NEW OPM MUSICAL “GEE-GEE AT WATERINA ANG MUSIKAL”

Press release

In line with the 4^th season of Artist Playground, the stage is all set to open the company’s first Original Pinoy Musical “GEE-GEE AT WATERINA ANG MUSIKAL” on August 18, 2018 – 8 pm at Arts Above, Artist Playground II, 112 West Venue Bldg., West Avenue, Quezon City.

Roeder Camanag/Norman Penaflorida

GEE-GEE AT WATERINA ANG MUSIKAL will feature an all-new original music composed by Jesse Lucas, based from the story, book and lyrics by J. Dennis C. Teodosio, and will be directed by Andrew de Real and choreography by Lezlie Dailisan .

The roles of GEE-GEE AT WATERINA will be portrayed by Roeder Camanag as Waterina, a ‘comfort gay’ during Japanese Occupation in the Philippines and one of Gee-gee’s Golden Gays. Norman Penaflorida will essay the role of Gee-Gee, an entertainment actor, radio host and a councilor of Pasay City.

            The ensemble of Gee-Gee at Waterina are as follows: Bench Ortiz, Joseph Dela Cruz, Nel Gumalog, Romeo Palma Jr., and Sean Nolasco.

SYNOPSIS

Waterina eagerly waits for his gay politician friend, Gee-Gee. He soon arrives, bearing with him a check – the payment for the film rights to the life story of Waterina, the soon-to-be-famous “comfort gay”. 

As the two mull over the prospects of their newly acquired wealth, they launch into a comfortable tirade of each other’s flaws and frailties. In the midst of the teasing and mockery, they are faced with a question: how does one measure his worth?

Waterina distresses, “Would the people cry or laugh when they watch my movie? Would they feel pity or admiration? Would they think the movie is worth their money? Who would I be to them? An aging homosexual?  Just that?”

In the final assessment of his life’s worth, Waterina swears that he is what he is: no more, no less. He again contemplates on the check, only to be distracted by the sight of a beautiful young man with a radiant smile.

SYNOPSIS

Dala ni Konsehala ang isang tsek. Super excited namana si Waterina, ang pamosong comfort gay noong Japanese Occupation. Sa rooftop ng isang seven-storey building, pagninilayan nila ni Waterina ang kabayaran sa kuwento ng buhay niya.

Sa pagitan ng mga litanya, laitan, at landian, masasalamin natin ang isang katotohanan paano nga ba nasusukat ang naging silbi o kabuluhan ng ating mga buhay.           Kung iisipin, may subyang nga sa himutok ni Waterina kay Gee-gee. “Yong mga manonood ng pelikula” ng buhay ko, matatawa kaya sila o maiiyak? Maaawa kaya sila o hahanga? Paglabas kaya nila ng sinehan, pakiramdam kaya nila sulit ang ibinayad nila o hindi? Ano kaya ako sa kanila? Matandang bakla? Gano’n lang? Sa kabuuan, ito ay isang kakatwa at nakakatuwang kwento ng tamis at pait,  pagtanggi at pagtanggap, pagpapakumbaba at pagmamalaki, pag-iisa at pagkakaibigan, datung at bagets na may beautiful smile!

GEE-GEE AT WATERINA was first presented at the CCP Virgin Labfest in 2005. A short film version was produced for Cinemalaya in 2006.

J. Dennis C. Teodosio writes for TV, cinema, print, advertising, and the stage. He was a fellow in the UP Likhaan (for poetry in Filipino, 1996, and for one-act play in Filipino, mid-career, 2007) and the Iligan National Writers Workshops (for one-act play in Filipino, 2002). He was one of the scholars of the 1st ABS-CBN2/Ricky Lee Course in Soap Writing and was part of the Star Cinema Concept Development Group.

