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A STAR-STUDDED lineup awaits music lovers as both local and international acts are gearing up to perform on stage throughout the year. Whether it’s pop favorites, balladeers, rock bands, rap trailblazers, or indie darlings, there will be something for everyone up ahead.

Here is a rundown of live music this year — so far.

Yesung’s Unfading Sense
Jan. 6

The Korean singer and member of veteran K-pop group Super Junior, Yesung will stage his solo show, Unfading Sense, following the release of his solo album of the same name in October 2023. He will be performing at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City.

Circus Music Festival 3
Jan. 6 – 7

Over at the Circuit Makati Events Grounds, the third part in the Circus Music Festival series kicks off on Jan. 6 and 7. It has Ely Buendia headlining on the first day, along with acts like Juan Karlos, Silent Sanctuary, Armi Millare, Mayonnaise, 6Cyclemind, and many more. On the second day, the headliners are Parokya ni Edgar and Kamikazee, with musicians like Zack Tabudlo, Al James, Unique Salonga, Sponge Cola, and more keeping the ball rolling.

Seventeen’s FOLLOW
Jan. 13 – 14

K-pop boy group Seventeen is returning to the country for a two-night concert this January at the Philippine Sports Stadium at Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan, as part of their FOLLOW concert tour. However, members Jeonghan and S. COUPS will be absent due to “rehabilitation treatment and recovery” from injuries.

Mark Tuan’s The Other Side
Jan. 14

Rapper and GOT7 member Mark Tuan will be performing at the SM North EDSA Skydome on Jan. 14 for the Asian leg of his The Other Side tour. His show is organized by concert promoter PULP Live World.

Nyoy Volante and Klarisee de Guzman
Jan. 19

Star Magic Music Room presents Nyoy Volante, considered by some to be the “King of Philippine Acoustic Pop,” and Soul singer Klarisse de Guzman collaborating for a show this January. It will take place at the Vue Bar of the Bellevue Manila Hotel in Muntinlupa.

Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres
Jan. 19 – 20

British rock band Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour will be making a stop in the Philippines — their second-ever visit — this time performing at the Philippine Arena at Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue, Bulacan, for two nights. OPM singer Jikamarie will be the opening act for both nights.

NCT 127’s The Unity
Jan. 21

K-pop group NCT 127 will be flying in this month for their third tour, The Unity. The nine-member boy group will be performing at Bulacan’s Philippines Sports Stadium, brought to the country by PULP Live World.

Melanie Martinez’s PORTALS
Jan. 23

Alternative-pop singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez will stage a show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Her tour, Portals, is named after her newest album which she is promoting. It will be a standing-room only concert.

The Rose’s Dawn to Dusk
Jan. 26

South Korean indie-rock band The Rose is returning to the Philippines a year after their first visit, this time taking the stage of Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City. In addition to concert tickets, they are allowing meet-and-greets, soundcheck access, Q&A sessions, and exclusive merchandise for VIP packages.

The Jets
Jan. 26 and 27

The Jets, the American 1980s family pop band, known for hits like “Crush on You,” “You Got It All,” and many more, is returning to the country for a two-night concert. They will be performing at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Newport City in Pasay City.

Brent Faiyaz’s It’s A Wasteland
Jan. 28

Live Nation PH is bringing R&B singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz to the Philippines for a one-night performance at the New Frontier Theater in Cubao, Quezon City. It will be the Manila stop of his It’s A Wasteland tour.

ENHYPEN’s Fate
Feb. 3

The seven-piece K-pop boy group ENHYPEN will be back in the country over a year after their first visit. On Feb. 3, they will make history as the first act to individually headline a show at the New Clark City Stadium in Tarlac which is part of their Fate tour in Asia.

Mr. Streisand
Feb. 10

Some of the country’s best singers — Michael de Mesa, Arman Ferrer, Audie Gemora, Franco Laurel, Jett Pangan, and Michael Williams — will perform in a concert featuring a repertoire of Barbra Streisand songs. With stage direction by Mark Bautista and music direction by Rony Fortich, the concert will be held at the Music Museum at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan.

SCRUBB
Feb. 10

Thai duo Scrubb, composed of Thawatpon Wongboonsiri and Torpong Chantabubpha, will be in the Philippines in February. Their concert will take place at the 123 Block Mandala Park in Mandaluyong.

ILYSM… A Valentine Harana Concert
Feb. 13

This multi-act concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum features Arthur Nery, Adie, Rob Deniel, MRLD, Janine Tenoso,  and Rhodessa, with special guest, Alamat.

Julia Fordham’s A Valentine Concert
Feb. 16

For the season of love, Julia Fordham will be holding a concert on Feb. 16 with “Asia’s Romantic Balladeer” Christian Bautista as guest. A Valentine Concert will be held at The Theater at Solaire in Parañaque.

Sungha Jung
Feb. 16

Korean acoustic singer and guitar player Sungha Jung will return to the country to serenade Filipino audiences on Feb. 16 at the SM Skydome, SM City North EDSA in Quezon City. The show is organized by KBeam Events.

Rivermaya’s The Reunion
Feb. 17

Filipino alt-rock band Rivermaya is digging deep into their three-decade-long career and bringing back the original lineup to play their biggest hits. Bamboo Mañalac, Rico Blanco, Nathan Azarcon, and Mark Escueta will take the stage and perform together for the first time since the late 1990s at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque.

Jonas Brothers’ Five Albums. One Night.
Feb. 22

Those who grew up as Disney kids will be thrilled to relive those memories at the Jonas Brothers’ Manila concert on Feb. 22 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Parañaque. Ovation Productions is bringing the Five Albums. One Night world tour to Manila.

Bobapalooza Music and Arts Festival
Feb. 24 – 25

The second edition of the Bobapalooza Music and Arts Festival will be bigger than the inaugural edition last year according to its organizers. International headliners Pale Waves and The Band Camino are coming to play while the local lineup boasts heavy hitters like Juan Karlos, Itchyworms, Urbandub, Sandwich, Chicosci, Syd Hartha, Rico Blanco, and more. It will take place at the Filinvest City Events Grounds in Muntinlupa City.

Eric Moo
March 1

To start off March, the Malaysian-Chinese singer Eric Moo will bring his Mandopop ballads live to the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City.

Jeff Satur’s Space Shuttle No. 8
March 2

The Manila leg of Thai singer-actor Jeff Satur’s Space Shuttle No. 8 Asia Tour will be held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City, care of Live Nation PH.

Ed Sheeran’s +-=÷×
March 9

Irish pop sensation Ed Sheeran will be bringing his +-=÷× tour (pronounced Mathematics tour) to Manila. He will be playing at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque with special guest Calum Scott.

Wanderland Music and Arts Festival
March 9 – 10

For its 10^th edition, Wanderland will be returning to the Filinvest City Events Grounds in Alabang. Beach rock singer Jack Johnson will headline day one, leading performers like Novo Amor, Parcels, Ena Mori, Paolo Sandejas, Jeff Bernat, Beenzino, and more. The day two lineup has yet to be announced.

wave to earth’s The First Era
March 11 and 13

Korean indie band wave to earth is returning to Manila in March. As part of their The First Era tour, they will have a two-day concert on March 11 and 13 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City. The act added the second show after tickets for the March 11 concert quickly sold out.

Slash’s The River Is Rising
March 12

Slash of Guns N’ Roses will once again visit Manila, this time with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, a group made up of Alter Bridge guitarist Myles Kennedy, Todd Kerns, Brent Fitz, and Frank Sidoris. The guitar-heavy rock concert will be held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City.

Rod Stewart’s One Last Time
March 13

Rod Stewart, one of the bestselling pop-rock performers of all time, will be back in the Philippines to perform many of his beloved hits. His one-night only show will be in March at the Mall of Asia Arena in Parañaque.

Janet Jackson’s Together Again World Tour
March 13

Pop-R&B superstar Janet Jackson will be back in Manila for the first time in over a decade. She is bringing her Together Again world tour to the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival
March 15 – 17

The Malasimbo Music and Arts Festival will again be held in Puerto Galera, Mindoro, marking the festival’s comeback since it was last held in 2020. It will feature Ichika Nito, Dilaw, the Blue Rats, and other performers.

PULP SUMMER SLAM XX: Worlds Collide
March 23

The first Pulp Summer Slam since the COVID-19 pandemic hit will feature foreign metal bands Parkway Drive, Story of the Year, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rolling Quartz, Prompts, and more. It will take place at the Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City.

James Taylor
April 8

Singer-songwriter James Taylor is bringing his timeless classics to fans in Manila for the first time in almost three decades. His show is set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Parañaque.

Boys Like Girls
April 20

American rock band Boys Like Girls is bringing their Spring concert tour to the Philippines with a one-night show at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Incubus
April 25

The distinct 1990s and early 2000s sound of the American rock band Incubus will again be held live in the Philippines in April. Brandon Boyd and the rest of the band last performed in the country in 2018. This time the Manila leg of their Asia tour will be at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Niall Horan’s The Show
May 13

Irish soloist of One Direction fame Niall Horan will be in the country in May for his The Show world tour. Organized by Live Nation PH, his Mall of Asia Arena concert is taking place on May 13.

IVE’s Show What I Have
July 13

Starship Entertainment’s leading girl group IVE is returning to Manila for their first world tour, Show What I Have. The show, care of Live Nation PH, will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena on July 13. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

The Boy and the Heron — perhaps Miyazaki’s final film, done with economy and passion and a surfeit of fabulous imagery.

Killers of the Flower Moon — Less a depiction of the Native American victims (which I suspect Scorsese couldn’t presume to speak up for) than a blackly comic takedown of the thugs that preyed on them. At its emotional heart: the strange strangely moving Judas-Jesus relationship between Ernest Burkhart (a deftly dimwitted Leonardo DiCaprio) and his Osage wife Mollie (an understated Lily Gladstone).

Essential Truths of the Lake — Lav Diaz’s first-ever prequel follows the early adventures of Hermes Papauran, the “Philippines’ greatest investigator” — basically a detective with a philosophical bent and a gift for guilt-wracked obsessive brooding. He never lets go and neither does Diaz, in this latest meditation on the Marcos dictatorship.

May December — Todd Haynes’ unsettling look at tabloid narratives (in this case the Mary Kay Letourneau story) and the secrets they may or may not contain.

Asteroid City — Wes Anderson doesn’t indulge in the usual film bro cliches — guns and assassins and fast cars — but takes off in a trajectory all his own. The immersion in 1950s Space Age paraphernalia makes this a perfect double feature with Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½

Infinity Pool — Brandon Cronenberg eschews his father’s clean pornographic style to do a more baroque version of John Frankenheimer’s Seconds, the true source of horror less the fleshy onscreen mutilations and more Mia Goth’s mesmerizing hold over Alexander Skarsgard.

Past Lives — Celine Song’s debut feature is quiet but graceful; the finale, an extended tracking shot along an East Village sidewalk, is unexpectedly potent.

The Holdovers — Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti’s latest isn’t visually distinctive but does evoke lowkey emotional magic, and delivers the occasional sting.

The Killer — David Fincher at his more elliptical, more a sterile exercise of style and stylish performances than anything. Not quite Jean-Pierre Melville, master of the genre, but not bad either.

Silent Night — Man loses his son and his voice, takes a year to prepare for payback. Grimmer less stylish John Woo that nevertheless retains his spark.

Anatomy of a Fall — Justine Triet’s legal drama with the help of Sandra Huller slowly carefully compellingly assembles the portrait of a marriage that has slid sideways, throws enough uncertainty into the process that like a juror you’re not sure what verdict to deliver.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 — James Gunn’s darkest entry of the franchise, yet still manages to be laugh out loud funny. Gunn has a gift for depicting damaged characters, makes good use of that skill here.

Godzilla Minus One — Back and badder than ever, only the humans swarming at its feet are depicted with more care than usual. Arguably the best since Hideaki Anno’s majestic 2016 incarnation, Gareth Edwards’s coyer 2014 version, and the still unmatched 1954 original. Not a fan, alas, of the have-your-cake-and-eat-it ending.

The Exorcist Believer — David Gordon Green doing to The Exorcist what he did to Halloween, picking up a well-loved horror classic and subverting its assumptions. If you’re not a fan of the William Friedkin original (which I’m not) this is for you. Easily the best of the franchise since Exorcist 2: The Heretic.

The Creator — Derivative (of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Blade Runner, and Platoon) and illogical (Why develop a floating weapons platform so vast anyone can take a potshot? And why build a counter weapon that has to grow gradually into full power?) but the core narrative — of a haunted man’s developing affection for a foundling child — is effective.

Meg 2: The Trench — The first hour is trapped underwater and dimly lit; when the movie surfaces and hits land it morphs into goofy fun, a cross between Jurassic Park and Free Fire.

Napoleon — More sumptuous and expensive looking than elegant, the movie emphasizes Napoleon the lovestruck buffoon over the brilliant strategist and innovative statesman, which leads one to ask: couldn’t they depict the strategist and leader and then demonstrate why he’s still a buffoon? Not as passionate or endlessly creative as Abel Gance’s prodigious classic.

Barbie — The first 20 minutes is a witty parody of Barbie and her neon pink world; the remaining runtime is a satire on male entitlement and corporate mismanagement with the fangs pulled, a neat-as-any demonstration of The Golden Rule: he who makes the gold (in this case Mattel, who financed) makes the rules.

