ENTERTAINMENT
THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA
www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 6 Number 7 | APRIL 2016
Say More Radio show
new time slot
AUSTRALIA’S
only Filipino radio
show dedicated to playing Pinoy indie
music from Filipino artists from around
the world has a new time slot on
Thursdays, from 10pm to 11 midnight.
The show broadcasts live from Western
Sydney’s largest community radio,
SWR 99.9FM. It has a following from
Filipinos and friends of Filipinos from
over 25 countries around the globe.
Say More Radio will broadcast at 10pm
every Thursday starting on April 14.
DJ Mitch plays various
genres of music from what
can be deemed classical to
rock, and even growling.
The music is in English,
Tagalog, Cebuano and even
some Ilocano. Independent
artists from Filipinos around
the world submit their music
for airplay. Their music
would otherwise get very
limited, or not get airplay in
their country of residence.
Among Filipino indie artists
who have sent their music
are Jim Paredes, Butch
Monserrat, Jyel Tagbo, Njel
de Mesa, and Ace Agamata.
Say More Radio
promotes unity through the
sharing of music, language
and culture. If you have
community news to share,
email it to DJ Mitch on
[email protected]
Music submitted must
be a minimum quality
of 125kbps, contain no
swearing, racial, political,
Forget me not...
at this phase of the play’s
development.
But Marcus Rivera as rebel
leader Elias brought all three
elements to his performance
and then some. The Filipino
guests among the audience
couldn’t help but turn their
phone cameras on as he
commanded the stage.
I would love to see the
polished version of the
musical bring to sharp focus
the dynamic between Ibarra
and Elias, which was arguably
the real-life dynamic between
Philippine heroes Jose Rizal
and Andres Bonifacio. The
confrontation between the
two is an inflexion point in the
novel and it would be great to
see that in the musical as well.
Three other characters
made a strong impression:
Isabel Delgado as Victorina,
Pam Picart as Basilio and
Daniel Placido as Captain
Tiago.
Delgado served up comic
relief with a lot of verve and
panache. She was a joy to
watch onstage. Picart, who
had to fill in last-minute as
Basilio, played a convincing
performance in the scene
between her and Basilio’s
mother, Sisa (played by Lena
Western Union’s new
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A
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Lloyd Cruz has signed up as Western union’s new Brand
Ambassador. He is one of the Philippines’ most indemand actors and undeniably one of the ABS-CBN’s
hottest properties.
or sexual vilification. Say
More Radio Show will
also have live interviews,
and guest’s segments from
contributors who promote
mental and physical
wellness. Please also visit
Say More Radio’s webpage
on www.itthappened.com.
From there, a listening app
can be downloaded for free.
Say More Radio Show is
also on Facebook.
from page 14
Cruz). Placido as Captain
Tiago showed off his baritone
voice to great effect during his
solo and his pivotal scene with
Father Damaso in the second
act.
There was one part of
the novel that seemed sorely
missing. In the novel, Sisa
was a poorly-educated and
physically-abused mother
of two who symbolised the
repressed and abused society
of the time. It felt like her
slow and tragic descent into
madness wasn’t fully explored
in this ‘Noli’ interpretation.
If the playwright can give
Sisa’s character (and Father
Damaso’s) more gunpowder
then that could potentially take
‘Noli’ to another level. Think
‘Les Miserables’, ‘West Side
Story’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’
rolled into one: the novel has
the ingredients for all three.
But that’s just one niggle
in a project that’s incredibly
impressive, despite being just
a reading at this point. Even
without the set and costumes,
Fleming and McFadden’s
words and lyrics have the
grit and the grunt to take this
musical all the way to fruition.
As presidential elections
loom in the Philippines and
John Lloyd Cruz
in the passing of modernday freedom fighter the
late Senator Jovito Salonga
early this month, ‘Noli’ is
a timely reminder that the
independence Filipinos enjoy
today came at a price and
should never be taken for
granted.
As Ibarra said in the
closing chapter: “We must
not reduce the Philippines to
a grave.” The rebirth of ‘Noli’
has rekindled the flames
of nationalistic pride long
ingrained in the collective
consciousness of Filipinos.
That fire burns bright even
in those who call Australia
home.
The semi-staged reading
was held last month (March
12) in front of an intimate
audience of around 80 guests
at the Kings Cross Theatre
in Sydney. The reading
was organised by Redland
Events and McFadden
Music in association with
bAKEHOUSE Theatre
company. Among the guests
were the Consul General Anne
Jalando-on Louis and Consul
Marford Angeles from the
Philippine Consulate, local
media, and family and friends
of the performers.
Cast: Crisostomo Ibarra – Ryan O’Donnell; Maria Clara – Sarah Ampil; Father Damaso – Sal Sharah; Tasio
– Nat Jobe; Elias – Marcus Rivera; Captain Tiago – Daniel Placido; Father Salvi – Timothy Monley; Sisa – Lena
Cruz; Basilio – (Jonathan Supnet) Pam Picart; Crispin – (Joel Supnet) Susana Downes
Company: Aunt Isabel – Susan Laing Young; Victoria – Susana Downes; Picknicker – Ballina Gee; Sinang
– Pam Picart; Victorina – Isabel Delgado; Servant/Student/Suspect – Kido Mariano; Sailor/Civil Guard – Gonzalo
Kaempfe; Student/Suspect – Ian Warwick; Captain/Porter/Ensign – David Hooley; Dr. Espadana – Kim Beltran
Director: Aarne Neeme; Pianist: Kathryn Lim (Page Turner: Sabrina Lim); Producers: Marte Tagle, Allan
McFadden, Peter Fleming
15
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