Tag: Manila
“On Your Feet!” Review: The Rhythm Did Get Me
For ’80s kids and ’90s teens like myself, Gloria Estefan was one of the popstars whose cassette tape made its rotation in our household. I remember my parents took me to the concert of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine in 1991 at the Folk Arts Theater, where we watched them perform hits such […]
Yemaya Feels Like a Great Novel You Can’t Put Down
9 Works Theatrical took a bold risk for its first production of 2026. After 17 years since their debut production, the company adapted their first straight (non-musical) play, Yemaya. This unfamiliar but Pulitzer Prize-winning play was written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, best known for her Tony Award-winning In The Heights. In the US, she’s widely […]
Spring Awakening in Manila is as Radical as The First Time
In 2007, I bought student rush tickets to Spring Awakening, one year after it officially debuted on Broadway in New York City, and one week after it won eight awards at the Tonys, including Best Musical. It was the first real Broadway musical I ever watched, which is why it has a special place in […]
Touring the Google PH HQ on Safer Internet Day
When Google Philippines’ main office first opened in 2017, all eyes were on its interiors, which integrated Filipino cultural elements with modern aesthetics. Since the early 2010s, tech companies such as Google and Pixar have changed the game of office spaces. Inspired by Silicon Valley, modern offices were no longer drab spaces that sucked the […]
The Split in BGC is Four Raintree Restaurants in One
If you miss Chotto Matte and Izakaya Sensu, then you’ll be glad to know that they’re back—sort of—in The Split, the newest dining destination in BGC. Targeted towards a quirky foodie demographic—the indecisive—The Split houses four well-loved brands by the Raintree Hospitality Group: Providore Bakery & Café, Friends & Family Upside Down, Saboten Express, and […]
Clark vs. Manila Airport: Pros and Cons
When Clark International Airport (CRK) officially opened in 2022, the government had high hopes. The new airport aimed to accommodate 8 million passengers per year, and in the long run, decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. NAIA is frequently cited as one of the worst airports in the world (Hear, hear!), and […]
“Liwanag Sa Dilim: The Musical” Is One Heck of a Ride
There was a conundrum among the writers in my section at the March 6 press preview of Liwanag sa Dilim: “How do we keep our reviews spoiler-free and how long can we go without telling anyone the plot of the musical?” As the official first audience of this new original Filipino musical, we were on […]
Petto Mart Is The New 24-Hour Emergency Pet Hospital in Makati
If there’s one thing pet owners and animal rescuers badly need in the Philippines, it’s a bigger selection of reputable 24-hour emergency pet hospitals. When I say pet hospital, I mean fully-staffed with functioning medical equipment, such as ultrasound, 2D echo, surgery gear, and diagnostic labs. There are a number of 24-hour emergency pet hospitals […]
“Next To Normal” Looks Grief In The Eye
Mental health may no longer be the taboo topic it was 10-20 years ago, but when Next To Normal made its 2008 off-Broadway and 2009 Broadway debut, the rock musical made waves in modern theater. It won three Tony Awards (Best Original Score, Best Orchestration, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for […]