Oppenheimer — Historical testimony, biographical study, investigative noir; drop in a blender and hit “puree.” Christopher Nolan is consistent — when it comes to the money shot (a leap across an abyss, a stage trick involving magic cabinets, the detonating of the first-ever nuclear fission device) he cuts away to a different angle. A mess, and not in a good way.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny — Another I liked more for the what might have been than what is — if you liked Indy, this is a passable capstone; if you like crisp and inventive action sequences, you miss the Spielberg touch.

The Flash — Better than expected, mostly for the melancholic presence of Michael Keaton and his air of What Might Have Been. Otherwise disposable.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — everyone talks about how revolutionary it is to digitally animate on 2s (12 drawings or “frames” per second) as opposed to the standard-issue 1s (24 frames per second) — in effect moving away from the smooth and photorealistic — and how difficult this is to do with computers when the Japanese (including Shinkai, warts and all) have been and still do this all the time, largely by hand and in far better films. Miles Morales is a groundbreaking character — at least on the comic book page — but his film incarnation feels too wholesome, like a Disney princess in drag (mind you I’d welcome a Disney princess in drag, just lose the 2% lowfat wholesomeness).

Suzume — Makoto Shinkai continues to ape Miyazaki’s images, characters, and concepts, everything from Spirited Away (protagonist’s beloved cursed into taking another form, if not pigs then a nursery chair) to Howl’s Moving Castle (portals that open into different locations or the past), troweling rough edges smooth with a thick serving of sentimentality. Emotionally stunted work, fixated on fantasy encounters between boy and girl at the expense of all else.

Films I’ve found interesting:

Dust Devil (1992) — Richard Stanley’s hallucinatory film — about a serial killer demon, the woman he’s fated to meet, and the Namibian police officer hunting him — seems less affected by supernatural forces than by heat haze and highway hypnosis. Fascinatingly unhinged.

Experiment Perilous (1944) — Jacques Tourneur’s take on George Cukor’s Gaslight is hobbled by a smaller budget and an ostensibly less-than-stellar cast but does feature Tourneur’s inimitably insinuating visual style and a simmering pas de deux between George Brent and twinkle-eyed Paul Lukas.

The Suspect (1944) — Robert Siodmak’s camera stalks Charles Laughton as he spirals into mayhem and murder in this sumptuously produced Edwardian noir.

 The Furies (1950) — Walter Huston as a carnivorous King Lear and Barbara Stanwyck as his libidinous Cordelia dominate this larger-than-life psychodrama set against the backdrop of Anthony Mann’s West — a landscape of vast plains and craggy heights that reflect the characters’ emotional landscape.

Could not with much regret keep up with the always vital Filipino independent filmmaking scene — that’s my fault — but thanks to a recent project on Filipino-Asian collaborations have been able to catch the following:

Dawn of Freedom (Ano Hata O Ute, 1944) — Yutaka Abe and Gerardo de Leon’s handsomely produced propaganda film employs Manila like a gigantic studio set, yet details the tentative at times mistrustful relationship between Filipinos and their Japanese occupiers with surprising delicacy.

Shiniuma (Dead Horse, 2016) — Brillante Mendoza’s haiku depicting an undocumented Filipino worker’s life in Hokkaido, his capture by immigrant officers, and his eventual Manila homecoming. With an indelible performance by Lou Veloso.

Gensan Punch — Brillante Mendoza’s biopic of “Nao” Tsuchiyama depicts a one-legged boxing champion full of grit and spirit and a startling sweetness.

 A Hard Day — Law Fajardo’s remake of the Kim Seong-hun original, about a corrupt cop trying to fix his fractured life, is a fascinating study on what can translate from Korean to Filipino setting, and what can’t.

Kintsugi — Law Fajardo’s romance between a Filipino immigrant worker and the daughter of his Japanese boss is both a showcase for the charms of Saga prefecture (and its renowned ceramicware) and a quietly poignant romance.

Imbisibol (Invisible) — Arguably Fajardo’s best work, from a one-act play by Herlyn Alegre, an observant and ultimately devastating look at Filipino migrants, documented and undocumented, in bleak wintertime Japan.

WHERE TO WATCH THE SHOW
The Golden Globes will be broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT (0100 GMT on Monday) on CBS, a new network after years airing on NBC. The awards will also be streamed live on Paramount+ for subscribers who pay for the Showtime add-on. Other Paramount+ customers can stream the show the next day.

WHO IS THE HOST?
American stand-up comedian Jo Koy will host the Globes, his first hosting role for a major awards show. Koy, who is of Filipino heritage, has had stand-up specials on Comedy Central and Netflix and recently took his act on the Funny Is Funny World Tour.

WHICH FILMS AND TV SHOWS LEAD NOMINATIONS?Pink-drenched movie phenomenon Barbie topped the list of nominees, outpacing the eight for historical drama Oppenheimer. But the two films — which featured in a summer box office clash dubbed “Barbenheimer” — will compete in different categories at the Globes. Barbie vies for best comedy or musical, while Oppenheimer competes for best drama.

In television categories, media dynasty drama Succession led all series with nine nominations, followed by the restaurant comedy The Bear with five.

WHO IS FAVORED TO WIN?
Oppenheimer, directed by Christopher Nolan, is heavily favored to win best film drama, according to experts on prediction website Gold Derby, edging out Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese.

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is also the clear frontrunner in best film comedy or musical, followed by gothic comedy Poor Things.

In acting awards, Native American star Lily Gladstone is favored to win best drama actress for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon and Bradley Cooper is the frontrunner to win best film drama actor for his role as conductor Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, which he also directed.

Emma Stone is the favorite for best film comedy/musical actress for her role in Poor Things, while Paul Giamatti leads the field for best film comedy/musical actor for The Holdovers.

Christopher Nolan is heavily favored to win best director for Oppenheimer.

In TV series, Succession is expected to win drama series as is The Bear in comedy series.

MORE DIVERSE SLATE OF NOMINEES
After criticism for a lack of diversity in past years, an expanded group of Globe voters nominated two female directors: Gerwig and Past Lives director Celine Song. Acting nominees included Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon, gay Black American Rustin actor Colman Domingo, and Black American lead Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction.

Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks were nominated for their roles in The Color Purple, but the story of Black Americans living in the early 1900s was left out of the race for best movie musical or comedy.

There are 27 first-time nominees.

NEW AWARDS CATEGORIES
The Globes introduced two new categories this year: TV stand-up comedy performance and cinematic and box office achievement.

EXPANDED VOTING MEMBERSHIP
After a 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association lacked diversity and some members engaged in ethical lapses, voting membership this year has expanded to 300 journalists from 75 countries around the world and 60% racial and ethnic diversity.

WHO ARE THE NEW OWNERS?
In June 2023, Eldridge Industries purchased the Golden Globe assets with Dick Clark Productions (DCP), which will continue to manage the awards telecast and focus on expanding the Globes’ viewership around the world. DCP is co-owned by Eldridge and Penske Media. The Golden Globes are now a for-profit venture.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association was shut down as a consequence. — Reuters

Willis Gibson, who goes by the streamer name Blue Scuti, said “Please crash” as he arranged the puzzle pieces cascading down the screen and moments later got his wish when the game froze, leading him to repeatedly exclaim “Oh my God!” in a video uploaded to YouTube on Jan. 2.

Mr. Gibson broke world records for the overall score, level achieved and total numbers of lines, according 404 Media.

“This is unbelievable,” Vince Clemente, chief executive officer of Classic Tetris World Championship, told Reuters.

“Developers didn’t think anyone would ever make it that far and now the game has officially been beaten by a human being.”

Previously, only an artificial intelligence computer program had beaten Tetris, Mr. Clemente said.

Mr. Willis employs a “rolling” controller technique popularized in 2021 that allows a player to manipulate the directional pad, or D-pad, at least 20 times per second to move the blocks, far more than the previously popular “hyper tapping” method, 404 Media said.

Tetris, which was first released in 1984 and became a near-immediate worldwide sensation, challenges players to rotate and conjoin seven different falling block shapes.

Created by Alexey Pajitnov at the Moscow Academy of Science during the height of the Cold War, and developed as a business by gaming entrepreneur Henk Rogers, Tetris has shown remarkable staying power, spanning generations.

It is the bestselling video game of all time with 520 million copies sold, according to The Tetris Company. — Reuters

Elvis Evolution will use artificial intelligence (AI) and holographic projection, augmented reality and live theater to recreate events in Presley’s life and music, said Layered Reality, the immersive entertainment company developing the show.

“It’s going to be a joyous celebration of Elvis’s life; the man, the music, and his cultural legacy,” Layered Reality founder and chief executive Andrew McGuinness told Reuters.

Visitors will be taken on a journey from Tupelo, Mississippi, where Presley was born in 1935, to Memphis, Tennessee, home of Graceland, and Las Vegas.

“The crescendo of the experience is an AI performance by Elvis,” he said.

Layered Reality struck a deal with Authentic Brands Group, owner of the Elvis Presley estate, to develop Elvis Evolution.

The British company was given access to thousands of the star’s personal photos and hours of home-videos to create the new performances using AI, Mr. McGuinness said.

Global interest in the singer, widely acclaimed as the bestselling solo music artist of all time with more than 500 million records sold, is undimmed 46 years after he died aged 42.

Baz Luhrmann’s biography Elvis, released in 2022, created a new generation of fans, while Sofia Coppola’s 2023 Priscilla explored his complex relationship with his wife.

Mr. McGuinness said Elvis Evolution would appeal to both die-hard fans and those curious to discover more about the “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer.

After London, Elvis Evolution will travel to cities including Las Vegas, Tokyo, and Berlin, he added. — Reuters

The maiden production is the film Good Grief, which Mr. Levy wrote, directed, and stars in. It follows his character, Marc, whose life is turned upside down when his husband, Oliver, played by Luke Evans, dies suddenly in an accident.

Marc must reconstruct his life with the help of his two best friends, Thomas, played by Himesh Patel, and Sophie, portrayed by Ruth Negga.

The movie, which starts streaming on Netflix on Jan. 5, is a drama which Mr. Levy hopes his fans will connect with even though it is outside the comedic work for which he is known.

“I think it’s very rare to be given an opportunity to do something so different from what people know you to do and that takes a leap of faith from, in this case, from Netflix to greenlight something that’s so different,” Mr. Levy said.

He feels that actors often get type-cast and must stay in the genre people expect them to be, so he is grateful for the chance to do something personal to him.

Although lighthearted, the film shows how friendship can help through the process of mourning.

“I think there’s this fear … that sharing your fears or your sadness is a burden on your friendships, but I think that is the greatest act of love ultimately,” Mr. Levy said.

To create the friendship bond, he arranged for Patel, Negga, and himself to connect over several weeks before shooting, including doing an escape room together in London, which Mr. Levy said had “everyone’s skill sets just put on display.”

Whether it is comedy or drama, he wants people to see that his work resonates across genres.

“I cared very deeply about Schitt’s Creek and I think the common theme here is that both of these projects have a very large heartbeat to them, and I hope will mean something to people in very different ways,” he said.

Mr. Levy’s multiyear deal with Netflix began in 2021. — Reuters

WE’RE sure a lot of us are playing a form of fridge Tetris (that is, rearranging our leftovers in the refrigerator to make them fit) after the end of 2023’s holiday season. So BusinessWorld asked some experts for their suggestions on how to recycle the goodies that are clogging up the ref and freezer. As we welcome 2024, we’re doing it without repeated servings of ham and lechon paksiw, and serving up “scraps” with style.

CCA MANILA
The chef-instructors at the Center for Culinary Arts Manila (CCA Manila) were generous enough not only to share their favorite holiday recipes, but also to provide solutions for their inevitable leftovers. Chef Miguel Lorino gave us his recipe for pork asado (available on the BusinessWorld online version of this piece) and the chic mantou sandwiches that could come after.

Pork Asado

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
60 ml vegetable oil
60 gm minced garlic
1 kg cubed pork shoulder
480 ml water
180 ml soy sauce
10 gm star anise
10 gm hydrated banana blossom
150 gm brown sugar
Ground black pepper to taste
Salt to taste

Procedure:

Begin by heating oil in a large pot and sautéing garlic until aromatic.

Add pork, cooking until it turns a golden hue.

Combine water, soy sauce, star anise, banana blossom, and brown sugar with the pork and simmer until tender.

Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm.

Mantou Pork Asado with Pickled Cucumbers
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
60 ml vinegar
10 gm white sugar
10 gm grated ginger
5 gm crushed black peppercorns
100 gm thinly sliced cucumber
12 pcs steamed pandan mantou 
Sliced pork asado (leftovers) as needed20 gm red onion
50 gm sliced tomatoes

Procedure:
Boil vinegar and sugar together.

Remove from heat and add ginger, peppercorns, and cucumbers to marinate.

For assembly, stuff the mantou buns with pork asado, pickled cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, then serve.

Meanwhile, chef Anne Atanacio gives us a post-holiday breakfast idea using the ubiquitous Christmas ham, and a solution for the lucky grapes left behind on the table after displaying them for luck.

Ham and Chicken Spread Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped Christmas ham
1 cup chopped roasted chicken
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 bunch of grapes, chopped
1 cup gated leftover cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.

Spread generously on bread for a satisfying meal.

Whipped Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
750 gm Drained fruit cocktail
2 cups Red grapes
2 packs All-purpose cream, chilled overnight
1 can Condensed milk

Procedure:

Whip the all-purpose cream until light and fluffy.

Fold in the fruit cocktail, grapes, and condensed milk.

