Star Powerhouse

  Filipino independent record label Offshore Music teams up with award-winning illustrator and comics creator Rob Cham for a special limited-edition merchandise to mark the 30th anniversary of the Eraserheads ’ critically acclaimed fourth studio album, Fruitcake . The limited-edition t-shirt features Cham’s modern take on the album’s whimsical world, giving listeners a fresh visual entry point into one of the most important works in Philippine music. Known for his distinct visual storytelling, Cham approached the project as both a tribute and reinterpretation of the original Fruitcake universe. “I wanted to do my take on the storybook while also keeping it something that people would see and be curious about what the album is about,” the acclaimed artist explains. “I wanted to make other fans of Fruitcake happy and tried to capture the energy that the album has. While working on this, I listened to the album nonstop, reread the book, and looked up all the old music videos to ge...

  Get ready to fall in love and dance as Rockwell and 9 Works Theatrical bring the musical On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan to Manila this July! Directed by Robbie Guevara, with musical direction by Daniel Bartolome and a book by Alexander Dinelaris, On Your Feet! tells the awe-inspiring story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan—two artists whose unwavering belief in each other redefined the American soundscape. Fueled by passion and tested by tragedy, the musical explores the determination and creativity that turned a local band into an international sensation. This uplifting saga comes to life with a pulse-pounding playlist featuring some of the greatest pop hits of a generation, including “Anything For You,” “1-2-3,” “Conga,” and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You.” It is a celebration of heritage, family, and the music that moved the world. On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan is a 9 Works Theatrical production presented by Rockwell. The show will run in J...

Apart from the must-see main features, the Virgin Labfest (VLF) continues to expand its offerings with stripped-down staged readings of selected scripts from the VLFXXI: HUBO’T HUBAD submissions, reading performances of works from the diaspora, and a showcase from the VLF Writing Fellowship Workshop. The staged readings are composed of three sets, each featuring two scripts selected from the VLFXXI submissions. For Set 1, Jose Victor Torres’ Mga Tatsulok and M. Manalastas’ The Devoured will take the VLF stage on June 12, 2026. Set 2 follows on June 19, 2026, featuring Dingdong Novenario’s Manang and Rafael Jimenez’s Suor . Set 3, meanwhile, will spotlight Juan Ekis’ Kasal(anan) and Jay Fernandez’s Ang Huli on June 26, 2026. Mga Tatsulok follows the lives of three characters: Beng, a single mother struggling to cope with the death of her only son; Allan, her live-in partner who tries to keep their relationship together despite the tragedy; and Marky, Beng’s deceased son, whose mem...

 For its 92nd season, the Far Eastern University Theater Guild presents a fractured paradise in “Bangaw,” a Filipino adaptation of Sir William Golding’s 1954 masterpiece Lord of the Flies . Under the sharp direction of Dudz Teraña, the production reimagines the classic descent from civilization into barbarism through a distinctly local lens, reaffirming once again why FTG remains a bastion of provocative student theater. Co-written by Teraña and fellow Philippine Educational Theater Association artist-teacher Gold Villar-Lim, “Bangaw” transports the familiar tale of stranded schoolboys to a remote island in the Visayas. Following a plane crash that leaves a group of high school students without adult supervision or rules, their initial mission of survival quickly unravels. What begins as an attempt to reconstruct order is soon poisoned by a growing fascination with bloodlust and the paranoia of a monster lurking in the forest. The play’s title finds its chilling physical form when ...

Hayde Portal, Louis Dormido, Hector Gloria, and Jerianne Panisales in Manokan Country   The Diwa Filipino Film Festival, in collaboration with the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, is returning to the Seattle Center Armory Loft 2 this June. Among the 30 films selected to celebrate the Filipino spirit and diaspora is  “Manokan Country,”  a heartwarming short film that brings the flavors and resilience of Bacolod City to the Pacific Northwest. As part of the “Sometimes You Just Gotta Laugh” program,  “Manokan Country”  will be shown on June 7, Sunday, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., together with “Guys! Action!” by Jem Catabijan, “Philip vs. The School” by Terrence Santiago,  “Ambag”  (Impact) by Mark Giddel Liwanag, and  “Te Seguiré a la Oscuridad”  by Joy Regullano. Written and directed by Banjo Hinolan,  “Manokan Country”  is a 20-minute comedy-drama that captures the soul of Bacolod City’s culinary heritage. The story follows Raul (...

GAWAD CCP PARA SA SINING 2024 Awards Night at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater last September 20, 2024 - Kiko Cabuena  The Cultural Center of the Philippines has officially opened public nominations for the prestigious Gawad CCP Para sa Sining 2026, the highest recognition bestowed by the CCP on Filipino artists, cultural workers, and organizations that have made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and culture. The award honors individuals and groups in the fields of architecture, dance, film and broadcast arts, literature, music, theater, and visual arts who have consistently created outstanding works or developed distinct styles and techniques that helped shape and enrich their respective art forms in the country. Beyond artistic excellence, the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining also recognizes cultural workers and advocates whose efforts in research, curatorship, arts management, and cultural administration have strengthened and promoted Philippine culture...