Gantimpala's Bien Aligtad Free Shows

Bien Aligtad (1st prize 1985 CCP Playwriting contest), is about the life of a small time criminal that helps his community by sharing with them his loot, thus earning their love and admiration, much to the dismay of the authorities especially now that a movie about his life is forthcoming, solving a problem named Bien is giving them endless headaches and has made them the people's laughing stock.

The cast are Jojit Lorenzo (Bien Aligtad); Hope Matriano (Takyang Bagting); Joey David (Abeng Barbero); Doreen Bernal (Huling Harapipak); Alexis Aubrey Fernandez (Salome/Miriam) ; John Rhoderey and Joseph Matthew Dizon (Bien's children); Ronnie Bertubin, Paul Sy and Ed Murillo(tres berdugos) plus the GTF Actors' Company as koro. Roobak Valle is director, choreographer and production designer of this movement drama.

Tony Espejo, Artistic Director says, "The Second Pearl Theater Festival is a biennial project of Gantimpala Theater. Winners of the CCP Playwriting contests are being re-staged to present to the public the many artistic and production contributions of the company that helped in the development of Philippine dramaturgy."

Members of the artistic and production team are: Joey Nombres, lighting designer and Marianne Sedotes, production designer, Raymond Talavera, stage manager for Hiblang Abo; Dong Calingacion, lights designer; Jun Austria, musical director and Joey de Guzman, assistant
musical director and Jhey-Ar Caguimbal, stage manager for Bien. Pamela Hundana and Lailanie Ann Tejuco are the production manager and assistant production manager respectively

Bien Aligtad's performance date is on November 6 and 8, 7p.m, Concert at the Park
Open Air Auditorium, in Luneta, Manila. Both performances of Hiblang Abo and Bien Aligtad are free.

For further queries, please call 528-0603/536- 5860 or write to: gantimpalatheater@ yahoo.com. ph

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Gantimpala Theater at Second Pearl Theater Festival

To celebrate its 31st season, Gantimpala Theater, in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), present the Second Pearl Theater Festival, featuring the re-staging of Rene Villanueva’s Hiblang Abo and Dong delos Reyes’ Bien Aligtad.

Hiblang Abo (2nd prize, 1980 CCP Playwriting Contest), is about the grief, weariness, fears, and sadness of Huse, Pedro, Blas and Sotero, four men who live inside the home for the chronologically advanced.

Tony Espejo directs the drama that stars Lou Veloso (Huse), Dante Balaois (Pedro); Ces Aldaba (Blas) and Bodjie Pascua (Sotero), with support from Molts Meneses (doctor/lawyer) , Francis Cruz III (nurse) and April Dolot (Mrs. Salvacion).

Bien Aligtad (1st prize 1985 CCP Playwriting contest), is about the life of a small time criminal that helps his community by sharing with them his loot, thus earning their love and admiration, much to the dismay of the authorities especially now that a movie about his life is forthcoming, solving a problem named Bien is giving them endless headaches and has made them the people’s laughing stock. .

The cast are Jojit Lorenzo (Bien Aligtad); Hope Matriano (Takyang Bagting); Joey David (Abeng Barbero); Doreen Bernal (Huling Harapipak); Alexis Aubrey Fernandez (Salome/Miriam) ; John Rhoderey and Joseph Matthew Dizon (Bien’s children); Ronnie Bertubin, Paul Sy and Ed Murillo(tres berdugos) plus the GTF Actors’ Company as koro.

Roobak Valle is director, choreographer and production designer of this movement drama.

The Second Pearl Theater Festival is a biennial project of Gantimpala Theater. Winners of the CCP Playwriting contests are being re-staged to present to the public the many artistic and production contributions of the company that helped in the development of Philippine dramaturgy.

In this connection, we invite you to join us on October 22 and 23. for Hiblang Abo and on November 6 and 8 for Bien Aligtad. Both performances are for FREE, 7:00p.m., at the Concert at the Park Open Air Auditorium.

