THE NATURE BOY

May 7

SIN-NOTORIOUS-BLES..

the 2013 elections will take place less that a week from today, and though Im not yet sure if i am still eligible to vote (serving in 3 consecutive elections disabled me to enjoy my right to suffrage), and after seeing various commercials, and hearing campaign jingles as well as watching various shows that aims to make the voters aware of the platforms of the candidates i finally have my shortlist of the senators that I WILL NOT VOTE FOR.

Nancy Binay- lack of experience, lack of educational preparation, and though in her campaign ads, she is shown to be a “caring” person, she should still not be voted as a senator. The primary function of Senators are to make laws that would help Filipinos, and not act as DONORS for the things that the people need. Hindi trabaho ng senador na maging lapitan ng mga nanghihingi ng kung anu-anong bagay. at kung wala kang alam sa paggawa ng batas na kapaki-pakinabang, bakit ka dapat iboto?

Bam Aquino - definitely will be another Puppet of the administration. And besides, what experience can he show us regarding lawmaking? In his commercials, he claims that he was part of the end of the said Dictatorship of then pres. Ferdinand Marcos, and he will advocate in ending Poverty.. What’s the connect between the two? candidates who seek position in the government often claim that they will end poverty in the Philippines..They were elected.. but were they successful? His promise of ensuring that every family will have a source of living is next to impossible. and come to think of it.. more Aquino’s in the government? Nakakasuya na.

JV Ejercito - lacks experience though his stint as San Juan’s mayor may be good, but San Juan is way too small to be compared to the entire country. Again, Another Estrada? nakakasuya!

Jamby Madrigal - claims she is not behind the “Tablet giveaway”. Ano akala nya sa tao, tanga at madaling mauto? Akala siguro nya matatakaw niya lahat ng botante sa papremyo nya. And she claims to be anti-corrupt.. tell that to the Filipino voters if she was never accused of graft and corruption.

Grace Poe - ano ang alam nya? magsuri ng mga palabas sa pelikula at TV? She claims to be TATAK FPJ. In all fairness to FPJ, he’s so good in action films. but as far as public service is concerned, FPJ has done nothing. PERIOD!

Cynthia Villar - sa Pilipinas, pag hindi na pwedeng tumakbo si Mister para sa isang posisyon, patatakbuhin ang ibang family members. Well, in fairness to Mrs. Hanepbuhay, she has the necessary experience in lawmaking. but she has very little regard to the working class as reflected by her infamous comments on Nurses. Shame on you Cynthia!

Koko Pimentel- Sabi ng sabi na use your Kokote.. ano bang akala niya sa mga botante, walang kokote at hindi pag iisipan ang kanilang mga iboboto? The President also claimed that he has done a lot during his “short” term as a “replacement” senator to Migz Zubiri. As far as i know, all i can remember of him is his frequent complains about the so called electoral fraud that caused him some 3 years in being a senator to be delayed. no clear platform for the poor, or education, or other more pressing matters. Walang kokote ang magpapauto sa Campaign slogan mo.

Antonio Trillanes-all i can remember of him is his quarrel with Senate Pres. JPE. though he has authored a number of senate bills, but he seems to be more of a puppet that trapoliticians would use.

Chiz Escudero - MORE TALK AND LESS ACTIONS.. yung lovelife na lang niya ang asikasuhin niya,.

Jack Enrile - a lot of issues regarding the murder of a couple of personalities. And definitely, wise voters know why he is running for Senate.. is it in preparation for JPE’s retirement?

Sonny Angara- has a good platform. but what bothers me a lot are his many political ads which costs a lot. pano nya mababawi yung pinuhunan niya sa eleksyon?

Eddie Villanueva- let him mind his religious organization na lang please!

TingTing Cojaungco- do i need to elaborate on this? another Cojuangco in the government means more powers from a single family. enough with Political families controlling the country

Highly considered candidates for me includes:

Richard Gordon

Edward Hagedorn

Ricardo Penson

Risa Hontiveros

Mitos Magsaysay

Teddy Casino

Gringo Honasan

Migz Zubiri

Alan Peter Cayetano

Well, you;re free to choose who do you think is best for our country. Rich or poor, popular or not, we are all equal when it comes to our right to suffrage.GO OUT AND EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT AND MAKE YOUR YOUR VOTE COUNT!

Apr 21

Back.. but.. for how long? :)

Jan 22

KATY!

it has been quite a while since my last post and I happened to check this tumblr account of mine to see if it’s still active, and after a few tries for my password, i finally got it correctly!

now, what could have brought me to post on this blog again?

one good reason is regarding the first live musical that i’ve watched.

