I don’t remember exactly when I first encountered the the hashtag #bookstagram, but I did find it fascinating in an instant. I am a visual person after all, and being able to see All The Books photographed so nicely is such a treat for me. Of course it’s not just photos; bookstagrammers also post their quick reviews about the books they feature, which is a great way to find your next favorite read.
In the past four years I have been self-publishing my works of fiction, I have been tagged in many bookstagram posts featuring my books. Seeing these instantly puts a smile on my face (and my heart—HUWOW CHEESY!?) and I’m always very grateful that readers and bloggers from around the world chose to feature my book on their social media space. As I was thinking of yearend posts to write, it dawned on me that I haven’t shown much appreciation for these bookstagrams on my blog…so here’s an entire post that features (in no particular order) my favorite bookstagrams of 2019!
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Thank you so much for featuring my books on your Instagram accounts — always love seeing the different ways bookstagrams are created, and I’m learning so much! Yep, you read that right, I’m trying my best to bookstagram as many of the books I’ve read so that I can pay your kindness forward and promote reads I loved. <3 Looking forward to 2020’s bookstagrams!
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.
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
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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
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
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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
It bears repeating: Cathy Azanza-Dy was amazing in this show. Perhaps the only thing that kept me from enjoying it fully was the acoustics inside the theatre. Something to improve on, I guess, Maybank Performing Arts Theatre?
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.
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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.
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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!)
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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)
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.
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
Oh, yes! Kaibigan mo ako! Kaibigan mo lang ako. And that’s all I ever was to you, Ned. Your best friend. Takbuhan mo ‘pag may problema ka, taga-sunod, taga-bigay ng advice, taga-enroll, taga-gawa ng assignment! Taga-pagpatawa sa iyo kapag nalulungkot ka, taga-tanggap ng kahit na ano—
And I am so stupid to make the biggest mistake of falling in love with my best friend. Dahil kahit kailan, hindi mo naman ako makikita eh. Kahit kailan hindi mo ako kayang mahalin nang higit pa sa isang kaibigan.
—Bujoy Santillan, 1998
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!
What is #romanceclass?
#romanceclass is a community of:
Authors who attended #romanceclass, #romanceclass2016, the steamy reads, YA classes organized by Mina V. Esguerra
Readers of the books by those authors
Readers of English-language romance books by Filipino authors
Actors and artists who are part of the event and publishing process
We are a community of Filipino writers and readers who gather together to do what we love.
Check out our website for more books and information on where to get them: romanceclassbooks.com
Most of the people who know me know I’m a sucker for a good theatre production. Thing is, I kind of suck at writing reviews lately, that most of my thoughts about the shows I’ve seen this year were only confined to Instagram posts. And since we’ve reached the halfway mark of 2019 (ALREADY?!?), I’ve decided to do a mid-year theatre round-up! <3
Here are the musicals and plays I’ve seen this year:
Do you remember when, as a high school senior/college freshman, you would spend afternoons with Ceejay and Macri doing research for the play you were writing at the CCP Library? Do you remember getting library cards (so you could borrow some material, I guess) after coming back so many times?
(Let’s also not forget hanging out at the CCP Cafeteria just so you could catch a glimpse of the Miss Saigon cast during their break. Because hard work deserved some reward, yes?)
