Tara’s Yearend Theatre Round-Up

December 17, 2019 No Comments

We will be ushering in a new year in two weeks, and before I share the theatre productions I’m looking forward to in 2020, here are the rest of the shows I’ve seen in the last two quarters of 2019.

(Click here for my mid-year theatre round-up!)

Rak of Aegis

Just when I thought nothing about Rak of Aegis (June to August 2019) can surprise me, they floor me. It’s more of a personal thing, really, because the cast invited me to come up on stage during a segment of the show, and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. ^_^ Not to mention some of the cast members (*ehem* Gio Gahol *ehem*) brought our books on stage and I’m just…

Anyway.

Rak of Aegis remains one of my most favorite original Pinoy musicals, and I’m happy that PETA Theatre Center keeps on bringing it back. I don’t care if people are calling the show “the Ang Probinsyano of local theatre,” the fact remains that so many people have yet to see it, and the number of first-timers we encounter every time we see the show is testament to that. I would love to see this show brought out of Manila, or even the country, because seriously…this is two-and-a-half hours of sheer brilliance that everyone should experience at least once.

Is this a rewatch? Yes.
Number of times seen this run: 2 (for a total of 20 since 2014)

I mean…are you still surprised? My love for this show has gone beyond its narrative and the pure talent everyone in the cast and staff have invested in it, and I don’t think I’m going to stop singing its praises anytime soon. For an earlier review, click here.

Dani Girl

I missed Dani Girl (August 2019) the last time it was staged, but I made sure to catch the show this time around. And oh, man…did it put my heart through the wringer. I mean, I already knew it was going to be emotional considering its synopsis, but the way the story unfolded—the emotional bits just hit you straight in the gut when you least expect it. Requiem for a Bear made me want to sob like nobody’s business.

(Oh god, I’m tearing up while listening to it now, jeez.)

Is this a rewatch? No.
Number of times watched this run: 1

review 4 stars — Heartwrenching as this show was, I enjoyed the parts where Dani got to be a kid—with her wild imagination and playful spirit taking her on colorful journeys. Apart from stellar performances by Becca Coates and Juliene Mendoza, I loved the set dressing and the lighting for this one, too. <3

Company

Okay, first of all…

I have a habit of reading up on show that are unfamiliar to me before I go and see them so that I’ll have a basic understanding of what I’m about to experience, but I didn’t expect Company (September 2019) to slap me in the face so rudely. Sigh. Singlehood is so uncomplicated and light and it brings me so much happiness, but sometimes it’s so…difficult, yanno? (CHOS, drama!) Anyway thanks, Show, for making me want to throw things when Being Alive came on. I’ve heard the song before but like…to listen to it in the context of the story is just something else. I felt it. And it didn’t help that it was OJ Mariano singing it, because he always nails these emotional songs with just the right amount of emotion and fragility. Kaasar.

Is this a rewatch? No.
Number of times watched this run: 1

Almost, but not quite.

I’ve attended some shows and events this year that are related to theatre somehow, but are actually not quite plays or musicals. I’ve included them here anyway, because I felt like sharing how wonderful the experience was for me.

ONS: Mula sa Buwan

ONS stands for One Night Stand, a once-a-month cabaret featuring the brightest stars of Philippine theatre. I’ve seen quite a few ONSs before, and I really appreciate what the people behind it are doing—putting the spotlight on talent a lot of people might be missing and giving them a platform to showcase what they can do. Last October, they featured the cast of one of my favorite Pinoy musicals, Mula sa Buwan.

What I loved about it: The energy of the cast and the palpable love and respect they have for one another shining through with every performance, the Songs Inspired by Mula sa Buwan, old and new (please put up these songs on Spotify too!), and the stories of some of the cast members about their Mula sa Buwan journey.

