Last chance to stream: Catch some holiday family fun with RTYA’s The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off

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It’s streaming exclusively on Broadway On Demand only until December 12!

It’s finally December, and with Christmas around the corner, everyone’s planning what to do for the holidays. Don’t miss the chance to make the holiday season even more memorable by bringing the magic of Christmas, cookies, and theater into your homes! The must-see show this holiday season, The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!—a production from REP Theatre for Young Audiences (RTYA)—is streaming only until December 12 on global streaming platform Broadway On Demand!

Since launching last month, audiences both in the Philippines and around the world have enjoyed this fun and family-friendly musical created by Broadway musical director Rick Hip-Flores, brought to life by the talented ensemble of Repertory Philippines. Both kids and their parents relished the chance to root for cheerful and colorful characters, sing catchy Christmas tunes, and take home lessons that make the most wonderful time of the year truly meaningful.

The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off! is about eight individuals who joined a televised bake-off at the Cookie Coliseum where they discover new baking skills, cookie flavors, life lessons, and the true meaning of Christmas. It stars emerging theater talents such as Becca Coates as Patty Mañosa, a beautiful sensitive soul who longs for her Grandma’s cookies; Tim Pavino as Javi Carreon, a video game buff who feels out of place in the kitchen but whose heart is definitely in the right place; Jep Go as Gabe Gomez, a bully who’s more than happy to bend the rules; Jillian Ita-as as Anna Santos, the perfect overachiever; Luigi Quesada plays Julian Zamora, a culinary artiste with a talent for fine cuisine; Justine Narciso is Amy Garcia, a Disney devotee who’s slightly scattered in the kitchen but super adorable just the same; Steven Hotchkiss is Josh Bernardo, a science enthusiast who knows his formulas; and Rachel Coates is Samantha Lopez, a fun and fabulous social media fanatic who loves the spotlight.

Joining the cast are REP and theater veterans like Carla Guevara-Laforteza playing multiple roles for the show—as the stylish Isabel Guevara, a food fashionista with a high sense of aesthetic and one of the judges of the bake off; as Anna’s Mom, your quintessential helicopter parent who watches every detail; and as Patty’s quirky-loving Grandma.

Arnel Carrion is also part of the show playing a double role as Michael Holmes, the meanest guy in the food industry and in the Cookie Coliseum, and as Gabe’s Dad, a big wig TV exec who pushes his son to win at all costs. Jaime Wilson plays pop singer and celebrity guest judge Del Ray who has never baked but can certainly lay down some tasty grooves! Hans Eckstein completes the cast as Larry, the faithful host and announcer of the competition.

Directed by RTYA Creative Director Joy Virata, The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off! is the first Repertory Philippines (REP) show in nearly two years and also the first musical in the country purposely filmed for an international online streaming service. The production also includes an all-star creative team composed of set designer Ed Lacson, lighting designer John Batalla, costume designer Bonsai Cielo, and choreographer Deana Aquino. Multi-awarded director Treb Monteras helms the video production managed by Silver Media.

Stream RTYA’s The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off! on Broadway On Demand. Ticket prices are P700 (24-hour access) and P1,000 (48-hour access). Broadway On Demand can be accessed via computer or mobile device through a web browser (Google Chrome is recommended for optimal streaming) or via tablet or smartphone through the Broadway On Demand app on App Store and Google Play. It’s also available on AppleTV and Roku.

The Great Christmas Cookie Bake-Off!—a production from REP Theatre for Young Audiences (RTYA)—is streaming only until December 12 on global streaming platform Broadway On Demand. The play features eight young cookie chefs who will battle it out for first prize at the Cookie Coliseum.

Get your tickets now through Broadway On Demand, TicketWorld, and Ticket2Me, or via the REP Box Office by calling 0966 905 4013.

For updates, visit www.repertoryphilippines.ph, like and follow Repertory Philippines on Facebook and Instagram. Educators and school representatives who are interested in the show can email sales@repphil.org.

ALMOST, MAINE is a mythical place, owing no real geographic reference except to the human heart.

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It is cold bleak landscapes, difficult to live in, and even harder to endure, but somehow the people that inhabit this place still manage to fill it with warmth, love, friendship and hope. It is their emotional journey that makes this place, located in the loneliest and most solitary corners of our hearts, still a place worth living.

Written by John Cariani, ALMOST, MAINE is one of those endearing plays that captures your imagination almost immediately, and never let’s go. With 19 characters played by a cast of only four people, it is most definitely an actor's piece. Two men and two women playing a host of complex characters is a daunting task indeed, and after several rounds of auditions and readings, the actors were finally found.

In the end, Reb Atadero (The Graduate, The Horse And His Boy) Caisa Borromeo (The Secret Garden, Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady), Natalie Everett (The Secret Garden, The Game's Afoot) and Jamie Wilson (Run For Your Wife, The Bridges of Madison County) were chosen to take up the acting chores.

All veterans of Repertory Philippines, the excitement at being cast in ALMOST, MAINE quickly overshadowed the hard work that would soon follow.

In the director's chair, another Rep veteran takes the helm. Always an artist of incredible vision, Bart Guingona (4000 Miles, The Normal Heart) has never been one to do a play as it is written, and has put his own twists and turns on this wonderful material. 

