Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Ex-convict Benjamin Barker comes back to London as Sweeney Todd (Jett Pangan) to look for his wife and daughter as well as exact revenge on Judge Turpin (Andrew Fernando), who framed him up for a crime he didn’t commit in an effort to steal his wife. Pie maker Mrs. Lovett (Lea Salonga) welcomes him back to the area and helps in setting up his barbershop, which quickly becomes popular because of his superb skills. Unbeknownst to many, Todd and Lovett have formed a criminal partnership wherein he slits the throats of his customers, many of them men who did him wrong in the past, before dropping them down a trapdoor leading to her bake shop where their bodies are minced and used as the key ingredient in her mouth-watering meat pies. With the help of sailor Anthony Hope (Gerald Santos) who finds Barker’s daughter Johanna (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante), Todd will not stop until he gets his revenge and his family back.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Considered as one of the greatest songwriters of her generation, Carole King (Kayla Rivera) starts off as a neophyte in the music industry before getting her big break as a composer. Along the way she meets Gerry Goffin (Nick Varricchio), the campus heartthrob who eventually becomes her husband. After an unplanned pregnancy, the two get married young and become a formidable songwriting duo placing hits on top of the Billboard Charts one right after another. The couple also foster a friendly competition with rivals Cynthia Weil (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante) and Barry Mann (George Schulze) who work for the same music publisher. As they navigate the upper echelons of the industry en route to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the music scene starts to change; their relationships begin to fizzle. Can one really juggle a successful career and family life in an ever-changing musical landscape?

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Atlantis Theatrical)

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1985. Prior Walter (Topper Fabregas) reveals to his lover that he has AIDS. Still reeling from guilt issues brought about by his grandmother’s recent passing, Louis Ironson (Nelsito Gomez) is devastated as he does not know how to handle another impending loss. He forms an unlikely bond with Joe Pitt (Markki Stroem), a married Mormon confused about his sexuality. Joe’s wife, Harper Pitt (Angeli Bayani), is agoraphobic and deals with her issues by indulging in Valium. Joe’s boss, big shot lawyer Roy Cohn (Art Acuña), is persistent in convincing him to move to Washington DC to pursue the opportunity of a lifetime. In denial that he is a homosexual, Roy argues with his doctor that he does not have AIDS because he is not gay, as far as the traditional connotations of the term are concerned. Sharing a delusional state of mind because of their meds, Harper and Prior try to deal with their difficulties in life just in time for the arrival of an Angel (Pinky Amador) announcing that millennium approaches.

Waitress (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Small-town waitress and pie baker Jenna (Joanna Ampil) finds out that she is pregnant. What should be a cause for celebration brings about an epiphany that she is not that happy with her life so far. Her husband Earl (George Schulze) is conceited and self-centered and having a child with him is not something she imagined her life would be. Deep inside she has always wanted to pursue her passion for baking. To ensure that she is healthy to carry the baby, she pays the local Ob-Gyn a visit. Dr. Pomatter (Bibo Reyes) is new at the clinic and is immediately smitten with Jenna and her tasty pies. It doesn’t take long until they engage in an extra-marital affair. When she finds out about a big-time pie baking contest, she sees this as an opportunity to leave everything behind and start anew with her soon to be born kid. Can she really escape from her current reality or will she be stuck in an existential crisis forever?

Side Show (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Come, look at the freaks! Welcome to Side Show, a collection of circus acts featuring the likes of the Bearded Lady, Dog Boy, Lizard Man, 3-Legged Man, and many more. But at the heart of the act are the haunting voices of twins Daisy (Gab Pangilinan) and Violet (Kayla Rivera) Hilton. Under the exploitative tutelage of Sir (Wency Cornejo), the conjoined twins have been under his custody since their aunt died, making him the sole legal guardian. When talent scout Terry (Markki Stroem) discovers the vocal prowess of the duo, he is convinced that he has found a runaway hit. After a bit of prodding, he convinces his vocal coach friend Buddy (David Ezra) to train them for a more sophisticated audience in Chicago. Will the tandem be able to withstand the pressures of showbiz given their condition?

Jersey Boys (Atlantis Theatrical)

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60’s. A trio from Jersey finds a new member in the person of Francesco Castelluccio (Nyoy Volante), later more popularly known as the great Frankie Valli. His unusually high falsetto makes him the de facto choice as lead singer of the ensemble, whose current incarnation goes by the name of the Four Seasons. Tommy DeVito (Markki Stroem) serves as the headstrong leader, getting them gigs left and right and taking care of everything financial, regardless the cost. Nick Massi (Nino Alejandro) is the bass player, that one fellow meant to be outshined by the rest, or as he would like to put it: “the Ringo of the group.” With the original fourth bandmate sent away to prison for petty crimes, the remaining three enlist the help of Bob Gaudio (Christian Bautista), the one hit wonder from New York who will end up writing most of their hits. The plot unfolds with each of them alternating in the narration of their meteoric rise, as well as their eventual fall, with their respective points of view and each season representing the band’s status at that very moment.

