“Mad About Mozart: Sex, Seduction, Death, and Transcendence” all set on April 22

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In the theater, the term ‘Black Box’ refers to a space devoted where daring experiments and new visions are tested through performance. Performers who choose to go and perform in a black box are usually the ones with the most open hearts and sincere desire to hone their talent. 

With the success of Philippine Opera Company’s Young Artists Black Box Series now on its second season, the audience will witness a bolder and braver take on Mozart’s masterpieces in “Mad About Mozart: Sex, Seduction, Death, and Transcendence”, this time in collaboration with RankOne Productions.

Mad About Mozart: Sex, Seduction, Death, and Transcendence — will present excerpts from the seminal operas and oratorios of Mozart integrated with dance, stream of consciousness narrative, and mixed media. All performers - singers, dancers, actors, and musicians - will be integrated with the audience for an all-immersive 360-degree black box theatre experience. Mozart’s music is alternatingly sacred and profane, exploring the perennial conflict between the id, the ego, and the super ego. Ultimately, the programming of the scenes will demonstrate that we can attain a state of classical ‘balance’ and inner peace by exploring the layered dimensions of dark and light. 

As RankOne President/ Executive Creative Director Jon Meer Vera Perez says, the show is, "An exploration of the subversive themes in the seminal operatic works of Mozart; by journeying into the shadow world does one enter into the full grace of Light and Resurrection." The music will be presented in a contemporary setting, with modern and contemporary imagery, to challenge our perceptions of classical music in the 21st century. Mozart’s themes, both the sacred and the profane, are as relevant in 2015 as they were in 1791 when he died, giving us extraordinary insight into how we manage our lives through the choices that we make, and how those actions affect our relationships and the world around us. Ultimately, we only find peace by acknowledging our weaknesses, resolving to learn from our mistakes, and inevitably surrendering to the healing power of forgiveness and eternal Love.

Karla Gutierrez, Philippine Opera Company's Artistic and Managing Director (soprano)

The Young Artists Series provides a professional training ground for young classical singers in the art and craft of stage performance. It gives them the opportunity to integrate singing with stage acting, diction, repertoire, script analysis, dance & movement, and understand better the use of production elements. The goal is to furnish them with a solid foundation on which to build a sustainable performance career. 

“We are very happy and excited to be collaborating with RankOne Productions because we have the same vision and objectives in bringing opera to a different perspective and to attract a wider audience to appreciate classical music especially opera. We were surprised with the result of the YAS concept we didn’t expect it to “evolve” and get “bigger”. Before it just started as a soiree with only 20 people in the hall then we decided to enhance the programs by engaging the artists in more creative work now we have more than a hundred who watches YAS. ”, Says Philippine Opera Company’s Artistic and Managing Director, Karla Gutierrez.

RankOne Productions, a full mixed media production house, is one of the most dynamic players in multimedia productions in the Philippines and internationally. RankOne strives to provide innovative solutions by which a vision can retain its artistic merit while gaining greater commercial value, working tirelessly to provide alternative creative and technical solutions by which their clients can effectively launch their creative ideas into the full power of the digital age. 

Tricia Amper Jimenez

Joseleo Logdat, Grand Prix Winner of the 6th Yokohama International Music Competition in Japan (baritone)

Krissan Manikan, mezzo-soprano

Gabri Dolor Panlilio, soprano

Nomer Son, bass

Jurgen Unterburg,tenor

Antonio Ferrer, tenor

Jon Meer Vera Perez, bass baritone

International artist Stephanie Reese, soprano

Jonathan Wagner, baritone

 Lorraine Lisen, soprano

“Mad About Mozart” stars Karla Gutierrez, Tricia Amper Jimenez, Lorraine Lisen, Joseleo Logdat, Bernadette Mamauag, Krissan Manikan, Gabri Dolor Panlilio, Nomer Son, Jurgen Unterburg with RankOne guest performers Christine Crame, Anton Ferrer, Wesley Pereira, Jon Meer Vera Perez, Stephanie Reese and Jonathan Wagner.

"MAD ABOUT MOZART" will be held on April 22, 7 pm at the Opera Haus (3657 Bautista St. Palanan, Makati).

Directed by award-winning director and writer, Floy Quintos with Jon Meer Vera Perez as Music Director and Photography/Creative Design by Ash Reginald Evasco.

For inquiries call Philippine Opera Company at 822-9609 or 0917-5272880 or follow us on Facebook.

OFW: “Nagpadala lang ako, nagkabahay na ako!” UAE-based OFW wins house and lot with Move It To Win It promo

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Manila, Philippines – An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) based in United Arab Emirates is the grand winner of LBC’s Move It To Win promo. After a series of weekly and monthly draws, Junaly Deguma, a loyal customer of LBC, is now a proud owner of a house and lot in Avida Village Cerise, in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“At first, I couldn’t believe it when LBC representatives informed me that my sea cargo transaction won me the grand prize,” shared Deguma. A native of Tagum, Davao, Deguma worked as an administrative secretary in a construction firm in UAE, but she will soon start working in Japan. She is also a mother of two children.