With stage design by Baby Imperial and Coco Anne, lighting by John Batalla, sound design by Jethro Joaquin and costumes by Marta Lovina, ALMOST, MAINE promises to be a strong offering in Repertory Philippines' 2016 season. ALMOST, MAINE opens at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt One, Makati on February 19th.

Repertory Philippines Launches 79th Season with Comedy, Drama, and Musicals for Young Children

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Repertory Philippines has established itself as the premier producer of thought-provoking and entertaining straight plays and musicals. Since 1967, it has produced more than 400 high-caliber shows, and 2016 is set to be another impressive year for theatergoers.

For its 79th season, Repertory is launching five plays that will intrigue, inspire, captivate, and bring out the inner child of every viewer.

From January 15 to February 7, Repertory is staging The Game’s Afoot, a comedic play by Ken Ludwig set in the 1930’s. The story follows William Gillette, a Broadway star known for his portrayal of detective Sherlock Holmes, both in the play and in real life. In The Game’s Afoot, he invites his castmates to his castle in Connecticut for a weekend of fun and games, until someone turns up dead. Gillette must channel his inner Holmes to track the killer and stop the next death. In 2012, The Game’s Afoot won Best Play at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, an award-giving body hosted by the Mystery Writers of America.

To highlight the Valentine’s season, Repertory will present John Cariani’s Almost, Maine from February 19 to March 13. On a cold, wintry night with the northern lights illuminating the dark sky, the residents of Almost fall in and out of love in unusual ways. The New York Times has described it as a “higher-concept and more clever version of Hollywood [love stories]” with a “beautiful structure.”

For the summer, Repertory is staging Stepping Out from April 1 to 24. Stepping Out, a lively comedy by Richard Harris, tells the story of former chorus girl Mavis who teaches a dance class in a dingy church hall in London. While learning the basics of body language and movement, Mavis must deal with the drama cooking up in the studio. Since it premiered in 1984, it has been staged most notably the West End in London and Broadway in New York. Stepping Out was awarded Best Comedy at the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards, organized by notable British critics and editors.

Repertory has a history of producing child-friendly plays like Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Camp Rock the Musical, and the company is also staging Hansel and Gretel from August 20 to December 15 for the young and young-at-heart. This delightful interpretation of the Brothers Grimm classic follows siblings Hansel and Gretel through their journey in the woods. There, they see a fantastically-designed house made of gingerbread, candy, and ice cream. When they start to eat it, until they are caught and trapped by the witch that lives there. The two must work together to outwit the evil witch and escape the sugary house of horrors.

Running simultaneously with Hansel and Gretel is A Little Princess. Based on the children’s novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett , A Little Princess tells the story of Princess Sarah, who suffers at the hands of Miss Minchin at a boarding school in London. Things turn for the worse when her father dies and she becomes a pauper. The musical will run from November 18 to December 18.

Compared to watching on the big screen or on a television, nothing beats the immediacy, intimacy, and raw talent showcased in stage plays. Repertory is expected to thrill theatergoers this 2016 with its lineup of shows, a diverse mix of comedy and drama for audiences of all ages. See you at the theater!

For more details, inquiries on ticket or show buying, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 or visit the website athttp://www.repertoryphilippines.ph/.

A Peek into the Secret Garden

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Repertory Philippines opens the gates to “The Secret Garden” as its Christmas season treat for theater goers. It tells the story of a young girl, born and raised in India, who finds herself suddenly orphaned, and goes to live with her uncle in England. She discovers a garden, neglected for years and almost dead, and a young cousin bedridden and miserable. With the help of a housemaid and a friendly young gardener, she brings both the garden and her cousin to life.

Director, Anton Juan’s vision was to focus on the message of the story. 

“I wanted to articulate that finding the secret garden was to liberate oneself from the feeling of domination,” he shares. He wanted to make clear that Secret Garden “...is not just a musical about how love forgives, how healing is attained by finding and liberating the truth in us; but also an allegory of liberation of our free spirits.”

Stage productions take months to prepare with numerous songs to rehearse, choreography to be learned, scenes to perfect, a slew of costumes to be made, and elaborate sets to be built. For a period piece like The Secret Garden, the artistic staff had to do a lot of research on the context of the story and the details that would be needed to translate that era for a modern audience.

“Since the story is set in 1906 in Yorkshire, England, designing the costumes for The Secret Garden required period research,” shares costume designer Bonsai Cielo. But despite having an overview of historical information to create costumes from that time period, Bonsai said “An understanding of each of the characters and our director’s vision for the play was also required. Not to mention, we had to ensure they all blended well together and still look striking individually.”

Set designer Ohm David said this about his stage design. “As a designer, I had to read the play over and over while listening to the music. I read the play aloud and tried to involve myself as much as possible in the situations of the play.” While doing this, the designer imagined the elaborate environment of each scene. From there, he started to draw. But with the limitations of a modest stage, he had to veer away from the obvious interpretations of the story’s surroundings and instead used elements that would encourage the audience’s imaginations to visualize the entire scenarios. “For me, it is more important to highlight what the play is trying to say beneath” —a takeaway he derived from Director Juan, who is at the head of the entire production.

Daniel Drilon, one of the young actors playing Colin Craven, the bedridden boy, says “For the all Filipino cast, the added challenge was learning the diction of The Secret Garden’s period and location. We all had to learn a British accent which is kind of difficult. But we all got a hang of it after two months of practice.” The young leading cast had the support of the entire production team led by Director Juan who helped them absorb their roles. Besides Daniel, the other children who play the lead roles of Mary, the orphan girl, and Collin her cousin, are played by Ashlee Factor, Ginger Karganilla, Albert Silos and Noel Comia.