Himala: Anatomy of a Scene

I very rarely use Facebook anymore, but I am so thankful I opened that app when I did and saw Jef Flores advertising this Anatomy of a Scene Masterclass. At that point, I was already doubtful I’d be able to secure tickets to Himala: Isang Musikal because my mom and I couldn’t agree on a date and tickets were selling out super fast. Thank goodness for this Masterclass, I was able to catch a glimpse of Cupang again, albeit through the eyes and mind of director Ed Lacson, Jr.

What I loved about it: How immersive it was. If I were to describe this experience in one sentence, it would be—

Himala: Anatomy of a Scene is like watching a DVD commentary, except you’re watching a play, and the commentary is happening right in front of you.

We paid P300 pesos for this session, and somewhere in the middle of it my friends and I all agreed this experience was worth more. As someone who’s really interested in plays and musicals, seeing the inner workings of a director’s mind was very enlightening. And also extremely useful, even if my storytelling medium is very different. How I wish we could get something like this for all the productions I love. I’d probably be the happiest audience member ever.

Pinoy Playlist 2019

Pinoy Playlist is a six-day music festival showcasing the best upcoming and popular acts in the Filipino music industry. National artist Ryan Cayabyab, together with Moy Ortiz, Noel Ferrer, and Maribel Garcia began this endeavor last year, and due to its massive success, they decided to do it again this year! (And thank goodness, because my schedule last year was I N S A N E and I failed to catch even one show!)

What I loved about it: The lineup, the music. How straightforward it was. Every act only had about 45 minutes on stage, but precisely because the sets were so short, they were also packed with the best songs. (Sidenote: I love Ebe Dancel’s music with all my heart, and I could watch/listen to that man sing for hours, but the 45 minutes he gave us that day was so precious, given how much anxiety he had before the show. I nearly cried while he told us during his set that his week had been so busy that he almost couldn’t get out of bed that day, and still…he showed up. And that was everything.)

I’m so looking forward to next year’s Pinoy Playlist. I really hope my schedule then will be better than this year so I can plan properly. I need to watch more OPM artists!!! <3

And now, for my 2020 theatre list:

Under My Skin, PETA Theatre Center (February-March 2020)
Dekada ’70, Blackbox Productions (February-March 2020) | Buy tickets
Rama Hari, Ballet Philippines (March 2020) | Buy tickets
Maxie the Musicale (July 2020) | Buy tickets to opening night

So stoked for what else is in store for next year. Until then, see you at the theatre! <3

Care for a theatre romance? In Waiting in the Wings, a single-since-birth theatre actress gets caught up in a love triangle with the company’s in-house choreographer, and a theatre legacy-turned-mainstream actor. Get it on Amazon for only $2.99, or, if you’re living in the Philippines and would like a copy, you may place an order here.

Films, The Writing Community

Pinoy Movie x Book Match: Got 2 Believe

December 11, 2019 No Comments

The hate-to-love / enemies-to-lovers trope takes center stage because the featured Pinoy rom-com this week is the Claudine Barretto-Rico Yan starrer, Got 2 Believe!

THE MOVIE

Got 2 Believe (2002) opens with a wedding, the perfect milieu for us to get to know wedding planner Toni (Claudine Barretto) and event photographer Lorenz (Rico Yan). Hopeless romantic Toni loves weddings and the promise of happy-ever-after, while marriage/relationship cynic Lorenz is only in it for the money and career advancement. Early in the film, we learn that for the longest time, Lorenz has been annoying the shizz out of Toni by taking the most unflattering photos of her at weddings they’ve both been part of. This causes her to vehemently swear off working with him ever again.

This is an unfortunate development for Lorenz, who gets a shot at being featured in Life Asia Magazine when his friend George (Nina Ricci Alagao) expresses her desire to write a story about Toni, the perennial bridesmaid. Mustering his confidence, he approaches Toni with the Life Asia Magazine deal, saying it’s the perfect way to promote her business. She turns it down in a heartbeat, but after her romantic fantasies with Arnold (Carlo Muñoz) fall apart when he gets married to her best friend Karen (Nikki Valdez), Lorenz changes his strategy and offers her not only the magazine feature, but also the prospect of finding her a match. Eventually, she agrees, but only after he promises he won’t ever bother her again after the magazine feature is published.

