karla's Site

Due to popular demand the Philippine Opera Company brings back HARANA  … A Cultural Journey on May 28-30 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza.

The 3-day concert is a fitting send-off for the group before they embark on their first international tour to the Netherlands. Featuring eight of country’s most celebrated artists, Ana Feleo, Deeda Barretto, Karla Gutierrez, Florence Aguilar, Sherwin Sozon, Lawrence Jatayna, Noel Rayos and Miguel Castro.

Repertoire includes timeless classics like, “Bituing Marikit”, “Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak”, “Pamaypay ng Maynila”,  “Iyo Kailan Pa Man”, “Kalesa”, “Ang Maya”, “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran”, “Dumbele”, “Ay Salidumay”, “Waray-Waray”, “Sa Kabukiran”, “Manang Biday”, “Atin Cu Pung Singsing”, “Pobreng Alindahaw”, “Saan Ka Man Naroroon”, “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal”, “Hindi Kita Malimot” and many more. 

The launch last year was very successful garning good reviews not only from the audience but also from the critics. Rosalinda Orosa in the Philippine Star: “Harana: Bravo! … garnered prolonged, deafening applause” … Harana should be shown here and abroad again and again”, “How long have we waited for such an endearing piece of artful, delightful entertainment... How long will we have to wait for another like it?” states Julie Yap-Daza in her column.

The word “HARANA” is the Tagalog (the predominant Philippine dialect) name of a traditional form of courtship where a man woos a woman’s affection by singing underneath her window.

“HARANA” promises to take its audience to a spectacular musical journey showcasing the very best of Philippine music. From the indigenous Cordilleras and pre-colonial to contemporary and fusion, each musical suite is theatrically presented with authenticity, originality and visual excitement.

The creation of each Harana suite is a product of thorough research with the commitment to preserve indigenous Philippine music and its appropriate dance and folklore. It also aims to restructure and enhance these research findings to evolve repertoires suited to the demands of contemporary theater; and to promote international goodwill through performances at home and abroad. The result is an absolute feast to the senses.

Direction by Kokoy Jimenez, music arrangements by multi-awarded composer/arranger Von de Guzman, choreography by Irina Feleo and costume designs by Zenaida Gutierrez.

Produced in cooperation with the Yuchengco Group of Companies, Narda’s, Dita Sandico-Ong, Shangri-la Plaza, Manila Bulletin and Onesimus.

For ticket reservation please call Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786, 812-4183 or Ticketworld at 8919999 or log on to www.philippineoperacompany.com

 

Harana will perform excerpts of the show at the Shang-ri-la Mall Atrium, May 2, Saturday at 5pm.  See you!  Harana the CD will also be available at the venue. 

Compassion in the season of Lent

 

By Belinda Olivares-Cunanan

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 22:55:00 03/09/2009

A roaring success — this was the verdict of the audience on the concert organized last Feb. 28 by the Philippine Opera Company, led by its president, soprano Karla Patricia Gutierrez, to raise funds for the medical treatment of Nolyn Cabahug. The famed tenor suffers from kidney collapse owing to heart and diabetes complications, and needs a kidney transplant. Never before have artists from the Philippine music world come together in such a grand way, offering their talents for free for a “kapamilya,” as Karla put it. For me, that concert augurs well for a revival of the old “bayanihan” spirit among our people and of true “damayan” for kin in need.

For the audience, the concert proved “bitin,” a “patikim” from a cultural smorgasbord. But what else can one expect when the musical stars were all there, singing for Nolyn, among them popular balladeers like Bo Zerrudo, The Angelos, led by George Tagle, and that rousing couple, veterans of the West End, Isay Alvarez and Robert Seña, as well as an array of operatic singers, such as Rachel Gerodias, George Yang, Glen Gaerlan, Frankie Aseniero, Sherwin Sozon, Aileen Cura, Jennifer Uy, Elaine Lee and Alexis Edralin. The last is herself a leukemia survivor who was reportedly clinically dead for 22 hours three months ago, but that night her magnificent voice soared, probably because she understood only too well the pain of suffering.

* * *

I was touched by how people came together for Nolyn. The use of the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Bldg. was offered for free by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.’s top honcho, Alfonso Yuchengco, and different people donated food for the production staff and the cast’s snacks and dinners. President Arroyo, who was then attending the ASEAN Summit in Thailand, earlier sent Nolyn a prayer card for speedy recovery, and that night she asked her sister-in-law, Mariter Jalandoni-Macapagal, to represent her.

