Breakups & Breakdowns

On Valentine's Eve, I caught the evening performance of Breakups & Breakdowns, a comedy musical written by Joel Trinidad and music composed by Rony Fortich.

As this is a Filipino work, created by young artists, I was rather enthusiastic to see the production put up by Ateneo Blue Rep. I won't call this a review but rather a first take or impression since I need at least two viewings to make a defensible assessment.

The musical centers around the romantic relationships of two roommates: Mark, the playwright and Derek, the actor. Mark is played by Mark Baluyan; Derek by Gigo de Guzman; Nina, the love interest of Mark, is played by Mian Dimacali, and Sandy, Derek's love is played by Mav Gonzales.

I love these young actors, but the vocal performances didn't do it for me this evening. All four members of the cast had pitch problems, but especially the women. This was unfortunate because I think this obscured how good the songs are. They sang decently during pieces that required all four singing together, but on their "solos" there were some real issues.

I had some problems with the acting, as well. Mark's character is supposed to be a perfectionist. However, he comes across more as an idealist. I didn't see the obsessiveness, the need to correct other people, that I think the playwright was trying to show. In the many times that Derek tells his roommate to "shut up", it comes across as a forced script device, rather than a genuine doorstop to another one of Mark's pointed comments.

Sandy is supposed to be pretending to be something she isn't -- a player when in reality she really is a clingy person. I didn't see this tension of keeping up appearances, nor did I see any real change in character when she finally stops playing "the game" with Derek.

It's easy to point out the aspects of the show I found lacking. However, I did enjoy myself. I found myself laughing from the many witty bits in the dialogue. I've been rewarded watching small productions in Ateneo that are better than larger productions of the same musical staged in venues like RCBC. I would watch this production again, because I know they're capable of better.

short stories

After weeks of postponing, I hosted a small gathering of work colleagues at home last night. Nine of them came to share in the spaghetti in meat sauce, chips, cookies, wine, beer, soda, and The Bar. They made good use of our billiards table -- unfortunately something I do not do as I have very little interest for this sport/activity.

We talked about our usual topics: work, politics, movies, music, people. The evening felt like an extended lunch hour, at night, but with a pool table and some alcohol. By 3 am everybody had cleared out; I'd like to think they all had a swell time.

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I have a plan to study most of the day today. Hurdles would be: other things to read, the urge to nap, and an errand to pick up two liters of milk. Once I buckle down and actually open the textbook though, I expect that I will be sailing along. . .

It's Valentine's weekend, and I'm happily at home, reading tweets, and some short stories. I suspect the reason I never enjoyed short stories as much as novels, is due to the novels being more usually in a handsome format -- that is a hardbound document, or printed on good paper. Typically, I encounter short stories on: websites, PDF form, or a badly produced photocopy. We read with our eyes, but there is also a tactile dimension in the process of reading.

We started walking at Legarda

I did a walking tour of Manila yesterday, on a Sunday. Not Celdran's. Not Man Dy's. This guy is rather new at it, and we're the guinea pigs. 

1. The LRT 2 Line (Santolan-Recto). Therapeutic on a Sunday. Sometimes you need to see our city not very noisy.

2. San Sebastian Church. There are worse places to get married. I had forgotten the interior was kick-ass. It's probably the nicest in the whole Metro Manila.

3. Baluarte San Andres in Intramuros. The view of the city from there is great. 

4. Believe me that there are views of the Pasig river that do not look bad at all.

5. Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) in Intramuros has a great facade. 

That said, I would not go to most of these places on a weekday. 

On a Sunday afternoon, take a train to Manila and go somewhere old. It's good for you. 

6. We had drinks at Cafe Adriatico. The place is still okay. :)

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Oriental Park at Circle Inn near Quezon Avenue is now a branch of Le Ching. WTF. Sorry, I hate this fast food type resto. It offended me at Techno Park also. ByeBye OP. You must have been there for some 40+ years.