After a bunch of failed dates, Lorenz finally finds the “perfect boyfriend” for Toni. But while he shows her how to be the “perfect girlfriend,” he finds himself falling for her instead.

Oops?

Got 2 Believe is available for viewing on iWant.

THE BOOK MATCH

After friends-to-lovers, perhaps enemies-to-lovers is my second favorite trope (tied very closely with faux dating) because there’s just something so delicious about two people who absolutely could not stand each other eventually realizing they have fallen in love. How inconvenient, right? How kilig!

If you liked Got 2 Believe, or enemies-to-lovers is your catnip, check out these #romanceclass titles which are right up your alley.

Project Saving Noah by Six de los Reyes

Noah might be the best oceanographer the Institute has seen in years, so he’s in no hurry to finish his Master’s degree…until a new arrival threatens his chance at a once-in-a-lifetime research grant. Suddenly, it’s sink or swim time.

Lise knows there’s a slot at the Institute’s newest project with her name on it. But she’s all math and very little science, and when it comes to the ocean, she’s completely out of her depth.

Lise and Noah are determined to win—even if it means working with each other to overcome their fears. But what begins as a shallow bargain lands them straight into the deep end when they realize they want the same thing—each other. Unable to ignore their physical chemistry, can they balance personal ambitions against an illogical attraction that threatens everything they’ve worked so hard to achieve?

Flipping the Script by Danice Mae P. Sison

Miri dela Merced’s film director grandfather and Pabs Paglinauan’s studio head grandmother had a huge falling out that ended Lolo Ikong’s career. At seventeen, Miri finds herself in the same summer film internship program as the down-to-earth film studio heir Pabs, whom she’s decided to automatically write off, just because of his lineage. As Miri gets a crash course in her expectations vs the reality of what’s it like to work on a real movie, her true feelings for Pabs become harder and harder to ignore. In between attending outdoor screenings of classic Pinoy movies and battling monster production assistants together, can flipping the script on a decades-old grudge be only a few sequences away?

Better at Weddings Than You by Mina V. Esguerra

Daphne Cardenas is the best wedding planner around, and everyone knows it. That’s why her friend Greg hired her as an emergency replacement one month before his wedding—because he fears his fiancée Helen is falling for the guy they first hired for the job.

Aaron Trinidad is new to the wedding industry but years of conference planning and loads of charm make him good at it. Really good at it. Planning the wedding of his friend Helen should be easy, and it is. To be unceremoniously fired isn’t good for his new career, but the chance to learn from the best might be the silver lining.

Aaron and Daphne have chemistry, but there’s history with Helen that at least one other person considers a threat. Who’s the planner who can fix this impending disaster?

(Part of the Chic Manila series, but can be read as a standalone.)

Keeping the Distance by Clarisse David

No bets. No fake relationships. Just a very real one that has to be kept under wraps.

Seventeen-year-old Melissa wants to dye her hair cotton candy pink and focus on her ukulele instead of Physics. But she can’t. As the daughter of a Catholic school principal, living up to her model student image 24/7 is a must. Something’s about to give under all the pressure. She only hopes it isn’t her.

Getting involved with a troublemaking basketball player is the last possible thing she needs…

Lance is used to getting what he wants. With a pretty face he uses to full advantage and his role as co-captain of the basketball team, the easy way is the only way he’s ever known. Until the day he notices the prim Melissa he’s known forever is actually hot and decides to ask her out. He has no idea he’s about to learn the lesson of a lifetime.

Not getting what he wants might exactly be what he needs…

Chasing Mr. Prefect by Katt Briones

For the first time in her life, Vinnie finds herself on the brink of academic suspension.