Becca Coates playing the role of Martha, the housekeeper; and Ashlee Factor and Albert Silos portraying the young Mary Lennox and Colin Craven, respectively. 

Archibald Craven played by Robbie Guevara reaches out to his son Colin; acted out by Daniel Drilon.

Mary Lennox (Ashlee Factor,) stands in the background, as Archibald Craven (Lorenz Martinez,) is recalling memories of his late wife, Lily (Myramae Meneses.)

“The music is invigorating, the sets are a departure from the traditional, and it is a moving story of love,” shares Anton. Above all, the play’s message is one that will move the hearts of those who witness it. “I hope this musical will remind us to hold what’s most essential and important; and that’s what is inside of us. Lest we forget, come to my garden.”

The Secret Garden will be staged from November 20 to December 20, 2015 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas. For more details on performance dates and times and ticket prices, call Repertory Philippines at 843-­3570. For more information about the play, log on to repertoryphilippines.phor the Repertory Philippines Facebook page. 

Tickets may also be purchased through TicketWorld at 891­9999 or visit their website at w ww.ticketworld.com.ph. 

Repertory Philippines adapts Secret Garden for a new generation

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Repertory Philippines is set to showcase another musical production; now of Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon’s adaptation of the classic story The Secret Garden. Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the story revolves around the lives of two abandoned youngsters Mary Lennox and Colin Craven who, through the power of love, begin to transform their spoiled and selfish ways for the better. The show runs simultaneously with Rep’s staging of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Rep’s version is anticipated to entertain audiences with a magical score and fascinating choreography but it shouldn't be missed largely because of the amazing young talent set to play the spirited main characters of the story. Playing the mischievous Mary Lennox are 12-year-old Ashlee Factor and 9-year-old Ginger Karganilla. Between them, they have already starred in five stage productions. Not only is Ashlee already playing a role in Rep’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but she also played one of the lead characters of the theater production house’s adaptation of Scrooge. While Ginger took part in playing characters in Resorts World Manila’s Cinderella the Musical and The King & I.

As for the very headstrong Colin Craven, the role will be played by 11-year-old Daniel Drilon, 10-year-old Albert Silos, and 11-year-old Noel Comia. Not to be outshined by their female counterparts, the boys also have an impressive list of titles behind them. Apart from playing roles in Rep’s Scrooge, Pinocchio, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Noel had a role in Kids Acts Philippines’ Hua Mulan which earned him the Best Child Performer Award at the 27th Aliw Awards. Albert’s background includes roles in Resorts World Manila’s King & I and Cinderella and in Gantimpala Theater’s Kanser the Musical. While Daniel, despite having his professional debut just last year, has had years of intensive training in the performing arts which landed him lead roles in Rep’s Pinocchio and Scrooge.

With their extensive experience in theater arts and months of preparing for the role, the cast is set to bring the story of Secret Garden and its characters to life. “We like to perform to make the audience happy,” explains Daniel--a statement that resounded with the entire cast. Come opening day on November 20, that’s what they plan to do.

With director Anton Juan leading them, the entire production is sure to enthrall audiences no matter what age. Together with the story’s beautiful message, no doubt the show will be a hit. “Secret Garden has a really nice moral lesson, the music is catchy, and they should watch it because they will learn a lot,” shares Albert of the experience people should expect from the show.

The Secret Garden will be staged from November 20 to December 20, 2015 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices range from P500 to P1,000. For more details on the play, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 and book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Repertory Philippines brings sexy in new theatrical comedy

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Repertory Philippines returns for its second show of the year, with the sexy comedy Run For Your Wife. The West End hit by Ray Cooney follows John Smith, a taxi driver who secretly has two wives. The play premiered in London’s West End in 1983, and had a successful nine year run in the UK. After that, the show has been staged most notably in New York, Paris, Stockholm, and Manila.

“This is a timeless classic. Even if it’s an old play, it’s such a funny and well-written play,” shared Miguel Faustmann, who directs Rep’s third run of the show. “Ray Cooney is amazing with his comic humor. It’s just so funny.”

Run For Your Wife is a departure from Rep’s previous offering, 4,000 Miles. While 4,000 Miles is a dramatic examination of a young man’s relationship with his grandmother, Run For Your Wife is a hilarious tale of a man who has two wives and two households.

The play’s humor relies on the subject and a precise schedule of entrances and exits. This means pressure on theater veteran Jamie Wilson as Smith, who has to literally run across the stage throughout the entire show, with only two exits. As Faustmann described it, “timing is of crucial importance in this play.”

“John Smith is a pretty normal guy,” shared Wilson. “He just basically falls in love with two women, and sees the possibility of maintaining both of them. He loves the both of them for different reasons.”

His wives are portrayed by actresses Goldie Soon and Mikkie Bradshaw. Soon plays Mary, the motherly wife, while Bradshaw plays Barbara, the bombshell.

“She’s very prim and proper, like a proper Englishwoman,” said Soon. “She takes her duties or obligations as a wife seriously. She’s almost motherly towards John. Because she’s very proper, anything scandalous really shocks her.”

Soon reveals that the role is different to her as a person, and to prepare for the role, had to think about the woman Mary would be and slowly imbibing it. Bradshaw, on the other hand, only needed to be comfortable with her co-actors.

