Care Divas Tops the 1st MyFABE Theater Awards

The musical comedy-drama Care Divas topped the 1st MyFABE Theater awards winning five awards - Best Musical, Best Director - Musical for Maribel Legarda, Best Actor Musical for Melvin Lee, Best Supporting Actor Musical for Ricci Chan and Best Songbook for Vincent de Jesus.

This year's Best Play, Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay won four awards - including Best Director for Joey Paras who also won Best Script, and Best Actress in a Play for Kiki Baento.

The surprise of the night was the four awards for 39 Steps.  They got two acting awards for Liza Infante (Best Supporting Actress in a Play) and for Juliene Mendoza (Best Supporting Actor in a Play).  They also grabbed two technical awards - Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

The queen of local theater, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, won Best Actress in a Musical for her turn as a woman sinking into madness in Next to Normal. Veteran actor Siegfried Sepulveda won the Best Actor in a Play award for his turn as a retiree in The Valley Mission Care while veteran actress Pinky Amador snatched the Best Supporting Actress in a Musical award for Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

Mga Lobo Tulad ng Buwan won for Best Lighting while Sweet Charity got the Best Choreography award.

Only plays and musicals that I watched this year are qualified to be nominated in the said categories.  Winners are basically the personal choice of moi, the blogger!

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1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Play

Five outstanding plays are nominated for Best Play this year.  39 Steps from the Repertory was an interesting whodunit.  Dulaang UP asked us to examine ourselves in Fake while the CCP's Virgin Labfest gave us Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay, Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan and The Valley Mission Care.

BEST PLAY

39 Steps

Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Fake

Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

The Valley Mission Care

And the award for Best Play goes to..........Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay from the CCP's Virgin Labfest!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Musical

Five entertaining musicals are nominated for Best Musical this year.  Care Divas sings about the plight of a group of cross-dressing caregivers in Care Divas.  In the Heights explores the lives of the Latinos based in New York.  Next to Normal brings forth raw madness while Sweet Charity brings us back to the swinging 60s!  Finally, Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah brings us again to the world of Pinoy superheroes.


BEST MUSICAL


Care Divas

In the Heights

Next to Normal

Sweet Charity

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Musical goes to...............Care Divas from PETA!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Director - Play

Five fantastic directors occupy the nominees for Best Director in a Play.  Ana Abad Santos gave us the fast-paced and entertaining 39 Steps.  Tony Mabenta directed the pensive Fake.  Missy Maramara directed the bittersweet The Valley Mission Care.  Joey Para gave us the hilarious Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay while Pat Valera showed us the lives of the loved ones left behind in Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Mga Buwan.

BEST DIRECTOR (PLAY)

Ana Abad Santos - 39 Steps

Tony Mabenta - Fake

Missy Maramara - The Valley Mission Care

Joey Paras - Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Pat Valera - Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

And the award for Best Director - Play goes to............Joey Paras for Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Director - Musical

Maribel Legarda gets two nominations this year for directing William and Care Divas.  Bobby Garcia gave us the forlorn Next to Normal.  Robbie Guevarra directed the buoyant Sweet Charity and Chris Millado gets our nod again for Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

BEST DIRECTOR (MUSICAL)

Bobby Garcia - Next to Normal

Robbie Guevarra - Sweet Charity

Maribel Legarda - Care Divas

Maribel Legarda - William

Chris Millado - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Director - Musical goes to............Maribel Legarda for Care Divas!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Actor in a Play

Four veteran actors and an upcoming actor complete this year's Best Actor in a Play list.  Joel Lamangan played a fake historian in Fake.  Gerard Pizarras plays the skeptic and believer in Fake.  Leo Rialp plays the befuddled old man in Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay.  Siegfried Sepulveda plays the lonely retiree in The Valley Mission Care, while Michael Williams plays the intrepid hero in 39 Steps.


BEST ACTOR (PLAY)

Joel Lamangan - Fake

Gerard Pizarras - Fake

Leo Rialp - Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Siegfried Sepulveda - The Valley Mission Care

Michael Williams - 39 Steps

And the award for Best Actor in a Play goes to............Siegfried Sepulveda in The Valley Mission Care!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Actor in a Musical

Five adept actors are nominated for Best Actor in a Musical.  Vincent de Jesus and Melvin Lee are both funny and poignant in Care Divas.  John Moran was boorish and a bully in William.  Jett Pangan was adroit in Next to Normal while Myke Salomon played the yummy pharaoh in Aida.



BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL)

Vincent de Jesus - Care Divas

Melvin Lee - Care Divas

John Moran - William

Jett Pangan - Next to Normal

Myke Salomon - Aida

And the award for Best Actor in a Musical goes to...........Melvin Lee in Care Divas!

Moi with Melvin Lee who played Chelsea here in Care Divas!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Actress in a Musical

Not only did they have to act, they had to sing as well!  These five fine singing actresses are nominated for Best Actress in a Musical.  Ima Castro was a veritable tour-de-force in Aida.  Nikki Gil was quirky and sugary in Sweet Charity.  Menchu Lauchengco was heart-wrenching in Next to Normal.  K-la Rivera was a breath of fresh air in In the Heights while Eula Valdez was a wonder woman in Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.

BEST ACTRESS MUSICAL

Ima Castro - Aida

Nikki Gil - Sweet Charity

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo - Next to Normal

K-la Rivera - In the Heights

Eula Valdez - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Actress in a Play goes to...........Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo in Next to Normal!

Moi avec Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo apres le presentacion!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Actress in a Play

Kiki is a fantastic comedic actress with impeccable timing and delivery!  She really brought the house down in Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay!

Five fantastic actresses are nominated for this year's Best Actress in a Play category.  All the three leads in the elegiac Mga Lobo Tulad ng Buwan are nominated - Mary Jane Alejo, Katte Sabate and Chic San Agustin.  Kiki Baento brought the house down in Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay, while Mayen Estanero played the bewildered nurse in The Valley Mission Care.

BEST ACTRESS PLAY

Mary Jane Alejo - Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

Kiki Baento - Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Mayen Estanero - The Valley Mission Care

Katte Sabate - Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

Chic San Agustin - Mga Lobo Tulad Ng  Buwan

And the award for Best Actress in a Play goes to..........Kiki Baento for Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Play

Five good actors are nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play this year.  Richard Cunanan played the jovial doctor in The Valley Mission Care.  Juliene Mendoza and Rem Zamora played various roles in 39 Steps to funny effect.  Jerald Napoles played the hunky native in Fake while co-actor, the cute Ross Pesigan played the bewildered student in Fake.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR PLAY

Richard Cunanan - The Valley Mission Care

Juliene Mendoza - 39 Steps

Jerald Napoles - Fake

Ross Pesigan - Fake

Rem Zamora - 39 Steps

And the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play goes to......Juliene Mendoza for 39 Steps!

Juliene Mendoza is the bald guy while co-nominee Rem Zamora is the mysterious lady in black!  Both played multiple roles in this play, the 39 Steps.

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Play

Four versatile actresses are nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Play.  Sharmaine Buencamino was a fake healer in Fake. Gimay Galvan was the irritated lesbian in Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay.  Alya Honasan expressed true shock in Fake, while Liza Infante inhabited several roles in 39 Steps, among them a rich countess.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS PLAY

Sharmaine Buencamino - Fake

Gimay Galvan - Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Alya Honasan - Fake

Liza Infante - 39 Steps

And the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Play goes to......Liza Infante in 39 Steps!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Supporting Actress in a Musical

Five fantastic actresses comprise this year's nominees for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.  Pinky Amador was assertive as Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah's nemesis.  Wilma Doesnt appeared only for a few minutes but brought the house down.  Bea Garcia was the sad daughter in Next to Normal.  Jay Glorioso was the radiant abuela in In the Heights and Tex Ordonez wowed us with her dance moves in In the Heights.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS MUSICAL

Pinky Amador - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

Wilma Doesnt - Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

Bea Garcia - Next to Normal

Jay Glorioso - In The Heights

Tex Ordonez - In The Heights

And the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical goes to........Pinky Amador for Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

The supporting categories are normally the most competitive since there are so many good actors to choose from.  The following have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical.

Ricci Chan sang his heart out as an abused OFW caregiver in Care Divas.  Miguel Hidalgo was hot and sexy (I love his chest hair haha) as the illegal Palestinian guy in Care Divas.  Gabe Mercado was the irrepressible sidekick of Zsa Zsa in Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah.  Felix Rivera played the dead son in Next to Normal while Josh Santana was a revelation as the loyal subject to the pharaoh in Aida.


