Filipino Talent - Asian Audience

By: Cora Llamas, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Bobby Barreiro, Tony Tuviera and Bobby Garcia of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (Ateg). In celebrating Filipino talent in whatever form, Ateg’s message for all Filipinos, audience and artists alike, is “Be proud of who you are,” says Barreiro. PHOTO FROM ATLANTIS THEATRICAL ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

After decades of making television shows and transforming their talents into stars (just recently, the phenomenal AlDub love team), Bobby Barreiro and Tony Tuviera are working toward realizing their dream of bringing Filipino artists to the attention of an Asian audience.

And they have started with theater, stoking a personal passion for the art form which they have long enjoyed as private members of the audience.

Barreiro and Tuviera are the producers who make up two thirds of Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (Ateg); resident director and Atlantis founder Bobby Garcia is the third.

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Merger

The current organization is a merger of Garcia’s original theater company Atlantis Productions, and Ten Bridges Media, owned and managed by the first two gentlemen.

The partnership was formed in 2014, and Barreiro and Tuviera had their first crack at producing musical theater when they mounted “Ghost,” which starred Christian Bautista and Cris Villonco and was directed by Garcia, in 2014.

For 2016, Atlantis will be showcasing two musicals: “Jersey Boys,” the hit musical about Frankie Valli and the 1950s boy band the Four Seasons; and “Fun Home,” the award-winning piece on a lesbian daughter’s coming-to-terms with her gay father.

Ateg’s version of the disco-movie-turned-theater-showcase “Saturday Night Fever” might also tour again in other countries in Asia, after finishing a profitable run in Singapore and Malaysia in 2015.

No dates have been set as of press time, but all of them will open by the last half of the year, probably to avoid a collision with the Australian run of the Schonberg-Boublil musical, “Les Misérables,” which runs at The Theatre in Solaire from March to May.

Sound marketing

A sound marketing strategy is part and parcel of the package that Barreiro and Tuviera bring to their game. Aside from the usual standards of quality and audience preferences, the two always consider other factors such as the material’s suitability for a Filipino cast, who are expected to perform at their best, and the feasibility of touring the same production to a wider audience outside the Philippines.

A case in point was “Saturday Night Fever.” Despite positive reviews and ticket sales, the musical, which was a different version from the one seen in New York, made more money in its Singaporean and Malaysian tour than it did in its Manila performance.

It was part of their learning curve, says Barreiro. “We had to import talent, not just the actors but even the crew; the lighting and sound directors came from New York and Australia. We had to import sets from Australia that could be rebuilt here. But we wanted to come up with something that we could be proud of and bring, regionally.”

The casting of the Caucasian leads in “Fever” was done with an Asian audience in mind, Barreiro admits. Still, he and his partner are working for the day when they can bring a majority of Filipino talent to theaters outside the Philippines through musical theater, and in time, perhaps through other kinds of performance arts like concerts.

“All you have to do is look at the international talent shows to see Filipinos excelling,” says Barreiro. “Our studies showed that, in some countries like Malaysia, if you put up a sign outside a club that says a Filipino band is playing, the audience would increase. Tony and I wanted to promote Philippine talent, and not just the bands. We came to Bobby, whom we had worked with in certain projects at GMA 7, and our visions aligned.”

Invitation

The Atlantis duo also sees the establishment of new theater venues in the country—such as Resorts World Manila’s Newport Theater, The Theatre in Solaire  and the Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati—as a virtual invitation to develop more shows.

“You have theaters, but you do have to develop the content for the market. The Filipino theater market is small; we are more for concerts and movies, and we are heavy users of TV.  Plus, a limited number of runs in a theater that has a limited number of seats makes the cost of tickets high. That’s why we were happy with theater successes like Peta’s [Philippine Educational Theater Association] ‘Rak of Aegis.’ We are now finding a way how to price our tickets to make them more affordable to a broader market.”

Tuviera adds that while the Filipino theater audience is still small compared to concert-goers, “it seems to be growing. People look forward to the next shows and ask you about it, and a lot of them are young.”

Singapore, meanwhile, “is building new theaters and they have to put content there,” says Barreiro. “But to always import shows directly from the United States or United Kingdom is expensive. You also have to keep logistics in mind. The cost is making some Singaporean producers look at other options. Our objective is to create top quality shows [for these international theaters] at less cost.”

Partnership possibilities

Their success in Manila and other Asian cities has brought Atlantis to the attention of theater operators outside the Philippines. The licensor of “Fever” offered to bring their interpretation of the dance-musical to Japan and Korea.

Some Asian theater producers have also begun talks with them on partnership possibilities not necessarily limited to musical theater. Atlantis, for instance, was tapped to oversee the Manila talent casting for the London run of “Here Lies Love,” the David Byrne-Fatboy Slim musical about Imelda Marcos.