Refrigerate overnight for the best flavor.

ONE WORLD DELI

Over at One World Deli, the new place to be to get food from all around the world, their chefs George Bustamante and Angela Villaroman offered up their recipes for leftover Turkey Stew and Roast Beef Sandwiches.

Turkey Stew

Ingredients:
Turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
Turkey bones
1 cup Carrots
1 cup Celery
1 cup Onions
2 tablespoons of flour
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Leftover vegetables
1/4 cup of cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

Debone the turkey and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Place the bones in a stock pot and fill with water, let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Sauté one cup carrots, one cup celery, and one cup onions in butter. Add two tablespoons of flour and, once cooked, add the turkey stock and let simmer for 10 minutes, continuously stirring.

Add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and any leftover cooked vegetables that you may have, and let simmer.

Add turkey meat and 1/4 cup of cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with crusty bread or leftover mash.

Roast Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients:
150 gm roast beef, thinly sliced
One piece ciabatta
10 ml horseradish sauce
5 gm arugula
20 gm onions, thinly sliced
2 slices cheddar cheese

Procedure:

Cut the bread, butter one side of each slide, toast on a griddle.

Spread the horseradish sauce on the buttered side, and assemble the sandwich. Arugula at the bottom, then generous layers of thinly sliced roast beef, cheese, and onions.

CITY OF DREAMS MANILA
Over at City of Dreams Manila, chef Edmundo San Jose from modern Filipino restaurant Haliya shared with us how to serve leftover lechon in a relatively healthy way. What’s more, this Ensaladang Lechon (roast suckling pig salad) shares some similarities with one of Haliya’s signature dishes, Binalot na Cochi.

Ensaladang Lechon

Ingredients:
Leftover lechon or cochinillo
Optional: leftover pork adobo flakes
Homemade atchara (pickled papaya)
Shallot
Butterhead lettuce
Jalapeño
Coriander
Homemade pork liver sauce
Cherry tomatoes
Garlic aioli
Pork liver salsa

Procedure:

Shred the leftover lechon or cochinillo meat and set aside.

Optional: make adobo flakes from leftover adobo.

Prepare pork liver salsa by combining tomatoes, shallots, jalapeño, coriander, spring onion, and homemade pork liver sauce. Set aside.

Assembly / plating:

Prepare the butterhead lettuce.

To make individual portions, place the leftover lechon or cochinillo on each butterhead lettuce leaf.

Top with jalapeño, atchara, garlic aioli, shallots, adobo flakes, and coriander.

PUREFOODS

Finally, from the source of a lot of the hams (and beer) on our tables, the San Miguel Corp. provided us with some recipes for what to do with all that leftover ham and cheese.

Boscaiola Frittata

Ingredients:
Two tbsp Magnolia Gold Butter
UnsaltedOne can (198 gm) button mushrooms, pieces and stems, drained
Three cloves garlic, mincedOne stalk
(5 gm) parsley, chopped (1 tbsp)
200 grams Purefoods Fiesta Ham, diced or cut into thin strips
1/4 tsp iodized fine salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Six Magnolia Brown Eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Magnolia Fresh Milk
1/2 cup grated Magnolia Queso de Bola

Procedure:

In an eight-inch frying pan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and ham. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, and cheese. Pour over the mushroom-ham mixture in the pan.

Cover and cook over lower heat until set. Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle. Toothpick should be clean and without egg mixture when taken out.

Add some chopped vegetables to add color, nutrition, and to further extend dish. Serve with muffins, sliced bread or rice.

Fiesta Ham Beer Stew

Ingredients:
Two tbsp Magnolia Butter-licious!
One red onion, chopped
Six cloves (20 gm) garlic, chopped
One (1 kg) package of Purefoods Fiesta Ham, sliced
One pack (300 gm) marble potatoes, cut in half
One bottle (330 ml) San Miguel Beer Pale Pilsen
One cup beef stock
1/4 tsp iodized fine salt
Two bay leaves
Five black peppercorns
One (250 gm) carrot, cubed
One (100 gm) green bell pepper, chopped
One (100 gm) red bell pepper, chopped

Procedure:

In a pot over medium heat, melt margarine and sauté onion, garlic, and ham until lightly browned.

Add marble potatoes, beer, stock, salt, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes.

Add carrot and simmer for 10 minutes or until tender. Add bell peppers and simmer for 1 minute.

Note:
The base recipe is good also for leftover Purefoods Jamon Royale and Purefoods Chinese Ham. Adjust salt further for Chinese Ham. If a saucy dish is desired, thicken the dish with a cornstarch mixture (1:1). Stir in while mixture is simmering until the sauce thickens. — Joseph L. Garcia

But according to data from Morning Consult, fewer people in the US participated in Dry January in 2023. Older generations show the least interest. That’s a shame, because the health benefits of consuming less alcohol couldn’t be clearer.

Maybe one way to get more on board would be to extol moderation rather than abstinence. For some, a dry-as-the-desert January can feel daunting — maybe you don’t want to forgo the celebratory glass of champagne for a birthday or anniversary, or skip the fancy cocktail at a restaurant you’ve been waiting months to try. If you’ll cave once or twice, why bother at all?

But there are still health benefits to a “damp” January, where drinkers pare back rather than abstain. Even a moderate month can offer one of the biggest benefits of Dry January: reflecting on one’s relationship with alcohol.

That means noticing why you have the impulse to grab a drink — for example, how often is it a response to stress? Does it feel daunting to mingle at a party without a glass of wine in your hand? Is one nightly drink turning into two or three?

Whether dry or damp, January can also be a chance to take inventory of how your body feels on less booze. If your sleep improves, your mind is clearer in the morning, or you don’t find yourself reaching for the Advil or Tums as often, your body might be telling you to consider more than just a month of moderation.

That’s a message worth listening to, especially for women, who are catching up to men when it comes to alcohol use disorder — a trend that is especially worrisome when considering women are more vulnerable to the worst health effects of drinking.

But even a damp January requires a plan, says George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. “You can’t wiffle waffle and get chaotic about it.”

To avoid wiffling and waffling, Mr. Koob shares a few principles of self-regulation: monitoring, strength, and standards. Set a goal for how often you plan to abstain (your standards), have the internal fortitude to stay the course (your strength), and keep track of your progress (monitoring).

Monitoring can be as simple as jotting down how many drinks you’ve had on a sticky note or as involved as formally signing up through an app. If you’re someone that thrives on closing all the rings on your Apple Watch or seeing a badge appear on Strava, an app might provide the right kind of motivation.

In theory, these apps can also help with the “strength” side of staying the course by offering reminders and tips like mocktail recipes or strategies for socializing without liquid courage. Try Dry, a free app from Alcohol Change UK, a charity that helped to popularize Dry January over a decade ago, will also tally up your weekly savings from forgoing booze.

One thing to leave off your plan for a more sober month: THC. Companies making cannabis-infused drinks are eager to step in to fill the glasses left empty during Dry January. One firm, Cann, is going so far as to try to rebrand the month as “Cannuary,” and in an e-mail pitch said transactions tripled in January and February of 2023 during its campaign to convert alcohol drinkers to marijuana users.

When I asked Mr. Koob if these companies were offering a reasonable substitute during Dry January, his answer was immediate and emphatic: No. “In a sense, you’re self-medicating if you have to substitute one psychotropic substance for another,” he says. And while cannabis companies like to argue that THC is much safer than other social lubricants, that doesn’t mean it’s benign; rather, its effects on the body are much different (and less comprehensively studied) than alcohol.

As Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, told Bloomberg earlier this year, “both are associated with harms and both can lead to addiction.” It would be a mistake to turn Dry January into High January.

That’s an especially important message for younger generations. Surveys show Gen Z and millennials are increasingly interested in taking a more moderate approach to alcohol, but are also clearly the target audience for these cannabis companies.

Whether your January is bone-dry or moderately damp, it’s well worth the effort. If done right, the benefits of taking a break can linger well past the marketing schtick of a sober month. One study in the UK showed that people who took a January break continue to be more balanced in their drinking six months later. That’s an outcome that can make a real difference in our health. —Bloomberg Opinion

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The Peninsula celebrates the Feast of the Three Kings

THE PENINSULA Manila brings the holiday season to a close with the Celebration of the Feast of the Three Kings on Jan. 6, Saturday. From 11 am to noon, the Three Kings will visit The Peninsula Manila, bringing with them presents for children. There will be special celebrations starting with a parade around the hotel bringing the Three Kings from the East — Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar — to The Lobby before proceeding to Escolta restaurant where a buffet lunch awaits guests. The Three Kings lunch buffet price is P3,000 and available from noon to 2:30 p.m. The Feast of the Three Kings is also a time for indulging one’s sweet tooth. Visit The Peninsula Boutique for a taste of Roscon de Reyes (P990), a traditional Spanish brioche-like sweet bread that represents the three kings’ crowns that’s eaten on the Feast of the Three Kings which celebrates Epiphany when the Three Kings came to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. For inquiries or further information call 887-2888, extensions 6691 and 6694 (Restaurant Reservations), e-mail diningpmn@peninsula.com or visit peninsula.com.

New drinks, food, and merch at PHL Starbucks stores

NOW available is The Starbucks’ Winter selection, featuring a variety of new drinks. January also sees new dishes and new merchandise that fit the post-holiday season. The new Starbucks Winter Beverages are: Honey Plum Pure Matcha Latte, topped with plum cold foam and sweet plum sprinkles (available in hot, iced); Vienna Creamy Latte, Starbucks espresso infused with vanilla mascarpone cheese with vanilla seeds, topped with mocha sauce, a creamy mascarpone cheese foam and sprinkles of burnt caramel powder (available in hot, iced, or blended variants); and Coconut Double Mocha Macchiato, espresso, white mocha sauce, coconut milk and mocha drizzle (available in hot, iced, or blended variants). The collection of Starbucks Winter Food includes returning favorites and new dishes. Returning favorites are the Mango Float Cake, a buttery cake layered with mango mousse and soft and crunchy meringue, finished with mango buttercream icing; and My Valentine Doughnut, a doughnut filled with vanilla custard filling. New items are: No Sugar Added White Belgian Chocolate and Pecan Cookie, Acai Berry Bowl Cheesecake, Mixed Berries Yogurt Parfait, Roasted Chicken Caesar Parmesan Cheese and Sun-dried Tomatoes on Focaccia, and the Smoked Bacon and Mushroom Bake. Starbucks Winter Merchandise is available in all Starbucks stores and on the Starbucks flagship store on Lazada and Shopee while supplies last. There is the Guardian Dragon and Its Keeper and 2024 Zodiac Collection which includes Zodiac Dragon inspired mugs and lifestyle items celebrating the Year of the Dragon. Philippine exclusives are the FY24 Coffee and Tea Tumbler which comes with 10 free Tall vouchers for coffee and tea beverages, and festive mugs focusing on scenic views and festivities in different parts of the country. Finally, there is the Starbucks Winter Coffee collection, which is available in all Starbucks stores while supplies last. These are the Single-origin Guatemala Casi Cielo, Single-origin Honduras Marcala, and the Costa Rica Tres Rios.

Mercato Centrale launches new market at Bridgetowne

LAST December, Mercato Centrale launched their latest addition near the Bridgetowne Obstacle Course and The Victor statue in Bridgetowne, Pasig. This newest addition to Mercato Centrale’s markets offers a diverse range of freshly prepared meals, artisanal snacks, and gourmet refreshments. With a focus on quality, variety, and convenience, the market endeavors to cater to the tastes and needs of both athletes and spectators alike. The market is open every week from Thursday to Sunday (4 to 10 p.m.) and offers a combination of live music, chilled beverages, and different cuisines from its vendors. Throughout 2023, Mercato Centrale has actively supported small food businesses across their various markets, including Mercato Food Park, Mercato High StrEAT, Mercato Centrale HQ, and Mercato Centrale at McKinley West in Taguig.

Krispy Kreme is giving away 500,000 doughnuts in 2024

SPOT HAPPY with Krispy Kreme this 2024 and be one of the lucky customers to get a dozen from the more than 500,000 Original Glazed Doughnuts that the American doughnut brand will be giving away for 2024. For the Spot Happy campaign, customers have to spot happy moments in their day and magnify their happiness using the Original Glazed Doughnut as their lens. Krispy Kreme unveiled its Spot Happy video, https://fb.watch/j1Ip_pW1ar/, which shows how. Krispy Kreme stores will be holding the 365 Days of Happy, during which every day in more than 100 stores nationwide for 365 days, will give one dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for free to guests who qualify in their Spot Happy surprise criteria of the day. There are no announced instructions. Just visit a nearby store, and fit the day’s special rule. 365 Days of Happy will run until the end of the year in select stores nationwide, https://bit.ly/SpotHappyMoments.

FairPrice potato chips and nuts now available in supermarkets

PARTY appetizers and at home snacking get a sophisticated twist with FairPrice’s range of potato chips and nuts, including the award-winning Truffle Potato Chips. These new chips and nuts can be enjoyed on their own or paired with food and drinks. Made from 100% fresh potatoes, the crispy FairPrice Potato Chips can be prepared in a bowl with dips, like tomato salsa, cheese, and garlic aioli. For an appetizing pre-dinner experience pair the Truffle Potato Chips with a bottle of wine. Then there is FairPrice’s range of nuts such as Baked Almonds and California Pistachios, which are sourced from the USA. The chips can be found at leading supermarkets in Metro Manila now. FairPrice California Pistachios and Baked Almonds are available at SM Supermarket, Landmark Supermarket, and South Supermarket. FairPrice will also be launching a wider range of nuts in Philippine supermarkets in the coming months. FairPrice’s range of potato chips and nuts are exclusively distributed in the Philippines by High Tower, Inc.