“I’ve been cast a lot in sexy roles, that involve very little clothing. If it’s a loud and promiscuous character, it’ll probably be given to me,” she said. “I don’t know how much preparing you could do for a role like that if it’s in you to be that vixen.”

Run For Your Wife hits Philippine theater at a time when mistresses have become a pop culture phenomenon. But while the films and teleseryes focusing on mistresses and second wives are dramatic, the play takes on a different approach: comedy.

“Despite all our conservatism, I think this kind of situation happens more than we know and more than we would like to admit,” shared Soon.

“It’s such a taboo subject here,” admitted Wilson. “But putting on a play and inviting people to watch it will shed some light and humor on what that kind of life is. With our teleserye culture, where’s the humor? There’s got to be humor there. There’s got to be some ridiculous situation that you can laugh at.”

“We’re not necessarily trying to make people think here. We’re just trying to give everyone a good time,” Bradshaw added.

During its West End run, The Daily Telegraph called it a triumph, while the New York Post promised “virtually continuous laughter.” Even Faustmann agrees. He said, “When we were reading it, we were dying of laughter. What more when you actually see it? It’s going to make your stomach hurt because of laughing too much.”

Joining Wilson, Soon, and Bradshaw are Jeremy Domingo as John’s best friend Stanley Gardner, Steven Conde as the flamboyantly gay neighbor Bobby Franklin, James Stacy as the suspicious Detective Sergeant Troughton, Paul Holme as the easygoing Detective Sergeant Porterhouse, and Mara Javier as the inquisitive journalist.

Run For Your Wife will be staged from April 10 to May 3, 2015 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices ranges from P400 to P800. For more details regarding Run For Your Wife, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 and book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Repertory Philippines launches Run For Your Wife

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As part of its 2015 lineup, Repertory Philippines launches Run For Your Wife, a sexy comedy written by Ray Cooney. Since its launch in 1983 at London’s West End, it had a successful nine year run in the UK. After that, the show has been staged most notably in New York, Paris, Stockholm, and Manila.

Run For Your Wife trails John Smith, a taxi driver in London who has two wives: one in Streatham and another in Wimbledon. After he gets mugged and winds up in the hospital, the police department from each district calls Mrs. Smith: Mary Smith and Barbara Smith.

The show has been praised for its hilarious storyline, complex choreography, and impeccable timing. The Daily Telegraph called it a triumph, while the New York Post promised “virtually continuous laughter.” 

Repertory’s production of Run For Your Wife is the third time the company has staged the show, the first in 1986, and the second in 2001. Miguel Faustmann, the taxi driver in the first two runs, returns as the director of this exciting play.

“Even if it’s an old play, it’s such a funny and well-written play,” said Faustmann. “Let’s just have a good time laughing because it’s better to laugh than to feel angry or sad. Humor, as they say, is the best medicine, right?”

Besides the biting wit of the script, one of the fun things to take note of for Run For Your Wife is the intricate blocking and choreography for the actors. The play relies on missed connections, or a precise schedule of entrances and exits, with one stage sharing the two homes of both wives.

Theater veteran Jamie Wilson plays John Smith, a physically demanding role that would literally see him running across the stage throughout the entire show, with only two exits.

“My challenge here is to get everything so linear. I should be confused as John Smith but not as Jamie Wilson,” he shared. “I’m literally running the whole time, answering phone calls, lying, and fabricating stories. I have to keep my secret from coming out. It’s exhausting but fun.”

He is joined by Goldie Soon, who plays the motherly wife Mary, and Mikkie Bradshaw, who plays the bombshell wife, Barbara. Rounding out the cast are Jeremy Domingo as John’s best friend Stanley Gardner, Steven Conde as the flamboyantly gay neighbor Bobby Franklin, James Stacy as the suspicious Detective Sergeant Troughton, Paul Holme as the easygoing Detective Sergeant Porterhouse, and Mara Javier as the inquisitive journalist.

The humor is distinctly British, but the cast and director believe that the premise of having two wives is a universal concept.

“It’s not accepted here but it’s done,” Wilson shared. “Remember the humor in it, not the taboo. Run For Your Wife shows the humor of this ridiculous situation. You could put the same situation, take all the humor out of it and be a heavy drama like a typical Filipino teleserye. But nobody has shown the humor in it. And this is what it’s showing.”

Run For Your Wife will be staged from April 10 to May 3, 2015 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices ranges from P400 to P800.

 

For more details regarding Run For Your Wife, call Repertory Philippines at 843-3570 and book tickets through TicketWorld at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Transcending the generation gap

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Filipinos are family-oriented. That is the story of our culture. A fact woven into the very fabric of our existence. 

From our first hours on earth to the very last, we are surrounded with family. We celebrate birthdays, fiestas, countless Christmases and reunions together. Truly, we value our family ties. 

From our parents and siblings, to our lolos and lolas, Pinoys are known for putting a premium on what matters most.

That’s why the cast of Rep’s latest offering believe that Filipinos can relate with the story of 4,000 Miles, a play about an widowed old woman and her grandson who suddenly drops by after a cross-country bike ride.

“It’s about understanding. It’s about our journey towards growth and wisdom. That’s what makes it so universal. I think by the end of it, we’ll all walk away just a bit wiser about the dynamic of human relationship,” Bart Guingona, the play’s director said.

