Bobby Garcia in a Larson Broadway show

Before Rent’s creator Jonathan Larson passed away in 1996 due to aortic aneurysm, he wrote another musical entitled tick, tick…boom! Now, ten years after he wrote it, the musical opened off-Broadway at the Jane Street Theatre to glowing reviews, an extended and emotional standing ovation and a star-studded opening night.

Director Bobby Garcia, whose Atlantis Productions is one of the investors of tick, tick… boom!, just returned from New York where he attended a special preview and the opening night of the musical. Produced by his close friend Victoria Leacock, one of Jonathan Larson‘s best friends, the 90-minute rock musical features a trio of talented performers. They are Raul Esparza, who just played Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show on Broadway, plays the songwriter named Jonathan who is trying to create "the great American musicale; "Amy Spanger, who recently starred as Bianca in the revival of Kiss Me Kate on Broadway, plays his girlfriend Susan (and other characters) and Jerry Dizon of Once on this Island who plays his best friend Michael, as well as other characters in Jonathan‘s life. Ben Brantley, the New York Times chief theatre critic called the show, "Sweet, simple and hopeful." The New York Daily News wrote that tick, tick… boom!" is a worthwhile addition to Larson’s abbreviated legacy." And the New York Post praised, "God, Jonathan Larson was good!"

The show is now set to have a long, healthy run in New York City before opening in Chicago, Australia and London. Recent Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning playwright David Auburn, whose drama Proof is currently the hit ticket on Broadway, helped in reworking the book of the musical, turning what was originally a one-man musicale into a musicale for three people. Incidentally, Atlantis productions has secured the rights to stage Proof in the Philippines next year. Bobby Garcia, with Broadway star Lea Salonga, attended the opening night at Chingalle, a trendy restaurant in the chic Meat Packing District of New York (commonly referred to as MePa). Lea was still the darling of the theatre crowd with paparazzi going wild rehearsals for The Flower Drum song which opens at the prestigious Mark Taper Forum in October. Meanwhile, she continues to shoot her soap opera As The World Turns. Also at the party were the entire Larson family, filmmaker Spike Lee, actor Gabriel Byrne, actress Molly Ringwald, rocker Joan Jett, Blondie herself Debbie Harry, Broadway diva Marin Mazzie (Passion, Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate), composers Stephen Sondheim and Stephen Shcwartz (Godspell, Pippin) and the controversial Monica Lewinsky.

Atlantis Productions has put another feather in its cap by investing in a hit musical in New York. Bobby Garcia says, "I’m very proud to be involved with this production and to be part of Jonathan Larson‘s work once again. His family and friends have become very close and dear to me and to be around them and have them as a great part of my life is truly a blessing. The show is beautiful, moving and poignant and the music is classic Jonathan Larson! The last song in the show, Louder than Words is as inspiring as Rent‘s Seasons of Love."

Meanwhile, Garcia begins rehearsals for the critically acclaimed Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Atlantis Productions’ latest rock musical which opens in August at the PCI Bank Threatre.

An Evening with the APO

The APO Hiking society is back! And they look and sound better than ever.

Composed of the talented Danny Javier, Jim Paredes and Buboy Garovillo, the APO will be presented in a special concert billed as APO Hiking Society the Concert slated on July 18 at 8:30 p.m.

The concert promises to be a spectacular evening with the trio singing their hit songs injected with the APO humor. Another thing to look forward to in the concert is their debut performance of songs included in their soon-to-be-released album under Universal Records.

Concert tickets are priced at P600, P900 and limited VIP tickets at P1200 and are available at all major National Bookstore branches, Robinson’s Department Store (customer service section) Malate and Galleria, Tower Records Makati and Alabang and Music Museum Ticket World Outlets (891 6510).

A production of Star Concert, APO Hiking Society the Concert is presented by Don Henrico’s Pizza Past and More, in cooperation with Alaska Evaporated Filled Milk, AMA Computer Learning Center, Bankard, Henkel Philippines and Manila Bulletin and sponsored in party by PLDT, Philamlife and Pioneer.

Official radio stations are Citilite 88.3, Magic 89.9, K91 FM @ 92.1, 939 KCFM, Home Radio 97.9, the Hive 100.3 and 105.1 Crossover.