We also learned that President Arroyo had directed the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to help Nolyn.

PHILIPPINE OPERA COMPANY’S “HARANA” BACK ON

STAGE FROM MAY 28 TO 30

Due to insistent public demand, the Philippine Opera Company re-stages "Harana, a Cultural Journey" from May 28, 29 and30 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Tower, Makati City.

Featuring eight of country’s most awarded artists, Ana Feleo, Deeda Barretto, Karla Gutierrez, Florence Aguilar, Lawrence Jatayna, Noel Rayos, Miguel Castro and Sherwin Sozon. The show promises to once again take its audience on a spectacular musical journey through the very best of Philippine music! From indigenous and pre-colonial to contemporary and fusion, each musical suite is theatrically presented with authenticity, originality and visual excitement.

The repertoire includes timeless classics like, “Bituing Marikit”, “Dahil Sa Isang Bulaklak”, “Pamaypay ng Maynila”,  “Iyo Kailan Pa Man”, “Kalesa”, “Ang Maya”, “Ano Kaya Ang Kapalaran”, “Dumbele”, “Ay Salidumay”, “Waray-Waray”, “Sa Kabukiran”, “Manang Biday”, “Atin Cu Pung Singsing”, “Pobreng Alindahaw”, “Saan Ka Man Naroroon,”, “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal”, Hindi Kita Malimot” and many more.

After a very successful launch last year, many have been asking for a repeat of the Harana show. The show garnered good reviews not only from critics but from its audience. Quoted in Rosalinda Orosa’s column, “Harana: Bravo! … garnered prolonged, deafening applause” … Harana should be shown here and abroad again and again”, “How long have we waited for such an endearing piece of artful, delightful entertainment... How long will we have to wait for another like it?” states Julie Yap-Daza.

The word “HARANA” is the Tagalog (the predominant Philippine dialect) name of a traditional form of courtship in which a man woos a woman’s affection by singing underneath her window.

 Produced in cooperation with the Yuchengco Group of Companies, Narda’s, Dita Sandico-Ong and Onesimus. “HARANA” promises to take its audience to a spectacular musical journey showcasing the very best of Philippine music. From the indigenous Cordilleras and pre-colonial to contemporary and fusion, each musical suite is theatrically presented with authenticity, originality and visual excitement.

The creation of each Harana suite is a product of thorough research with the commitment to preserve indigenous Philippine music and its appropriate dance and folklore. It also aims to restructure and enhance these research findings to evolve repertoires suited to the demands of contemporary theater; and to promote international goodwill through performances at home and abroad. The result is an absolute feast to the senses.

Directed by Kokoy Jimenez, music arrangements by multi-awarded composer/arranger Von de Guzman, choreography by Irina Feleo and costume designs by Zenaida Gutierrez. 

Ticket prices are P1,200, P1,000 and P500. For ticket reservation please call Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786 or Ticketworld at 8919999 or log on to www.philippineoperacompany.com

(Photos by Jojit Lorenzo)

 

ARTISTS UNITE TO HELP ONE OF THEIR OWN

Respected and loved by many, Nolyn Cabahug, considered as the Philippines' foremost tenor, is currently undergoing dialysis after both his kidneys ceased functioning, primarily due to his long fight against diabetes. As a way of helping him and his family during their time of need, a once in a lifetime gathering of artists and friends have volunteered to donate their talents and time for a benefit concert entitled “Tenor ng Bayan, Ating Awitan: a Fund Raising Concert for Nolyn Cabahug.”  The concert is scheduled on February 28, 8pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Makati City. 

Artists who will be performing include: Robert Seña, Isay Alvarez, Bimbo Cerrudo, George Yang, Jennifer Uy, Juan Alberto Gaerlan, Sherwin Sozon, Pinky Marquez, Harana, JM Rodriguez, Lionel Guico, Joy Abalon, Alexis Edralin, Florence Aguilar, Clarissa Ocampo, Rachelle Gerodias, Andrew Fernando, Maritoni Rufino, Renato Lucas, Elaine Lee, Joana Go, Jenny Aldecoa-Delorino, Angelos, Karla Gutierrez, Lara Maigue, Marvin Gayramon, Bench Bautista, Jude Areopagita, Joel Villaflor, Jay Barrameda, Liesl Batucan, Frankie Aseniero, Jude Areopagita, UP Concert Chorus, Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and more! The fund raising concert will be directed by Kokoy Jimenez. 

