Monthly Archives: January 2020

New Delhi: With the country witnessing a chain of protests in the aftermath of the Citizenship Amendment Bill solidifying into the Citizenship Amendment Act, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been decidedly on the backfoot.

In dealing with the widespread outburst of anger, party leaders across a range of influence have let out reactions that range from vilifying to outright heinous. The protests which have been snowballing into integrated events all over the country have met with severe brutality by state police, especially in Delhi, Mangaluru and Uttar Pradesh.

Several BJP leaders have taken the path of criticising dissent by resorting to bizarre and politically incorrect language. Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya is one among many.

Those who are opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act are mentally affected. Such people should get medical treatment, was the complete statement that Maurya made.

Also read: Literate Need to Be Educated: BJP Reacts to Satya Nadellas CAA Comments

BJP MP Soumitra Khan who defected to the party from the Trinamool Congress before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections referred to Kolkata-based intellectuals and personalities protesting against the CAA as Mamata Banerjees dogs.

Khan said, People who consider themselves as intellectuals dont speak up during Park Street and Kamduni incidents. They are nothing but Mamata Banerjees dogs. These dogs of Mamata Banerjee are now protesting against the CAA. They have either not read the law or staging a drama despite knowing it. They cannot be described as anything other than her dogs. They are dogs of West Bengal.

West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh can be considered a league unto himself. Not only has Ghosh labelled those opposed to the CAA as supporters of lungi terrorists, he very recently threatened to shoot and kill those involved in damaging public property like in Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

Ghosh said, Properties have been damaged. Whose money is this? This is my money, this is your money. They have set trains on fire, whose money have they destroyed? Still, not one bullet has been fired. There was neither any lathi-charge nor any FIR registered. Police did not even arrest anyone,

Is it the fathers property of those who are setting the public property on fire? How can they destroy government property built on taxpayers money! he added.

Ghosh then said the words that have earned him quite the infamy, In Assam and Uttar Pradesh, our government has shot these protesters like dogs. They were arrested and cases were also filed against them.

In a similar vein, BJP leader Raghuraj Singh said that people raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be buried alive. Singh made the threat on Sunday while addressing a rally in Aligarh to create awareness about the CAA.

Also read: Can Dilip Ghoshs Foul Rhetoric Make Inroads With Bengals Bhadralok Gentry?

Gujarat assembly speaker Rajendra Trivedi who asked Congress MLA Imran Khedawala to maintain decorum in the House said you are not in Pakistan during a discussion on a resolution supporting the CAA on Friday. During the debate, Congress Khedawala, first-time MLA from Jamalpur-Khadia seat in Ahmedabad, displayed a poster against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) written in his own blood. The poster said Boycott CAA/NCR/NPR.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath has pledged that his government will take revenge on those involved in alleged violence in CAA protests by auctioning their property to compensate for the losses.

There is no place for violence in a democracy. In the name of opposing the CAA, the Congress, SP and Left parties have pushed the entire country to fire. There was violence in Lucknow and Sambhal and we will deal with it strictly. All properties of those involved in damaging public assets will be seized and auctioned to compensate for the losses, he said.

They have been captured in video and CCTV footage. We will take badla (revenge) on them, Adityanath said.

Sixteen Muslims were killed in Uttar Pradesh on a single day after Adityanath, promised to take revenge against protesters. Uttar Pradesh authorities have consistently denied any responsibility for the deaths.

Lastly, one of the first divisive comments against protesters was made by Modi himself when he said, People who are setting fire (to property) can be seen on television. They can be identified by the clothes they are wearing,

More:
Life Threats, Insults, Promises of Revenge: How BJP Leaders Reacted to Anti-CAA Protests - The Wire

All week long, we've been posting lists of Seattle events to keep you busy (including the best arts & culture events, quirky things to do, and the best music shows to see), but we realize there's a lot to sort through. So, if you only have time to read one list, make it this one: We've plucked the biggest events you need to know about in every genre, from the to the closing of Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum at SAM, and from the Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival to an evening with Carmen Maria Machado. See them all below, and find even more things to do this weekend on our complete EverOut Things To Do and Lunar New Year calendars. Jump to: Lunar New Year Events | Comedy & Performances | Major Concerts & Music Shows | Food & Drink Events | Readings & Talks | Geeky & Special Interest Events | Film| Sports & Recreation | Museum Shows | Other Noteworthy Happenings LUNAR NEW YEAR EVENTS

