Wicked Manila

When Wicked opened in Singapore almost 2 years ago, I couldn't contain my excitement and I know my excitement will only be paralleled by my sister's.  I wanted her to fly to Singapore so we can watch the show together but circumstances didn't allow her to do so.  

So when they announced that the mega-musical will finally open in Manila, I immediately bought tickets for the two of us and we finally got to watch the show last Saturday. 

We arrived at CCP 30 minutes before the show, the lobby was already chaotic.  It was a good kind of chaos, you can feel the excitement in the air.  People were talking animatedly, posing against the Wicked wall and getting hold of souvenirs and programs. 

The show started 10-minutes late, which I found unusual, but I really didn't mind. There were minor issues with the sound system but it didn't take away the magical experience of watching Wicked on stage right here in Manila.  

We spent the next three hours totally enthralled and wishing for the show to never end.

Too bad we didn't run into Tin who flew to Singapore to watch Wicked and is now working for the company that's responsible in bringing Wicked to our shores.

Why I Love Bangkok

When I didn't get my Korean visa (thanks largely to our very efficient HR team), we had to change all our plans at the last minute. Rhommel and Em-J were unanimous in wanting to go to Bangkok and I really needed no convincing because I love Bangkok.  Why?

1. Cool cafés are everywhere. Perfect if you just want to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and people-watch; even this Starbucks looks very inviting.

 

2. It's dessert country! There's a dessert in every corner and it feels like heaven.  Okay, I'm exaggerating but you get the drift. 

"Cakepops that are too cute to eat"

"Cakes that are too beautiful to eat"

"Mandarin Oriental's very affordable cronut - they call it differently, I can't remember"

"Strawberry Waffle at After You Desserts"

3. If you want to breathe their culture and heritage, there are tons of places to go to.

The Jim Thompson museum is very near the city center where you can see how silk is made.

Ancient City of Ayutthaya

4. They have lots of good food, heck, you can even get a great tasting pizza by the roadside.

"Enjoying authentic Thai dishes outdoors"

A La Monita truck, one of the best Mexican restaurants in Bangkok - which I wrote about here - opened right at Siam Paragon's basement.

5. They have the best movie theatres!  We were lucky cause we got to experience Gravity in 4D.

"Nokia theatre's lounge"

6. Speaking of another kind of theatre, they have a huge, 1500-seater theatre inside a mall.  I happened to watch their local production of Miss Saigon and they spared no expense, the spectacle came complete with the iconic helicopter.

7. They have beautiful malls, perfect for a mall rat like me (okay, I guess that description doesn't suit me anymore).

8. They have lots of clean, beautiful toilets and best of all, they're free! (Hello Ayala and Shangri-La!)  It actually pisses me off to have to pay to use the toilet in a mall. 

"Airport toilet"

"Fun themed toilets at Terminal 21"

"Cineplex toilet"

9. Lastly, you will run into lots of fun and quirky stuff there.

"Shark Attack in the middle of Siam Paragon"

"Cool digital billboard"



"Fancy sticking your face in the elephant's hole? @ Lub'd Silom"

Siam Paragon 

Alight at Siam BTS

Jim Thompson's House

Alight at National Stadium BTS

Take the exit as if you're heading to Holiday Inn Express

Turn Right at Soi Kasemsan 2 before reaching the hotel

Ayutthaya

Get in touch with a local tour operator

Mama Dolores Pizza

Alight at Saladaeng BTS, take exit 5

Follow the direction to Crowne Plaza Lumpini

La Monita, After You Desserts, Mandarin Oriental Cafe

Siam Paragon basement

Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre

inside Esplanade Shopping Centre

Thailand Cultural Centre MRT

Terminal 21

Asok BTS

Lub'd Silom

BTS Chong Nonsi 

Take a tuktuk right after alighting as it is a bit difficult to find

Zsazsa Zaturnnah

Zsazsa Zaturnnah officially opened it's 8th (?) run last night at the Little Theater of CCP and since ZZZ has been repeatedly restaged proving it's box office draw, I don't think I still need to go over it's merits just to tell you how worth your time this is. Apart from that, this musical is special to me for a whole lot of reasons.

1. This is our very first project and being that we're new to this business, it was a leap of faith for us to go through with it. Thankfully, Ms. Yvette, Tanghalang Pilipino's company manager then helped us every step of the way.

2. Our first sold out show eventually led us to do this another time taking yet another leap with a bigger venue this time,with two Zsazsas and three shows to sell.

3. Through this, I also met Hogi and Zshali who eventually became two of my closest friends. When ZZZ was restaged at the RCBC, our continuous network grew and I met new friends who became my BFFs.

I also got to see Hilary in action which was really fun since I've always imagined that being a DJ is fun work.

4. I also became close to both Minette and Paolo of TP and was constantly invited me to watch their other productions.

5. TP also afforded us to be privy to their rehearsals to give us fresh material to promote the said musical during their RCBC restaging.


6. I was also able to meet a couple of other showbuyers who were a delight to talk to.


7. I was also able to meet the cast and staff of ZZZ and was able to see the dedication and the passion that they have for their craft. I admired them for being able to do what they love to do.


8. Most important of all is that this experience have made my friendship with the people who decided to take the leap with me stronger.


To everyone who will be watching ZZZ this run, enjoy!