Jeff Flores, who plays the role of Leo in the stage play, says that Filipinos would be able to identify with the characters in this adaptation of Amy Herzog’s masterpiece. “Leo and Vera have a very untraditional dynamic...there are things in their relationship that is very universal, and that is something that Filipinos should watch,” Flores added.

Flores will be sharing the stage with one of the most veritable names in Philippine theater, Baby Barredo, who will be playing the role of Vera. Her castmates and director were all praises for Barredo, who they say is quite a joy to work with.

Flores also feels very privileged to portray the role of Leo. A character he says he finds so easy to identify with. “Leo is a manchild. He has a habit of running away from the stress, which works for me in my life. Being Leo has forced me to admit a lot of things that are childish about myself.”

The play will be shown on March 6 to 29 at the Onstage Theater, Greenbelt 1, Makati City. And as early as now, the cast of 4,000 Miles is more than excited to bring this story to Pinoys. Guingona, describes the material as one of the best-written plays he has handled. He excitedly shares that a monologue delivered by Flores’ character is destined to be a classic. “What I love about this play is it is a quiet play. There’s no histrionics and high-drama,” Guingona added.

Caisa Borromeo and Cara Barredo will also join the cast as Bec and Amanda, respectively. 

In its various runs across America, 4,000 Miles has received praise for its story. It has been heralded as the Best New Play by the Obie Awards in 2012 and was a Finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. Amy Herzog was also recognized as an outstanding playwright by the New York Times.

4,000 Miles will be shown starting March 6 and will last until March 29 at the Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Theater veteran Baby Barredo will play the role of Vera, while Jeff Flores will portray Leo.

About 4,000 Miles

After suffering a major loss while he was on a cross-country bike trip, 21 year-old Leo seeks solace from his feisty 91 year-old grandmother Vera in her West Village apartment. Over the course of a single month, these unlikely roommates infuriate, bewilder, and ultimately reach each other. 4,000 Miles looks at how two outsiders find their way in today's world.

4,000 Miles will be staged from March 6 to 29 at ​Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1, Makati City. Ticket prices ranges from P400 to P600. For more details regarding 4,000 Miles, call the RepertoryPhilippines at 843-3570 and book tickets through Ticketnet at 891-9999 or visit their website at www.ticketworld.com.ph​

"PINOCCHIO" auditions set on March 30 and April 6

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Auditions for lead roles and ensemble for the Repertory Philippines Theater for Young Audiences Production of “ PINOCCHIO ” will be held on March 30 and April 6 at 6:00 pm at the Onstage Theater Greenbelt One. 

Roles:

Gepetto Pinocchio's father - baritone; 

Antonio Narrator baritone or tenor ; 

Blue Fairy - soprano; 

Angelina Housekeeper - alto or soprano; 

Candlewick - baritone or tenor. 

Gino - baritone or tenor; 

Fox - baritone or tenor; 

Cat - baritone or tenor ; 

Coachman - bass or baritone; 

Townspeople SATB male and female

Applicants will be tested for voice, musicality, the ability to pick up notes quickly and skill at parts singing, acting, and movement.

The ability to speak good English is a requirement for all lead roles.

Application forms and audition material may be picked up at the REP office at Unit 14 Ecoville Executive town homes, Metropolitan Avenue (please bring your own flash drive) Or email olison14@yahoo.com. 

For information call 8433570 or 4511474. Ask for Oliver or Marie. 

PINOCCHIO wlll open on August 16 and run on weekdays and weekends - mornings and afternoons - until December. It will have three alternating casts. Rehearsals start in June and will be from 6:00 to 8:00 Monday to Friday.

Miguel Faustmann's ‘Noises Off’ Takes Off ! opens on March 28

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Repertory Philippines proudly presents the hilarious ‘Noises Off’, the third offering for its 77th season.

Written in 1982 by English playwright Michael Frayn, Noises Off—a stage term indicating sounds coming from offstage—is a play within a play, the story of a temperamental director and a troupe of hapless performers putting up a silly sex farce called Nothing On. 

Miguel V. Faustmann

The present production of Noises Off, which is directed by Miguel V. Faustmann, runs from March 28 to April 13 and from April 25 to April 27, 2014 at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi St., Makati City.

The idea for Noises Off came to Frayn while he was watching one of his other plays, The Two of Us, from the wings. 

Noting that it was “funnier from behind than in front,” he was inspired to create a one-act play called Exits, which he later expanded into what would become Noises Off. 

Repertory Philippines has assembled a stellar cast for the current production, most of whom play actors playing roles in the fictitious play Nothing On.

CHINGGOY ALONSO

Veteran performer CHINGGOY ALONSO plays Lloyd Dallas, the director of the play-within-a-play.

FRANCES MAKIL IGNACIO

The role of forgetful actress Dotty Otley, who plays housekeeper Mrs. Clackett, is assayed by FRANCES MAKIL IGNACIO.

PAUL HOLME 

Returning to Rep after many years away, PAUL HOLME takes on the role of alcoholic stage veteran Selsdon Mowbray, who in turn plays a burglar. 

SHIELA VALDERRAMA-MARTINEZ

Another erstwhile Rep regular, SHIELA VALDERRAMA-MARTINEZ, plays cheerful actress Belinda Blair, who plays Flavia Brent. 

