Musical Night: Amazing Show at the Manila Film Center

We were at the Manila Film Center in CCP to watch Amazing Show, a musical show featuring popular tunes from musicals and traditional dances of different countries.

The building's front exterior wall featured colorful city designs like this one:

ticket office

Amazing Show was open to local and foreign tourists, but the discounted rates were only for Filipinos. Even their Ensogo promo was open only to Filipinos. The ticket's regular price was P500 and it was great that the Ensogo price was only P250 -- it made the show affordable for a lot more Pinoys. In my review of Shakespeare in Hollywood, I lamented that few Pinoys watch plays, so making Amazing Show affordable would hopefully encourage more people too see theater as a good medium for entertainment, instead of viewing theater as only for the rich and the sophisticated.

Shakespeare in Hollywood

Boyfie and I were looking for new things to do during weekends, aside from the usual pigging out. I came across news about Repertory Philippines' Shakespeare in Hollywood and bought tickets. Truth be told, I was feeling neutral. I am not much into theater and practically clueless about Shakespeare's plays. I can't even remember the last play I attended (a requirement during my student days more than a decade ago). I've always considered theater actors much more talented and dedicated than their on-screen counterparts though, and with that I decided to get out of my cave and get a little culture.

Synopsis: (synopsis and image from Repertory Philippines' site)

A no holds Bard Comedy!

It's 1934, and Shakespeare's most famous fairies, Oberon and Puck, have magically materialized on the Warner Bros. Hollywood set of Max Reinhardt's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Instantly smitten by the glitz and glamour of show biz, the two are ushered onto the silver screen to play (who else?) themselves. With a little help from a feisty flower, blonde bombshells, movie moguls, and arrogant "asses" are tossed into loopy love triangles, with raucous results. The mischievous magic of moviedom sparkles in this hilarious comic romp.

Commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare in Hollywood had its world premier in 2003 at Arena Stage and won the Helen Hayes award for Best New Play of the Year.