Onstage and onscreen: What to see this July and August
The coming weeks are packed for anyone following what’s playing in Manila.
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The coming weeks are packed for anyone following what’s playing in Manila.
BALLET Manila celebrates its 30th anniversary with ‘Don Quixote.’
Photograph courtesy of BALLET MANILA
From festival films and Broadway revivals to musicals and visiting ballet stars, the coming weeks are packed for anyone following what’s playing in Manila. Here’s a rundown of what to catch onstage and onscreen this July and August.
It’s the last day today to catch the International Silent Film Festival Manila at Red Carpet Cinemas in Shangri-La Plaza. After a two-year pause, the festival returned with five silent-era films from Spain, Italy, Japan, Austria and Germany — each accompanied by live musical scoring by Filipino artists.
Today’s screenings: Fra Diavolo (Italy, 1925) at 4 p.m., scored by Pepe Manikan’s Progharmonic Orchestra, and The Life of Beethoven (Austria, 1927) at 7 p.m., with Hearlife Partner Artists. A pocket screening follows on 14 July at Cine Adarna in UP Diliman. Admission is free.
Also closing today is Burn the Floor, with its final show at 1 p.m. at The Theatre at Solaire. The live theatrical dance production has toured over 180 cities worldwide, blending Latin and ballroom styles with dramatic staging and contemporary choreography. Originally staged on Broadway and in the West End, it helped expand ballroom dancing into full-scale performance.
James Gunn’s Superman, a reboot of the iconic DC character, premiered last 9 July. For parents hoping to introduce Superman to their young kids on the big screen, Opus Family Cinema at Opus Mall offers a rare venue.
Opus Family Cinema is located on the fifth floor of Opus Mall at the Opus Premier Cinemas.
The Trumpets musical Joseph the Dreamer continues its return run at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium in RCBC Plaza, Makati. Sam Concepcion stars as Joseph in this retelling of the biblical story from Genesis chapters 37 to 50. Remaining dates are 18 to 20 July.
Opening 26 July at Power Mac Center Spotlight in Circuit Makati is Side Show: The Musical, a new staging by The Sandbox Collective under the direction of Toff de Venecia. The production is based on the 1997 Tony-nominated Broadway musical, which dramatizes the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton.
From 1 to 3 August, Ballet Philippines, Repertory Philippines, and the Manila Symphony Orchestra team up for a limited five-show run at The Theatre at Solaire. The production features Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev and a reimagined Little Red Riding Hood set to the music of Camille Saint-Saëns and Edvard Grieg. Designed for children and families, the show introduces the orchestra’s instruments through storytelling, dance, and theater.
Celine Song’s romantic comedy Materialists, set among Manhattan’s wealthy elite, opens in Philippine cinemas on 6 August. The film stars Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, and follows a luxury matchmaker whose tangled relationships begin to upend.
Opening 13 August is Nobody 2, the sequel to the 2021 action film starring Bob Odenkirk. He returns as Hutch Mansell, a quiet suburban dad with a violent past that resurfaces after a home invasion. Directed by Timo Tjahjanto, the film also stars Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd.
Repertory Philippines brings back its Theater for Young Audiences program with Alice in Wonderland, opening 23 August at the REP Eastwood Theater. Based on the Lewis Carroll classic, the musical features music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. Justine Narciso, Cheska Quimno, and Reese De La Vega Iso alternate in the role of Alice, with direction by Cara Barredo and Joy Virata. The show runs until 14 December.
Ballet Manila celebrates its 30th anniversary with Don Quixote, featuring guest artists Kimin Kim and Renata Shakirova from the Mariinsky Ballet. Trust me — this one’s not to be missed. I saw Shakirova in Giselle with Ballet Manila last year, and she was otherworldly. Performances are at the Aliw Theater in Pasay on 22 August at 8 p.m., and on 23 and 24 August at 5 p.m.
Whether it’s musicals, ballet, or new film releases, the city’s cultural lineup is in full swing this season.
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