As many would fondly remember, Nolyn is the opera singer who effortlessly sang three octaves in a television commercial many years ago but even before that, he was already making a name for himself in the classical music scene. Born in Jaro, Iloilo City, Nolyn first gained prominence in Negros Occidental, his home town, but his singing was only confined to him being a member of a church choir.  From there, Nolyn earned a scholarship in voice sponsored by the Manila Metropolitan Theater (MET), where he learned the art of classical singing under the late great soprano, Maestra Isang Tapales. Afterwhich, he also received a scholarship in music from the University of the Philippines and became the tenor and baritone soloist of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus (UPCC) during their world tours from 1981 to 1985. During that time, the group consistently won in international competitions held in Germany and Netherlands. 

Nolyn, also appeared in numerous musicals, productions, shows and full-scale operas including: “Kismet,” “Tosca,” “Mephistopheles,” “Dialogue of the Carmelites,” and “La loba Negra” – all produced and shown either at the Metropolitan Theater or at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He also sang the role of Crisostomo Ibarra in the 1987 restaging of Felipe Padilla de Leon’s “Noli Me Tangere,” which toured key cities in the United States.  In 1990, he sang the role of Alfredo Belmonte opposite soprano Donna Maria Zapola in Rolando Tinio’s Filipino adaptation of “La Traviata.”

"However surprising it may sound, initially, I never really came out as a singer - professionally that is, until I came to Manila.  Coming from a small town in Iloilo City, I was very lucky to be featured in quite a number of performances and musicals.  I can also say that I received good training, especially during my tenure as a member of the UP Concert Chorus.  My coming to Manila has definitely become a significant turning point in my life," proudly shared by Nolyn.

Over the years, Nolyn has received numerous awards including Aliw Awards' Best Classical Performer for 2003 and 2005; Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Awardee for the Arts (presented by the National Consumers Year-end Awards, 2002); Huwarang Pilipino Awardee for Arts and Culture/Entertainment (Special Who's Who in the Philippines, 2001); and "Opera Singer of the Year" by the National Press Club, 1990, among many others.

Tickets are priced at P1,000 and P5,000, respectively.  Pledges in the form of cheques made out to Nolyn Cabahug, will also be accepted at the venue. For inquiries, please call the Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786 or log on to www.philippineoperacompany.com

ARTISTS UNITE TO HELP ONE OF THEIR OWN. 

The Philippines' "Tenor ng Bayan", Mr. Nolyn Cabahug is currently in the hospital and is required to undergo daily dialysis. To help him and his family during this time of need, artists and friends have agreed to stage a concert for his benefit. To raise as much as funds as we are able, concert tickets are priced at Php5,000 (reserved seats) and Php1,000 (first come first served).  Concert venue is at the C.P. Romulo Auditorium. RCBC Plaza, Ayala Ave., Makati City.  February 28, 2009 at 8pm.

So far, artists who have agreed to donate their time and talents include: Mr. George Yang, Robert Seña, Isay Alvarez, Bimbo Cerrudo, Pinky Marquez, Jennifer Uy, Sherwin Sozon, Angelos, Lionel Guico, Karla Gutierrez, Joy Abalon, Alexis Edralin, Florence Aguilar, Juan Alberto Gaerlan, Maritoni Rufino, Elaine Lee, Jenny Aldecoa-Delorino, Lara Maigue, Fame Flores, JM Rodriguez, Bench Bautista, Jude Areopagita, Harana, Renato Lucas, Rodel Colmenar, Joana Go, Rachelle Gerodias, Clarissa Ocampo, Andrew Fernando, Marvin Gayramon, Manila Philharmonic Orchestra,  and more!

Pledges will also be accepted at the venue. Please make cheque payable to NOLYN CABAHUG.

For inquiries please call Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786

Thank you and we hope to see you there

We are organizing a fund-raising concert for Nolyn Cabahug's dialysis treatment. Concert on February 28 (Saturday), 8pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium. 