LORENZ MARTINEZ

Shiela’s real-life husband LORENZ MARTINEZ, another Rep stalwart, takes on the role of Garry Lejeune, who takes on the role of Roger Tramplemain. 

CARLA GUEVARA-LAFORTEZA

CARLA GUEVARA-LAFORTEZA, yet another returning Repper, plays Brooke Ashton, who plays a sexpot named Vicki.

GERARD SISON

GERARD SISON assays the role of actor Frederick Fellowes, who plays Flavia’s husband Philip Brent, the owner of the house in which the play-within-a-play is set. 

PEACHY ATILANO

The backstage staff of the fictitious show is composed of PEACHY ATILANO’s Poppy Norton-Taylor (the show’s assistant stage manager) and NIKO DANS’s Tim Allgood (the company stage manager). Both Poppy and Tim understudy various roles in Nothing On.

NIKO DANS

The unique humor of Noises Off comes from the intricacies of plot and character interwoven with the personalities of the actors and the show they’re trying to perform. Respected New York Times critic Frank Rich called it “the funniest play written in my lifetime,” and now is your chance to see why.

For details of the show, you may contact us in the following ways:

By phone: 843-3570 or 555-0082 (UPDATED OFFICE NUMBERS)

By e-mail: shows@repertoryphilippines.com

By Internet: http://www.repertoryphilippines.com

NOTE: The Repertory Philippines office has changed locations from Ortigas to Makati. Our new address is Unit 13 and 14 Ecoville, Executive Townhouses, Metropolitan Avenue, Makati.

Tickets are available through Ticketworld at 891-9999, or via http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

Connect to Repertory Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/repertoryphilippines

Twitter: www.twitter.com/repphils

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YouTube: www.youtube.com/repphils

Repertory Philippines would like to thank the following media partners and establishments for their support: Broadwayworld.com, ClickTheCity.com, Radio Republic, WhenInManila.com, BusinessWorld, Lane Moving and Storage, Herword.com, Ticketworld.com, Solar News, Raintree Restaurants (Mr. Jones, Kabila, MOMO Café, and Museum Café), Greenbelt, Ayala Malls, and Lightshapers. 

“NOISES OFF” was first presented, by special arrangement with Michael Cordon, at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, on February 23rd, 1982, and on March 31st by Michael Cordron at the Savoy Theatre, London. 

“NOISES OFF” is presented by special arrangement with United Agents LLP.

Auditions for the title role of Pinocchio, set on March 1

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Repertory Theater for Young Audiences is holding auditions for the title role of Pinocchio in the forthcoming production of the same name opening on August 16, 2014.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 1 at 10:00am at the Onstage theater 2nd floor Greenbelt One.

Auditions are open to boys and girls 10 to 15 years of age .Girls must be willing to play a boy. Boys older than 15 should be less then 5 ft.

Those who audition should be able to sing in a high or tenor voice, to move well and be able to take choreography, and to speak good English.

RYTA is specially searching for home schooled children who can perform on weekdays. Because of the number of performances, the role of Pinocchio will be alternately played by at least five actors.

Auditioners should fill out an application form available either at the REP office or on line and learn the audition song before the auditions. Lyrics and music can be picked up at the rep office (please bring a flash drive) or can be emailed. Contact Oliver Usison at 8433570 550882 0r olison14@yahoo.com.

Pinocchio will run from August to December. Rehearsals will start on June 9. Rehearsals will be from 6:00 to 9:00pm from Monday to Friday.

RTYA is in its 22nd year of providing professional theater for young audiences. It performs for schools, organizations, charity fund raisers and for families who want their children to experience enjoyment of live theater and to benefit from this experience.

Theater Treats 2014 - AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY

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Repertory Philippines' second offering for 2014 with “ AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY ” - The 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama written by Tracy Letts.

Written with a strong sense of humor, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY shall follow the meltdown of the Weston family as each member has personal difficulties that they are unable to resolve.

Chris Millado, a well-respected theater veteran and currently the Vice-President and Artistic Director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines will direct August: Osage County. 

THEMES: WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY?

Many messages are conveyed throughout the play. Depending on how deep a reader digs, all sorts of issues can be summoned up. For example, it is no accident that the housekeeper is Native American and that the Caucasian characters tip-toe around their cultural differences. There is a walking-on-eggshells sort of tension that seems to stem from the injustices that happened in Oklahoma over a century ago. A post-colonialist critic could write an entire paper on that alone. 

However, most of the play’s themes are derived from the male and female archetypes found in August: Osage County. 

MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS: 

In Tracy Letts’ play, Mothers and daughters are more likely to verbally and physically abuse one another rather than exhibit kindness. In Act One, Violet continually asks for her eldest daughter. She depends on Barbara’s emotional strength during this family crisis. Yet, at the same time, Violet cruelly points out Barbara’s advancing age, her evaporated beauty, and her failed marriage – all issues that Barbara wishes to be left unspoken. Barbara responds by putting a stop to her mother’s pill addiction. She rallies the rest of the family into intervention mode. By this might be less of tough-love and more of a power-play. 

During Act Two’s climactic “family dinner from hell,” Barbara throttles her mother and then declares, “You don’t get it, do you? I’M RUNNING THINGS NOW!” 