Jollibee offers Mix Match Combos

WHILE customers often seek things that offer the best value for their money, they sometimes feel that they need to settle for less. That is not the case with Jollibee’s Mix Match Combos, where each option combines value and flavor. These combos offer a variety of Jollibee’s best-tasting products, for a filling and wallet-friendly meal — for P75, they can select a main and a side, enjoying savings of up to P45.  First, the customer has to choose one main dish (Yumburger, Jolly Spaghetti, a Burger Steak, or Tuna Pie), then choose one side (Peach Mango Pie, Coke Float, Jolly Crispy Fries, Choco Sundae, or Pineapple Juice). Jollibee’s Mix Match Combos are available nationwide for P75 via dine-in, take-out, or drive-through.

This year will see the entry of new local and international brands.

Opening in Q1 2024 is Morton’s Steakhouse. Founded in Chicago in 1978, USD prime-aged steaks forms part of its core menu, along with fresh seafood, hand-picked produce, appetizers and desserts.

Also launching in Q1 2024 is Fogo de Chão, an internationally renowned restaurant founded in Southern Brazil in 1979. It focuses on the technique of churrasco — roasting high-quality cuts of meat over an open flame. The Bistro Group joins Fogo’s existing international franchise partners in Mexico and the Middle East.

There are also several homegrown restaurant concepts planned for expansion or launching this year, from Filipino, Chinese, Western to Mediterranean cuisines.

The food hall My South Hall at Conrad S’Maison will have a brand refresh with the introduction of new counters including Sarap+ Bistro Filipino, Fratboys & Sons (burgers, wings and salads), Xi Nen Hotpot, and the return of WCKD Milk Tea.

Also in the offing are the launch of Chinese restaurant/bar Red Lotus by Modern Shang and a new Mediterranean brand by Spanish chef Alfredo Rodriguez of Bistronomia.

This year will also see the opening of more branches of existing restaurant concepts.

While an estimated 25% of longevity is determined by our genes, the rest is determined by what we do, day to day.

There are no quick fixes or short cuts to living longer and healthier lives, but the science is clear on the key principles. Here are five things you can do to extend your lifespan and improve your health.

1. Eat a predominantly plant-based diet

What you eat has a huge impact on your health. The evidence overwhelmingly shows eating a diet high in plant-based foods is associated with health and longevity.

If you eat more plant-based foods and less meat, processed foods, sugar, and salt, you reduce your risk of a range of illnesses that shorten our lives, including heart disease and cancer.

Plant-based foods are rich in nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber. They’re also anti-inflammatory. All of this protects against damage to our cells as we age, which helps prevent disease.

No particular diet is right for everyone but one of the most studied and healthiest is the Mediterranean diet. It’s based on the eating patterns of people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and emphases vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, and olive oil.

2. Aim for a healthy weight

Another important way you can be healthier is to try and achieve a healthy weight, as obesity increases the risk of a number of health problems that shorten our lives.

Obesity puts strain on all of our body systems and has a whole myriad of physiological effects including causing inflammation and hormonal disturbances. These increase your chances of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of cancers.

In addition to affecting us physically, obesity is also associated with poorer psychological health. It’s linked to depression, low self-esteem, and stress.

One of the biggest challenges we face in the developed world is that we live in an environment that promotes obesity. The ubiquitous marketing and the easy availability of high-calorie foods our bodies are hard-wired to crave mean it’s easy to consume too many calories.

3. Exercise regularly

We all know that exercise is good for us — the most common resolution we make this time of year is to do more exercise and to get fitter. Regular exercise protects against chronic illness, lowers your stress, and improves your mental health.

While one of the ways exercising helps you is by supporting you to control your weight and lowering your body fat levels, the effects are broader and include improving your glucose (blood sugar) use, lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and improving blood flow and heart function.

While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype about different exercise strategies, the evidence suggests that any way you can include physical activity in your day has health benefits. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym for hours every day. Build movement into your day in any way that you can and do things that you enjoy.

4. Don’t smoke

If you want to be healthier and live longer then don’t smoke or vape.

Smoking cigarettes affects almost every organ in the body and is associated with both a shorter and lower quality of life. There is no safe level of smoking — every cigarette increases your chances of developing a range of cancers, heart disease, and diabetes.

Even if you have been smoking for years, by giving up smoking at any age you can experience health benefits almost immediately, and you can reverse many of the harmful effects of smoking.

If you’re thinking of switching to vapes as a healthy long-term option, think again. The long-term health effects of vaping are not fully understood and they come with their own health risks.

5. Prioritize social connection

When we talk about living healthier and longer, we tend to focus on what we do to our physical bodies. But one of the most important discoveries over the past decade has been the recognition of the importance of spiritual and psychological health.

People who are lonely and socially isolated have a much higher risk of dying early and are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, dementia, as well as anxiety and depression.

Although we don’t fully understand the mechanisms, it’s likely due to both behavioral and biological factors. While people who are more socially connected are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, there also seems to be a more direct physiological effect of loneliness on the body.

So if you want to be healthier and live longer, build and maintain your connections to others.

Hassan Vally is an associate professor in Epidemiology at Deakin University.

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THE theater, dance, and music scene last year was vibrant and jampacked, and it seems that 2024 will be no different. Here are some shows that will keep calendars full this year.

FATE
JAN. 12
The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) starts off the year with an evening of classical mastery. For Fate, its 5th concert in its 39th season which started last year, the PPO will perform Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.4 Op. 36 in F minor and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 Op. 15 in D minor under the baton of Grzegorz Nowak. American pianist Jerome Rose will be the guest soloist for this symphonic journey. The concert will take place at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

KUMPRONTASYON
JAN. 18 – 21
PETA Plus will start the year with Kumprontasyon, a revival of one-act plays that previously ran as a thesis by director Melvin Lee in September. The three plays, which challenge the audience to confront the country’s unresolved historical past, will be shown this month at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City.

Kumprontasyon includes Lakambini by Allan Palileo, featuring performances by Sherry Lara and Teroy Guzman, The Impossible Dream by Guelan Luarca, featuring performances by Romnick Sarmenta and Ron Capinding, and A Color for Tomorrow by Joshua Lim So, featuring performances by Missy Maramara, Adrienne Vergara, Gillian Vicencio, Eric Dela Cruz, and Carlon Matobato.

PRINSIPE BAHAGHARI
JAN. 19 – 28
Mulat Theater’s Prinsipe Bahaghari, Vladimeir Gonzales’ Filipino puppet adaptation of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, will be returning to the stage this month. Directed by Aina Ramolete, the puppet play revolves around the journey of the Rainbow Prince who is in search of a companion who would help him in caring for his flower, the Gumamela, in his home planet.

This adaptation has puppets made from rattan and uses Filipino culture and language to make the play accessible to children. The January run will be staged at the PowerMac Center Spotlight Blackbox Theater of Circuit Makati.

JOY AND DALOY
JAN. 27
The Daloy Dance Company and Joy Alpuerto Ritter are bringing Joy and Daloy to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) stage in a one-night-only show. The twin-bill production will feature the dances ItikLandia and BABAE, showcasing a mix of creative choreography, explorations of compelling themes, and fusions of traditional Filipino elements with contemporary expressions.

The show aims to help foster a deeper appreciation for contemporary dance. It will take place at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.

HERO Z
JANUARY TO MAY
The Philippine Stagers Foundation is currently touring a historical fiction musical with zombies nationwide. Hero Z, written and directed by the multi-awarded film and theater director Vince Tañada, features music by composer Pipo Cifra. It stars Johnrey Rivas, Vean Olmedo, Adelle Ibarrientos, Gerald Magallanes, Oj Arci, Jp Lopez, Chin Ortega, Rotsen Etolle, Bea Martin, and Fidel Redado.

The musical looks at the struggles of four friends whose lives are juxtaposed with those of heroes Bonifacio, Rizal, Kudarat, and Mabini, as they fight modern ills of a dystopic place and time. The musical will be staged in various venues across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

PIANO RAPTURE
FEB. 9
Celebrity pianist Krystian Zimerman will take center stage in the PPO’s 6^th concert for its 39^th season, Piano Rapture, on Feb. 9.

Grzegrz Nowak will conduct the orchestra as they perform Stanislaw Moniuszko’s The Fairy Tale Overture, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto no. 4, op. 58, G major, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony no. 2 op. 27. The concert will take place at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

RAMA, HARI
FEBRUARY
Alice Reyes Dance Philippines’ ballet Rama, Hari, which ran at The Metropolitan Theater and at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater last September, will  have a rerun in February. The modern rock opera-ballet is a collaboration of five National Artists and an adaptation of the epic Sanskrit poem “Ramayana.”

The production features popular singers and incorporates traditional theater, song, and dance devices found and shared among Asian nations. Returning cast members have yet to be announced.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE
FEBRUARY – MARCH
The Sandbox Collective’s 10^th anniversary season begins with The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, an award-winning Broadway musical about an eclectic group of six mid-pubescents who vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime.

The musical will be under the direction of Missy Maramara, with SPIT’s Dingdong Rosales as assistant director and Rony Fortich as musical director. It will run from February to March at the PowerMac Center Spotlight Theater, Circuit Makati.

DON PASQUALE
MARCH 8
Don Pasquale, the PPO’s penultimate concert of the season, will focus on the magic of opera. It will be a semi-staged opera performance of Gaetano Donizetti’s Don Pasquale as the orchestra plays under the guidance of Grzergorz Nowak. The performance will take place at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

BETRAYAL
MARCH 1 – 17
An acclaimed play by British theater icon and Nobel Prize winner in Literature Harold Pinter will be making its Manila premiere this March. Repertory Philippines will be mounting the production at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of RCBC Plaza in Makati.

The cast features London-based Filipino actors James Bradwell, James Cooney, and Vanessa White, with Jef Flores and Regina De Vera as covers. The production employs a reverse-chronological structure to examine the consequences of an extramarital affair on three complex individuals. The production will be directed by Manila-born and New York and London-based actor and theater director Victor Lirio.

PINGKIAN: ISANG MUSIKAL
MARCH 1 – 24
Tanghalang Pilipino’s final production of its 37^th season is the debut of Pingkian: Isang Musikal, an exploration of the life of Emilio Jacinto as the Philippine revolution ends and leads up to the start of the Philippine-American war.

The musical will star Vic Robinson as Emilio Jacinto and Gab Pangilinan as his wife, Catalina de Jesus. It will be directed by Jenny Jamora, with a book by Juan Ekis and music by Ejay Yatco, who also serves as musical director.

MISS SAIGON
MARCH 23 – MAY 5
GMG Productions will bring the touring production of Miss Saigon to the Theatre at Solaire from March 23 to May 5. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor, featuring a musical staging by Bob Avian with extra choreography by Geoffrey Garratt. The musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg features lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil. The cast has yet to be announced.

FETE FRANCAISE
APRIL 19
The PPO’s 39^th season shall culminate with its eighth concert, Fete Francaise, on April 19. The orchestra will perform a commissioned Filipino work, Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, op. 28, and Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloé, Suites 1 & 2.

Violinist Diomedes Saraza will be the guest performer and Grzegorz Nowak will conduct the orchestra. The concert will take place at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Circuit Makati.

ONE MORE CHANCE THE MUSICAL
APRIL
PETA has announced that it will be staging One More Chance the Musical, featuring the music of Ben&Ben, this April at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. The story, based on a 2007 Star Cinema film of the same name, follows two college sweethearts who face the challenges of adult life and their tumultuous romantic journey, including struggles, conflicts, and an eventual breakup.

The announcement was made by Ben&Ben at the closing night curtain call of PETA’s production of Walang Aray in October. The stage adaptation of the film will serve as the theater company’s season ender.

KUNG PAANO NANALO SA KARERA SI ROSANG TABA
APRIL
Dulaang UP’s Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba, based on a short story by Dean Francis Alfar, is returning this April.

Adapted by Rody Vera and Maynard Manansala, directed by Jose Estrella, and starring Kiki Baento in the titular role, the play was initially staged at the University Theater Main Stage of UP Diliman in March and April of 2023. More details on the rerun have yet to be announced.

I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE
JUNE 7 TO 30
Repertory Philippines will be bringing another Off-Broadway musical to RCBC Plaza’s Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium this year. Written by Joe Di Pietro (book and lyrics) and Jimmy Roberts (music), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is a series of vignettes on love and relationships involving a wide cast of characters, ranging from big-city singles and awkward wallflowers to suburban settlers and sassy seniors. They will all be played by a cast of four.

The show will be directed by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, with Cara Barredo as assistant director. Also in the creative team are Ejay Yatco (musical direction) and Joey Mendoza (set design).

PATINTERO SA AYALA AVENUE
JUNE
Written and directed by Rafael Jimenez, a new original Filipino play entitled Patintero sa Ayala Avenue will be staged by CAST PH — best known for their staged readings — in June at a venue that has yet to be announced.

The story centers on a 16-year-old boy who is kicked out of school and has a night on the town in Makati’s Poblacion to find out what happens to the lights on Ayala Avenue after Christmas. The show will star Zoë de Ocampo.