PHILIPPINE OPERA COMPANY re-stages “HARANA” on May 28, 29 and 30

After receiving positive reviews last year and clamor for a repeat performance, Philippine Opera Company will re-stage HARANA on May 28-30 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium.

The Philippine Opera Company, home of the country’s premiere opera singers, proudly presents the repeat performance of HARANA. Featuring the golden voices of sopranos Ana Feleo, Deeda Barretto, Karla Gutierrez, Florence Aguilar, tenors, Glen Gaerlan, Sherwin Sozon and baritone Lawrence Jatayna. This show promises to take its audience to a spectacular musical journey showcasing the very best of Philippine music. From indigenous and pre-colonial to contemporary and fusion, each musical suite is theatrically presented with authenticity, originality and visual excitement.

HARANA is Philippine Opera Company’s newest addition to its exciting line up of show packages. Composed of 8 highly classically trained singers – 4 male and female singers – Harana aims to showcase the evolution of Philippine music through song and movement. Each suite is theatrically presented with authenticity, originality and visual excitement. The word “Harana” is the Tagalog (the predominant Philippine dialect) name of a traditional form of courtship in which a man woos a woman’s affection by singing underneath her window. The creation of each Harana suite is a product of thorough research with the commitment to preserve indigenous Philippine music and its appropriate dance and folklore. It also aims to restructure and enhance these research findings to evolve repertoires suited to the demands of contemporary theater; and to promote international goodwill through performances at home and abroad. The result is an absolute feast to the senses.

In cooperation with Narda’s, Onesimus, Dita Sandico-Ong and Yuchengco Group of Companies. HARANA shall be re-staged on May 28, 29 and 30, 8:00 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo auditorium.  Ticket prices are 1,000, 500, and 250. For ticket reservation please contact Doris Campaña at 892-8786 or Ticketworld at 8919999 or log on to www.philippineoperacompany.com

Philippine Opera Company's HARANA is looking for a MALE Performer between 25 to 40 yrs. old who can sing and dance. Audition will be on Jan.31 (Sat) at 2:00pm in 15 Garcia Villa St., San Lorenzo Vill., Makati. Be prepared to sing "Bituing Marikit" (standard key). For details you can log on to POC website: www.philippineoperacompany.com or call us at 892-8786. 

Will one of the nation's greatest musicians be noticed in a D.C. Metro stop during rush hour? Violinist Joshua Bell experimented for Gene Weingarten's Sunday Magazine story in The Washington Post. ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw

A Violinist in the Metro(incognito)!


Who is he?

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. 

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. 

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

It's really frustrating to see how other countries give so much importance to the arts. This morning, I visited the Picasso Museum and a bunch of kindergarten students are having their trip to the museum and listening to lectures! The museum provided the teachers with educational manuals which included games and animated lectures to let the kids enjoy and appreciate art. So nice to see 4 year old kids having fun inside the museum and actually answering to the questions of their teachers. 

Reaching the high notes  NOTED By Aurora Diaz-Wilson Updated November 17, 2008 12:00 AM

You must know what you want to do in life, you must decide, for we cannot do everything. Do not think singing is an easy career. It is a lifetime’s work.”

With these words, the actress bows, closes her script in the opera Master Class, and ends her portrayal of Maria Callas.

For many Filipinos, the grand singer Maria Callas would not even be present in our consciousness today if not for the obstinate enthusiasm of Karla Patricia Gutierrez. As managing director of the Philippine Opera Company, Karla charged herself with convincing other artists that they needed to form a group dedicated to letting everyone appreciate the beauty of opera. Almost single-handedly, Karla overcame the objections of the people who were closest to her. “There is no money in setting up an opera group. There is no way you can be financially independent,” they warned her. She was in Rome at that time studying at the Accademia Internationale delle Arti (AIDA). Even her mother, Zenaida Gutierrez, advised her to take an easier route and just be a performer in Italy. When Karla went against the advice of her mom, they did not talk to each other for one month. Yet Karla knew what she had to do. In 1999, she established the Philippine Opera Company.

“Every time someone graduates from a conservatory here, their future becomes a question mark,” she explains. “They might end up teaching and it is okay to teach, but these singers did not take up music education. They took up singing so they should be performing but without an opera group, many singers leave the country or shift to other careers like working in a call center.”

