Best Supporting Actor - Musical 2011 Nominees: MyFABE Theater Awards

I started watching local theater, seriously again this year.  I saw thirteen different plays and musicals this year and from those, I have come out with my own MyFABE Theater Awards for 2011. 

I have mulled over this list for the past 11 months and in my opinion, these are the five best performances by an actor in a supporting role in a musical for 2011.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR MUSICAL

Ricci Chan - Care Divas

Miguel Hidalgo - Care Divas

Gabe Mercado - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

Felix Rivera - Next to Normal

Josh Santana - Aida

The winner will be announced on December 31, 2011.

Theatre Review: Grief Cuts You Like A Knife in 'Next to Normal'

Well, I think this will be the last Atlantis Production I'll be watching this year. I'm not so sure about catching Little Mermaid since I'm not really into "kids material" although I love the songs of that movie.

Anyhow, it's not easy to watch Next to Normal, since it deals with death and grief and a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown! However, the cast led by Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo makes the grief so palpable, you'd hear sniffles around you especially in the last few dramatic scenes! Menchu, in my opinion, has given the best performance by an actress among all the musicals I've seen this year. Everyone in the cast was great! I didn't know The Dawn's Jett Pangan could act! Well, his singing was clear and full of emotion! The daughter, played by Bea Garcia is cute as a button and she did fine as well! My favorite theater actor, Felix Rivera is on top of his game here, as he always is, and since I was near the stage, I could really hear how nice and high his voice was since he did a lot of second voice and high notes! It was so beautiful to hear! Well, easily the cutest among an already goodlooking cast is Markki Stroem, and it didn't show that he was a neophyte in theater acting amidst a very talented cast! He could act and sing at the same time! I don't know why they don't give him more projects on that channel!

Anyhow, except for Jett Pangan, I got pictures again with the very affable cast! Aside from PETA, the Atlantis Production cast are the most approachable among the theater groups in the city. Well, include the Dulaang CCP also in that list! They were also quite kwela! It just makes theater watching more interesting since you get to interact with the cast just right after the play

Theatre Review: "In The Heights" Not So Farfetched from the Pinoy American Dream!

I didn't know that I would put my Spanish language skills into use while watching In the Heights - a Tony award winning play whose main characters are immigrants from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. I think 20% of the musical was either sung or spoken in Spanish. Even the voice over during the break and before the show began, was in Spanish! "Descanso por quinze minutos!" "Que calor" "Amame, besame, llamame" - anyone with a basic working knowledge of Spanish would certainly appreciate the musical and now I know I can confidently interact with Latinos based in New York - although as the musical states - even Dominican and Puerto Rican Spanish have major differences! My friends who work in Spanish language call centers would know that best.

Anyhow, it was great to see Jackie Lou Blanco and Calvin Millado on stage again! They both did wonderful turns as a couple whose daughter was undergoing a personal crisis. Also, it was a welcome sight to see Nyoy Volante rap - and he can rap really well! He's a natural! So don't be fooled by all the acoustic music he has limited himself on doing. He can actually do much more than sing a forlorn love song! And he can act too - since he's actually played Usnavi, the lead character of the musical.

Felix Rivera and Ima Castro are wonderful and excellent as always. However, the revelation in the musical for me is the girl who played Nina and her name is K-La Rivera. It's the first time I've seen her in any of the local musicals and she's quite refreshing to watch - a pretty face with a damn pretty voice too!

My favorite sequences was the part where they dance the salsa and the merengue, what else! Nothing like energetic Latin dancing to celebrate life!

Theatre Review: Atlantis' Production's Next to Normal is Gut-Wrenching and Superbly Performed

The themes of the musical Next to Normal are quite dark and depressing and frankly, it is a subject which is a bit alien to me right now - although, I was also there in that place about twenty years ago - so watching it was a bit difficult. 

However, the performances were all superb and topnotch, I could even daresay that we are much better than the ones who originated the roles (but don't tell the Broadway producers!)  Jett Pangan and his voice is a true gift from God!  (I am not worthy, I am not worthy!!)  I was in the front seat and I could see how he sings very effortlessly and he acts along with it too.  He has a poignant scene in the very end (with the equally fabulous Felix Rivera) and this is the first time that two men in a scene - almost made me cry!! I was just really holding back because I was in front and I was too embarrassed but a lone tear did roll down my right eye!  It's a very emotional scene because the transition from focusing on Menchu Lauchengco's character to Jett's was too drastic and sudden for me and that scene was really moving!

Menchu does most of the emotional scenes here so I think she should be very tired after every performance.  She didn't hold back today.  She's such a joy to watch since you can see the emotions etched on her own face as she's trying to grapple with the maelstrom of feelings that someone coping with depression feels.

Bea Garcia is cute and she has a wonderful voice.  She plays Natalie, the daughter, trying to cope with her Mom's depression.  She's definitely one of the best young actresses in theater that I've seen lately.  And she can act too!

I did review Felix's performance in my other blog - and so with Markki!  Just go to fabe-lous.blogspot.com.

Well, we all have been to a dark place at least at one point in our lives.  What we see in this musical are people coping with a loss so tragic, we wouldn't want to wish it on our enemies.  It does end positively though - for what is life without hope to extinguish the darkness!