VIRGIN LABFEST
JUNE
CCP’s annual theater festival Virgin Labfest (VLF), which is usually held around June, selected 12 one-act plays for its 19^th edition this year. The 12 untried, untested, and unstaged plays were selected from 145 submissions received early last year.

The selection committee was composed of festival directors Tess Jamias and Marco Viaña, together with VLF founders Writers Bloc Inc.’s Rody Vera and director-playwright Herbie Go.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
JULY – AUGUST
The Sandbox Collective will be staging the sci-fi musical Little Shop of Horrors, which is one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows. The tongue-in-cheek comedy has been produced worldwide and will make its return to the Philippine stage under the direction of the theater group’s Managing Artistic Director, Toff De Venecia, with musical direction by pianist and musical director Ejay Yatco.

It will run from July to August at the Globe Auditorium, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

OTHELLO
OCTOBER
The second play in CAST PH’s season is Shakespeare’s Othello, which will be directed by the company’s artistic director Nelsito Gomez. The production will star Tarek El Tayech as Othello, Gab Pangilinan as Desdemona, Maronne Cruz as Emilia, and Reb Atadero as Iago.

One of William Shakespeare’s renowned tragedies, believed to have been written around 1603, the play is set in Venice and the island of Cyprus, and revolves around themes of jealousy, manipulation, and racism. Further details on this particular staging like the full cast, venue, and ticketing details have yet to be announced.

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS
NOVEMBER
The Sandbox Collective will conclude its 2024 season with the Manila premiere of Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos. Recently released as a limited TV series starring Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things is a play about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions that have no answers.

The show is set to be directed by Jenny Jamora. It will have a three-week limited engagement in November at the Zobel De Ayala Recital Hall, Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC, Taguig.

GOING HOME TO CHRISTMAS
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER
Repertory Philippines will cap the season with Going Home to Christmas, an original jukebox musical featuring the music of Jose Mari Chan, whose name has become synonymous with Christmas. It will be directed by Leo Rialp, and written by Robbie Guevara, Luna Griño-Inocian, and Joel Trinidad, with additional scenes by Cathy Azanza-Dy.

Though the story is still being written, Ms. Griño-Inocian teased that it centers on four relationships between father and son, husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend. “It is set in an airport because everyone is going home to Christmas,” she said. “It’s sort of like Love Actually except it’s very Pinoy in sentiment and a lot of the stories will sound familiar.”

SHOWS WITH DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
Jonathan Larson’s beloved musical Rent will be restaged this year by 9 Works Theatrical, following the company’s staging of Larsen’s other work tick, tick… BOOM! in 2023. Auditions for Rent were held last September, so casting announcements will be coming soon. The musical was last staged in the Philippines in 2010 and 2011.

Another original jukebox musical is coming to the Newport World Resorts stage this year. Buruguduystunstugudunstuy: Ang Parokya ni Edgar Musical will be performed at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, with a cast led by Felicity Kyle Napuli, Marynor Madamesila, Tex Ordoñez-De Leon, and Natasha Cabrera. It is directed by Dexter M. Santos, with a book by Rody Vera and musical direction and arrangement by Ejay Yatco.

Finally, there is Repertory Theater for Young Audiences’ (RTYA) offering this year: Jepoy and the Magic Circle. An adaptation of a children’s story by Gilda Cordero Fernando, the light-hearted musical centers on Jepoy and his dog, Galis, as they enter the whimsical balete world to attend a tikbalang wedding. The adaptation will be directed by RTYA creative director Joy Virata and written by Rody Vera, with music and lyrics by Ejay Yatco. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

The standing order for Ms. Zarelli and her colleagues is to work with just chemistry, physics, and history and leave any excitement and awe at the door.

“The emotion of working on something like a Michelangelo is truly indescribable,” said Ms. Zarelli, 56, who helped restore a fresco by the Renaissance master in the Pauline Chapel.

“But I try to remain detached while I am working. I have to concentrate on the material and the work that I have to do, otherwise the emotion would paralyze me,” she said while working on a painting from 1550 called Enthroned Madonna and Child with Saints by Italian artist Moretto da Brescia.

“At the end of the day I keep some moments for myself to contemplate and enjoy the emotion of being so close to marvelous masterpieces,” she said

She is one of about 36 members of an elite team at the Vatican Museums’ restoration lab for paintings and wood.

The team is responsible for looking after thousands of square meters of wall paintings, including the Sistine Chapel frescoes, as well as some 5,300 framed oil paintings and dozens of wooden statues.

A CENTURY OF RESTORATION
The restoration of the Moretto painting included a new internal frame, smoothing out deformations caused by humidity, removal of oxidized varnishes and retouches on both the painting as well as the gilded external frame.

The painting and wood restoration lab, one of eight specialized units in the museums, allowed a few news organizations rare access in December to mark its 100^th anniversary.

Restoration techniques are constantly changing and today’s restorers often have to repair or remove mistakes of their predecessors who worked decades or even centuries ago with rudimentary techniques.

Another problem, usually from the distant past, is that restorers were not technicians but artists in their own right, some of whom thought they could “improve” the original by adding highlights or contrasts, according to the lab’s director, Francesca Persegati.

“It’s important to be humble in this job, to respect the work but also to have a scientific background to understand the materials,” she said.

Before a painting even reaches the lab, it already has undergone tests using ultra-violet, infra-red and other non-invasive methods to detect paint added later, pigmentation and any underlying sketches.

In another part of the lab, Caterina Manisco was restoring an 1895 painting called Madonna and Child Between St. Theresa and St. Francis, by Emma Richards. The Italian-born artist worked in the court of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, a rarity for a woman at the time.

“Because she was a woman, I somehow feel very close to her,” said Manisco, 40, an external restorer at the lab.

To mark the 100^th anniversary of the paintings and wood lab, the museums have placed QR codes near 37 works of art, allowing visitors to see beyond the surface and experience the many layers in the life of a restoration. — Reuters

This is a shame because there is a lot of great crime writing going on around the world. Below we offer a list of five novels by writers from Italy, Japan, Israel, New Zealand, and Finland. They might have passed you by, but are well worth reading.

1. Out of Season by Antonio Manzini

Out of Season (Harper, 2018), translated by Anthony Shugaar, is an engaging novel from bestselling Italian author Antonio Manzini. This is part of a crime series centered on police chief Rocco Schiavone, who has been exiled to the town of Aosta in the Alps after a dust up with his superiors in Rome.

A city lover who likes the sun and light clothing, Schiavone finds it very hard to get used to a mountainous, gossipy town and its constant cold weather. Grumpy and endowed with a “Roman” (that is, very cynical) sense of humor, Schiavone is an “outsider” police detective. He is surrounded by a group of loyal subordinates, including the young and efficient Italo Pierron and Caterina Rispoli, but also the hopeless D’Intino who provides light moments in a series featuring gritty and violent crimes.

In this novel, spring has finally arrived and Schiavone investigates a kidnapping and brutal murder that intersect with a mysterious car accident. The chapters move between the point of view of Chiara, a young woman from a rich and influential family who has been kidnapped, and Schiavone’s efforts to find her before it’s too late.

Like much Italian crime fiction, this novel delves into the topical issues of gender violence, criminal organizations, and extortionate moneylending in an Italy experiencing a crippling economic crisis.

Despite the serious issues tackled, Out of Season makes for engaging and easy reading due to the character of Schiavone, his biting sarcasm, and his confronting (and irresistible) way of dealing with others.

2. The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda

Crime fiction has a long history in Japan, something anglophone publishers are just starting to discover.

Pushkin Vertigo have published the classic detective novels of Seishi Yokomizo and Yukito Ayatsuji to great acclaim. Penguin has also gotten in on the act, releasing Seicho Matsumoto’s Tokyo Express in its Modern Classics series.

The focus on classic detective novels hasn’t distracted publishers from translating more contemporary works. Riku Onda’s The Aosawa Murders, published by Bitter Lemon in 2022 and translated by Alison Watts, is one remarkable example. Onda is the pen name of Nanae Kumagai, one of Japan’s leading contemporary crime writers.

The Aosawa Murders is one of the most interesting, innovative crime novels of recent years. The murder at the heart of the novel is the mass poisoning of 17 people who attend a party hosted by the Aosawa family. Only two people survive: the housekeeper and Hisako, the attractive, blind daughter.

The novel doesn’t follow the usual pattern of much crime fiction. It doesn’t directly offer an investigation into the murders. Rather, an unnamed narrator investigates an early true crime account of the murders by Makiko Seiga, a neighbor.

The novel consists of a series of interviews with Seiga, her brother, witnesses, police officers, and, finally, the surviving family member and prime suspect, Hisako.

What stands out is the one-sided nature of these interviews. One of the significant features of crime fiction is the strong voice of the detective. Think Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe. Yet, in The Aosawa Murders, readers almost always receive the interviewees’ responses. Rarely do we hear the questions or comments made by the interviewer.

Readers, thus, have to piece together the mystery behind the writing of the true crime story before making sense of the crime itself. This allows the story to focus on the broader impact of the crime. The Aosawa Murders is literary crime fiction at its best.

3. Murder in Jerusalem by Batya Gur

The last instalment of Batya Gur’s Michael Ohayon crime series, Murder in Jerusalem, delves into Israeli society’s internal divisions and the troubled history of the state of Israel.

Ohayon is quiet and introspective and looks more like an intellectual than a policeman. His bookcase is filled with works by Chekhov, Gogol, Flaubert, Balzac, and Faulkner. He has a masters degree in Medieval history and started a PhD but abandoned a university career to marry his pregnant girlfriend. He is always in charge of complicated mysteries in which he makes use of his education to clear the smokescreen created by the villain.

In Murder in Jerusalem (Harper Collins, 2006), translated by Evan Fallenberg, the investigation starts with the death of Tirzah Rubin, a set designer for Israel’s state television station, who is found dead on the set of a film adaptation of a classic of Jewish literature, SY Agnon’s story “Iddo and Eynam.”

The tragedy is initially treated as an accident, but when the head of production, Matty Cohen, also dies, it becomes apparent the deaths are not accidental.

Ohayon is called to investigate what eventually becomes a multiple murder investigation with its roots in the Six-Day War. Ohayon’s investigation reveals the crimes are the consequences of past violence and injustice never acknowledged or addressed. This thought-provoking novel offers insight into the world of TV journalism while condemning state propaganda and extreme nationalism.

Murder in Jerusalem is also a powerful endorsement for a peaceful coexistence with a Palestinian state. Sadly, it provides very topical reading in these troubled times.

Readers may also be interested in Palestinian writer Adania Shibli’s Minor Detail, translated by Elisabeth Jaquette and published by Text (2020). Minor Detail recounts a historical crime during the war of 1948 and its present-day investigation by a Palestinian woman.

4. The Pain Tourist by Paul Cleave

A cold case involving a home invasion in which two people died nine years earlier in Christchurch, New Zealand, is at the center of the intricate plot of The Pain Tourist (Orenda Books, 2022).

The victims’ son, James, has revived from a coma with memories that might provide clues to the crime, and police detective Rebecca Kent is assigned the case.

Things get complicated for Kent, as she is also investigating the rape and murder of a woman by a notorious New Zealand serial killer, The Cleaner. Or is it a copycat murder?

The novel alternates between different perspectives. These include Kent’s investigations, the villain’s thoughts, and the memories James lived with during his years in a coma.

Readers of The Pain Tourist also become acquainted (or reacquainted) with Theodore Tate, the detective protagonist of four novels by Paul Cleave who ran the original investigation into the murder of James’ parents. Tate is now working as a consultant for true crime television shows. Thus, the novel explores the fascination of audiences with the dark side of the human mind and media exploitation of crime, (hence the title).

Moving between past and present, The Pain Tourist is a beautifully written page turner with a final twist.

5. The Healer by Antti Tuomainen

Crime fiction has always responded to the burning issues of its time and place. Currently, these are the crisis of democracy, social and economic inequality, gender and sexuality, legacies of colonialism, and environmental degradation.

Finnish novelist Antti Tuomainen’s The Healer (Harvill Secker, 2012), translated by Lola Rogers, is one of the first crime novels to have tackled climate change.

The Healer is set in the near future in Helsinki. Yet, the Finnish capital is unrecognizable. Unrestricted economic development has accelerated global warming. Floods, rising sea levels, plagues, pandemics, and war have led to the mass displacement of over 650 million refugees. Waterfront suburbs are under water.

This provides the setting for the search for a missing journalist, Johanna, who was investigating a number of brutal murders by a self-styled Healer. His motivation is to punish individuals who have contributed to the ensuing disaster.

Unsurprisingly, given the social breakdown, the police are uninterested in spending time looking for a missing woman. Instead, it falls to her husband, Tapani, a poet, to find his wife. He is assisted in this by a North-African climate refugee called Hamid.

The Healer is an example of “crimate” fiction. That is, novels that attempt to narrate the climate crisis through a criminal framework. The climate catastrophe is not a mere backdrop. It is a fundamental part of the story.

By setting the story in the near future, Tuomainen makes visible the slow violence caused by everyday practices. In doing so, he wants readers to reflect on how current acceptable behaviors may – in the fullness of time – be viewed as criminal.

Stewart King is an Associate Professor, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics and Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities at Monash University. Barbara Pezzotti is a Senior Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at Monash University. Both receive funding from the Australian Research Council.

Abdul, who rose to fame as a chart-topping singer in the late 1980s, alleged in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator during the early seasons of TV singing competition series American Idol.

