The Notebook (Theatre Group Asia)

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Older Noah (Rody Vera) frequents a nursing home every day to visit Older Allie (Celeste Legaspi) so he could read the contents of a notebook to her. Truth is, she is his wife, who has been suffering from dementia and is quickly losing all memories she holds dear. The contents of the notebook she wrote herself, making him promise to read it to her so she could come back to him. And so he does, despite his own bodily ailments. The notebook begins at their very first meeting when Younger Noah (Benedix Ramos) sets his eyes on Younger Allie (Sheena Belarmino) one summer. The two quickly fall in love but her parents do not approve. A decade or so later, Middle Allie (Morissette Amon) is back in the area and visits the house Middle Noah (Laurence Mossman) has actually built, from a promise he made to her when they were younger.

A Chorus Line (Theatre Group Asia)

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Broadway director Zach (Conrad Ricamora) is holding auditions for a chorus line for one of his shows. 24 dancers try their best to impress him. After one round, they are down to 17. The interviews get personal as Zach strives to get to know them beyond their career aspirations. Mike (Angelo Soriano) explains that it was his sister who was originally a dancer and he just tagged along. Sheila (Mikaela Regis), Bebe (Michaela Marfori), and Maggie (Iya Villanueva) highlight the importance of ballet in their lives. Youngest auditioner Mark Anthony (Ken San Jose) talks about his prepubescent discoveries. Greg (Luca Olbes) recalls his homosexual awakening. Val (Brie Chappell) narrates how cosmetic surgery upped her career prospects. Paul (Universe Ramos) reluctantly recalls his initial gigs as a drag queen. Cassie (Lissa deGuzman), Zach’s ex and Broadway muse, begs to be cast despite already being considered a soloist and a star. An accident prompts Zach to ask all of them what they’d do if they have to stop dancing. Diana (Christina Glur) sings an ode to the life of a dancer.

Into the Woods (Theatre Group Asia)

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A childless Baker (Nyoy Volante) and his Wife (Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante) are visited by the Witch (Lea Salonga) from next door with a confession. The reason they can’t have children is because she cursed them along with their house. She offers them a deal which involves collecting ingredients for a spell that will make her young and beautiful again: a cape as red as blood donned by Little Red (Teetin Villanueva); a cow as white as milk owned by Jack (Nic Chien), who is now being asked by his Mother (Eugene Domingo) to sell it at the market; hair as yellow as corn, maybe from Rapunzel’s (Joreen Bautista) long locks; and a golden shoe worn by Cinderella (Arielle Jacobs). Each and every one of them has a wish and sees that wish being granted, which makes them happy for a while… until they’re not. And then comes an enraged Giant widow out for vengeance.