Chinese New Year CelebrationCofounders Raymond Kwan and Barry Chan named their Ballard craft brewery Lucky Envelope for the colorful red envelopes traditionally stuffed with money and given out on Chinese New Year to bring good fortune. So it only makes sense that it's the perfect place to usher in the Year of the Rat. This weekend, they'll debut multiple limited releases, like theMijiaya Historic Chinese Beer (brewed from an ancient recipe) andMetal Rat Hazy IPA (a collaboration made with the Chinese Americanowned Highland Brewing in Asheville), and Panda Dim Sum will serve up Chinese bites from a refurbished school bus. Naturally, 88 lucky red envelopes filled with special surprises will be given out each day. JULIANNE BELLSaturday-Sunday, Lucky Envelope Brewing (Ballard)

Lunar New Year Fair at Wing Luke MuseumAfter witnessing a lion dance, take a "passport journey" through the museum to make crafts with local artists, learn about the Asian zodiac, win prizes, and discover all the different ways the Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world. Saturday, Wing Luke Museum (Chinatown-International District)

Sammamish Lunar New YearWelcome the Year of the Rat with Asian American cultural traditions like lion dances (performed by the International Lion Dance Team), a martial arts demonstration, and visual arts.Central Washington University (Sammamish)This event has been canceled

Snoqualmie Lunar New Year CelebrationDancing lions will bless select lucky businesses along Center Boulevard with acrobatic stunts "involving lettuce." This Lunar New Year celebration also promises Asian-inspired food trucks, a local gift market, and kids' activities. Saturday, Snoqualmie Valley YMCA (Snoqualmie)

Bill MaherBill Maher has the rare ability to anger both conservatives and lefties with equal alacrity through his sociopolitical commentary, whether on his TV shows (Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher) or in his documentary Religulous. Maybe thats the key to his successoutrage everybody and youll gain substantial mindshare in the attention economy. Whether you agree or disagree with Maher, you have to admit hes great at skewering hypocrisyour grossest national productand is never dull. And if you enjoy hearing comics flay the traitor squatting in the White House, youll likely guffaw to Mahers withering put-downs (He doesnt want to alienate his base by reading). That may be low-hanging fruit, but its exceptionally juicy. DAVE SEGALSaturday, Paramount Theatre (Downtown)

BohemiaThis "macabre and mystical" cabaret-style musical from Mark Siano and Opal Peachey, set in 1890s Prague, features the music of Dvok and Chopin and art nouveau by Alphonse Muchaplus "beautiful green fairies, aerial numbers, dance, burlesque, classical piano battles, comedy, and original songs." This will be the last edition of Bohemia before the whole crew heads over toBerlin. Friday-Sunday, Triple Door (Downtown)

Dance NationWashington Ensemble Theatre's press materials promise "intense feminine energy" from Dance Nation, a Pulitzer Prizenominated play by Clare Barron about a preteen dance troupe gunning for nationals under the guidance of their frazzled coach. In an interview, Barron, a Yale grad who hails from Wenatchee (!), says the show was inspired by the complex portrait of ambition presented in Lifetime's reality television seriesDance Moms, which means there's no way this isn't going to be good. Extra insurance for this prediction comes from the fact that Bobbin Ramsey, who has a gift for organizing chaos onstage,is codirecting the performance with Alyza DelPan-Monley. RICH SMITHFriday-Sunday, 12th Avenue Arts (Capitol Hill)

Eugene OneginThis Seattle Opera production brings together the genius of two great Russians: Alexander Pushkin, who wrote the novel in verse, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker), who penned the score. It's a simple but moving and melancholy story of a young woman who falls in love with a cold-hearted nobleman, an encounter that tragically changes the course of their lives.Friday-Saturday, McCaw Hall (Seattle Center)

Jaha Koo: CuckooA few years ago, a rice cooker awakened Jaha Koo from a deep depression.At the bottom of his own black pit, an unlikely voice called out to him and lifted him up."Cuckoo has finished cooking rice, please stir," the voice said.In that moment, Koo began imagining the rice cooker as a theatrical object. To him, the preprogrammed voice trapped in a mass-market workhorse metaphorically resonated with the life of the average Korean millennial. This spark of associations drove Koo to createCuckoo, a piece of documentary theater connecting the fallout of the 1997 Asian financial crisis to a larger conversation about capitalism and mental health. The performance features Koo discussing recent Korean history with three talkative rice cookers that were hacked and reprogrammed to speak, sing, and fight with each other. Electronic music scores a kinetic video collage that mixes scenes from the financial disaster with relevant scenes from Koo's own life. RICH SMITHFriday-Sunday, On the Boards (Queen Anne)