Lythgoe, the producer of several hit television talent competitions, allegedly groped Abdul’s breasts and genitals, among other unwanted physical contact in a hotel elevator after a day of auditions for American Idol. Abdul tried to push him away and ran as soon as the elevator doors opened, court documents said.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach Abdul or Lythgoe for comment.

Lythogoe denied the allegations, according to TMZ.

“For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues,” he told TMZ. “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.”

According to court documents, Abdul immediately reported the assault by Lythgoe, an American Idol producer at the time, to her representatives but did not take action for fear of losing her job, the lawsuit said.

Moreover, Abdul’s contracts prohibited her from speaking out, the lawsuit said.

Another alleged assault took place years later when Abdul worked as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, according to court documents. The star, 61, enjoyed renewed popularity in the early 2000s starring as a judge on talent TV series.

The lawsuit alleges Lythgoe, 74, assaulted her on the couch of his Los Angeles home after a work dinner. Abdul again firmly rejected him and “immediately left Lythgoe’s home,” court documents said.

In the lawsuit, Abdul levels other allegations at the entertainment industry mogul, including that Lythgoe once called to taunt her and said it had been “seven years and the statute of limitations had run” on the alleged assaults.

The lawsuit alleged that the star also witnessed Lythgoe assault one of her assistants on So You Think You Can Dance.

The lawsuit was submitted days before the Dec. 31 filing deadline established under the California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. The legislation allows individuals to bring certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise have fallen outside the statute of limitations. — Reuters

THE WINNER for Best Picture at the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival’s Gabi ng Parangal, Firefly, truly deserved it, and then some more.

At the core of the story is the relationship between a boy (Tonton, played by Euwenn Mikael Aleta, who grows up to be Anthony Alvaro, played by Dingdong Dantes) and his mother (Elay, played by Alessandra de Rossi). The two bond over Elay’s tales of an island of fireflies, where one can make a wish. Anthony Alvaro has become a successful children’s book author, and recounts the stories behind his books in a series of flashbacks.

(Spoilers ahead!)

Elay dies early on in the film, and Tonton sets off to find the island to bring his mother back to life. He rides a bus and meets his own merry band: Billy, a teenage grump (Miguel Tanfelix); ex-con Louie (Jeffrey Quizon), and teenage con artist Erika (Ysabel Ortega). After getting kicked off the bus, the three have to get Tonton to where he needs to be.

The film is lovingly shot mostly in natural light, and the effect is almost curative against the seasonal blues. Each scene, bathed — even saturated — in such light, almost reaches out from the screen, allowing the audience an immersive experience. The film discusses a lot about light (as in the fireflies, and then some), so it makes sense for sunlight itself to appear almost as another character. The film shows stunning views of Bicol, as well as a stunning view of Manila Bay, so a Filipino viewer can suddenly begin to have more affection for this land. Not only does the film show the country in such sun-kissed glory; it shows these islands almost in a magical light, and one suddenly feels that fantastic stories can happen, right here.

Young Mr. Aleta took home the Best Child Performer award this year; deservedly so. The boy has an air of both innocence and adventure that draws one in and makes one want to know what happens to him. Alessandra de Rossi, meanwhile, stole the screen in the 20 or so minutes that she appears. While she appears only in flashbacks and narrations after her death, her presence has a pull that makes one understand and love her as much as her son in the film does. Another standout performance was Jeffrey Quizon’s, playing a remorseful ex-con returning to his family. It was a delight watching him, with a face so much like his father’s (the late “Comedy King” Dolphy), and the same sad air of a tragic clown (we noticed that he furrowed his brow just like his dad).

We think that everybody of all ages should see this movie. The movie feels like kids’ adventure movies of yore, where children could change their lives with a bike and a dream. It would remind children that there is wonder in the world still; and other worlds to explore, right here at home. For adults, it’s a nice-enough movie to think about our whys, and a way to restore some hope and innocence. — Joseph L. Garcia

ONE can make an effective, if lazy horror flick with several jump scares lined up like ducks at a shoot. However, truly masterful works of horror exist to subvert ideas about things we love and depend on. Kampon uses a combination of gore, jump scares, and queasy dread for a story that sits uncomfortably in the mind long after the movie has ended.

There are few things more sacred to the Filipino than family, and Kampon raises a menacing eyebrow to this ideal. Ex-cop Clark (played by Derek Ramsay, perhaps a nod to his turn as a cop in anti-piracy ads) and his wife Eileen (played by Beauty Gonzales) long for a child but are unable to conceive. Pressure and passive-aggressive praise from friends and family don’t help the situation, and Eileen slides further into a slump. One night, a child named Jade (Erin Espiritu) appears at their doorstep, claiming to be Clark’s long-lost daughter. Both reluctantly take in the child, but Eileen gradually begins to warm to her, while a guilty Clark’s resentment for this girl festers every day. The girl, meanwhile, shows a measure of control over dark forces, and strange things begin to happen in their house.

(Spoilers ahead!)

This film is messed up, and we mean that in the best way possible. Ms. Gonzales, known for her telenovela roles, turns out to be an effective ingenue. We dread along with her as the child slowly addles this mother figure, and when revenants summoned by the child carry her off to a terrible fate, she does so in a lovely white dress that emphasizes her role in all of this as an unwilling pawn. Mr. Ramsay plays his character well, which means that we sat on the fence whether to love him or hate him. On one hand, he effectively plays the role of a protective father figure, but then, the things he’s protecting his family from are all mostly his fault. What these say about Filipino parental figures is up to your interpretation.

As for the child actor, Ms. Espiritu, well: she has the air of a young Anne Curtis (now a big star), and shows amazing restraint and skill in a demanding role. The thing is though, despite the terrible things we see her do in the film, the young girl registers on the screen as an object of sympathy still. Together with an intelligently written script, the three twist the image of home and family, and one leaves the theater with some revulsion.

Horror isn’t horror without special effects, and there is some relief in that the film employs elegant restraint in their use. Sure, there’s gore and guts and twisting necks, but the camera lingers on them for seconds only, respecting the audience to piece the rest with their own imaginations, leading to true horror. Several times during the film, this writer found himself holding up a hand to block the screen: both to shield the eyes from what comes next, but also an entreaty for the horrors to stop — therefore making this film a true terror. Even the “zombies” in the film have a calm, if unconvincing, serenity and dignity to them, leading one to actually sympathize with them. This would have been a stumbling block in another film, but it works in Kampon.

The film might usher in a new era of horror in this country, and help sweep away some of the schlock and unintentional comedy that marks many of our horror films. We invite everyone to watch this to see the beginning of what could be a horror renaissance.  — Joseph L. Garcia

DENMARK’S Queen Margrethe II, Europe’s longest-serving monarch, will abdicate on Jan. 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she announced on Sunday.

The 83-year-old queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, made the surprise announcement on live TV during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech, which is viewed by many in the country of 5.9 million people.

Referring to a successful back operation she underwent in February, she said, “The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future — whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.”

“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I will step down as queen of Denmark,” she said.

“I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she said.

The queen became the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. In July, she became the longest-sitting monarch in Denmark’s history.

In Denmark, formal power resides with the elected parliament and its government. The monarch is expected to stay above partisan politics, representing the nation with traditional duties ranging from state visits to national day celebrations.

Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the queen for her life-long dedication to duty.

“It is still difficult to understand that the time has now come for a change of throne,” Ms. Frederiksen said in a statement, adding that many Danes had never known another monarch.

“Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a nation,” she said.

Born in 1940 to Denmark’s former monarch King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid, Margrethe has throughout her life enjoyed broad support from Danes, who are fond of her tactful and yet creative personality.

She is also known for her love of archaeology and has taken part in several excavations.

She became heir to her father in 1953 at the age of 31, after a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne.

In 1967, she married French diplomat Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, who served as her royal consort until his death in 2018.

The couple’s two sons are Crown Prince Frederik, who will become King Frederik X, and Prince Joachim. Frederik married Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, an Australian, in 2004. — Reuters

CHINESE lawmakers on Friday weighed in on a fiery online debate on whether fireworks should be used to ring in the Lunar New Year in February, saying a total ban on pyrotechnics in the country credited with inventing them would be hard to implement.

In an unusually frank response, lawmakers said air pollution prevention laws and fire safety regulations have led to “differences in understanding” of the ban on fireworks, which was never absolute.

In 2017, official data showed 444 cities had banned fireworks. Since then, some cities have scaled back curbs, allowing fireworks at certain times of the year and at designated venues.

This month, however, many counties rolled out notices prohibiting fireworks, rekindling discussion on the ban.

“We’ve the right to fireworks,” wrote a user of Weibo, a popular Chinese microblog.

According to folklore, the earliest fireworks were invented 2,000 years ago to drive away the nian, a mythical beast that preyed on people and livestock on the eve of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.

Since then, fireworks have been used to celebrate other occasions: this January, after three years of COVID-19 curbs were lifted, some people defied bans — and authorities — and set off firecrackers.

But some Chinese said the firework bans were necessary to protect the environment.

“It should be regulated due to pollution and safety (fire) hazards,” a Weibo user said.

In an online poll by the official Beijing Youth Daily this week, however, over 80% of respondents expressed support for fireworks during the Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar.

Some also said the ban was ironic after the United Nations last week adopted the Spring Festival as an official holiday, a move cheered by Chinese officials.

“The Spring Festival belongs to the world, but China’s is almost gone,” wrote another Weibo user.

In southern Hunan province, a major fireworks manufacturing hub, exports totaled 4.11 billion yuan ($579 million) in January to November, state media reported, far exceeding domestic sales. — Reuters

Actresses Nathalie Baye and Carole Bouquet — a former partner of Depardieu — as well as singer and former first lady Carla Bruni were among the more than 50 household cultural figures who called Depardieu the victim of a public “lynching.”

Entitled ‘Don’t Cancel Gerard Depardieu,’ the letter published this week in conservative daily Le Figaro alleged Mr. Depardieu had been the recipient of a “torrent of hatred.”

“We can no longer remain silent in the face of the lynching that has descended upon him,” the letter’s authors wrote.

“Gerard Depardieu is probably the greatest of all actors. When you attack Gerard Depardieu like this, it is art you are attacking.”

Mr. Depardieu, 75, who has starred in scores of French-language movies, rising to prominence in 1974 with Going Places, has been at the center of a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years.

In March, 2022, investigative magistrates placed Mr. Depardieu under formal investigation in one case on suspicion of rape and sexual assault. Actress Charlotte Arnould, 28, later revealed she was behind those accusations, saying she could not bear remaining silent any longer. Since then, more than ten women have accused Mr. Depardieu of sexual violence.

Mr. Depardieu has consistently denied any wrongdoing and through his lawyers previously “firmly rejected” the accusations against him. 

“Never, absolutely never, have I abused a woman,” he wrote in an Oct. 2 letter also published in Le Figaro. He has not been convicted of any of the accusations against him.

President Emmanuel Macron rallied to the defense of Mr. Depardieu shortly before Christmas, when asked in an interview about his culture minister’s plans to review Mr. Depardieu’s Legion d’Honneur medal — France’s highest decoration.

Mr. Macron condemned the “manhunt” against Mr. Depardieu without expressing sympathy for his alleged victims. “He’s an immense actor, a genius of his art,” Mr. Macron said. “He makes France proud.”

GENERATIONAL DIVIDE
The president’s remarks and Monday’s letter drew dismay from feminists and younger actresses who decry an attempt to drown out the voices of victims of sexual violence and undermine the #Metoo movement against sexual harassment in France.

“There’s a generation that still doesn’t understand this societal evolution,” Murielle Reus, vice president of #MeTooMedia which campaigns against sexism and sexual misconduct in the media, said in a radio interview this week.

Critics of the #Metoo campaign in France accuse it of a puritanical fight fueled by a contempt for men and the art of seduction.

Catherine Deneuve, one of France’s best-known actresses, was among 100 French women who in 2018 wrote a newspaper column accusing the #Metoo campaign of going too far.

“We defend a right to pester, which is vital to sexual freedom,” they said.

Earlier this month, public broadcaster France 2 ran a documentary, Depardieu: The Fall of an Ogre, which showed the actor making lewd comments to women during a 2018 trip to North Korea and featured interviews with Arnould and another actress, Helene Darras, who in September filed a lawsuit against Mr. Depardieu alleging sexual assault.

Berenice Hamidi, a lecturer at the Lumiere Lyon 2 University said it was unsurprising the global #Metoo movement was born out of the US cinema industry, where she said livelihoods can be precarious and the boundaries of fact and fiction blurred.

“There is a real cultural exception in French cinema, which refuses to consider acts committed by artists as violence and to condemn them,” Ms. Hamidi told franceinfo radio.

Depardieu told RTL radio he considered those who wrote this week’s open letter to be “very courageous.” — Reuters

Meanwhile, GomBurZa, a historical drama about the three Filipino Catholic martyred priests Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, bagged the most awards, including Second Best Picture.

The awarding ceremony was held at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City on Dec. 27. It was also streamed on Facebook.

Firefly’s other two awards were Best Screenplay for Angeli Atienza and Best Child Performer for Euwenn Mikaell.

The film follows Tonton (played by Mr. Mikaell), who goes on a quest to find the island of fireflies that his mother Elay (played by Alessandra de Rossi) told him about in her bedtime stories.

