unSAULicited

A Season of Firsts at Rockwell’s Proscenium Theater When Rockwell’s Proscenium Theater opened its doors last September with The Bodyguard The Musical by 9 Works Theatrical, it felt like Manila audiences were being invited into something new yet instantly familiar. The space itself, jewel-box intimate yet outfitted with state-of-the-art design and acoustics, was more than just a venue. It was a promise that stories could feel closer, sharper, and somehow more alive. Credit: 9 Works Theatrical As Whitney Houston’s iconic soundtrack filled the room and Christine Samson’s vocals soared, it became clear this was not just a premiere but a declaration. By the time the curtain fell, the Proscenium had staked its claim as a cultural home, a place where memory and performance could entwine seamlessly with Rockwell’s own legacy of lifestyle and community. Rockwell, true to form, refuses to pause. Within its very first quarter, the Proscenium stage will have welcomed three major productions: th...

It took me a minute to warm up. The moment the overture broke into the Proscenium Theater, I realized the acoustics weren’t like any Philippine theater I’d sat in before. It wasn’t bad, just new, like toggling between sound presets on your wireless earbuds, that slight jolt when ANC shifts the air around you. By the time my ears adjusted, the music had already settled into something rare: crisp, balanced, powerful. I knew then that this musical was going to be more than a spectacle. It was going to be a genuine theater treat, and one I’d never heard quite this way on a Manila stage. The Seat, the View, the Distance @unsaulicited #TheBodyguardMNL #thebodyguardatrockwell ♬ original sound - Tito Saul I was in I36, orchestra left, technically ninth row, second seat from the edge. Usually, side orchestra seats leave me wishing for more, but here the distance felt intimate. Even with a stage view that wasn’t perfectly central, the staging never punished me for it. Rockwell had pro...

Today really is gonna be a good day. Not just for Evan Hansen, or for the audiences who’ve found themselves weeping at his journey night after night, but for the community that has long deserved to experience theatre without barriers. GMG Productions has just announced that their October 2 performance of Dear Evan Hansen at The Theatre at Solaire will be interpreted in Filipino Sign Language (FSL)—a groundbreaking step in making this Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning musical more accessible, more inclusive, and, frankly, more human. A Bridge Between Worlds Theatre, at its core, is about connection. It’s about that breath we hold together in the dark, the silence between notes, the collective exhale when the lights go down. For so long, Deaf audiences have had to sit at the margins of that shared heartbeat. On October 2, that changes. Thanks to the collaboration with the Benilde Center for Education Advancement of the Deaf (CEAD) and the School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies ...

Some evenings promise more than music. They promise ceremony, history, and a communion between artist and audience. On September 27, 2025 , the Manila Symphony Orchestra —now in its 99th season—invites us into such an evening at the Aliw Theater in Pasay City. The concert, aptly titled Dancing with Tchaikovsky , offers a luminous journey through the Russian Romantic’s majestic soundscapes. The Music That Endures At the heart of the program lies Tchaikovsky’s Festival Coronation March , a work written in a rush of weeks for Tsar Alexander III’s coronation in 1883. Bold brass fanfares and regal rhythms set the tone—music meant to be heard under gilded arches and in grand halls, but equally stirring in the way it commands our attention today. From there, the night flows into the Variations on a Rococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra —a homage to Mozart’s poise and elegance, but laced with Tchaikovsky’s signature emotional depth. Graceful themes unfurl, demanding both delicacy and virtuosi...

Some milestones call for fireworks, others for confetti. Smashing Lemons marks its first year in the Philippines with something sweeter, simpler, and infinitely more refreshing: a one-day Buy One, Take One lemon tea celebration. On September 15 , every cup you buy at participating branches comes with another—free to share with a friend, a loved one, or even to save for yourself when the afternoon sun calls for a second burst of citrus clarity. It’s the brand’s way of saying thank you, not just with words but with a gesture you can taste. From SM City Manila to SM City Fairview , from East Ortigas to San Lazaro , from SM Caloocan all the way to S&R BGC Taguig , six locations will serve up twice the zest for one day only. Smashing Lemons is Hong Kong’s No. 1 handcrafted lemon tea brand, with over 800 stores worldwide. But here in Manila, it has quickly become something personal—a place to pause in the rush of city life, a reminder that refreshment doesn’t have to be complicated...

Sometimes, progress arrives not with fanfare but with steady footsteps—clinics quietly opening their doors, new addresses being added to a map, lives quietly but profoundly changing. This week, NephroPlus—Asia’s largest dialysis network—announced that six more Philippine communities will now have access to their patient-first approach to kidney care. From the bustling heart of Binondo, Manila, to the southern shores of Zamboanga, and across Santiago, Cabuyao, and Quezon City’s key arteries, these new clinics become more than just medical facilities. They become sanctuaries for over two thousand patients whose lives are tethered to the rhythm of dialysis. With this expansion, NephroPlus now operates 39 clinics nationwide. But beyond numbers, what matters is the vision: technology-enabled, patient-centered care that blends operational efficiency with compassion. Remote monitoring, real-time analytics, global-standard practices—these are not just buzzwords here. They’re the scaffolding ...

There are theater wishes that hover for years, whispered in lobbies, comment threads, and late-night conversations with fellow stage fans: When will it come? Will we ever get to see it here, live, not just on YouTube clips or Broadway bootlegs? For Filipino audiences, Dear Evan Hansen has been one of those elusive dreams. On gala night at The Theatre at Solaire, that dream finally became reality, and it felt less like just another opening and more like a cultural milestone. The Itch, Finally Scratched Stage fans in Manila are no strangers to waiting, but this particular itch has been relentless. For nearly a decade, Dear Evan Hansen has circled the globe, collecting Tonys, Oliviers, and a Grammy, carving itself into the DNA of contemporary musical theater. Now, GMG Productions has secured not just any tour but the UK non-replica production, freshly reimagined and newly relevant. Manila gets first dibs in Asia, with Singapore up next. For once, we are not catching up. We are part o...