From the start, Karla, 38, knew it would be hard. Whereas classical groups abroad survive with patrons and donors sponsoring the shows, opera singers in the Philippines have to fend for themselves. There is almost zero support for this kind of art. “When we are invited to perform in shows, pop artists get paid 10 times more than we do.”

“I can’t measure success by how many tickets I sell,” says this soprano singer. This opera season, she cried buckets and her tears still continue because the production costs are more than the ticket sales. “It came to a point when I told my mom that I am such a loser. It is panic time again now that we are at the end of the season, but I guess if your intentions are good, God leads the way.”

Anyone who has seen La Boheme as staged by Karla’s group can confirm the pride and joy the audience feels from watching the opera. The long round of applause that Maribel Miguel received after her aria as Mimi surprised even the singer herself. The amazing talent and dedication that the artists impart fill viewers with the “proud to be a Filipino” spirit. From the glossy brochures to the designer costumes, every bit of the production shows the respect the skilled performers have for their grateful audience.

But it is only possible to reach the high notes when the income flows in, so Karla’s group tried some marketing. They called TV stations to ask them to guest the opera singers on prime time. “Sorry,” was the reply. Classical singers are considered too highbrow for the TV audience. Instead of sinking into depression, Karla and the 85 talents who love the opera company came up with solutions.

You want dancing young girls on TV lunchtime shows? Well, the Philippine Opera Company will show you how flexible they can be when they launch their Opera Belles, three pretty young ladies with their soprano voices, repackaged with leather jackets and boots, who dance and woo their way towards penetrating the mass audience and TV.

Viewers don’t even need to go to theaters to enjoy opera. Hansel and Gretel, a favorite children’s opera, has been staged in schools during its travels from Baguio to Pampanga and Cabanatuan. With P150,000, the Philippine Opera Company can present The Magic Flute, a show that will thrill and educate even skeptics. Most successful are their shows in shopping malls, which have helped the company survive financially.

It’s almost like choosing from a takeout menu: select your concept and audience and the POC has a package that will suit the event. “One of the insurance companies used our Opera Lite, a comic-relief spoof for opera. It is a classic introduction to music with Chopin’s Moonlight Sonata. Singers in denim jeans made the event fun. The audience enjoyed it; they did not even know they were watching a classical performance.”

Karla knows that to be able to educate the public on the value of music, they have to start with students. Then she realized that many of the public schools ask their PE teachers to double up to teach music. “In the classroom, the students might listen to Mozart but they can’t relate to what they hear because the teachers do not explain anything.” Karla’s solution? She is now campaigning to have a program to educate the teachers. 

And so, the sentiments of Karla Gutierrez and the talented Philippine Opera Company stars reflect those of Maria Callas in the script of Master Class: “The sun will not fall down from the sky if there are no more traviatas. The world can and will go on without us but I have to think that we have made this world a better place.”

* * *

MANO PO NINONG, MANO PO NINANG! … Christmas memories

A recollection of Christmas in the eyes of children. Performed by Philippine Opera Company’s “OPERA BABIES”. Ang Pasko Ay Sumapit, Sa May Bahay ang Aming Bati, Nuong Araw ng Pasko, Maligayang Pasko, Ave Maria, Christmas in our Hearts, Payapang Daigdig, HImig Pasko, Misa de Gallo, Mano Po Ninong Mano Po Ninang, Sino si Santa Claus and many more.

 

Have fun this season! Catch Philippine Opera Company perform at the Greenbelt Christmas Concert Series Year 2. Listen to Christmas Broadway and popular Christmas tunes. Starring Karla Gutierrez, Ana Feleo, Jack Salud and Lawrence Jatyna. December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 at the Greenbelt 3 Park, 7pm :)

Truth and beauty in ‘Master Class’ 

By Allan Pastrana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:17:00 11/03/2008

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Opera Company ended its 2008 Opera Season with Terrence McNally’s “Master Class.”

A McNally play is interesting enough, though the choice wouldn’t have held up on its own since POC has already mounted the same work two years ago. But Cherie Gil as Maria Callas was a totally different story. Her presence made this production one of the most anticipated events in Philippine theater this year.

In “Master Class,” McNally brought back to life the iconic Callas, beloved by his idolatrous gay characters in “The Lisbon Traviata.” With this play, we are able to trace now the direct line running through Medea’s “Ho datto tutto a te” (addressing her Jason), Stephen’s “I left everything to you” in “The Lisbon Traviata” (addressing his Mike), and the Callas in “Master Class” genuflecting before her imaginary Ari, arms wide open.