TWO TYPES OF HUSBANDS: 

If August: Osage County is a reflection of reality, then there are two types of husbands: A) Docile and unmotivated. B) Philandering and unreliable. Violet’s missing husband, Beverly Weston appears briefly, only during the play’s beginning. But in that scene, the audience learns that Beverly has long since ceased to communicate with his wife in a healthy manner. Instead, he accepts that she is a drug addict. In turn, he drinks himself into a spiritual coma, becoming a very docile husband whose passion for life has fizzled out decades ago. 

Beverly’s brother-in-law, Charles, is another timid male character. He tolerates his unpleasant wife for almost forty years before he finally puts his foot down, and even then he’s rather polite about his uprising. He can’t understand why the Weston family is so vicious toward each other. But the audience can’t understand why Charles has stayed around for so long! 

His son, Little Charles is a 37-year old couch potato. He represents another example of an unmotivated male. But for some reason, his cousin/lover Ivy finds him heroic” despite his simple-minded lethargy. Perhaps she admires him so much because he presents a sharp contrast to the more devious male characters: Bill (Barbara’s husband - the college professor who sleeps with his students) represents middle aged men who want to feel more desirable so they abandon their wives for younger women. Steve (Karen’s fiancé) represents the sociopath-type guys that prey on the young and naïve. 

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND 

Most of the characters dread the notion of living alone yet they violently resist intimacy, and most seem doomed to a sad, solitary existence. The final lesson is harsh but simple: Be a good person or you’ll taste nothing but your own poison.

August: Osage County received the Jeff Award (Chicago – 2007) for Best New Work and Best Production. These two awards were closely followed in 2008 by other six awards: Best New Play awarded by Drama Desk, Distinguished Production of a Play by Drama League, the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play and Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Broadway Play. 

Most specially, it was also in 2008 when the play received the biggest award in the industry, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the TONY Award for Best Play.

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is set to open on February 21 and shall run up to March 16, 2014 at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi St., Makati City. 

The cast of August: Osage County and the characters they portray are as follows:

BABY BARREDO shall play the role of Violet Weston, the central character of the play and tracks her life across the month of August while she lives in Oklahoma. The devious matriarch, Violet is addicted to painkillers (and any other pill she can pop) including alcohol and is beyond the glory of her life when she was a famous poet. She suffers from cancer of the mouth. But that doesn’t stop her from spewing her cynicism or her hilariously sinister insults. She has also lost Beverly, her husband. 

PINKY AMADOR plays the role of Barbara Fordham, the eldest daughter. In many ways, Barbara is the strongest and most sympathetic character. Throughout the play, she tries to gain control of her chaotic mother, her dilapidated marriage, and her pot-smoking 14 year old daughter. 

TAMI MONSOD plays the role of Ivy Weston, the middle daughter. A quiet librarian, and stereotypically mousy. Ivy has stayed close to home, unlike the other errant Weston sisters. This means Ivy has had to endure the acid tongue of her mother. She has been maintaining a secret love affair with her first cousin. 

LIESL BATUCAN plays the role of Karen Weston, the youngest daughter. She claims to have been unhappy her entire adult life, prompting her to move away from the family and reside in Florida. However, she returns to the Weston home bringing along a fiancé in tow – a successful 50 year old business man who, unbeknownst to Karen, turns out to by the most loathsome character within the play. 

LEO RIALP plays the role of Beverly Weston, husband of Violet and father to his three 40-something daughters. He was a one-time world class poet and full-time alcoholic. He’s polite, soulful, melancholy, and ultimately suicidal. 

KENNETH MORALEDA plays the role of Bill Fordham, Barbara's estranged husband and Jean's father, age 49. A college professor, he has left his wife for a younger woman named Cindy, one of his students, but wants to be there for his family. His marriage is disintegrating and his patience is slowly running thin.

SHEILA FRANCISCO plays the role of Mattie Fae Aiken, Violet's sister, Charlie's wife and Little Charles' mother. Just as jaded as her sister, Mattie Fae constantly belittles her son and antagonizes her husband. Eventually she reveals the major plot point that Beverly, not Charlie, is the real father of Little Charles. Sheila is also the understudy for Violet Weston. 

THEA GLORIA plays the role of Jean Fordham, Bill and Barbara's smart-tongued 14-year-old daughter. She smokes pot and cigarettes, is a vegetarian, loves old movies, and is bitter about her parents' split. More naive than she would like to believe. 

RICHARD CUNANAN plays the role of Charlie Aiken, husband of Mattie Fae and the presumed father of Little Charles. Charlie, a genial man, was a lifelong friend of Beverly. He struggles to get Mattie Fae to respect Little Charles.

HANS ECKSTEIN plays the role of Steve Heidebrecht, Karen's fiancé. A businessman in Florida, (whose business, it is hinted, centers around the Middle East and may be less than legitimate) and not the "perfect man" that Karen considers him. He eventually sexually molests Jean after the two smoke pot together.

NOEL RAYOS plays the role of "Little" Charles Aiken, son of Mattie Fae and Beverly, 37 years old—but, like everyone else, he believes Charlie is his father. Unemployed and clumsy, his mother calls him a "screw-up", which may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. He is secretly having an affair with Ivy, who is revealed to actually be his half-sister.

ANGELI BAYANI plays the role of Johnna Monevata, a Cheyenne Indian woman, whom Beverly hires as a live-in housekeeper shortly before he disappears. Violet is prejudiced against her, but she wins over the other family members with her cooking skills, hard work, and empathy. Johnna is the silent witness to much of the mayhem in the house. 