“Inaalay namin ang pelikula sa lahat ng taong naniniwala sa kapangyarihan ng pangarap, kapangyarihan ng pag-ibig, at kapangyarihan ng sining (We dedicate this film to all those who believe in the power of dreams, the power of love, and the power of the arts),” Firefly director Zig Dulay said in his Best Picture acceptance speech.

GomBurZa’s six awards were Second Best Picture, Best Actor for Cedrick Juan, Best Director for Pepe Diokno, Best Cinematography for Carlo C. Mendoza, Best Production Design for Ericson Navarro, and the Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Juan dedicated his win to victims of injustice like the titular priests of GomBurZa.

“Inaalay ko po itong parangal na ito para sa lahat ng Pilipinong hindi nakakakuha ng tamang hustisya dahil, 152 years ago, ganoon po iyung nangyayari sa atin (I dedicate this award to all Filipinos who are not able to attain justice because, 152 years ago, that was what was happening to us),” he said.

“Sana ay matuto tayo sa ating history, hindi dahil para baguhin ito kundi para matuto (I hope we can learn our history – not to revise it, but to learn from it).”

The Third Best Picture was Mallari, a horror film about the first Filipino serial killer Severino Mallari. It went home with an award for JC Santos as Best Supporting Actor, and awards for Best Visual Effects for Gaspar Mangarin and Best Score for Von de Guzman.

The Fourth Best Picture was When I Met You in Tokyo, a romance between elderly overseas Filipino workers Azon (played by Vilma Santos) and Joey (played by Christopher de Leon) which is set in Tokyo. The film went home with an award for Ms. Santos as Best Actress, the Fernando Poe, Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence, and an award for Best Float.

The 2023 MMFF jury was chaired by filmmaker Chito Roño with actress Lorna Tolentino as vice-chair.

The 49^th MMFF film screenings are ongoing nationwide until Jan. 7. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

And the winner is…

HERE is the full list of winners at the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival awards night which was held on Dec. 27.

Best Picture: Firefly

2^nd Best Picture: GomBurZa

3^rd Best Picture: Mallari

4^th Best Picture: When I Met You in Tokyo

Best Actress: Vilma Santos, When I Met You in Tokyo

Best Actor: Cedrick Juan, GomBurZa

Best Supporting Actor: JC Santos, Mallari

Best Supporting Actress: Miles Ocampo, Family of Two

Best Director: Pepe Diokno, GomBurZa

Best Screenplay: Angeli Atienza, Firefly

Fernando Poe, Jr. Memorial Award for

Excellence: When I Met You in Tokyo

Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award: GomBurZa

Marichu Vera-Perez Maceda Memorial Award: Lily Monteverde

Gender Sensitivity: Becky & Badette

Best Cinematography: Carlo Canlas Mendoza, GomBurZa

Best Editing: Benjamin Tolentino, K(Ampon)

Best Production Design: Ericson Navarro, GomBurZa

Best Visual Effects: Gaspar Mangarin, Mallari

Best Original Theme Song: “Finggah Lickin,” Becky & Badette

Best Score: Von de Guzman, Mallari

Best Sound: Melvin Q. Rivera and  Louie Boy Bauson, GomBurZa

Best Child Performer: Euwenn Mikaell, Firefly

Best Float: When I Met You in Tokyo

By Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter

I’VE NEVER been a Vilmanian (Sharon Cuneta is my own showbiz sacred cow), but then, I’ve never seen Vilma on the big screen. Any experiences I have had of Philippine cinema’s “Star for All Seasons” were limited to late-night movies of hers shown on TV. If the lines outside the movie theater for When I Met You in Tokyo were any indication, Vilma Santos-Recto truly has a different pull.

The audience, for example, was an interesting mix: all genders, all ages, all economic brackets. Some less fashionable people were up in front, but a chic mother and daughter pair (making Vilma’s reach intergenerational) answered my question in the affirmative whether their spot was the back of the line for the Vilma movie (it was a long line, just to enter the cinema).

When I Met You in Tokyo pairs up Vilma Santos and longtime leading man Christopher de Leon, who have starred in more than 20 movies together beginning in the 1970s with Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw. Their most recent pairing was in Mano Po 3 in 2004.

This new movie shows them as Filipino migrants in Japan, of advanced age. Ms. Santos plays Azon, a hotel cleaner, while Mr. De Leon plays Joey, slightly wealthier as a hands-on farm owner. Santos is an involuntary celibate, never having married at her age; while Mr. De Leon has been betrayed by his ex-wife, played by Gina Alajar. What a cast, by the way: veterans like Ms. Alajar, Tirso Cruz III, and Lotlot de Leon (De Leon’s adopted daughter with former wife and Santos’ box office rival “Superstar” Nora Aunor) are all just side characters in this movie.

Ms. Santos makes everything feel so real: I really felt like I was watching a beloved aunt, in her gestures and her speech patterns. What’s more, despite their own advanced ages (Santos was born in 1953; De Leon was born in 1956 — you do the math), the pair can still bring a frisson of kilig to the audience: not just for the older ones, mind you, but even their younger seatmates.

And what a beautiful face, by the way: in the movie, Ms. Santos punches Mr. De Leon at their meet-cute, cries and cracks her voice, and speaks Japanese with a Filipino accent and yet still looks that good. Watching a scene with Ms. Santos talking with her mouth full and discussing rent and government dues, she still looks more beautiful than many women at least 20 years younger than her.

Romance blossoms between the pair, predictably so in this romantic comedy/drama, but in the hands of Ms. Santos and Mr. De Leon, teenybopper drivel becomes pure gold. But they’re getting older, a plot point in the movie: Santos suffers from osteoarthritis, while De Leon has a heart ailment. I begin to think that as one ages, love perhaps becomes purer, regressing from the lusts of youth and ennobled by experience. We watch the pair grow more in love each day, slowed down by age. The bucolic surroundings of the outskirts of Tokyo add to the atmosphere, as well as the Apo Hiking Society’s “When I Met You” (the movie’s theme and part-namesake, sung by De Leon in a scene, and in a duet with Santos in the credits).

(Beware: Spoilers ahead!)

With age and health as a plot point, it’s inevitable that one of them dies. Mr. De Leon succumbs to his heart ailment after a peaceful evening in their garden. Followed by a camera, Ms. Santos prepares to go to bed, beckoning her husband to come, and after a search, finds him outside slowly dying. She cries for help in Japanese, and says his name, Joey, over and over. I cried. Not just moisture that had to be patted dry with a handkerchief, but full-on crying with snot-wiping. Another actress would not have elicited this effect (except perhaps Sharon), and frankly, would have been corny. Santos, however, arrests one with a teenage star’s charm (as she had been) at the start of the movie. Backed up by skill, years of hard work, and solidified showbiz status, this charm pulls you to the very end of the film, making you feel very deeply for whoever she’s playing.

By all standards, the film should have been predictable and unexciting. In the hands of other actors, this would have been filler. In the hands of Mr. De Leon, and especially Ms. Santos, the film reaches a higher standard. Not only are we watching a necessary story about senior love, it’s another hit to add to Ms. Santos’ roster. We’ll watch a few more Vilma Santos movies to get more insight about her work, but consider me a convert.

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

THERE is no doubt that Jun Robles Lana is a master of camp and comedy. His latest film Becky and Badette, which follows the antics of best friends Becky Naman (played by Eugene Domingo) and Badette Imaculada (Pokwang), is hilarious.

The two leads are already known comediennes, but never have they been given such great material to work on together. As the titular duo, they knock it out of the park with Vilma Santos imitations, double entendres, and quick-witted pop culture-related humor.

It starts off with them as cleaners and informal chicken vendors at a high-rise building, their dream to be music or TV stars simply unreachable. Then, they attend a high school reunion organized by their batchmate, ad agency executive Nirvana Batungbakal (played by Agot Isidro in all her snooty, bitchy glory). There, the two come face to face with their failures and drunkenly make up stories to get attention — by claiming that they are a lesbian couple.

Naturally, their antics are filmed (complete with the two tearfully singing Becky’s chicken-themed song “Finggah-Lickin’”) and the video is uploaded online, instantly going viral. Their whirlwind journey begins, turning them into hitmaking and TV-starring lesbian celebrities almost overnight.

They promise to come clean to the public that fell in love with their “coming out” video, but when aspiring musician Becky gets an offer to make an album and aspiring actress Badette lands a lead role in a TV show, telling the truth quickly becomes less of a priority. The failures in life, suddenly faced with success, dig themselves into a deeper hole by leaning into the lie.

Of course, the film acknowledges this behavior is problematic. Becky and Badette’s gay friend tells them he is “somewhat bothered” by what they’ve done and the two do feel guilty. But the way they still make one dumb decision after another, leading into a downward spiral of dishonesty, is hilarious.

It is this year’s standout, providing a one-two punch of camp and comedy, of Ms. Domingo and Pokwang, of outlandish costumes and bright color palettes. This writer watched in a theater that erupted in laughter the entire time, both the LGBTQ+ and the straights in the crowd.

Romnick Sarmienta was enthralling as the heartthrob that nearly tears their friendship and their elaborate lie apart, Pepe Feniz (yes, the name made people chuckle every time it was mentioned). However, the whole schtick about Becky and Badette trying to discreetly pine for and pursue him gets old pretty fast, taking time away from the actual plot.

While emotional beats wane a bit here and there in service of laughs, which is a shame since the film tackles worthwhile topics like fame, friendship, and queerbaiting, you gotta applaud the comedy gold in this — that catchy finggah lickin’ song (which the MMFF awarded Best Original Theme Song), the well-placed nail cutter joke, the insensitive oyster bar ad campaign, the reference to 2022 film Triangle of Sadness! There is just lots to laugh about, which means this comedy did its job.

As a distinctly Filipino form or absurdist comedy, it seemingly never runs out of fun scenarios. The musical numbers are a joy to watch, with good camera work by Kara Moreno and deliciously colorful production design by Jaylo Conanan. But mostly, it is carried by the star power and talent of its two leads.

AS AN HOMAGE to all mothers, Family of Two depicts a love between a clingy mother and her equally clingy son.

The film has a heartwarming premise — selfless woman Maricar (played by Sharon Cuneta) dedicates all her time to her devoted son Mateo (played by Alden Richards), whom she raised singlehandedly. However, this codependent set-up is not forever, as Mateo is presented with a chance to go abroad where his girlfriend is also working.

This is when he decides to sign his mother up for a dating site, so that she can find happiness outside of motherhood.

Both leads play their parts as expected, with cheesy and exaggerated exchanges of dialogue between them. Ms. Cuneta hits all the dramatic notes required of a seemingly cheerful, doting mother while Mr. Richards is his usual pretty boy self, either smiling with dimples or shedding some tears.

The role of Mateo’s girlfriend Zari, brought to life by Miles Ocampo, is not very memorable, in large part due to the lack of chemistry between the two actors. While she did win a Best Supporting Actress award for it, Ms. Ocampo’s charm has definitely shone through more in other projects.

It is the mother and son’s journey that is the focus, although it is depicted in a frustratingly formulaic way. Codependency is a situation where actions tend to speak louder than words, but this film really went the wordy, teary, drama-filled route to depict it.

Maricar packing her son’s lunches for him every morning and staying up to wait for him to come home at night were already poignant enough scenes. But no, there had to be cute, MMK-level banter the entire time, and overreactions where they endlessly cried to each other.

Time and time again Filipino family dramas have resorted to a saccharine approach that doubles down on the over-the-top tearjerker scenes set to an obnoxiously touching score. This film didn’t need all the crying. Since the conflict wasn’t too serious, it could have been a nice, natural slice-of-life story.

Family of Two’s most promising underused plot point comes near the end, where Maricar realizes she wants to go back to school to finish her college degree. A certain speech she makes related to that was probably the most beautiful moment in the entire film, and is not the typical, crying, cliche.

While it does earn plus points for advocating letting people past their prime pursue their education, it’s a damn shame that it only felt like a footnote in the story. Maricar deciding to go back to school with the support of her son would have made for a more memorable movie, without all the tearjerker shenanigans, and it would have been better material for the two leads to work with. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

RICARDO “RICKY” G. ABAD, a theater director, actor, teacher, and sociologist, died on Tuesday, Dec. 26. He was 77.

Areté, the creative hub of the Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU), posted a short tribute for their artistic director on Facebook a day after his death.

“Dr. Abad was the spirit behind Areté’s development as a cultural institution, devising its artistic programs and presentations. He conceptualized and directed shows like the Noel Concert series, the staging and online release of 2Bayani The Musical, and the Sari-sari pocket presentations to name a few,” the post said.

As a professor emeritus of ADMU, Mr. Abad contributed to the growth of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the Department of Fine Arts.

In the late 1990s, he was part of a committee convened to propose a university program with fields of study drawn from Ateneo’s rich artistic tradition. That program would become the Department of Fine Arts (FA), where Mr. Abad served as founding director from 2000 to 2003.

“For us that are a part of the FA community — past and current students, faculty, and staff — Dr. Abad’s greatest seed planted and cultivated was what we’ve become and aspire to be: a community of educators, artists, authors, performers, and professionals committed to nurturing contextualized and critical practices in the artistic disciplines our programs represent,” the Ateneo Fine Arts Department said in a Facebook post.

Theater group Tanghalang Ateneo also paid homage to Mr. Abad, acknowledging his role in mentoring some of the best talents working across many professions and fields, particularly, in theater, film, and TV.

“We remember him fondly for his passion, humor, and lust for life, and for shaping Tanghalang Ateneo, and the Loyola School’s theater tradition, into what it is known for today: courageous and forward-thinking artistry, uncompromising discipline, and intellectual rigor,” it said.