His works were anthologized in “Likhaan Journal 10” (UP Press, 2016), “Transfiksyon” (UP Press, 2014), “Mga Piling Dula mula sa Virgin Lab Fest, 2005-2008: Unang Antolohiya,” (CCP, 2009), “Ladlad 3: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing” (Anvil Publishing, 2007), “Writing to the Future: Poetika at Politika ng Malikhaing Pagsulat”, (UP-ICW & NCCA, 2008), and  “Writing to the Music of Pestle-on-Mortar: The 9th Iligan National Writers Workshop,” (MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, 2003).

He garnered prizes from the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (screenplay, teleplay, one-act play, and essay), NCCA, Gawad Ka Amado, the PBBY-Salanga Writer’s Prize, Gawad Teatro Bulawan, CineManila International Film Festival, Star Cinema, Viva Films, Philippine Pink Film Festival, Film Development Foundation of the Philippines, Film Academy of the Philippines, the Aliw Awards, Migration Advocacy & Media Awards, China-Southeast Asia-South Asia TV Arts Week, and the Asian TV Awards.

He has 40 stage plays to his credit. His Virgin Lab Fest portfolio includes 11 works, namely: ‘Gee-Gee At Waterina’ (VLF1, 2005), ‘Baka-Sakali’ (VLF2, 2006), ‘Payb Siks’ (VLF2, 2006), ‘Bagahe’ (VLF3, 2007), ‘Pobreng Alindanaw’ (VLF3, 2007, independently produced), ‘Gumamela’ (VLF4, 2008), ‘Asunto’ (VLF4, 2008, dramatic reading), ‘Salise’ (VLF5, 2009), ‘Carmi Martin’ (VLF6, 2010), ‘Totong Hilot’ (VLF8, 2011, full-length play), and ‘Rosas’ (VLF14, 2018).  He was commissioned to write by Gantimpala Theater Foundation, PETA, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Artist Playground.

Currently, he is based in Yangon, Myanmar. He develops and writes TV series and programs for Forever Group Co., Ltd. and designs and conducts training programs for Myanmar Media Development Center. In 2014, he founded the Yangon-based independent film group, ‘The Creative Playground’. He was challenged to write, direct, and produce short Myanmar features (narrative and documentary).  His short Myanmar features were screened and recognized in film festivals in Yangon, Manila, and New Delhi (Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival, Youth Film Festival, Wathann Film Festival, CCP Independent Film & Video Competition, and Jeevika Asia Livelihood Documentary Film Festival).

He and his M take care of a cute brown poodle named Jade.

Jesse Lucas ……

Andrew De Real is a writer, comedy director and entrepreneur known for Hay, bahay! (2016), Bossing & Ai (2017) and Stardancer (2007).

Roeder Camanag is a two-time ALIW Best Stage Actor and recognized by the prestigious film critics group with multiple URIAN nominations. A former member of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Actors Company, he has performed in over 100 plays and musicals. He is currently a board member of the Gantimpala Theater Foundation and the artistic director of Artist Playground and the Valenzuela City Center for the Performing Arts. He has facilitated acting workshops for Tanghalang Pilipino (2003-2010) and Gantimpala Theater Foundation (2004-2012).

Norman Penaflorida is a theater actor, event host, production designer, entrepreneur, event and image stylist of THE CLOSET.

The Artistic Team of GEE-GEE AT WATERINA ANG MUSIKAL is led by Andrew De Real (Director), Roeder Camañag (Artistic Director), Jesse Lucas (Composer /Musical Director), Leslie Dailisan  (Choreographer), Luis Galang (Lighting Designer) and Reynoso Mercado (Production Designer).

The Production Team of GEE-GEE AT WATERINA ANG MUSIKAL is led by Kimberly Claire Somoza (Production Manager), Joselito “Toots” Tolentino (Publicist), Rowena Jarito (Stage Manager), Jayson Batoto (Deputy Stage Manager), Melanie Lao (Lay-out Designer), Jayson Santos and Kimberly Claire Somoza (Photographer), Christian Silang & Beaulah Mae Saycon (Assistant Stage Managers), Wenzel Kyne Fernandez (Assistant Lighting Designer) and Glenn Caspe (Spinner).

For further inquiries, please call or send SMS to Ms. Kimberly Somoza at 0975-9193179.