Here, the legendary soprano is stripped bare, while giving her equally historic Julliard master classes. She is both the has-been with the “cracked and broken” voice and the genius whose insight into music was unparalleled.

Because the “idea” that is Callas had been greatly automatized, at least in our generation, what the play made possible was for us to see the defamiliarized “La Divina.” This exposed her from her mythical status, which approached truth, and showed her extraordinary devotion to beauty, artifice, what is rightfully artistic in any art.

One-woman show

McNally is excellent in handling small ensembles in contained spaces—a skill not seen since Edward Albee.

The other three performers in “Master Class” were, each of them, supposed to serve as foils to Callas. Two were successful enough to prod her. The odd man out, who shall remain nameless in the spirit of Callas’ discreet nature, fell short of nudging the great diva. But, in the end, what matters is “Mut.”

This play is essentially a one-woman show. McNally himself, in one of his interviews, made it clear that a director who believed in “dramatic situation and truth” would do away with a “concept production.” Michael Williams encouraged that kind of fidelity, a truth that didn’t need glossing over. The show achieved fineness and integrity through attention, rather than through effects.

Along that line, Cherie Gil’s Callas was a multileveled, unmannered and consequently generous rendering. Gil is a personality herself, but there was not a trace of that here—no obliterating imposition of ego and character.

She wasn’t “acting” her way through the role either, because as Maria would quip, “I hate that word. ‘Act.’ No! Feel. Be.”

There was a lot of “feeling” and “being” here all right. The actress was neither Cherie Gil nor Maria Callas, but a woman who had emptied herself to give everything to a man and her music, in the name of love and art.

Humanity

We have to understand that the reason this particular work by McNally was praised by critics as a play of notable humanity was not because it was based on a life, but because it is a life. This constructed reality lends itself more naturally to an un-intrusive yet commanding and lucid delivery by a true actress—like Cherie Gil.

She obviously went beyond mimesis and delved more on “poiesis”—the process of “making” being more dynamic and participatory.

Drama is not “life” per se, but also art. Though “life” is obviously material, what’s recoverable from a piece of theater is how that life was created or recreated for an audience.

As the brilliant critic Eric Bentley wrote: “So soon as we think about it, we recognize that dramatic, like all other, art necessarily involves both imitation and selection, nature and artifice, truth and beauty.”

Cherie Gil: A revelation
SUNDRY STROKES By Rosalinda L. Orosa 
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Many years ago, when the eminent Metropolitan Opera tenor Jan Peerce performed in Manila, I asked him in private, “How would you compare Maria Callas with Renata Tebaldi?” Without the slightest hesitation, he replied: “Vocally, Tebaldi is the better singer; Callas, the better actress. Tebaldi has a beautiful voice but it is Callas who moves the listener. If I were to record their respective performances on a graph, you’d see an almost straight line reflecting those of Tebaldi — she’s consistently in fine vocal form; In the case of Callas, you’d see an erratic graph, with the line constantly going up and down in either sharp ascent or equally sharp descent. But what a great actress! When she waves that red scarf at you while she bemoans her fate as Violeta, you can’t help feeling a catch in your throat.”

Terrence McNally’s “Master Class”, last staged on Oct. 25 at the RCBC theater, captured the fiery, explosive temperament and passion for perfection Peerce implied — traits which Cherie Gil magnificently conveyed. What a revelation Cherie turned out to be!

Tall, svelte, beautiful, she moved about with absolute confidence, poise and assurance, portraying the incomparable Callas — fiery, temperamental, tyrannical, impulsive — in her own fashion, while personifying hauteur and arrogance in appraising her abject, aspiring students. (Incidentally, Callas’ observations make a fount of valuable lessons for all singers.)

From the program notes, one does not gather that McNally had actually met Callas or observed her in a master class in Jiulliard. What one might presume is that the play is wholly a product of his imagination, inspired by study, research and readings on so widely acclaimed a diva as Callas. One might also validly assume that in the real master class, Callas demonstrated her instructions by singing, thus showing up a student’s deficiencies in the process.