Saturday Night Fever (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Working at a paint shop, Tony Manero (Brandon Rubendall) does not seem to have a clear goal as to what he wants to achieve in life, but he does know one thing: He loves to dance. This is why he and buddies Double J (Nick Varricchio), Joey (Nel Gomez), and Bobby C (Bibo Reyes) always make sure to hit the 2001 Disco every weekend. His moves prove to be popular, attracting girls such as Annette (Mikkie Bradshaw) who repeatedly professes her love for him. But he only has eyes for Stephanie Mangano (Jenna Rubaii), the dancer who works in an office across the river. They get a chance to dance together in hopes of winning $500 in a competition. She makes it perfectly clear that their relationship should remain professional, but he obviously wants to be more than friends. With other everyday hang-ups to deal with, Tony and friends try to stay alive, mainly through dancing as a means of escape from reality.

Nine (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Based on and adding music to Federico Fellini's 8 1/2, Nine tells the story of a director experiencing some serious mental block, further complicated by the women from different spheres of his life all vying for his attention in more ways than one. Guido Contini (Jet Pangan) is under pressure from demanding French movie producer Liliane La Fleur (Cherie Gil) to come up with a musical, only that the time has come to shoot and he still has no script at hand. To add to this, his marriage with wife Luisa del Forno (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) is falling apart, thanks to but not only because of his mistress Carla Albanese (Carla Guevara-Laforteza). He turns to his ever dependable muse Claudia Nardi (Eula Valdez) for much needed inspiration, but it seems that she is expecting something more than a different movie role in return. Flashbacks and musical numbers aplenty, Nine guides you through what is happening inside a man's head: frustrations, brain drain, women, and the respective roles that they play not just in a movie's creative process, but also in his life, in general.

God of Carnage (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Two eleven year old boys have a fight with one ending up with a broken lip and two incisors gone for life after being hit with a stick on the face by the other. In an effort to reach an amicable agreement for the incident, the parents agree to meet up at the aggrieved party’s house. Veronica (Lea Salonga) is the victim’s obsessive compulsive mother, a writer with a penchant for African political affairs. The father is Michael (Adrian Pang), a self-made household items dealer with a sick mother who would not stop telephoning him. The "aggressor’s" mother is Annette (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo), who is involved in wealth management, while the father Alan (Art Acuña), is a pharmaceuticals company lawyer inseparable from his mobile phone. What starts out as an evening of seemingly adult discussion digresses into multiple arguments touching various sensitive topics, with both couples ending up acting more and more like children with the help of some booze.
 

Rock of Ages (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Rock of Ages is your typical-reach-for-your-dreams kind of story featuring two young individuals trying to develop a love affair amidst all the drama unfolding all around them. Drew (Nyoy Volante) is an aspiring rock star working as a busboy at The Bourbon Room, a bar at the Sunset Strip threatened to be shut down by the efforts of a father-and-son developer tandem from Germany using their money to influence the mayor to get rid of the city’s lifestyle heavily influenced by rock & roll, sex, and drugs. Sherrie (Vina Morales) leaves her parents to try out her luck as an actress, gets hired at the same club, and becomes infatuated with Drew. In an effort to stay afloat, club owner Mr. Dupree, aided by his loyal assistant Lonny (Jett Pangan), enlists the help of Arsenal frontman Stacee Jaxx (Mig Ayesa) by persuading him to hold his band’s last performance at The Bourbon Room before they disband. His arrival, along with Drew's friend-zoning of Sherrie, disrupts the budding romance between the two. Eventually, he becomes a member of a failed boy band while she ends up as a stripper. Singing through popular rock tunes from the 80’s, Rock of Ages brings you back to an era when big hair and rock & roll were the norm.

The Little Mermaid (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Ariel (Rachelle Ann Go) saves Prince Eric (Erik Santos) from drowning. Since then the two start to long for each other with both holding something dear from the other, like her voice for Eric, and some of his human things for Ariel. And so, what is the problem? Ariel is a mermaid, and Eric is no merman. Things get complicated when her father King Triton finds out about the encounter and forbids her to see him ever again. Enter Ursula, the treacherous pugita of an auntie who gives her mermaid niece legs in exchange for her sweet voice. Of course, there is a catch. If the prince does not kiss her in three days, she becomes her auntie’s slave forever. Otherwise, she remains human and lives happily ever after. And so, what will it be? This is an onstage adaptation of the Disney classic and  I do not have to answer that question. Seriously.

Next to Normal (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Diana (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) is bipolar and sees nobody else but her son Gabe (Felix Rivera), much to the chagrin of her daughter Natalie (Bea Garcia) who is convinced that to her mother, she simply does not exist. Behind all the drama is Dan (Jett Pangan), the supportive husband and father who tries his best to keep his dysfunctional family from falling apart. As Diana's instability worsens and her mode of medication becomes more radical, the bond that holds their family together is put to the test.