For further queries, please call 528-0603/536-5860 or write to: gantimpalatehater@yahoo.com.ph

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Paco Park presents The Bicaldo Sisters

THE BICALDO SISTERS OPENS
Paco Park Presents’
JUNE SKED

Paco Park Presents goes instrumental this Friday, June 01, 2007, starting at 6:00 p.m. with bandurria player Rowena Bicaldo and violinist Gemma Bicaldo as featured guests. Joining them are pianists PWU Dean Harold Galang and Madeline Jane Banta. This concert kicks-off a month-long partnership with the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), in Makiling, Laguna, which is celebrating its Ruby Jubilee this year. Ms. Thea Perez is program host.

The Philippine High School for the Arts, nestled on the slopes of Mt. Makiling in Los Banos, Laguna, is a specialized secondary level institution for young students who are particularly gifted in the arts. Its scholarship program is given to "exceptionally gifted and talented children in the arts who will be given special training in their chosen field of interest." The school is so situated to afford its gifted young students concentration in their study in a healthy unspoiled environment.

The Bicaldo sisters – Rowena and Gemma, and pianist Harold Galang are alumni of PHSA. Rowena Bicaldo completed her Diploma in Creative and Performing Musical Arts (DCPMA) Asian Music in 1998 and her Bachelor’s degree in Musicology at the University of the Philippines College of Music in Diliman, Quezon City. She is an expert in playing many traditional musical instruments, among them, the Maguindanao and Maranao kulintang, Manobo ahong, Kalinga bamboo jaw’s harp, polychordal zither, nose flute and lip-valley flute, Japanese koto, Indonesian gamelan and angklung. She is a music assistant and bandurria player of the Bayanihan Philippines Folk Dance Company since 1998, and is halfway through her graduate studies at the Philippine Women’s University taking up Ethnomusicology. Gemma Bicaldo graduated from PHSA in 1996, under the tutelage of Mrs. Rizalina Buenaventura, the wife of the late National Artist Col. Antonino Buenaventura. She took her Bachelor of Music degree at the UST Conservatory of Music, under Prof. Sergio Esmilla, Mr. Reginald Pineda and Mr. Proceso Yusi. She was the concertmaster of the UST Symphony Orchestra from 1997 to 1998 and was a member of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Miguel Philharmonic Orchestra. She is, at present, a member of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the violin instructors at the Foundation for Culture and the Arts of Angono. Harold Galang is presently the Dean of the Philippine Women’s University College of Music. He is a concert pianist, choir conductor, music educator and a piano collaborating artist. He finished his Master’s degree in 1995 at the Musashino Music Academy in Tokyo, Japan and took up piano master classes at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. A winner of three national music competitions – National Music Competitions for Young Artists, the Piano Teacher’s Guild of the Philippines Concerto Auditions and the First Philippine Chopin Piano Competitions, Galang is presently a member of the Commission on Higher Education Technical Panel for Music and Music Education.

For this Friday’s concert, these three PHSA alumni have prepared the following programme: MAYON FANTASIA DE CONCERTO (Buencamino); PRAELUDIUM AND ALLEGRO and LIEBESFREUD (Kreisler); CAVATINA (Raff); LEGENDE (Wieniasky); SARUNG BANGGI (Arr: Romero); BUNDOK BANAHAW (Arr: Biares); HABANERA FILIPINA NO. 2 (Vallejo); ILANG-ILANG (Molina); MOONLIGHT IN THE PHILIPPINES (Matias); CAVATINA (Abelardo); HATINGGABI (Molina) and KUNG HINDI MAN (Abelardo).

*All skeds may be subject to change without prior notice.

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Ballet at the Park presents "A Festival of Dances"

Ballet at the Park
PRESENTS
“A FESTIVAL OF DANCES”

Ballet at the Park opens its June offerings with a program titled “A Festival of Dances”, this Saturday, June 02, 2007, starting at 5:30 in the afternoon, at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, Manila. Featured ballet schools are Allesi Ballet Center in Sampaloc, Manila; Carol Lugtu Claro (CLC) Dance Arts Studio in Retiro, Quezon City; PSALMS School of Ballet in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong and Magallanes Village, Makati City and Toes In Action of St. Mary’s Angels School, Valenzuela City. Admission is free.

Ballet at the Park is a project of the National Parks Development Committee, under Executive Director Carlito A. Fajardo and, for this Saturday, in partnership with Allesi Ballet Center, CLC Dance Arts Studio, PSALMS School of Ballet and Toes In Action. .

