Friday, August 24, 2007 Serna: Little Mermaid to showcase 25 songs By Roger Serna Sounds and images
WINGS Travels executive Steve Alfafara has this to share with fellow Cebuanos. His group is bringing to Cebu a stage musicale by Trumpets, the show that caught Manila by storm (figuratively only, huh), the Little Mermaid. That’s on Sept. 2 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino.
Based on the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen and directed by Audie Gemora, the Trumpets’ version will showcase 25 songs performed by a 25-member cast flying to Cebu and played over vibrant props brought in by a 20-footer container van.
The production is exerting all effort to bring the daughter of a popular singer-actress-TV host who did the lead role in the Manila version to do a repeat in the Cebu performance. Cross your fingers.
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In the week-long celebration of Cebu Province’s 438th Founding Anniversary, which culminated on Aug. 6, the Cebuano culture was put to the fore.
This was visible both in the launching of Pasigarbo: Festival of Festivals, which was participated in by 10 local government units at the Cebu International Convention Center grounds and in the folk dance competition among the Capitol employees.
The five clusters, namely, the Executives, Legislators, Builders, Agri-Meds and Unified presented Mananagat, Sampaguita, Miligoy de Cebu, Pandanggo sa Baso and Surtido Cebuano, respectively, all researched to have originated right here in the island province.
The Jailers opted to share in person the now famous Thriller version with the Capitol people, something which endeared the inmates to the public with some even shedding tears (for whatever reason) while watching the performance.
The Unified Team, the Agri-Meds and the Executives won the top prizes, respectively.
In that competition, two authentic Cebuano performances were presented by performers coming from the places of origin of the dances: the Pastores from Naga and Danza Menor from Samboan.
The kids from Naga showed a snippet of the Nativity story in a song-dance-verse number. The senior citizens from Samboan showed their energy and agility and their century old costumes, which they borrowed from fellow Samboanons who kept them like priceless possessions.
The two groups were “discovered during the Suroy Suroy Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail 2007. Pastores—which was believed to have been “exported” to the Bicol region by a Cebuano who relocated there and has since become a big festival there—was thought of to have completely disappeared. What’s up for next year to further increase interest in the colorful, diverse and rich Cebuano culture? Trust the culture think-tank of the province to crack their skulls just to come up with something to be proud of.
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Speaking of the Suroy Suroy Sugbo, the Northern Escapade will be held next week, that’s from Aug. 30-Sept. 1. As in the past outings, the local government units will highlight their localities’ best performances, industries, products, sites, delicacies and others.
Feel proud in seeing truly Cebuano tangible and intangible assets and in discovering new things along the way. Will there be new finds in the north? Who knows?
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You must have recalled the recent seventh anniversary show of Psalmstre Ent. Inc. that featured seven beauty queens led by former Ms. International Melanie Marquez, the company’s prime endorser. Psalmstre has distributed anniversary editions of New Placenta beauty soap (in transparent form), which have the photos of Melanie, Lovi Poe (Psalmstre’s new endorser) and the owner himself, Jim Acosta, embedded in them. Lovely for display and for use, of course.
Recently, Dr. Dietmar J. Rummel, a licensed German natural medicine doctor who did researches and formulations for the company’s products, blew into town and met some members of the Cebu press. Dr. Rummel wrote some books about the cosmetic uses of Philippine medicinal herbs, plants, crops and others. He even told the gents present that he’s coming up with a new product especially for men. And do you know what that is? A masculine wash! Oh, really? Interesting! Anyway, Psalmstre is set to invade Davao this October with a product launching of sorts. Expect beauty queens and other celebrities to grace the occasion.
