More reasons to celebrate

My good friend theater director Bobby Garcia has good reason to celebrate this month. With Hairspray in Manila, Avenue Q in Singapore and the Broadway Asia tour of Cinderella in Hong Kong, he marks a milestone in his career by having three shows running simultaneously throughout Asia — a rare feat for any theater director.

Bobby says, “It really just aligned that way. It’s an odd feeling knowing that three of your shows are being watched on the same night by different audiences in different places.” He takes great pride in all three shows feeling they have provided him with some of the most fulfilling experiences a director could have.

He says, “Avenue Q was such an all around great experience and I’m so glad it continues to be a success over a year after it opened in Manila and now journeys to Singapore. Cinderella provided me with one of the most rewarding creative collaborations a director could wish for. And Hairspray is pure joy. Watching the veterans and the new kids work hand in hand is quite amazing. And Cecille Martinez’s choreography is a jolt of energy!”

Hairspray runs until Dec. 7 at the Star Theater, CCP Complex, Avenue Q runs until Nov. 16 at the Esplanade Theater, Singapore and Cinderella runs until Nov. 30 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center and then continues to Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea and Japan.

But Bobby has never been one to rest on his laurels. He already has his next shows lined up — The Tony award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in Manila in March followed by the US national tour of Cinderella which will tour many US cities for close to three years starting in the fall of 2009.

Bobby says, “I can’t wait to begin rehearsals for Spelling Bee. It’s a wonderful and heart warming musical about outcasts who find a special place they feel safe in. And I am thrilled to embark on the second part of my Cinderella journey with the US national tour I can’t wait to get back to work with the amazing and inspiring creative team.”

For tickets to Hairspray call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078, 840-1187 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.

B Club’s latest design

Here’s great shoe-news from B Club.

“A great pair of shoes can make the simplest outfits fashionable and hip. B Club is about shoes that are in fashion now. You can find a pair that you will love in B Club whether it is the latest strappy gladiator heels of Carrie Bradshaw or the casually hip boots of Serena Williams.

B Club shares every woman’s dream of strong and sexy heels, her need for classic and comfy flats, and her wish for comfortable shoes that she can wear the whole day. B Club makes sure not just to make women look great but also to celebrate their different fashion needs and personalities. B Club guarantees that every pair is fashionable and comfortable and believes that no one should suffer for fashion.

B Club shoes are affordable so women can treat themselves to a new pair or two anytime they want.

Rhian Ramos is the latest endorser of B Club. “Rhian is truly stunning. But aside from her obvious physical beauty, Rhian is also a very charming and engaging young woman. That’s why we chose her to represent the B Club woman — she has both style and substance,” says B Club assistant marketing manager Alex Cheng. Rhian’s unique quality as a fashion chameleon, changing from a sweet school girl to a glamorous party goddess, is a reflection of B Club’s endless style options.”

Sea Monsters 3D: A Prehistoric Adventure

Last month, San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theater opened the National Geographic’s new giant-screen film Sea Monsters 3D: A Prehistoric Adventure. The film, narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber and with an original score by longtime musical collaborators Richard Evans, David Rhodes and Peter Gabriel, took audiences on a remarkable journey into the relatively unexplored world of the “other dinosaurs,” those reptiles that lived beneath the water. The San Miguel Coca-Cola IMAX Theater’s specialized design and unobstructed views place audiences right in the on-screen action. The large IMAX 3D screen, which is eight stories high, eliminates the discomfort and decapitated edges of smaller-format 3D systems. The screen, coated with a special high-performance metallic paint, has a slight curvature that extends beyond the field of geometric recognition incorporating much of the audience’s peripheral vision, enhancing audience members’ feelings of being in the film. The images are enhanced by the state-of-the-art digital surround sound system.

Founded in 1967, IMAX Corp. is the newest distribution platform for Hollywood content and one of the world’s leading entertainment technology companies.