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

And the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical goes to........Ricci Chan of Care Divas!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Songbook

The following are the nominees for best songbook.  The songs in Care Divas capture perfectly the OFW experience of our caregivers in Israel.  The aspirations of the Latinos in New York are sung In the Heights.  A woman freeing herself from madness is sung in Next to Normal.  The bubbly Sweet Charity gives us the quirky sounds of the sixties while the camp songs of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah was updated for today's Twitter and Facebooke world.

BEST SONGBOOK

Care Divas

In the Heights

Next to Normal

Sweet Charity

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Songbook goes to.........Vincent de Jesus for Care Divas!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Script

These are the five best scripts this year.  The lives of our fellow OFW caregivers were written poetically by Vincent de Jesus.  Russell Legaspi of The Valley Mission Care had the most mysterious ending of any play this year.  Joey Paras' Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay was hysterical!  Floy Quintos' Fake dissected the anomalies in our history, while Pat Valera captured the angst of the loved ones left behind in Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan.

BEST SCRIPT

Vincent de Jesus - Care Divas

Russell Legaspi - The Valley Mission Care

Joey Paras - Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay

Floy Quintos - Fake

Pat Valera - Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

And the Best Script goes to..........Joey Paras for Bawal Tumawid Nakamamatay!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Lighting

The following plays and musicals used lighting very well to depict a scene.  In 39 Steps, the eerie mood was captured perfectly.  The bright lights of New York lighted up In The Heights.  The stormy seas was captured perfectly in Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan.  The different shades of madness were magnified in Next to Normal, while the mad dance and song sequences of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah was further enhanced by the bright twinkling lights onstage.
 
BEST LIGHTING

39 Steps

In the Heights

Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

Next to Normal

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Lighting goes to...............Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Costume Design

There were several well-dressed actors in several plays and musicals this year.  I chose 39 Steps for the authentic period costumes that suited the era of the play.  The caregivers of the Care Divas looked fabulous!  The period costumes of Fake evoked that era in Philippine history.  The sexy costumes in Sweet Charity evoked the 60s while the daring costumes of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah helped beef up the superhero's character.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

39 Steps

Care Divas

Fake

Sweet Charity

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the winner for Best Costume Design is.......39 Steps!

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Production Design

Among the plays that I saw this year, the following, are my nominees for Best Production Design.


I picked 39 Steps because of the ingenious way the production designer used the same props for different scenes!  As for Fake, the collection of antiques and furniture perfectly captured the era that the play was set in.  In the Heights and Sweet Charity used credible scenery while Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan was creative in depicting a boat at sea during a storm.

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

39 Steps

Fake

In the Heights

Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan

Sweet Charity

And the award for Best Production Design goes to..........39 Steps!  This is the first MyFABE Theatre award for 39 Steps.

1st MyFABE Theater Awards: Best Choreography

This year, I have watched a lot of very good musicals and from among them, here are the nominees for Best Choreography - 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Care Divas
In the Heights
Sweet Charity
William
Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

And the award for Best Choreography goes to..............Sweet Charity!

This is, for me, the best part of their choreography, which the legendary Bob Fosse did, and yeah, they did the whole thing in the theater!  Cigarettes and all! -




This is Sweet Charity's first MyFABE award.

'Fake' Leads MyFABE Theater Awards 2011 with Eleven Nominations

Fake by Floy Quintos, a small, talky play from Dulaang UP led this year's MyFABE Theater Awards with 11 nominations, one nomination more than two big and very popular musicals, Care Divas and Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah; the former, a breakthrough hit this year for PETA; the latter, a theater staple of Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines which both had ten nominations each.  

Repertory Philippines' 39 Steps garnered nine nominations, while Virgin Labfest's Mga Lobo Tulad Ng Buwan and Atlantis Productions' In The Heights got eight nominations each.

Fake got nominations for Best Play, Best Director, two nods for Best Actor (Joel Lamangan, Gerard Pizarras), two nods for Best Supporting Actor (Ross Pesigan, Jerald Napoles), two nods for Best Supporting Actress (Sharmaine Buencamino, Alya Honasan), Best Script for Floy Quintos, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

The winners will be announced on December 31, 2011.  This is the first year where the blog is coming out with the MyFABE Theater Awards.  Thirteen different plays and musicals qualified for the nominations.  Only plays and musicals watched by the blogger are allowed to be nominated.