In the play, Cherie did not sing a note as she scolded, screamed, demeaned the sopranos who were supposedly giving a dismal performance. Yet, on stage in obvious contradiction to Callas’ tart, abrasive comments, the singers — Florence Aguilar who, as Sophie, sang an aria from La Sonambula and, more particularly, Deeda Barretto, who, as Sharon, sang an aria from Verdi’s Macbeth — were highly impressive and hardly deserving of the insults Callas hurled at them. The listeners kept reminding themselves they were watching a play: Callas was not actually illustrating how she wanted the students to sing.

The discrepancy was neither Cherie’s nor the singers’ fault. It was called for because no audience can stand mediocrity. Aguilar’s and Barretto’s gratifying performance remained to be admired. Barretto’s powerful voice soared; the complex, florid notes were rendered with astounding skill.

To point up a “discrepancy” in the reverse, the printed synopsis told us that the tenor — here portrayed by baritone Jack Salud who, as Anthony, interpreted an aria in Tosca — moved Callas to tears. Salud is a talented, engaging baritone but he was not anywhere near to moving Callas or the audience to tears.

The various episodes came together smoothly and seamlessly, owing to the sure, perceptive, analytic direction of Michael Williams, himself a seasoned, considerably gifted actor.

Cherie’s superbly compelling, magnetic portrayal was profoundly moving. She delivered the overwhelmingly challenging, virtual monologue as though the lines were her own. Calling herself “coarse and vulgar”, she related her tragic love life. During the interludes provided by such personal reminiscences, stills of her triumphs at La Scala were shown on the screen, her glorious voice floating in the distance. Plumbing the depths of her miseries, she revealed shattered illusions — to a standing ovation.

Deejay Manuel Javier was the thoroughly dependable piano accompanist.

Congratulations to Karla Gutierrez and the Philippine Opera Co. for presenting “Master Class”.

Last week to catch Philippine Opera Company’s “MASTER CLASS”!

“A must see!” – Pablo Tariman, Philippine Daily Inquirer

“It was great … dynamics between maestro and students are truly spicy!” – Belinda Cunanan, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Maria Callas was a Greek-American soprano and perhaps the best-known opera singer of the post-World War II period to the present. She combined an impeccable bel canto technique with great dramatic gifts, making her the most famous singing actress of the era.

Greatly admired by many opera fans, disliked by others, Callas was a controversial artist. Her supporters called her "La Divina" and raved about the dramatic intensity and ravishing portrayals she brought to the opera stage. Callas' detractors believed that she regularly pushed her voice beyond its natural limits, achieving her dramatic effect at the expense of beauty of tone.

Born Maria Anna Sofia Cecilia Kalogeropoulos to Greek parents in Brooklyn, New York, she moved with her mother to Athens, Greece at the age of 13. There she received her musical education and became a pupil of the well-known soprano Elvira de Hidalgo at the Athens Conservatory. After a few appearances as a student and in secondary roles, she made her professional debut at the Athens Opera on July 4, 1941, as La Tosca, going on to sing Santuzza and Leonora during the next three years. In 1947, Callas made her Italian debut at the Verona Arena in La Gioconda under the baton of Tullio Serafin. Together with Serafin, Callas subsequently recorded and performed many bel canto operas, contributing greatly to the bel canto revival of the 1950s.

Throughout the 1950s, Callas made numerous appearances at the world's great houses: La Scala Milan, Opera Garnier Paris, the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. By the mid 1950s, strain on her voice started to become apparent; by 1958 it reached a point where she was no longer suitable for many roles. Her later stereo recordings evidence masterly musical interpretations with an increasingly unstable higher register that wobbled uncontrollably at times.

In 1969 the Italian filmaker Pasolini cast Callas in her only non-operatic acting role, playing the legendary greek sorceress Medea. Unfortunately the film was not a success in any commercial sense, but is nevertheless as cinematically interesting as any Pasolini film. Callas' only film appearance offers clear evidence of her legendary and charismatic stage presence: her ability to hold an audience's attention while standing still, revealing an economy of gesture and movement that makes her stand apart from most other opera performers.

From October 1971 to March 1972, Callas gave a series of master classes at the Juilliard School in New York before a full house of students and spectators. (These classes later formed the basis of Terrence McNally's 1995 play Master Class).

Philippine Opera Company is proud to present the Tony Award-winning play, MASTERCLASS, about the legendary opera diva Maria Callas.

