A double artsy birthday bash

Gallery owner Lori Juvida recently hosted an artsy birthday party for art collectors and enthusiasts Alex Tan and Joel Butuyan at Cirkulo restaurant on Pasay Road in Makati City. 

Present at the party were the celebrators’ close friends, mostly art collectors and artists like Emmanuel Garibay and Elmer Borlongan, who was also given a belated birthday cake.

(From left) Terry Que, Manuel Que, Simeon Cheng, Lori Juvida, Billy Hudson, Chris Fausto and Biddy Que.

Cirkulo’s sumptuous dinner included gambas, cochinillo, lamb chops, paella negra, paella montana, and its famous slow-roasted US beef belly. I have been eating in Cirkulo since it opened and its food has always been consistently excellent!

Talk of the evening was the latest about the art world and a few rounds of gossip as well.

Ces Drilon, Orestes Ojeda and Julius Babao.

Gatherings like this with people from the art community are always fun because guests talk about so many things that, of course, stay only in the venue. That night, it was a fun double birthday celebration!

Happy birthday, Joel and Alex!

Clean it your way

Dimples Romana.

Actress Dimples Romana is known as the villainess Daniela  Mondragon in a popular afternoon TV drama. In real life, however, she is a loving wife and mom to two children. She cooks and cleans the house and takes care of her family.

If you are active on social media nowadays, the character of Dimples — the lady in a red dress with a suitcase appearing in different destinations, thanks to Photoshop, of course — has become a meme and is all over Facebook and Instagram. Check out the memes at #ohdani and #danigurl, they are so funny!

“I love cooking and cleaning, and my kids appreciate the time I spend at home doing mommy duties for them,” said Dimples during an event hosted by Pine-Sol at Artesania, Makati City. The venue is actually a furniture and lifestyle showroom that’s also a café. 

Clorox Philippines GM Maritess Dagdag.

During the event, guests were asked to do their own #MyCleanMoves on social media. Dimples showed guests how she cleans the house, her way.

Pine-Sol Philippines brand manager Monique Gonzales said, “We believe in doing things the right way, which is not the easiest or the fastest. The right way is really your way. Cleaning is cleaning, no matter who you are or what your style is.”

Many won’t believe this but I do clean, too! I myself use Pine-Sol — my favorite scent is Original Pine — when I have to clean my surroundings. It’s different when I just use ordinary detergent and water when I clean. I also noticed that when I use this product, the scent lasts on my floors and kitchen.

Clorox international sales and marketing manager for Southeast Asia Paulo Lao.

Clorox sales and marketing manager for Southeast Asia Paulo Lao added, “Using the brand’s multi-surface cleaner helps make cleaning more enjoyable. It is effective in cutting through grease, grime and dirt and leaves surfaces germ-free, smelling fresh and fragrant.”

To those familiar with the Pine-Sol Cleaning Dance Challenge from the US, it is now in the Philippines as well. Prizes that await the winners include a Bose Bluetooth Bucket Speaker, Bose Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers and Bose Wireless Earphones.

(For more information about the Pine-Sol Cleaning Dance Challenge, visit pinesol.com.ph/mycleanmoves.)

A week of Shakespeare

Alex Avery and Paul Hayward star in Macbeth/A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Shakepeare fans, rejoice!

Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre announced full casting for its week-long Manila season of Macbeth/A Midsummer Night’s Dream, following a successful inaugural run at its original site in York in 2018.  The plays have been selected from across the genres, offering something for everyone, and will be performed in repertory by two companies of actors.

Actors for the Macbeth/A Midsummer Night’s Dream company include Nana Amoo-Gottfried (Ross and Lysander), Alex Avery (Macbeth and Snug) and Ellie Burrow (Lady Macduff/Young Siward and Fairy Queen/Peaseblossom).

Damian Cruden returns to direct Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre and will serve as overall artistic director while Tom Wright will be associate director.

Lunchbox Theatrical Productions CEO James Cundall said, “As with all the productions we bring to Manila, we are thrilled to have yet another first for the country and an outstanding cast and creative team to deliver it. While Manila audiences will be seated in the comfort of Theatre at Solaire rather than an open-air scaffolding structure, the two productions will be innovative, immersive and fun, with the actors making some of their entrances and exits through the audience. We will have dramatic sword fights, bubbling cauldrons, wayward fairies, comic love scenes, gruesome murders, grand poetry and no shortage of fake blood! I believe Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre offers something for everyone, and will showcase heritage theatre at its best.”

Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre is produced by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions.

(The show runs from Sept.  17 to 22 at The Theatre at Solaire. Tickets are now on sale at ticketworld.com.ph. For more information, visit www.shakespearesrosetheatre.com.)

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)