When i Learned that Isay Alvarez and Robert Sena’s Spotlight Artist Center is Re-staging the hit musical KATY! i was quite ecstatic.

i came to know the musical when i heard the song MINSAN ANG MINAHAL AY AKO. i searched it in youtube and found a video, apparently from the original Musical in the late 1980’s starring Mitch Valdez and one of the original producers of the Musical Ms. Celeste Legaspi. The first time i watched the video, i was moved by the song and how it was delivered by the two top caliber performers. i then searched for more videos of it and find several others including the Opening number of the play: ANG MUNDO AY ENTABLADO, BALUT, PAHIRAM NG ISANG KANTA (by the late Ten Ten Munoz), and SARI-SARING BABAE. i was highly entertained by those videos and really hoped that the said musical will be revived.

then i heard the news that KATY was really in the path of being Re-staged. so i wasted no time and bought two tickets for me and a friend. I watched it at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last January 18, and boy! the Php 1000 was really worth it!

The musical starred our Broadway artist Ms. Isay Alvarez as Katy Dela Cruz, considered to be the highest paid performer during her time and hailed as the country’s Queen of Bodabil (Vaudeville) and Queen of Jazz. It highlights the career, the life, the struggles and the music of Katy all throughout her long career.

The musical was also starred by famous local actors like Tirso Cruz III who played Tatay Juan, Katy’s father, Gian Magdangal as Peping, Katy’s husband, Aicelle Santos as the young Katy, Dulce as Olivia, Lou Veloso as the Director, Tricia Jimenez (Hannah San), Celine Fabie (Patsy Pachochay) and CJ Mangahis as Mary Walter as well as Epy Quizon as his late father Dolphy.

the entire cast did a very good job, from the main cast to the ensemble. everything was executed very well and you can clearly see that every scene and number was practiced precisely to be at par, if not better than the original musical play.

Ms. Isay Alvarez is very remarkable in her portrayal as Katy. she was very effective in showing how Katy loved her craft. Her voice did justice to Mitch Valdez’s original portrayal. She looked a little thin, (due to her recent illness) but she pulled a marvelous performance specially in her BALUT and ABA BA BA BOOGIE number.

Aicelle Santos was a revelation during the musical. i know that she can sing very well, but i did not know that she can also act well. She has portrayed the role of the teen-ager Katy quite well. and i really love how she handles herself onstage specially that she is working with established performers. Her MINSAN ANG MINAHAL AY AKO act with Dulce highlights her performance.

As usual, you dont expect anything less from the Asia’s Diva, Ms. Dulce. her voice hasnt waned through the years. it is still very powerful and her delivery of every line of the song is very moving. Celeste Legaspi’s original character was portrayed very well by Dulce. with her powerful vocals, she delivered MINSAN ANG MINAHAL AY AKO like it was her original song. what’s more remarkable was when she sang LARUAN KONG LANGIT and LUHA SA KINALIMUTANG LUPA. i can feel her emotions being poured in every song that she sings. and her “Sermon” to Katy really was the highlight of the show.

Tirso Cruz and Gian Magdangal also did a very good job. But i like Tirso more. his TIGNAN MO NGA NAMAN number was very touching that when he already hit the best part of it, i saw the woman sitting next to me (not the girl im with) fell into tears. he may not have been a powerful addition to the song numbers but his portrayal as Tatay Juan really gave color to the story.

Katy’s 3 friends were also very good. i really like those 3 and how they have supported Katy all throughout. Epy Quizon and his tap dance number also brought the crowd into their dancing moods. it was a perfect tribute not only to Katy dela Cruz but also to the late Dolphy. Lou Veloso (part of the original cast)was also commendable for his outstanding performance as the theater director. the Child who performed Tenten Munoz’s PAHIRAM NG ISANG KANTA was also very energetic and she left the crowd at awe with her superb vocal power even at her young age.

during the curtain call, i cant help but flash a big smile on my face, as my hands cant stop clapping at the powerhouse cast. the entire performance is world class.

The ensemble (with China Cojuangco) were also wonderful in every dance and song number. and Mel Villena’s AMP band did a great job for the music of the play. and i can proudly say that I WOULD RATHER WATCH KATY THAT LES MISERABLES. to watch a cultural treasure is more important than to prioritize western musicals.

our country is blessed with very talented performers and i can say that these performers can match the other performers abroad if given the chance. Katy the musical is one proof of the richness of our music, our talents and our culture and heritage. and i am proud that i was able to witness one of the best shows that Philippine entertainment has to offer!