Terrence McNally’s Master Class was first produced by the Philadelphia Theatre Company in March 1995; it opened at the Golden Theatre in New York City in November of the same year. The play is based on a series of master classes given by the renowned opera singer Maria Callas at the Juilliard School of Music in New York in 1971 and 1972. Callas (1923–77), was the greatest dramatic soprano of her generation and also a controversial figure. Her restless and tempestuous personality often led her into disputes with opera managements and feuds with rival singers. However, she was adored by her fans and was the subject of constant media attention, including gossip about her jet-set life with the wealthy Greek shipowner Aristotle Onassis.

Although Master Class does delve into the triumphs and tragedies of Callas’s life, its primary focus is the art of dramatic singing. As McNally’s fictional version of Callas teaches her class, she explains to her students, two sopranos and a tenor, just what it takes to invest the music with real feeling, revealing as she does so how demanding the profession of opera singing is. She also reveals her own contradictory personality—proud and egotistical yet also vulnerable and self-pitying. In spite of all the flaws of its main character, however, Master Class, written by a man who has been a Callas fan since he was a teenager in high school, is a tribute to the dedication of a great singer and actress to her chosen art.

Although the play touches on many of the main events of Maria Callas’ life, it is not in essence a biographical portrait. Rather, it is an exploration of the nature of artistic creation, as applied to operatic singing and acting. Maria makes clear that art is serious business that cannot be done by half measures; it demands total commitment on the part of the singer/actress. Being an opera singer can never be an easy career; the singer must give everything to the demands of her craft. This means intense discipline over a lifetime.

Witness one of Philippine cinema’s living legends CHERIE GIL in a very rare performance as the opera icon Maria Callas.

Asked what made her agree to portray a very difficult role? “I read the script over and over and constantly ask myself what I got myself into? Maria Callas is larger than life and always known to be the epitome of discipline, having an intense passion and love for her art. I was compelled to get to know her though II knew it would be a very difficult show to fill.. To be able to acquire even just an iota of her essence would be a gift. Perhaps, I personally was looking into seeing my own art through her eyes and finding a fresh start to loving my craft all over again.” says Cherrie.

Playing the students in her master class are Jack Salud as Anthony Candolino, Florence Aguilar as Sophie de Palma, Deeda Barreto as Sharon Graham, Ceejay Javier as the pianist Manny and George Schultz in a cameo role as the stage hand.

MASTERCLASS will have its last week run at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater, RCBC Plaza on October 23, 24 and 25, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.

Master Class is presented by the Yuchengco Group of Companies, Lyric Piano, Power Mac Center, Frederick Peralta, Flowers and Foliage, Brooklyn Pizza, Bravo!, Raymund Isaac, Make Up Forever, 92.3 XFM.

For tickets please call Philippine Opera Company at 892-8786 and TicketWorld at 891-9999 or log on to www.philippineoperacompany.com

(Photos by Sundee Guevara)

Arts critic Pablo Tariman, who contributes to the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Lifestyle Section, put it correctly when he said that a must-see play this weekend is the Philippine Opera Company’s revival of Terrence McNally’s Tony Award-winning play, “Master Class.” We caught it Saturday evening at the RCBC Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium and it was just great. The play is about a series of music classes at New York’s famed Juilliard School of Music, given by legendary opera diva Maria Callas in the mid-1970s, after she stopped singing altogether and just a few years before she died in 1977 in Paris (some say from a broken heart, after her great love, Aristotle Onassis, married Jackie Kennedy in 1968). Veteran actress Cherie Gil plays Callas and she gives it all the fire and aplomb “La Divina” was legendary for.

As Philippine Opera Company artistic and managing director Karla Gutierrez observed, at some point one ceases to think she is Cherie and sees only Callas. Three Opera students, played by Florence Aguilar, Jack Salud and Marya Eliza Deeda Barretto, undergo withering coaching on their art as well as on the lessons life draws from art from the perfectionist diva. Under the direction of Michael Williams, the dynamics between maestro and students are truly spicy. One indication of how the production strived at perfection was copying the wooden-board walls of the classroom at Juilliard, even if it cost a small fortune. Catch “Master Class” on Oct. 23, 24 and 25 at 8 p.m. 

Call Philippine Opera Company at +632 8928786 or TicketWorld +632 8919999.