While standing up to a bully is something she’ll never regret, she has to take on additional responsibilities in lieu of punishment for the offense. This unfortunately involves working with Cholo, the head disciplinary prefect, who seems to take delight in other people’s blunders. Her determination to match his expectations eventually leads her into a crazy chase to keep up.

That’s it for this edition of Pinoy Movie x Book Match! If you love this trope, I hope you pick up any of the books listed above, and also maybe watch the movie? ^_^ I know, I know…it is pretty dated, but I still think it’s one of the best Pinoy rom-coms of its time. Hey, what’s your favorite hate-to-love rom-com movie / book? Mind sharing in the comments below?

See ya next post! ^_^

Personal, Writing

Finished, not perfect.

December 10, 2019 No Comments

I’ve been seeing this phrase a lot on social media (Twitter, mostly) and, much as I related to this quote, I didn’t really know who to attribute it to until today. A quick Google search led me to Jake Parker, a Utah-based artist who has worked for big studios like Marvel, Disney Animation, and Warner Brothers Animation and who has apparently created the #inktober challenge. Check out this inspiring Finished, not perfect video below:

Two years ago, I came across a similar mantra when I joined Arianne Serafico’s #DareToShare Instagram Course: Done is better than perfect. I find myself always going back to these words whenever I feel like my manuscript isn’t going anywhere, or I’ve strayed from my outline for the nth time, or worst of all, I feel like deleting my entire manuscript out of frustration.

Finished, not perfect. Done is better than perfect.

Before I could publish a book, I need to write it first. Nothing is going to happen if I stall and drown myself in an ocean of Oh no, this will never be as good as *insert author’s book here*. The best thing I can do as an author is to nurture my story, make the most of it as I possibly can, and keep going until I reach the end. It doesn’t matter that it’s not perfect. I belong to a community that will help me shape whatever I’ve created into its best form, and that process, to me, is more important than getting everything perfect/right the first time.

So why am I really writing this blog post? I’m actually trying to make myself feel good about finishing a manuscript, no matter its flaws. Yeap, you read that right! I finished a manuscript!

About #ProjectDatu AKA The Struggle

For those of you who have already read Like Nobody’s Watching, you might remember one of Pio Alvez’s brothers, Datu Alvez. He’s an indie film director with a temper, but I’d like to think he’s a marshmallow deep inside. #ProjectDatu AKA the manuscript I finished last month, is his book, his journey toward finding his own HEA. I have already written a short story that featured him (Rushes, from Second Wave Summer), fully intending for it to be the jumping off point of his book. It took me almost six months I think to fully flesh out his story in my head, and for the sake of accountability, I announced this on Twitter a little over a year ago:

Of course I still had delusions of grandeur back then. What 2019 release? *CACKLES* I didn’t even start writing until March of this year. Ilusyonada. *cue paluan*

It was a bit of a struggle writing this one, and I was…surprised, I guess at how much energy it took from me. (Check out this whole ass Twitter thread for my journey.) It could be argued that I also was having a super busy year in terms of work, so maybe that was also why I usually felt so exhausted after writing several hundred/thousand words. But one of the best things about my writing journey this year was the #romanceclass sprints, where I got to do four 15-minute sprints with fellow #romanceclass authors and share snippets of what we’ve written afterwards. It’s a bit draining and there’s some level of pressure, but it helped me so much in completing this book. So yeah, thanks, sprinters! <3

(We’ll resume the sprints soon, by the way—let me just get a handle on all my work stuff. *dizzy emoji*)

If everything goes according to plan, you will be meeting Datu and Kalila within the first quarter of 2020. I might be brewing something special for my newsletter subscribers, so if you’re not yet part of my mailing list, please click on this link to subscribe! For now, I leave you with this #ProjectDatu Pinterest board I have been adding stuff to since I began writing the book, and this Spotify playlist / #ProjectDatu Mood Music I put together.

