‘Just because’

There was no special occasion, not even a launch of a new scent but Jo Malone recently threw a #justbecause party at Enderun Colleges in Taguig City for the brand’s friends and enthusiasts.

The venue was beautifully decorated in black-and-white motif with lots of balloons. There were also games for guests to enjoy.

(From left) Pia Campos, Christiana Collings-Canlas, Chie Filomeno, Issa Pressman, Valerie Weigmann and Rachel Peters.

Estée Lauder Companies country manager Mel Lerma and Jo Malone London’s Camille Flores Oloan welcomed guests, who enjoyed cocktails, mocktails and pass-around bar chow.

There were games of badminton, hopscotch, pétanque and croquet. Winners of the games got mini-travel size Jo Malone scents. I was lucky enough to win my badminton match but our group lost in our game of pétanque.

(From left) Jess Wilson, Ava Daza, Isabelle Daza-Semblat and Martine Cajucom-Ho.

At the venue were several huge boxes of Jo Malone for photo-ops, where guests gamely posed, snapped a photo and posted it on social media. 

Even those who didn’t win the games went home with a gift from Jo Malone.

Liz, Vince and Laureen Uy.

I really wish there would be more of these #justbecause fun parties in the future!

 (For more information, visit www.jomalone.com.ph.)

Albert Kurniawan, Mickey See and Nino Gaddi.

Fancatstic return

Good news, theater fans!

Following its triumphant season in London’s West End, the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats returns to Manila for a limited season at The Theatre at Solaire starting Nov. 6.

Joining Webber in reworking the hit revival was the original creative team composed of director Trevor Nunn, choreographer and associate director Gillian Lynne and set designer John Napier.

A scene in Cats.

Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show’s set is a giant junkyard playground. On one special night of the year, all cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where their wise leader Old Deuteronomy makes the choice and announces which of them will go up to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new life.

Cats, one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, premiered in London in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years with close to 9,000 performances.  The production won the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.

In 1983 the Broadway production won seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years. The musical has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by more than 81 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.

(For tickets, visit ticketworld.com.ph.)