Kathleen MadiganMidwest comic Kathleen Madigan, who skewers such subjects as the Southern school system, retirement villages, the news, and her parents, will bring her wonderfully deep, sardonic voice to the Seattle stage.Saturday, Moore Theatre (Belltown)

A Night Like ThisWitness acrobats and variety artists act out stories from "exotic travels to the Seven Seas" through dance, aerial feats, song, and more. Michael Cunio of Postmodern Jukebox will step into the role of Master of the House, while Christine Deaver will be your raconteuse. As always, your ticket will include a multi-course dinner. Friday-Sunday, Teatro ZinZanni (Bellevue)

PeacockAn ambitious young man in 1920s Paris works his way up in a ritzy nightclub in Can Can's latest kitschy-glam, flesh-baring, plot-driven revue. Friday-Sunday, Can Can (Downtown)

ReparationsSound Theatre Company kicks off its 2020 season with the world premiere of Darren Canady's Reparations, a speculative drama about healing inherited traumas using a device that transforms your blood into a time machine. The cast features Allyson Lee Brown, whose turn as Serena Williams in Citizen: An American Lyric drew effusive praise from Strangereditor Christopher Frizzelle: "[Brown is] such a captivating presence onstage, it's hard to look away from her."Jay O'Leary, who did such a great job pulling the good acting out of the players in Washington Ensemble Theatre's B,will direct.This production is stacked with so much talentit is certainly one of the most highly anticipated shows of the season. RICH SMITHFriday-Sunday, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute (Atlantic)

The RivalsGeorge Mount will direct Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 18th-century comedy of manners, full of false identities and well-meaning deceptions, and, as the producers say, "duels, dandies, deceptions, and dudes with daddy issues." It's the play from which the term malapropism is derived, thanks to Mrs. Malaprop, a comic character who uses the wrong words that sound like the right ones. The more you know! Friday-Sunday, Center Theatre (Seattle Center)

She Loves MeJoe Masteroff, Jerry Bock, and Sheldon Harnick, progenitors of the deathless Fiddler on the Roof, also wrote this sweet musical about two perfume store clerks who butt heads constantlynot realizing that they're also in a romantic letter-writing relationship thanks to a classified. Yes, it's the plot of You've Got Mail. Friday-Sunday, Village Theatre (Issaquah)

True WestAmericas favorite masc4masc playwright Sam Shepard is dead. He passed away in 2017, but the swaggering cowboy, called the greatest American playwright of his generation by New York magazine, is continuing to get a retrospective on stages across the country. Now the celebration comes to the Seattle Rep, with the theater putting on True West, a gritty and funny play about two brothers and some identity theft. Expect brawls and belly laughs. CHASE BURNSFriday-Sunday, Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle Center)

XpressWhim W'Him's first production of 2020 is composed of three world premieres by three award-winning choreographers: Sidra Bell, founder of an eponymous dance company in New York; Ihsan Rustem, a Swiss choreographer who's collaborated with Whim W'him dancers in the past; and Whim W'Him's own Olivier Wevers. Friday-Saturday, Cornish Playhouse (Seattle Center)

Dermot KennedyIrish singer-songwriter DermotKennedy flew in a day early for his NPR Tiny Desk concert to rehearse with Washington, D.C.'s Howard Gospel Choir, whom he brought along to the performance. Hopefully, this tour stop will also bring some fun surprises. Sunday, Paramount Theatre (Downtown)

PoppyStranger music contributor Robert Ham recently wrote, "If you seek to understand even a sliver of what the internet has wrought on youth culture, pop music, and celebrity, youre going to need to spend some time with Poppy. The online world created and nurtured Poppy, helping turn her from a curiosity into a sensation whose YouTube videos have logged more than 450 million views and whose work is debated and analyzed on Reddit by fans and detractors alike. Shes unavoidable, and shes setting a template for how pop stars create and market their image online."She'll be performing tracks off of her last album on her I Disagree Tour.Saturday, Neptune Theatre (University District)

Seattle Chamber Music Society Winter FestivalHear pieces from a variety of composers at the Seattle Chamber Music Society's annual six-day winter program. This year's theme is centered ona celebration of Beethovens 250th birthday. The concerts this weekend will feature violin sonatas by Grieg and Mozart, piano trios by Schubert and Ravel, and both of Brahms string quintets, along with concluding concerti by Johann Sebastian Bach. Friday-Sunday, Benaroya Hall (Downtown)

