NZ Film Festival / Other cultural events / Comments on After Aida

The personable New Zealand Ambassador David Pine recently announced the forthcoming NZ Week, particularly its film festival. The hit comedy "Sione’s Wedding" will have a gala premiere at the Meralco Theater on Feb. 8, and lead stars Oscar Kightley and Teula Blakely will be present.

NZ classic films include Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Jurassic Park.

NZ’s National Day (Waitangi Day) on Feb. 6 will have a traditional Maori "Hangi" at Ambassador Pine’s residence with top NZ singer-songwriter Don McGlashan performing.

Screenings at the UP Film Institute Cine Adarna, preceded by short films indicated in parenthesis, follow: Feb. 7, Cinema of Unease, a documentary by Sam Neil at 7 p.m., No. 2 at 8 p.m. Feb. 12, The World’s Fastest Indian (Two Cars One Night) 7:30 p.m. Sione’s Wedding (Grocer’s Apprentice); Feb. 13, 5 p.m. No. 2 (Blue Willow) 7 p.m. Whale Rider (The Lounge Bar); Feb. 14, 2 p.m., The World’s Fastest Indian (Hotel Hawkestone) 5 p.m. Sione’s Wedding (Blue Willow), 7:30 p.m.; No. 2 (No Ordinary Sun); Feb. 15, 5 p.m., In My Father’s Den (Infection), 7:30 p.m. No. 2 (No Ordinary Sun).

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Today, the first Philippine Tea Set Exhibition will open at the InterCon lobby at 6 p.m. "Tea-inspired" cocktails will be served.

Likewise today, the Italian Film Festival at the CCP Little Theater, 6:30 p.m., will feature Vittorio De Sica’s La Cicciara.

An invitation to the opening of Rep Philippines’ "Moose Murders" was sent me. Frank Rich’s mystery farce, now showing at Rep’s Globe Theater Onstage, is directed by Michael Williams and stars Ana Bitong, Miguel Faustmann, Cathy Azanza, Jay Glorioso, Juno Henares and Jamie Wilson. Shows are Fri. / Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 3:30 p.m. until Jan. 28.

Painter-writer Marivic Rufino invites me to "Chromatext Reloaded," a fusion of the literary and the visual arts featuring members of the Philippine Literary Arts Council and their friends. It opens on Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. at the CCP Main Gallery. Performance/Poetry Night will be on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.

"Winners All", the launching of George Sison’s book "Feng Shui of the Mind, I Am a Winner" and the opening of Ernie Garcia’s 3rd major one-man painting exhibit "Women in/on Fiberglass" will be held on Jan. 27, 5:45 p.m. at the LRT Art Space and Galerie Astra, 210 Nicanor Garcia St. (Reposo), Bel-Air II.

My friend George, son of lawyer and wit Carlos Moran Sison, is a multi-faceted person whose talent encompasses an incredible range. Poet, philosopher, thespian, writer, producer and talk show host, astrologer, diviner and restaurateur, he is also a lyricist whose song "What Name Shall I Give You My Love" was made famous by Pilita Corrales, then recorded by "The Platters," and released as a single in the UK.

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Unable to see "After Aida" owing to a horrendous traffic jam, I asked a very knowledgeable nephew to comment on the show. Here are his notes:

A musical drama (part recitative and part arias and duets) by Julian Mitchell, highlighting the vicissitudes an opera composer (i.e., Giuseppe Verdi) undergoes to put together an opera.

Protagonists are Giuseppe Verdi (played by Paul Holme), the lyricist Arrigo Boito (played by Bart Guingona), Verdi’s wife Giuseppina Strepponi (played by Enchang Kaimo), the publisher Giulio Ricorde (played by Jaime del Mundo) and the conductor Franco Faccio (played by Robbie Guevarra).

Arias and duets from the opera Otello are sung by: Rachelle Gerodias (soprano), Nenen Espina (mezzo soprano), Ronan Ferrer (tenor), Randy Gilongo (tenor) and Noel Azcona (baritone) and performed as the play narrates the development of the opera as the collaborative effort of two self-important artists – Verdi and Boito. Providing the piano accompaniment is Ms. Mary Anne Espina. All the singers and Ms. Espina are identified with the UST Conservatory of Music under Dean Raul M. Sunico.

The professional (and personal) conflict between Verdi and Boito drives the play and provides the humor. Ricorde, Faccio and Giuseppina conspire to get Verdi (Italy’s most beloved composer in 1879 but without a new opera for ten years) and Boito (the creative and brilliant lyricist) to collaborate on making an opera out of Shakespeare’s Otello. Aida was Verdi’s first opera after the ten-year hiatus.

The play, directed by Jaime del Mundo and presented by the UST Conservatory of Music, started relatively promptly at 8:10 P.M. to a near full house at the "Teatrino." The foreign community probably constituted about twenty percent of the audience.

Overall, the knowledgeable audience was very appreciative of the humor in the play and the performance of the singers. Gerodias was her usual outstanding self. I particularly liked Azcona’s voice and style. Ferrer, Gilongo and Nenen Espina were good but not outstanding. Ferrer’s body movements bothered me.

The non-singing roles were performed extremely well. Holme (whose accent and voice reminded me of CNN’s Richard Quest), Kaimo, Guingona and del Mundo kept things moving with very good timing.