Western musicals with familiar titles and a proven audience record, but performed mostly by Filipino talent—that is the driving vision of Atlantis. However, a homegrown original musical is also in the works, although the producers are wont to give scant details at this time.

“It is Filipino, but it can cater to a bigger market because of the story,” says Tuviera. We had initial plans to test it first as a short piece with a small audience, but decided to just move forward and develop it into a full-length play.”

Barreiro adds, “It will reach out to the OFW [overseas Filipino worker] audiences. In producing Western musicals, I have asked myself if we are just catering to the elite.” But, in celebrating Filipino talent in whatever form, he says Atlantis carries a bigger message for all Filipinos, audience and artists alike: “Be proud of who you are.”

(Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct “Fun Home”s description as about a lesbian, not heterosexual, daughter.)

Read more: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/219484/bobby-barreiro-tony-tuviera-and-a-new-theater-road-map-filipino-talent-asian-audience#ixzz3xNsJJ2UH
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Duterte-Cayetano will not allow Philippines to become "Asia's Mexico"

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

14 January 2016

Duterte-Cayetano will not allow country to become "Asia's Mexico," to go after local “El Chapos"

Presidential contender and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte said the country has no place for "El Chapos" as he reiterated his commitment to fight the problem of illegal drugs, magnified by international drug cartels operating in the country.

"El Chapo" is the alias of the dreaded Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, who was recaptured on January 8 of this year after six months on the run following his escape from a Mexican prison.

"I will wipe out illegal drugs in 3-6 months. I will not allow our country to become Asia's Mexico. We will not become a narco-state,” said Duterte who explained that the country's drug problem has become a national security issue.

Duterte's Vice President, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, added that he and Duterte have a comprehensive plan and stategy as well as the political will to win the war against illegal drugs. "With the help of the people, we will end the reign of drug lords and make our streets safe again for our people," he said.

On January 2015, Horacio Hernandez, a Mexican national suspected to be part of Guzman's drug cartel, was arrested by the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Makati City after selling P12 million worth of cocaine to undercover agents.

Last Tuesday, around P180 million worth of suspected “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride were seized in Valenzuela City from two Chinese-Filipino men, both believed to be members of the "Asia Drug Network," an international drug network operating in China, Philippines and Hongkong.

Duterte said the country's crime situation, particularly drug trafficking, has become so dire that no less than bold solutions and swift actions are necessary to end this debacle.

"We will not allow our country to become a Narco State like some countries in Latin America. We will reclaim our streets from the drug lords and criminals who have made them unsafe. We will bring the war to their doorsteps. If they want to play rough, I will redefine to them the meaning of 'rough,'" Duterte said, referring to criminals and drug syndicates.

Cayetano said that 92 percent of barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR) are infiltrated with drugs. He also said that 50 percent of those in jail are because of drug-related cases.

Cayetano said if elected, he and Duterte will round up the big-time drug lords of the country, local and international alike, by combining the elements of the military and the police and modernizing their crime-fighting strategies such as creating a national anti-crime hotline number similar to Davao's 911 emergency hotline.#

Jennylyn Recounts Her Evolution As FHM Cover Girl—And Now Nation's Finest!

What Tourists Must Keep Sacred in Sagada

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Inquirer Northern Luzon

By: Kimberlie Quitasol and Jessica Tabilin

THE “HANGING COFFINS” in Sagada town in Mt. Province remain a must-see for visitors in this resort town in the Cordillera region. RICHARD BALONGLONG

When a newlywed woman’s photograph at the Lumiang burial grounds of Sagada town in Mt. Province became viral online in August last year, residents were forced to confront the dark side of tourism and its impact on their heritage.

In her bridal gown, the woman posed near the wooden caskets on the mountain walls, part of the popular “Hanging Coffins” of Sagada.

The post itself was scandalous only because it drew condemnation online. It incensed Cordillerans, forcing the bride and her photographer to apologize and compelling local officials to impose a “No Tour Guide, No Tour” policy on visitors.

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Vandalism

The issue also prompted residents to reflect on the vandalism, the artifact thefts and damage to Sagada’s heritage sites committed by souvenir hunters. These are tales that have not drawn the same notoriety as the bridal photo.

For instance, many of the hanging coffins in caves popular to visitors bear the names of strangers—some printed in ink, others crudely etched by small blades.

In May 2015, authorities reported the theft of a burial jar at the Balangagan Cave after it was introduced as a tourist spot, said Robert Pangod, municipal tourism officer. Only two jars remain there and officials are concerned about their security, he said.

In other sections of the cave system, residents reported the loss of bones from the hanging coffins. Some visitors have also spirited away wooden planks from the caskets, probably as ghoulish souvenirs.

Pangod said the community did not want to whittle anymore goodwill it still has for strangers who pass their way each year.