​Anne Baylon-Jara, Avida Marketing Manager; Tess Tatco, Avida Marketing Head; De Guma; 

her mother Sherlita L. De Asis.; and Darlene Dollente, Brand Communications Manager, LBC Express Inc.​​

Deguma has been using LBC’s remittance and cargo delivery services since moving abroad in 2009.

“I only trust LBC. My family trusts LBC. They know that whenever I send money or packages, they only have LBC in mind. Now, I feel like years of being a loyal customer finally paid off,” she said.

Moving to a newer, better home

“Nagpadala lang ako, nagkabahay na ako,” she exclaimed when asked how she felt upon learning that she won the unit.

Deguma’s new house is part of a 20-hectare lush residential community in the Nuvali eco-city, a large-scale, master planned development where the promise of redefining live, work, and recreate is made possible in an integrated natural and man-made environment. Avida Village is divided into three different strategically planned house units – Bernice, Cresta, and Phoebe, which gives every family the choice of home they’ve always wanted.

All the spaces are surrounded by sprawling greenery, pocket parks, and open spaces that make living more refreshing. De Guma and her family are also entitled to live the Nuvali lifestyle – sustainable and secure – with amenities they will truly enjoy.

Managed by the Ayala Property Management Corporation, Avida Village Cerise Nuvali is accessible via public transportation and is easy to find. It is near restaurants, shopping outlets, leisure parks, and many other recreational activities. More importantly, it is close to schools, churches, hospitals, commercial centers, and business hubs, which ensures all residents’ needs are within reach.

“We are happy to welcome Ms. Deguma’s family to Nuvali. We hope that they will enjoy everything that Avida Village Cerise has to offer,” said Tess Tatco, Head of Marketing for Avida.

Aside from the Avida house and lot, the LBC Move It To Win It promo also gave away P10,000 weekly, shopping and grocery vouchers, roundtrip tickets to the Philippines, and brand new cars to OFWs who availed of LBC’s TRANSFAST remittance services within the promo period of October 1 to December 15, 2014.

“This is LBC’s way of recognizing the loyalty of our customers. We value them as much as they value the money and the cargo they send their loved ones. We appreciate their trust and we will continue to provide them with quality services that not just move boxes and cash, but also move lives. We invite everyone to just continue sending their remittances and balikbayan boxes through LBC and they can expect more exciting customer deals this year,” said Darlene Dollente, LBC Brand Communication Manager.

Dance this Summer at the Ballet Philippines Dance School

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Now on its 46th year, the CCP Summer Dance Workshop is once again paving the way for young dance talents to achieve their dreams to become professional dancers.

Starting on April 7, 2015, dance students from all over the country will flock to the Cultural Center of the Philippines for the five week-long summer dance workshop. Esteemed Ballet Philippines current company members and alumni will guide these aspirants in honing their craft. The workshop gives courses in Classical Ballet for all ages, Modern & Contemporary Ballet, Creative Movement, Jazz, and Hip Hop for kids and teens.

The workshop will conclude with two grand performances of a double-bill program: “Flower Festival” back to back with “Wonderland” on May 9 and 10 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).. “Flower Festival” will feature excerpts from Aguste Bournounville’s “Flower Festival at Genzano” along with other dances, while “Wonderland” adds a new kind of groove to the beloved classic, featuring the contemporary, jazz, and hip hop dance classes.

Scholarship auditions for the CCP Summer Dance Workshop will be held on February 28 and March 21, at the CCP Rehearsal Hall. Provincial applicants may also audition on April 7. Scholarships are available for students aged 9 to 13, intermediate & advanced students, and promising males from any dance background.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School also branched out of the CCP premises, offering dance classes at the SM Aura Premiere with faculty from the Ballet Philippines network of dance artists. Aside from the usual children’s classical and modern ballet classes, the school at SM Aura Premier also offers the Ballet Philippines Fitness Program workout, a set of exercises created for women who are looking for new ways to tone and exercise their bodies; Ladies’ Ballet, which is a basic ballet class; Active Stretch, a body shaping, toning, and strengthening program; and Flamenco dance classes.

The Ballet Philippines Dance School (BPDS) is the professional training ground of the country’s most promising young talents in dance. With a unique curriculum that encompasses various dance styles and techniques, the systematized method and approach to instruction takes highly into account children’s anatomy and psyche at various ages and levels so that the training is physically safe, technically effective and artistically enriching for students of all ages.

Connect to the Ballet Philippines Dance School online through the following social media networks:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ccpdanceschool

www.facebook.com/bpdanceschoolaura

Twitter: @balletph

Instagram: @ccpdanceschool

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/balletph

See you at the studio!

Asus presents Zenfone with 2 specs and availability here in Ph

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The ASUS Zenfone 2 was much talked about during CES 2015, and speculations about pricing, availability, and what variants will be shipped to different countries ran rampant. The wait is over folks, we have the answers right here.