In the meantime…

It’s 15 days till Christmas and I’m looking forward to a long break because I am planning to catch up on sleep and my Kdramas (I just started Chicago Typewriter and I’m planning to watch Bring It On, Ghost as well), and outlining my next book: #ProjectIsagani.

Good luck to me L O L.

Remember: Finished, not perfect. Done is better than perfect.

If you find these mantras work for you, then good. ^_^ Let’s keep creating and finishing many, many things moving forward, yeah? <3

Films, The Writing Community

Pinoy Movie x Book Match: Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang?

December 4, 2019 No Comments

I had been planning this series of posts for a while now, but never really gotten around starting it because these past several months have been h e c t i c. But things are beginning to wind down for me now—I finished a manuscript! But that’s a story for later!—so I wanted to get the ball rolling on this new segment: Pinoy Movie x Book Match!

So basically, it’s like this: I introduce a Filipino movie I really like (it doesn’t matter if it’s old or new), tell you a little bit about it, and recommend books that have a similar vibe to it! And because I’m a romance author, expect to see more rom-coms than any other film genre. You have been warned. v^_^v

For this first edition of Pinoy Movie x Book Match, I’m going to start with one of my most favorite 90s rom-coms ever: Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang?

THE MOVIE

Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang? is a 1998 romantic comedy that featured one of the hottest loveteams of their generation—Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin. In this Star Cinema classic shot entirely in Baguio City, Jolina and Marvin play Bujoy and Ned, best friends and neighbors who have known each other all their lives. Early in the film, we see the dynamic between Bujoy and Ned and know for sure there’s no way these two don’t have any non-platonic feelings for each other. When Bujoy’s friend, Mary Ann (Vanessa del Bianco) enters the picture and Ned falls in love with her at first sight, he asks Bujoy to introduce them. At about the same time, Cenon (Gio Alvarez) joins Ned’s band and impresses the members with a cover of a popular song, unintentionally steamrolling Ned and his aspirations of playing an original song at their gigs.

Bujoy eventually gets around to introducing Mary Ann to Ned, and they hit it off well, much to her chagrin. Meanwhile, Cenon asks Ned to set him up with Bujoy, and they end up going on a couple of double dates. While spending more and more time with other people, the best friends slowly realize their feelings for each other but refuse to acknowledge them. Until of course, it’s a little too late.

Or is it?

You can watch Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang? (again) on iWant.
(You will need a Premium membership, though. It’s P129/month I think.)

THE BOOK MATCH

Oof.

Looking back, I’m fairly confident I owe my love for the friends-to-lovers trope to this film. And if you’ve seen the movie and loved it, or if you’re a sucker for this trope like I am, here’s a few #romanceclass titles you need to check out:

My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra

Zack and Jasmine never dated, but no one else knows that. That story started in college, because she was being a good friend, and he needed help with something. The friendship and affection that followed were very real, but the lie kept causing trouble.

Years later, after a falling out and real relationships with other people, the lie resurfaces to bother Jasmine one more time–when Zack’s exes ask her to stop him from marrying someone they think is totally wrong for him. She’s the only one who can help him, they say, because she’s his best friend. They also believe that Zack loved Jasmine the most—and maybe still does.

Heartstruck (#romanceclassFlicker #1) by Angeli Dumatol

Seventeen-year-old Alexa Zamora looks as if she’s always been the beautiful and graceful center of attention. If you knew her in grade school though, you’d remember a sad little girl, who had lost her parents, and spent most of her time on the martial art arnis—a rough sport, not something girls were supposed to like. If you knew her then, you might have ostracized her for it.

She learned from this mistake, and has done her best to hide all traces of her sport and skill in a new school, and now she’s New Hope Academy’s It Girl. But transfer student Theo Guevarra, who happens to be her old arnis buddy and first love, arrives and makes her question the life she’s been living. How long can she keep up appearances, before it all falls apart?

Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano

Rain De Castro has been in love with her best friend, Mark Velasco, for almost the entire time she has known him, but she’s clearly in the friend zone because he’s happily in a relationship. Or so she thought, until the news of his break-up reaches her. Now that Mark’s single again, she decides that it’s time to get out of the zone. But when her cousin Lissa comes into the picture and sets her eyes on Mark, Rain feels troubled when he gets a little too friendly with her. Rain is determined to fight for what she feels this time, but is it worth the effort if it’s a losing battle from the start? Will she back off to give way for her best friend’s happiness, even if it means losing him to someone else again?

Waiting in the Wings by Tara Frejas

At twenty-three, theatre actress Erin Javier has yet to fall in love or kiss a boy offstage, away from the klieg lights. She is the perfect leading lady—whose heart men would fight for, win, and protect—unfortunately, only until the curtains fall and the lights go down. In real life, Erin is a certified NBSB whose heart has been hoping for a song to dance to.

But when two (two!) men enter from stage left and right, Erin is confused. Who deserves to take center stage in her heart—Mr. Theatre Royalty whose attention and displays of affection make her pulse race, or a good friend whose steady support has helped steer her to success and fulfill her dream?

Only a Kiss by Ines Bautista-Yao

When she was nine-years-old, Katie knew she wanted Chris to give her her first kiss. It wasn’t because she was in love with him (no way, he was her best friend! Besides, she was in love with his fourteen-year-old big brother), it was because she could make him do anything she wanted.

Besides, it didn’t really mean anything. It was only a kiss after all.

But then things started to change. They grew up. They parted ways and went to different high schools. And other girls and boys—well, just one particular boy—came into the picture, throwing their lives upside down.

Told from the alternating points of view of Katie and Chris, this love story between two best friends will tug at your heartstrings and leave you thinking how the simplest things can mean so much.

And there you have it—my first Pinoy Movie x Book Match post! <3 If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I really hope you’ll be able to soon (what’s taking Netflix so long to get the remastered version, I wonder), and if you already have…well, no harm in watching it again, right? I also hope you’ll try any of the titles listed above, and hey—maybe drop a line in the comments if you’ve decided to read any of them! Let me know what you think of my recs! ^_^

Till next!

Events, The Writing Community

We came, we saw, we slumber partied

October 20, 2019 No Comments

What is this—a #FeelsFest2019 post two weeks late?

Yep. That is exactly what it is.

I have a bunch of excuses as to why I haven’t written up this blog post yet, but I’ll save you all that irrelevant stuff and tell you all about MY FEELINGS! Actually, I already did. On Twitter.

It’s a full thread, by the way, so you gotta click on the link and read through the thing. TL;DR — #romanceclass #FeelsFest2019 was made extra special because I was able to flex the community to a whole bunch of new people, who, in turn, had been very receptive of and amazed at what we are doing. After all, It’s not every day you get to talk face to face about something you dearly love and see excitement and appreciation on their faces. It fills my heart my pride.

As per usual, the highlight of the event was the live readings. However, since we mixed sweet and steamy excerpts this time around, the videos are unlisted (yes, even the clean ones haha) and you will need to ask permission to get the links. However! If you’re a #romanceclass Patreon sponsor, you will have already been granted access to all of them. Perks of being a patron, amirite?

Anyway, because the excerpt from my book, Stay With Me, is clean (whew!), I think it’s safe to share in this space. This is Boo Gabunada (it’s his first time reading for us!) and Gracielle So as Gabriel Park and Fi Legaspi. (Watch out for the fluffiness!!!)

And here’s another view of that live reading, which I really enjoyed watching:

For more #FeelsFest2019 photos and feelings, check out the #romanceclass event wall.

Okay, let me watch that video again and melt into a puddle of #LegaspiPark feelings. Ciao!

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