In 2014, Sagada drew 64,970 visitors. The number increased by 115 percent in 2015 when it hosted 140,000.

But the community wants to draw the line as to what tourists must keep sacred in Sagada, Pangod said.

TOURISTS hike for more than an hour from the town center of Sagada to reach the Bomod-ok water falls. RICHARD BALONGLONG

Heritage sites

One solution is to declare the 12 “dap-ay” of Poblacion village of Sagada as heritage sites, which would fall under the protection of the National Heritage Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

A dap-ay is where elders gather the community to discuss pressing issues that affect their lives. Some areas are now designated as tourist spots.

Another proposal is for Sagada to impose tribal restrictions over tourist haunts through ordinances. This contrary view is being espoused by residents who do not want their community to be controlled by a national agency.

Jaime Dugao, the indigenous representative in the municipal council, said some residents were skeptical, fearful that “the restrictions imposed by the NHCP will hamper the development of the town.”

Any improvement or repair of damaged state-protected heritage sites would need the permission of the NHCP, he said.

Conservation groups are pushing the idea of preserving these heritage sites and prompting their restoration using government funds, said Sagada Vice Mayor Benjamin Capuyan.

He said making the dap-ay heritage sites did not make these areas exclusive only to a select few. The dap-ay belong to the community, he said.

Some groups are also lobbying to make Sagada a heritage community, in the same way cities like Vigan in Ilocos Sur province are granted special protection. Others have initiated a petition seeking a council measure declaring the town’s tourist spots protected cultural heritage sites.

The Sumaguing Cave, the Crystal Cave, the Lumiang Burial Cave and the Matangkig Burial Cave are some of the most frequented tourist destinations in Sagada.

“Even if we were able to locate new burial caves, we will not open them to the public because things that happened in the past might occur again,” Pangod said.

“The Lumiang cave where a couple took nuptial photos that caused a stir online is still open to the public. We cannot promise that [another bridal photo shoot using Sagada’s burial site] won’t happen again. Nobody guards the place. We cannot afford to hire security there. So we have asked souvenir shops near the place to keep watch.”

New Year resolutions

TUE, JANUARY 12, 2016 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINION
Klaus Doring

We could spend all year living healthier, more productive lives, so why do we only decide to make the change at the start of the year? Why do we all make (and break) New Year resolutions?

Many of us will start 2016 with resolutions – to get fit, learn a new skill, eat differently. If we really want to do these things, why did we wait until an arbitrary date which marks nothing more important than a timekeeping convention? British psychologist Tom Stafford asked this. And not only he. The answer tells us something important about the psychology of motivation, and about what popular theories of self-control miss out.

While celebrating during New Year’s night, my family an friends found out, that what we want isn’t really straightforward. At bedtime you might want to get up early and go for a run, but when your alarm goes off you find you actually want a lie-in. When exam day comes around you might want to be the kind of person who spent the afternoons studying, but on each of those afternoons you instead wanted to hang out with your friends.

You could see these contradictions as failures of our self-control: impulses for temporary pleasures manage to somehow override our longer-term interests. One fashionable theory of self-control, proposed by Roy Baumeister at Florida State University, is the ‘ego-depletion’ account. This theory states that self-control is like a muscle. This means you can exhaust it in the short-term – meaning that every temptation you resist makes it more likely that you’ll yield to the next temptation, even if it is a temptation to do something entirely different.

A corollary of the ‘like a muscle’ theory is that in the long term, you can strengthen your will-power with practice. So, for example, Baumeister found that people who were assigned two weeks of trying to keep their back straight whenever possible showed improved willpower when asked back into the lab.

But, and more importantly, that theory doesn’t give an explanation why we wait for New Year’s Day to begin exerting our self-control. If your willpower is a muscle, you should start building it up as soon as possible, rather than wait for an arbitrary date.

Another explanation may answer these questions, although it isn’t as fashionable as ego-depletion. George Ainslie’s book ‘Breakdown of Will’ puts forward a theory of the self and self-control which uses game theory to explain why we have trouble with our impulses, and why our attempts to control them take the form they do. The virgin page of a new calendar marks a clean break between the old and new you – a psychological boundary that may help you keep your resolutions (Credit: Getty Images).

And, so to speak with Tom Stafford again, Ainslie gives us an answer to why our resolutions start on 1 January. The date is completely arbitrary, but it provides a clean line between our old and new selves. The practical upshot of the theory is that if you make a resolution, you should formulate it so that at every point in time it is absolutely clear whether you are sticking to it or not. The clear lines are arbitrary, but they help the truce between our competing interests hold.

Good luck for your 2016 resolutions!

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Email: doringklaus@ gmail.com  or follow me in Facebook or Twitter or visitwww.germanex patinthephilippines.blogspot.com  or www.klausdoringsclassical music.blogspot.com.

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