unSAULicited

The Manila Wrestling Federation makes waves in its live event extravaganza "MWF: Road to Fate 2022" at the PETA Theater Center. About three hundred Pinoy wrestling fans gathered at the PETA Theater Center last Sunday, September 11, to witness the crowning of "Mr. Philippine Wrestling" Jake De Leon as the new Manila Wrestling Federation (MWF) Pinoy Wrestling Champion. In the main event, De Leon competed in a winning effort against two of the best performance athletes in the country – Fabio Makisig and Nigel San Jose.  Jake De Leon is a multi-time wrestling champion and has held titles all over Southeast Asia. He has represented the country in numerous matches internationally, including Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, and most notably in mainland China, where he participated in the WWE tryouts in 2019. A Philippine wrestling pioneer with almost a decade of in-ring experience, De Leon is one of the most respected and accomplished Filipino athletes in the genre. ...

Shorts & Briefs 8: Tayo Naman by Eksena PH, is an independently produced "THEATRE FESTIVAL" of short and brief plays (10–12 min.) that feature only first-time theatre makers and performers. It’s been running for eight years. This year they are making a comeback to the live theatre scene, celebrating 8 years with 8 live shows, 8 new plays, 8 first-time theatre directors, and 8 sets of first-time theatre actors. It will be staged at Draper Startup House in Poblacion Makati, All Sundays in October starting October 09-30. Showtime is at 2pm and 7pm every Sunday. DRAPER is a 90-seater venue, It is located at 5048 P. Burgos Street, Poblacion, Makati, Philippines. The theme for this year is "Children's Book, but Make it Art." Featuring Filipino children’s books specifically chosen by the directors to play and reimagine for the stage. to serve a unique way of storytelling. The plays are as follows: BJ Crisostomo’s "Lul...

Queen’s hit musical, "We Will Rock You," opens in Manila next month! GMG Productions is thrilled to announce the cast of their brand new production, making its global premiere in Manila this October. "The production has assembled a new generation of performers to step into these incredible roles," shares Carlos Candal, GMG Productions CEO and We Will Rock You World tour Co-Producer  "We can’t wait for them to bring new energy and a fresh take on these characters and their songs—iconic songs known the world over, and we’re confident their talent will deliver in a big way." The principal cast of the brand-new World Tour consists of Nicolette Fernandes (Scaramouche), Stuart Brown (Galileo), Londiwe Dhlomo (Killer Queen), Craig Urbani (Khashoggi), Tiaan Rautenbach (Buddy), Richard Gau (Brit), and Danelle Cronje (Oz). Joining the production as part of the ensemble will be Kenneth Meyer, Allen Chambers, Siya Makakane, Nadine Grobbelaar, Ash...

QUEZON CITY, THE PHILIPPINES —After the Philippine Educational Theater Association’s (PETA) big digital breakthrough during the pandemic: a string of successful online show streams and virtual workshops, the pioneering Filipino theater company is making a big theater comeback for its 55th theater season! The return to the theater features no less than a PETA classic, Christine Bellen’s Batang Rizal! First to launch online via streaming from October 14-16, the well-loved musical will be the first show to open PETA’s theater stage in November. Co-written, directed for stage, and choreographed by Dudz Teraña, with musical direction, arrangement, and composition by Vincent de Jesus, Batang Rizal is a remarkable piece because of its ability to resonate with audiences across generations. Its power rests in its simplicity and relatability, while carrying a deep challenge for audiences to become everyday heroes. Even after a decade and a half, the magic of Batang Rizal has not wavered. M...

A crossover artist generally refers to an artist who has had substantial success in multiple genres of music. It’s been used particularly to  refer to a handful who have marketed themselves as performers of the classical and pop repertoire.  One can make the argument, however, that most of them are simply pop artists who try to sing in a classically trained style.  Going by its definition, or at least by its generally agreed notion, a crossover artist must be someone who, let’s say, has professionally performed operatic roles or oratorio solos while concurrently rocking pop music establishments.  If we go by this definition, then Rogelio B. Peñaverde Jr. is a bonafide crossover artist par excellence. Peñaverde is a homegrown Filipino who moved to the US to pursue a scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City for a Master’s Degree in Voice. After graduating, he carved a career in opera, sacred music, and musical theater with critical acclaim....