version of Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize, Rent by Jonathan Larson has made a lasting mark on Broadway. I was lucky enough to see the original cast in New York and it was truly a remarkable musical!

Gian Magdangal leads the cast as Roger Davis, a songwriter who is HIV positive, with Fred Lo as Mark Cohen, an independent filmmaker and Roger’s roommate and Nicole Asensio as Mimi Márquez, an exotic dancer with HIV.   The cast will also feature OJ Mariano as Tom Collins, a gay philosophy professor and anarchist with AIDS; Carla Guevara-Laforteza as Maureen Johnson, a bisexual performance artist; Noel Rayos as Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III, the local landlord and a former roommate of Roger, Mark, Collins and Maureen; Job Bautista as Angel Dumott Schunard, a gay drag queen percussionist with AIDS and Jenny Villegas as Joanne Jefferson, a lawyer, who is Maureen’s partner.     

The Rent production team is composed of executive producer Santi Santamaria, director Robbie Guevara, production manager Weng Lopez, musical director Ceejay Javier, vocal coach Onyl Torres, vocal consultant Lionel Guico, scenographer Mio Infante, lighting designer Martin Esteva, sound engineer Rards Corpuz, sound designer Chuck Ledesma, PR/publicity director Toots O. Tolentino, PR manager Jonjon Martin, marketing manager Shelyn Tayanes and stage manager Jojo Amboy.

Show dates are Feb. 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:30 p.m. at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenues, Makati City. 

(For tickets, call 9 Works Theatrical at 557-5860 or visit www.9workstheatrical.com or call TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph)

David Benoit in Manila

For jazz enthusiasts, rejoice as 106.7 Dream FM, Ambient Productions and Shindig Inc. bring David Benoit live in Manila.

David Benoit has won the respect of a lot within the jazz world and captured the hearts even of people beyond the circle through hits like Key to You and Land of the Loving. Even Lea Salonga has her own version of the former in one of her albums. With remarkable versatility, Benoit has arranged, conducted and performed music for both classic jazz and pop artists.

He is coming to Manila on Feb. 11 for a special pre-Valentine one-night concert at the PICC Plenary Hall. This gives us the rare chance to experience the man behind successful collaborations with the likes of Russ Freeman and David Pack and heartfelt scores for Peanuts TV Specials on CBS.

(For ticket inquiries and reservations, call TicketNet at 911-5555 or TicketWorld 891-999. For more information and VIP Seat Reservations, you may call the Dream Hotline at 892-4216.)