“A Festival of Dances” consists of the following dances: KAY GANDA NG ATING MUSIKA (Music: R. Cayabyab/Choreography: Carol Lugtu-Claro; LOVE (Music: N. Cole/Choreography: Bella Palanca Bengco); THE OLD HAWAIIAN WAY (Music: from the movie “Lilo & Stich”/Choreography: Ronaldo Domingo); HE MELE NO LILO, WE MAKE A RAINBOW, PINEAPPLE PRINCESS (Music: from “Lilo & Stich”/Choreography: Kathy Reyes-Domingo); ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH (Music from “Song of the South”/Choreography:Kathy Reyes-Domingo); BIBBIDI BOBBIDI BOO (Music from “Cinderella”/Choreography: Ronaldo Domingo); PART OF YOUR WORLD (Music from “Little Mermaid”/Choreography: Carol Lugtu-Claro); CUPID (Music: Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra/Choreography: Bella Palanca Bengco); PART OF YOUR WORLD (Music from “Little Mermaid”/Choreography: Kathy Reyes Domingo); WALTZ from “Sleeping Beauty” (Music: Tchaikovsky/Choreography: Carol Lugtu-Claro); and TOYLAND OVERTURE – Spanish Dolls (Music: Delibes/Choreography: Bella Palanca Bengco), Hofbalitanze Dolls (Music:J. Lanner/Choreography: Carol Lugtu-Claro), Scottish Dolls (Music: Delibes/Choreography: Bella Palanca Bengco), Chinese Dolls, Reed Flute Dolls (Music: Tchaikovsky/Choreography: Kathy Reyes-Domingo), Dance of the Hours, Mazurka Dolls (Music Delibes/Choreography: Bella Palanca Bengco). Awarding of Certificates follows right after the curtain call.

*All skeds may be subject to change without prior notice

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PLM Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Company in Concert at the Park

PLM HIYAS NG MAYNILAD DANCE COMPANY
IN
Concert at the Park

The pride of the City of Manila – PLM Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Company, takes center stage in Concert at the Park, this Sunday, June 03, 2007, starting at 6:00 p.m., opening the month-long tribute to the Filipino’s innate artistry, in celebration of Philippine Independence. Joining them are the PLM Rondalla and PLM Student Chorale Society. This presentation is in partnership with the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila President’s Committee on Arts & Culture. Ms. Minette Padilla is program host.

The PLM Hiyas ng Maynilad Dance Company, PLM Rondalla and the PLM Student Chorale Society are the official cultural groups of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. They are all composed of students from the various colleges of the university who are all scholars of the City of Manila. The PLM Rondalla is headed by rondalla master Jun Arandela while Rodel “Aiko” Valdez is the artistic choreographer of the Hiyas ng Maynilad and ably assisted by Julio Calinao, assistant choreographer. The PLM Student Chorale Society is headed by its choirmaster, Alfie Malana Jacinto. These three groups are all under the PLM President’s Committee on Arts & Culture, headed by its Chairperson Susan Mercado.

For this Sunday’s presentation, our featured dance company has prepared the following programme: Part I – CORDILLERA: Kayao (dance showing the skills in combat of the highland tribes), Kayabang (tribal maidens gather food which are placed on baskets called “kayabang”), Uya-Oy (a ceremonial dance); DAHIL SA IYO (Velarde); Part II – SPANISH-INSPIRED: Jota Gumaquena (a dance from Gumaca, Quezon), Simpatica (a courtship dance featuring the many uses of a fan to send messages to a girl’s suitor), Jota de Manila (a dance named after the historic city of Manila); GAANO KITA KAMAHAL (National Artist for Music Ernani Cuenco); Part III – DANCES FROM MINDANAO: Kuntao Silat (showcasing the warriors’ skills in combat), Paunjalay (a tribal pre-wedding dance), Singkil (the famous dance of royalty); Part IV – LIFE IN RURAL PHILIPPINES: Kalapati (dance imitating the cooing of the doves), Palo-Palo (male dancers show their combat skills using bamboo weapons or “palo-palo”), Sayaw sa Bangko (showcases dancers skill and ability to maintain balance while dancing on a wooden bench), and Tinikling (the country’s famous national dance).

*All skeds may be subject to change without prior notice

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