Tech and smartphone enthusiasts went wild when the Zenfone 2 was released at this year’s CES. Why? Here are the reasons: 

- 64 bit architecture, 

- 4GB RAM

and other features were all mentioned, as well as lower-tiered variants for less. That meant people of different budget ranges can get their hands on the successor to the popular Zenfone 5.

Just recently, the Zenfone 2 launched in Taiwan and with it, information on prices, models, and date of availability were thrown in as well.

There will be four variants of the Zenfone 2 which will be released in Asia and neighboring regions. The ZE500CL is the cheapest and ‘entry-level’ spec, while the ZE550ML takes a step up in the display size, camera, number of active SIMs, and processor departments.

The high-end ZE551ML comes in two variants. The first has a 1.8GHz quad core 64 bit processor and 2GB of RAM while the top of the line variant has a more powerful 2.3GHz quad core 64 bit chip and 4GB RAM. Both have dual SIM capabilities, 5.5 inch 1080p Full HD screens, 13MP back and 5MP front cameras, NFC, and 3,000mAh batteries.

For pricing, the Zenfone 2 starts off at P6,983.49 up to P12,581.47 for the highest-spec’d version. Do note that the Philippine Peso prices are directly converted from their Taiwanese counterparts and is not the final price. Due to taxation and other financial factors, final Philippine prices may be slightly higher.

And finally, a post on the ASUS Zenfone 2 Facebook page announced the local availability of the units. Expect the Zenfone 2 to land on our shores around May/June of this year.

McJim kicks off second season of Dreams Get Real talent search

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WILL you be next big star of Original Pilipino Music (OPM)?

After successfully launching the careers of three of the most promising acts today, iconic brand McJim Classic Leather opens doors of opportunity for aspiring stars to become legitimate recording artists in the second season of “Dreams Get Real : The Search for the Next OPM Star. ”

“This year, we aim to make Dreams Get Real talent search even bigger, brighter, and better. We are now offering a full album and music video grant, P100,000 in cash prize, artist marketing support, and a talent management contract to the sole winner!“ said Chris Cahilig, Dreams Get Real project head.

Dreams Get Real. The talent search that launched the careers of three of the most promising OPM acts today is back for another season.

Last year’s triple-tie winners, Fifth Dynamics, JBK and Neo Domingo, are rocking the music scene after recording chart-topping hits and are busy with television guest appearances, and mall and corporate shows across the country. The talents are likewise completing their debut albums produced by award-winning arranger and composer Jonathan Ong of SonicState Studio.

Fifth Dynamics. Fast-rising band Fifth Dynamics who released two chart-topping songs “Anyare” and “Pogi Kame” is a product of Dreams Get Real Talent Search last year.

Fifth Dynamics, led by former The Voice of the Philippines contestant Mark Cordovales, is a fast-rising band. After winning the Dreams Get Real talent search, the group has released two chart-topping single titled “Anyare” and “Pogi Kame.”

On the other hand, vocal trio JBK, which is composed of Joshua, Bryan, and Kim, is making everyone’s heart melt. The group’s R&B-infused ballad, “Anong Meron Ka,” gets major airtime on popular radio stations nationwide.

Neo. Dreams Get Real Grand Champion Neo Domingo has released song “Pagbigyan Mo Na,” which is heavily played on different radio stations across the country.

Likewise, Neo Domingo topped national and local charts with his debut single “Pagbigyan Mo Na”. It was likewise named as the Most Wanted Song of 97.1 Barangay LS FM. His follow up single“Kaching-Kaching” featuring Fifth Dynamics is now heavily aired on Metro Manila and provincial radio stations.

This year’s contestants will work with award-winning musical talents and will have a chance to perform at big venues. “They will have a first-hand experience of the entire recording process and will get a chance to perform in shows while they are in the competition,” Cahilig said.

JBK. Vocal trio JBK composed of Joshua, Bryan, and Kim released the hit song “Anong Meron Ka” after winning the Dreams Get Real Talent Search and has been doing shows across the country ever since.

The talent search is open to all unsigned male and female solo artists, aged 15 to 35 years old, with Filipino lineage.

To audition, interested artists need to send a video recording or Youtube link of their performance/s (they may opt to submit a cover or an original song of any genre of their choice) together with the filled-out application form.

An initial pool of twenty contestants will undergo a series of weekly eliminations—starting in July—until only 10 finalists remain in the competition. The finalists will record and film viral videos to be posted on the TV Get Real YouTube channel of McJim Classic Leather, where the Top Six will be chosen from. The remaining six will then battle it out in an epic grand finals night, which will be held on November 15.

“The contestants need to go through an elimination process to reveal who truly has star quality. They will also experience what it’s like to do a professional recording session,” Cahilig explained.

“The local music industry is very hard to penetrate; it’s a highly competitive arena,” Cahilig pointed out. “Dreams Get Real is here to help new artists break into the music scene. We will give them the platform—a ticket to possible stardom.”

Like the official McJim classic leather facebook page at www.facebook.com/OfficialMcJIM and get more information on how you can be the next OPM star.