Everyone in the cast is superb, that is a given. I have yet to see a foreign produced musical with foreign actors in it but I could tell you with much conviction, the not so many people who appreciate theater in this country, that we are very lucky to have such awesome theater actors. What we might lack in production values would most certainly be redeemed by the acting, and I am just so thankful because they are the reason why I keep on falling in love with theater over and over again. Back to the cast: sorry, boys; you are all awesome, even that Marki Stroem guy from the TV talent show is damn good, but the two girls are the ones to watch here. Madame Menchu and Bea owned this one big time, and I must warn you, they are highly contagious when they cry.

A Little Night Music (Atlantis Theatrical)

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The musical begins with a young man pretending to play the cello (You are awesome in everything you do Felix Rivera, but it is obvious that the sound is coming from the orchestra. Is it?) followed by a marvelous combination of voices provided by a quintet. Their shtick quickly becomes repetitive after butting in the scene for the nth time, but come on! With such a smooth blending of voices, could one really complain? This five-man chorus also makes up for the many limitations of the simple set design. If the rest of the cast is the preterit, this group of singers is the imperfect. They provide an aural representation of the visual background that you just do not see. And it is really music to one's ears.

Acting-wise the cast is brilliant. The director could not have found a better ensemble of such talented actors. The weakest link would have to be the kid who portrays the role of Desiree's daughter. It is just that her accent is inconsistent in some scenes, but with that blunder aside she really is not that weak a link.

Xanadu (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Xanadu gives you a nostalgia for the roller disco days you never had. Too bad it only runs for under two hours, although that is already sufficient for one to enjoy the show. The souvenir program is a little bit pricier than usual, but you get a CD along with the book. The sad thing is that it does not contain the whole soundtrack, only about five songs by Rachel Alejandro.

The story follows the simple immortal-falls-in-love-with-mortal formula, and to where the plot is headed is obvious from the beginning. What makes the show interesting is that it gives you the illusion that you are back in the eighties, making you feel as if you have once lived it too even if in reality you were still in diapers watching Voltes Five on IBC-13 back then. Okay, technically you did but were too young to actually identify with such a bygone era.

Legally Blonde (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Even though the musical numbers are very lively, there seems to be something wrong. Overall, the musical is not that enjoyable. Maybe a louder than usual orchestra and too much pink do not always go together. Or perhaps it just depends where you are seated. But there were some technical problems with the audio, specifically with some of the actors' lapels. There are also instances where the orchestra drowns the dialogues.

The set is creatively done. Almost all that can be seen onstage are shaped like books, which reinforces the law school atmosphere. The moving sets are also shaped as such, the pages of which can be opened to reveal a new backdrop for another scene.

Avenue Q (Atlantis Theatrical)

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Bad Idea Bears! Just could not get enough of the thought of a cute Care Bear ripoff advising someone to hang himself, and then releasing a sigh of disappointment when not obliged. It is so deranged that is hilarious. And of course, Trekkie the Monster! Let us all get rich and invest in porn! HAHAHAHA!

It gets a little bit confusing at first. This is not your typical puppet show where only the upper half of them are exposed. Here, the puppeteers are also visible onstage. The good thing about it is that they are also in character; there is some fusion going on between puppet and puppeteer. As for the dual roles the transition from one character to another is smoothly done, so it is easy to distinguish one from the other.

Spring Awakening (Atlantis Theatrical)

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I have not seen the original Broadway version, but I think this one just lacks the intensity. The premise itself is daring enough, but I think it is up to the cast to make the material more edgy.

Totally Fucked, without a doubt, is the musical highlight of the show. All the angst that seems to be lacking from the earlier musical numbers are released here, and you can just feel the energy of the cast rocking the stage. The Song of Purple Summer is well sung, perfect blending of voices just apt for a finale.

My favorite scene would be the whipping scene where Wendla begs Melchior to beat her. It is a rather funny scene, but I can just feel her numbness. I think the scene means something more symbolic, a metaphor. It is not numbness in the literal sense but more of the effect of being overprotected, or the exact opposite. You have been so accustomed to pain, or the lack of it, that you do not feel it anymore, and you beg for it just to prove to yourself that you are still human. Living.

Spelling Bee (Atlantis Theatrical)

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What makes this musical unique is the inclusion of four guest spellers, two of which are celebrities and the other two just anyone from the audience. Hence, it is made sure that every show is different from the last one.

The celebrity spellers for the night were Gian Magdangal and Moi Ortiz, who I think I have already seen somewhere but cannot remember where exactly. For someone who has already been on another musical (West Side Story) Gian seemed shy on stage, or perhaps he was just being polite because it was not his play anyway. He was asked to spell dog and sciapodi-something (sorry, I forgot). As for Moi, Ms. Peretti's introductions of him were dead-on: Mr. Ortiz is wearing the latest Zac Efron hairstyle; and "Mr. Ortiz uses his shoes to check his reflection. I remember a video I have seen online where Lea Salonga was the guest speller and she was introduced as: Ms. Salonga just found out that she was a Vietnamese prostitute in her past life. HAHAHAHAHA!