NATHS EVERETT will understudy the role of Johnna Monevata. 

ARNEL CARRION plays the role of Sheriff Deon Gilbeau, a high-school classmate and former boyfriend of Barbara's, who brings the news of Beverly's suicide to the family.

AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is presented by special arrangement with 

Abrams Artists Agency.

A mystery psychological suspense thriller, " Wait Until Dark" set to open on January 17

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Repertory Philippines proudly announces the start of its 2014 season with its first challenging production entitled WAIT UNTIL DARK --- a thriller written by Frederick Knott.

The play that the New York Post deemed “a first rate shocker,” WAIT UNTIL DARK is a suspense about a blind housewife named Suzy who finds herself terrorized by three strange men. The men search for a doll that has been filled with heroin and little does Suzy know, her husband has mistakenly transported the doll across the Canadian border and into their apartment. Suzy must rely on her instincts, with the help of a neighbor girl and the cover of darkness to outwit the dangerous strangers and protect her life.

WAIT UNTIL DARK premiered on Broadway in 1966 with Lee Remick portraying the role of Suzie, which earned her a Tony Award nomination for best actress in a play. After 374 performances, a film version was released in 1967 which starred Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna. Hepburn garnered Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal in the film. The Bravo network ranked the film 10th on its list for 100 top scariest moments.

To be directed by theater veteran Miguel Faustmann, WAIT UNTIL DARK’s masterfully constructed thriller with plenty of intrigue and action promises to move the audiences from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene.

SYNOPSIS 

Susy Hendrix is a blind Greenwich Village housewife who becomes the target of three con-men searching for the heroin hidden in a doll, which her husband Sam innocently transported from Canada as a favor to a woman who has since been murdered. "Roat" leads his companions into thinking that they are going to be rich and will get the heroin soon enough, but in the end he murders all of his partners after they outlive their usefulness. 

The trio try to convince Susy that her husband has been accused of drug smuggling, and the only way to protect him is to give them the doll. Little do the men know that Susy gave the doll to Gloria, a little girl in the upstairs apartment. 

One of the men plays a man named Sergeant Carlino, a strange police sergeant/detective, while another plays Mike, a supposed old friend of her husband dropping by for a visit. Susy relies on "Mike", and he eventually begins to feel sympathetic for her. 

"Roat" plays both Mr. Roat and his "son" Roat Junior. Roat Junior ransacks her room and steals from her. He threatens Susy and her husband's well being, so she calls the police, or thinks she is getting the police. Of course, the con-men knew this would happen and send over "Sergeant Carlino". 

Susy is incredibly clever, and with the help of Gloria, she realizes the true identity of the men and plans to defeat them. 

The stage lights are turned off for the final scene, when Susy turns off all the lights so that "Roat" cannot see her. "Roat" threatens Susy and tries to kill her. She ultimately kills "Roat", while Gloria goes to the police. 

At the end of the play, Sam bursts in with the police to find that she has already taken care of Roat, and he sees Mike was also killed in her apartment. The police go to help Susy, but Gloria yells at them, saying she can do it on her own, and helps Susy get up. The final image of the play is Susy and Sam embracing by the stairs.

Co-presented by the City of Makati, WAIT UNTIL DARK is both exciting and at times, scary with just the right amount of intrigue and excitement for your thrilling experience. 

The show runs from January 17 to February 9, 2014. 

All performances are at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legazpi St., Makati City. 

The artistic and creative team of WAIT UNTIL DARK is led by Baby Barredo (Artistic Director), Miguel Faustmann (Director), Teresa Barrozo (Sound and Music Design), Miguel Faustmann (Set Designer), and John Batalla (Lighting Designer).

The production staff is composed of Gidget Tolentino (Production Manager), Gold Soon (Stage Manager), Pol Roxas (Sound Technician), Pablito Salvador (Lighting Technician) and Adul Lasin (Set Execution and Scenic Artist).

The marketing, sales and publicity team is led by David Bianco (Marketing Director), Toots Tolentino (PR Director), Oliver Usison (Marketing Assistant), Marie Talay (Cashier) and Rose Silva (Sales Supervisor), John Alaras (Design Director), Jojo Mamangun (Photographer), and Lightshapers/ Repertory Philippines (Video Production).

To accommodate all inquiries, Repertory Philippines is now accepting reservations for schools, civic groups and corporate sponsorships.

For details of the show, you may contact us the following ways:

By phone: 571-6926 and 571-4941

By e-mail: shows@repertoryphilippines.com

By Internet: http://www.repertoryphilippines.com

Tickets are available through Ticketworld at 891-9999, or via http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

Connect to Repertory Philippines online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/repertoryphilippines

Twitter: www.twitter.com/repphils

Instagram: www.instagram.com/repphils

YouTube: www.youtube.com/repphils

Repertory Philippines would like to thank its sponsors for their continuing support: Businessworld, Businessworld High Life, WhenInManila.com, Ticketworld, Ayala Center, Broadwayworld.com, Greenbelt, Herword.com, Lane Moving and Storage, ClickTheCity.com, Lally Eleazar’s Lightshapers, Radio Republic and the Raintree Restaurants: Kabila Filipino Bistro, Museum Café Modern Asian Cuisine, Momo Café, and Mr. Jones. 

WAIT UNTIL DARK is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

May not be suitable for children under the age of ten. Children under the age of four are not permitted.