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Only a few of us are given the privilege to watch high caliber theater stage productions in New York and London.
Most of us can just dream to experience the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber-- I am one of those who are not presented with that opportunity.
But it has always been a dream of mine to walk inside Broadway and see the Phantom of the Opera performed live.
It has always been my dream to see them perform live- but I have to be honest- I am not able to afford a trip to New York, not able to afford tickets even if they visit the Philippines because usually you would have to spend Php7,000 or more just to get a ticket, have a place to stay in while waiting--and that is already the cost of my monthly rent.
And so after hearing that the group Open Space composed of Karlo Altomonte, Emerald Ventura, Ethan Ventura, Eunice Caburao, Ryle Danganan and other members have decided to present excerpts of famous Broadway shows like " Evita", Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera--I made it a point to spread out the world in my social media profile and found time to watch them perform live in CAP John Hay.
I have heard that a Broadway trained artist was going to join them, Ms. Lissa Romero De Guia and I know that this is once a in a lifetime chance to experience--what fortunate New Yorkers experience every day.
The Cast:
Ian Paolo Acosta
Eunice Caburao
Jeff Coronado
Ryle Danganan
Adrian Esplana
Gemma Gonzalez
Emerald Ventura
Josef Ventura
Lissa Romero De-Guia
Famous Broadways shows they paid tribute to:
Phantom of the Opera
Evita
Cats
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat
Sunset Boulevard
Aspects of Love
Tell me on a Sunday
The Review:
I am no expert when it comes to discerning if a certain production stage is superior in quality, but this review will be a product of an honest observation of the musical production.
I love supporting these kinds of endeavor because I truly appreciate people who are giving their best in upgrading the level of artistry in the Philippines.
While, yes- in an honest review I felt that the production stage lacked a lot of elements like stage design- I have to give it to them for performing with their heart.
You can feel it- the passion in every performance- while they lacked the facilities and the budget- they were able to get the attention of the audience.
I especially love the performance of Jeff Coronado, the way he performed the last songs in Jesus Christ Superstar was truly amazing-- he was like a rockstar and you can feel the presence in the stage.
The performance of Lissa Romera De Guia was also notably high class. You can be sure that she is well trained- with her proper command of the stage and timing. Baguio is blessed to have someone like her grace our stage.
We need to support endeavors like this, the efforts of Karlo Altomonte and his collaboration with Ethan Ventura for the musical production is commendable.
The City Government of Baguio should notice shows like these--how I wish universities would allow them to have shows for every semester-- some of the singers like Jeff Coronado and Ian Paolo Acosta came from the SLU-CCA glee club-- you can see the raw talent-- if only they are given the chance they deserve.
A lot of teenagers do not understand the value of these kinds of shows in Baguio--I just felt really blessed that I was able to experience it...for P250 pesos ( a friend bought the ticket for me ^__^) I got this wonderful experience for free.
The performances of the women like Eu Caburao and Emerald Ventura was also commendable-- the quality of their voices--- is simply astounding.
Verdict:
While there is so much they can improve on, like the design of the stage, and the quality of the speakers-- I have to give them a positive score for impressing the crowd.
I would have loved it more if they included other colors or pictures in the stage so that the audience will go into a trance like state--
They could add a bit more movement in the stage--a full use of the stage I should say- but for the first of its kind this musical show was surely one of the best performed in Northern Luzon.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152750858784606&set=vb.523809605&type=2&theater
Some of the songs that were performed made me cry... you can feel the passion in their voices. I hope they will bring this to a smaller stage so that the people can really feel the intensity--they could also shorten it for just 45 minutes with intense performances to leave the audience in awe.
But all in all..it was truly a treasure to watch them.
We should be thankful that these artists are giving their time to provide Baguio and opportunity to see and feel high caliber shows.
I know some councilors watched the show--and it is with fervent hope that they understood the need for shows like this to continue.
Thank you for University of Baguio and for the other sponsors of this wonderful experience. I am hoping they will have more shows in the future.
We need them here in the Philippines.
If you have the time please catch more shows created by this group. Stay updated https://www.facebook.com/KarloMarkoAltomonte
or you can also visit https://www.facebook.com/BaguioCommunityEvents for the latest updates on artistic events here in the city of Baguio.
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