The Philippine Sociological Society, where he had served as president and editor of the Philippine Sociological Review, highlighted his contributions to the field in a Facebook post. “His research covered a diverse range of topics including poverty and inequality, demography, migration, values, social capital, and religion, He was a recognized expert on survey research methods. A beloved teacher and mentor, Dr. Abad was a recipient of the prestigious Metrobank Outstanding Teacher Award.”

Choreographer and director Dexter M. Santos posted on Facebook his own tribute to the late master. He spoke to Mr. Abad’s “commitment and pure love for the theater.”

“He didn’t need to mentor all those TA kids. He was a more than accomplished and celebrated Doctor of Sociology,” Mr. Santos said. “Pero sobrang mahal niya ang Teatro, mahal niya ang pagtuturo (But he loved theater so much, and he loved teaching).” — Brontë H. Lacsamana

CROWNE PLAZA

At the hotel’s 7 Corners buffet (we recommend the steak), there will be buffet dinners on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The Dec. 31 dinner is priced at P3,500 net and will be available from 6 to 10 p.m. The Jan. 1 dinner will be priced the same and will be available at the same schedule. For reservations, call 0916-631-7523 or e-mail fandb.reservations@ihg.com.

CONRAD MANILA

Conrad Manila’s buffet feasts at Brasserie on 3 will run until New Year’s Eve. In these last days of 2023, Brasserie on 3’s buffet offerings will cost P2,650 and P3,050 net for weekday lunch and dinner, while the Friday and Saturday dinner buffet will cost P3,450 net per person. The New Year’s Eve Lunch Buffet will be offered at P3,250 net per person. At the C Lounge, the hotel will have a New Year ’80s Countdown Party, with an entrance fee of P1,988++ per person, but a discounted price of P1,688++ for in-house and dining guests. The price is inclusive of sparkling wine or non-alcoholic beverages. For reservations, call 0917-650-3747 or 0917-650-3591.

CITY OF DREAMS MANILA

A countdown event and indulgent year-end menus beckon at City of Dreams for year-end festivities. At DreamPlay, DreamWorks movie characters from Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Puss in Boots, Madagascar, and Trolls are bringing the holiday cheer with an all-star parade at 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day at The Shops at the Boulevard. In the spirit of holiday gift-giving, guests checked in between Dec. 20 to Jan. 1 at Nüwa Manila, Nobu Hotel, and Hyatt Regency Manila will receive a bottle of wine. The holiday welcome amenity is available for bookings made via direct channels and on applicable Best Available rates, or Rack rates. Terms and conditions apply.

At CenterPlay, City of Dreams Manila revs up its entertainment scene as it throws a year-end countdown party with live music performances from 6 p.m. up to 2 a.m. from local artists Eye Candies, DJ Lena, and Part 3 band. Revelers can reserve a seat or a table starting at P2,500, inclusive of a glass of prosecco and plated holiday treats and P1,500 worth of food and drink from the regular menu. Prices vary depending on seat location, the number of persons, and consumables. Meanwhile, Crystal Dragon continues to offer its holiday menu. Available from lunch onwards until Jan. 1, the a la carte menu includes Braised Sea Treasure Broth with Alaskan King Crab, Fish Maw and Chinese Ham, Oven-baked Chicken filled with black truffle paste and foie gras; Wok-fried Prawns in homemade cheese sauce and crispy enoki mushrooms; Flaming Wagyu Beef — Sichuan Style with king oyster mushrooms; and Chilled Sweetened Honeydew with soymilk jelly, homemade vanilla ice cream and pearl sago.

At Nobu Manila, there’s a special seven-course dinner tasting menu offered only on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Available for P5600++ per person, it starts with an amuse-bouche compliments of the chef, followed by scallops with anchovy salsa and grilled vegetables, and Assorted Sushi and Inaniwa Noodle Soup with rolled beef and asparagus. Salmon Apple with ponzu, extra virgin olive oil, wasabi salsa, chives, and garlic chips follows this; then Ika (squid) Salad with spicy lemon dressing, kelp salad roll, vegetable salsa, asparagus and yamagobo (pickled burdock root); King Prawn with shitake butter and seasonal vegetables; and Wagyu Short Ribs Nabeyaki with sake, soy, and mirin reduction, udon noodles, bok choy, and tofu come after. A dessert of Passion Fruit Mousse with flourless peanut caramel and crunchy peanuts concludes the meal.

Diners looking for an indulgent brunch can opt for unlimited helpings of Nobu-style dishes at the restaurant’s New Year Sunday brunch on Dec. 31. A hybrid of a la carte and buffet, it highlights whole tuna, and chilled seafood such as oysters, blue crab, and slipper lobsters. Whole rib roast and wagyu brisket served with mushroom wasabi pepper sauce and creamy wasabi, and wagyu striploin au jus are the brunch’s pièce de resistance along with Nobu signature sashimi. Special ala carte choices, a ramen bar, a kushiyaki station, salads, and a wide array of desserts complete the new year’s brunch spread, at P4,388 net per person.

City of Dreams Manila’s modern Filipino restaurant Haliya welcomes the year with its Bagong Taon a la carte menu available on Dec. 31 from lunch onwards and for dinner on Jan. 1. This menu includes Bringhe de Bola with prawns, capsicum, tomato chutney and cheese sauce and Chicken and Tomato Consommé with 62-degree egg, charred onion oil, cherry tomato, bread and bone marrow butter, red chili finger, and micro greens. Beef Callos with chorizo, beef tripe adobo, Brussels sprouts, green olives, chickpeas, shallot confit, green peas, and potato truffle is a hefty entry. For dessert, the restaurant offers its innovative take on Filipino desserts with its version of Pastillas de Taro Parfait, with taro pastillas, ube and kesong puti pinwheel, cathedral window balls, crispy champorado and muscovado crumble.

For inquiries and reservations, call 8800-8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com. For more information, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

Star Wash has shared videos on social media showing attendants dressed as Star Wars characters such as Chewbacca or a Stormtrooper wiping down hoods, bounty hunter Boba Fett and hero Cassian Andor wielding hosepipes instead of blasters and Darth Vader appearing to use The Force to summon cleaning cloths.

The law firm representing the carwash said that while owner Matias Jara was in the process of registering his brand with Chilean patent authority INAPI, he received a lawsuit from the franchise’s creator, Lucasfilm.

Mr. Jara’s lawyers said the US movie production firm wanted to block the registration of the name and had argued that the brand could be confused as being affiliated with them. It has not raised issues with the attendants, they said.

Lucasfilm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Jara is contesting the suit, according to his lawyers, who argue that the name is sufficiently different from the movie franchise to avoid confusion and that the production company’s copyright, while covering products such as toys, furniture, and non-alcoholic drinks, does not extend to cleaning cars.

“Of course this lawsuit is affecting us. We’re a small business and we’re spending on things we hadn’t budgeted for,” Mr. Jara said in an interview.

He said his young daughter had thought of the wordplay while on a family trip to a Disney theme park in the United States that features a Star Wars area.

“We don’t make movies or sell their products or anything like that,” Mr. Jara added, noting that his business was, however, a “stellar” car wash. — Reuters

AMERICAN comic Tom Smothers, one-half of the musical-comedy duo the Smothers Brothers, died on Tuesday at 86 at home in California after being diagnosed with cancer, his family said in a statement released by the National Comedy Center.

Mr. Smothers and his younger brother, Dick, started out wanting to be folk singers but found success weaving comedy into their act, a formula they perfected in 1967 with the CBS show The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, a precursor of Saturday Night Live and other satirical television shows.

Tom played guitar and Dick played bass, and both brothers sang. Their onstage performance of songs was usually derailed into comedy bits or arguments sparked by Tom.

In his onscreen persona, Tom was the dimwitted, stammering older brother to Dick, spinning elaborate stories of their childhood and his resentment of Dick as their mother’s favored son. When trick-or-treating on Halloween, he joked in one episode, their mother gave Dick a pillowcase in which to amass candy, while Tom had to make do with a sock.

“Tom was not only the loving older brother that everyone would want in their life, he was a one-of-a-kind creative partner,” Dick Smothers said in a statement. “Our relationship was like a good marriage — the longer we were together, the more we loved and respected one another.”

Tom Smothers was born in New York City on Feb. 2, 1937. His father, Thomas B. Smothers, was an officer of the US Army who died in 1945 as a Japanese prisoner of war. The family moved to Southern California while Tom and Dick were children.

In interviews, Mr. Smothers described how his brother and he fought with network censors at CBS over the three seasons of the Comedy Hour. The show became popular with younger, more liberal viewers in the late 1960s for its acknowledgement of fraught political issues and its booking of performers like Joan Baez who openly opposed the Vietnam War.

Mr. Smothers also played acoustic guitar on John Lennon’s 1969 anti-war song “Give Peace a Chance,” Mr. Lennon’s first solo single while still a member of the Beatles.

In a statement, the National Comedy Center called Mr. Smothers a pioneer and “a true champion for freedom of speech, harnessing the power of comedy to push boundaries and our political consciousness.” — Reuters

The city’s Mayor Jaime Pumarejo unveiled the 6.5 meter (21 foot) sculpture in a park along the banks of the Magdalena River on Tuesday in the company of the singer’s parents.

The statue by artist Yino Marquez “shows millions of girls that they can, that they can pursue their dreams and any of them can achieve what they want,” said Mr. Pumarejo, noting that he used to see Shakira sing at local children’s concerts.

The sculpture shows the long, curly haired singer belly dancing with her arms overhead, in a sheer skirt with shiny aluminum decoration.

A plaque praises the singer, who won three 2023 Latin Grammy Awards, and cites her charity Pies Descalzos, Spanish for “bare feet,” for early childhood development.

“A heart that composes, hips that do not lie, an unmatched talent, a voice that moves masses and feet that march for the good of children and humanity,” it reads.

Shakira, who lives in Miami, said in a statement from the mayor’s office that she was honored by the statue and that Barranquilla will always be her home. — Reuters

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While plans are vague, The Farm at San Benito is looking into villas, magical wishing mango tree willing

By Joseph L. Garcia, Senior Reporter

THE FARM at San Benito in Batangas has been chugging along with expansion plans.

According to one of the owners, Rajan Uttamchandani, during a tour of the property on Dec. 14, the resort (which had been hailed as the country’s Best Wellness Retreat by the World Spa Awards in October) has gone from just over 20 rooms in 2018, to more than 60 today. Furthermore, in the future, the property plans to expand from the 11-hectare space which they currently occupy to make full use of the 52 hectares The Farm sits on.

They’ve already started: businesswoman and philanthropist Pinky Tobiano has already built a villa on the farm, with nine more villa-sized spaces allotted for their brand ambassadors. “We don’t envision selling more in the first phase,” said Mr. Uttamchandani. “When we do develop the larger real estate in the back, there would be some expansion plans to bring in tourists and foreigners to also invest in the Philippines,” he told BusinessWorld. But plans are still somewhat vague. “We don’t know yet, to be honest, we’re still conceptualizing the master plan for the larger property.”

Right now, they’re looking to develop 26 or 27 hectares more. “We’re looking at an international wellness community,” he said. “The idea is to really expand, but to expand with a purpose.”

LONG TERM PANDEMIC GUESTS
The Dec. 14 tour was ostensibly for their Christmas tree lighting, but it was also a way for them to celebrate the property’s 21st anniversary. The Farm was founded by Eckard Rempe in the early 2000s and was acquired by CG Hospitality Holdings Chairman Binod K. Chaudhary in 2018. “In the ’90s, nobody was talking about wellness,” said Mr. Uttamchandani.

“I think the pandemic really propelled people taking care of their bodies and health,” he said, remembering that they pivoted to medical solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing in their first guest during the lockdowns in July 2020. A number of the pandemic guests were long-term, with some staying up to one and a half years. “After the pandemic, they realized that their real wealth is your health. Why not invest in yourself? The joke is, if you spend a night here, you extend your life by a year.” He gave his own body as an example: he once stayed for four days and left six kilos lighter. “These are all medically proven,” he said of the resort’s treatments. “These are European machines that do the diagnostics.”

The pandemic also skewed guest nationality figures: while guests at The Farm were once an equal 50/50 mix between domestic visitors and foreign guests, 70% of The Farm’s guests are now locals.

MAGICAL WISHING MANGO TREE
Meanwhile, with the land around The Farm about to be redeveloped, Mr. Uttamchandani talked about the alleged mystical properties in the area. Its German founder had believed there is an energy source at the foot of the Malarayat mountains where The Farm is located. Near those mountains sits the resort’s storied tree, about 300 years old, where the property’s 15 or so peacocks come to roost. “That 300-year-old mango tree is said to have strong blessings. I can give you personal experiences. Things I have wished for on that mango tree — no biases — have come true. But you have to do it with a clean heart,” said Mr. Uttamchandani.

Celebrity ambassador for The Farm, actress Iza Calzado, who was present for the tree-lighting, said that she has wished upon the mango tree herself. “A lot of the things that I wished for came true,” she said, saying that she first visited The Farm in 2011. She recalled that with her husband, Ben Wintle, “We also wished for something. Actually, someone,” she said, introducing her daughter, Deia Amihan, who was celebrating her first Christmas party at The Farm.

The Farm at San Benito is hosting a New Year’s Eve Dinner and Countdown at its restaurants Alive! (which had just received its Halal certification), Prana, and Pesce.