Seattle Pop Punk FestivalShake off that winter chill and get your energy levels up for two days of double digits' worth of pop punk bands, both local and national, including the reunion of Sicko. Friday-Saturday, Highline (Capitol Hill)

Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival 2020Former Stranger contributor Brittnie Fuller has written, "This event in Leavenworththe infamous German-themed town/tourist attraction nestled in the Cascadeslooks like the coziest mid-winter music festival, filled with beardo-magnet amenities like skiing and snowboarding, a hot-toddy garden, wine tastings, and festival-branded flannel shirts. The weekend's musical offerings are generally varied, with numerous local and national acts ranging from indie rock to hip-hop." This year's roster is no exception, boasting sets by Pedro the Lion, Bully, Bearaxe, Lisa Prank, Ivan & Alyosha, CarLarans, Bryan John Appleby, and many more. Friday-Saturday, Leavenworth Festhalle

10th Annual Belgian FestBrewing beers with Belgian yeast yields a range of ales with a distinctive fruity flavor. This festival featuring more than 100 Belgian-style beers crafted by Washington breweries is the perfect opportunity to taste them all, including funky lambics, tangy saisons, dubbels, tripels, abbeys, and wits. Saturday, Fisher Pavilion (Seattle Center)

Strange BrewfestPort Townsend's annual beer festival offers pours from over 30 breweries, from classics to Northwest-inspired oddballs. Friday-Saturday, American Legion Hall (Port Townsend)

Carmen Maria MachadoShe's done it again. Judging by the rave reviews of In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado has written another must-read. But rather than a collection of Borgesian short stories, this one is a harrowing memoir about her abusive relationship with her first girlfriend. Entertainment Weekly called it "the best memoir of the year." NPR says she's invented "a new kind of memoir." Seattle's ownKristen Millares Young said her review of the book in the Washington Post would have been easier to write ifMachado wasn't "so good." Brace yourself for this one. RICH SMITHFriday, Town Hall (First Hill)

Yangsze Choo: The Night TigerIn Yangsze Choo's second novel (following The Ghost Bride), an 11-year-old boy searches for his dead master's finger, which sets him on a path to encounter a Malaysian dancehall girl and aspiring physician whose one-night partner left her a pretty gross memento. Sunday, Everett Public Library

Burke NiteLife: EARTHThe Burke Museum, aka the best place to get up-close to ancient fossils and dinosaur skeletons, will host an after-hours party for drinking-age paleontology enthusiasts. Wander through the exhibits to witness live performances, get your photo taken with local drag queens, make a memento with a local artist, drink Westland Distillery cocktails and other locally crafted booze, and dance to live DJs. Dress up in jewel tones for the chance to win a prize. Friday, Burke Museum (University District)

Seattle Boat Show 2020The Seattle Boat Show is a feast for the eyes of maritime enthusiasts and professionals alike, with vessels lining the harbors along CenturyLink Field, South Lake Union, and Bell Harbor Marina, in addition to indoor displays. Friday-Sunday, Various locations

Ursulmas Medieval FaireExperience all the fun parts of the Middle Ages at the 38th annual Ursulmas Medieval Faire, where you'll be surrounded by feats of chivalry, fine arts, entertainment, and a marketplace. Saturday-Sunday, Evergreen State Fairgrounds (Monroe)

'The Gentleman' OpeningGuy Ritchie's latest wisecracking shoot-em-up, about a British crime lord trying to make a deal with a rich Oklahoman pot kingpin, boasts a huge cast of likelies and unlikelies: Hugh Grant (!), Henry Golding, Colin Firth, Charlie Hunnam, Matthew McConaughey, and so on.Friday-Sunday, Various locations

'The Turning' OpeningApparently an adaptation of Henry James's subtle masterpiece of hauntings and psychological ambiguity, but with more disembodied hands and mouth spiders. Friday-Sunday, Various locations

Northwest Yoga ConferenceYogis can immerse themselves in five days of workshops and talks that cover everything from meditation to the chakra system to yoga for chronic pain. Friday-Sunday, Washington State Convention & Trade Center (Downtown)

Rainier Roller Riot's 2020 Season Opening BoutThe newly mintedRainier Roller Roller Riot will take no prisoners in this 2020 kickoff bout againstNorthwest Derby Company. Saturday, Magnuson Community Center (Sand Point)

Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation (Closing)The long and varied history of Indian Americans stretches back to the 19th century, and this exhibition explores their contributions to American life from the age of railroads to the Civil Rights movement. Friday-Sunday, MoHAI (South Lake Union)

Donald Byrd: The America That Is To Be (Closing)Local Tony-nominated, Bessie-winning choreographer Donald Byrd's dance pieces confront the horrors of contemporary society: gay-bashing, war, racial terrorism, misogyny. This installation, Byrd's first solo museum show, uses archival footage and artifacts to advance the artist's idea of a future America, "multi-racial in every aspect." Friday-Sunday, Frye Art Museum (First Hill)

Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum (Closing)Flesh and Bloodconsists of 40 works by Spanish, Italian, and French Renaissance and Baroque master artists. These works are from the collection of Museo e Real Bosco di Capodimonte, in the hills of Naples, Italy, and this is the first time many of them have traveled together.Perhaps the most exciting thing is the inclusion of Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi'sJudith and Holofernes(16121613). It depicts the Old Testament story of Judith, a beautiful Jewish heroine, assassinating the Assyrian general Holofernes. Judith used her looks and Holofernes's desire to get into his tent, where he passed out after drinking too much. Judith used this opportunity to behead the general with a giant sword, absconding with his decapitated head and saving her city and the people in it.Gentileschi's Judith is clothed, and she shows absolutely no qualms about the task. The surety and determination on her face is matched by the way she grabs Holofernes's hair, holding him so that she can position the sword accurately. She's a butcher of tyrannical men. JASMYNE KEIMIGFriday-Sunday, Seattle Art Museum (Downtown)

Nicole Gordon: Altered States (Opening)Once again demonstrating their penchant for art that makes you feel like you're tripping balls, the museum presents the lysergic paintings of Chicago-based Nicole Gordon, who remixes past, future, and alternate realities in eye-boggling colors.Friday-Sunday, Bellevue Arts Museum

Playa Made: The Jewelry of Burning Man (Opening)Taking place in Nevadas Black Rock Desert, Burning Man is the festival to end all festivals. Crowds of people on hallucinogens? You got it. Lighting a giant wooden effigy on fire? Cool. Constructing a temporary city from scratch where radical self-expression runs free? Great, but Im also tired. Playa Made is an exhibition that specifically focuses on and celebrates the jewelry of Burning Man, featuring more than 200 objects by 60 artists of various backgrounds, from the very handmade to the professionally done. In addition to jewelry, the exhibition will also feature photography of Black Rock City by George Post. JASMYNE KEIMIG Friday-Sunday, Bellevue Arts Museum

Lake Chelan WinterfestLake Chelan will host one more weekend of wintery fun for the whole family, including ice sculptures, live music, wine and beer tastings, a polar bear splash, snow yoga, a massive beach bonfire, and a fireworks show. Friday-Sunday, Lake Chelan Valley

Robert Burns Tribute and Scottish NightRival your mid-winter slump with a boisterous evening of bagpipe music, poetry, haggis, whiskey, and other delights honoring the great Scottish Bard Robert Burns.Sunday, the Royal Room (Columbia City)

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40 Major Events to Know About in the Seattle Area This Weekend: Jan 24-26, 2020 - TheStranger.com

MANILA -- Film, TV and theater actor Sam Concepcion was specifically handpicked to ply the title role in Joseph the Dreamer, the musical written by Freddie Santos, which will be restaged by Trumpets 31 years after it was first seen onstage.

I still cant believe that Im doing this project, said the 27-year-old actor, who did not have to go through a rigorous audition process. It really does feel like a dream come true, knowing that I really have big shoes to fill.

The choice of Concepcion was a no-brainer for the shows producers, Trumpets, as he is an actor who knows how to sing, dance and act.

You have to act, sing and dance. How many actors can do that?" said Trumpets' Audie Gemora, who starred in the original "Joseph the Dreamer." "David Ezra, Arman Ferrer can sing the hell out of any song. They cant dance to save their lives.

Concepcion was already anointed by Gary Valenciano as the next Gary V, veritably an heir-apparent.

Sam has a charm onstage, Gemora insists. He is a really good actor. He can do hip-hop, pop, R&B. If Sam takes theater seriously, he can give them all a run for their money. Hes a real leading man material.

FIRST LOVE

Hearing those words puts pressure on Concepcion. Coming from the original Joseph himself, who paved the way for this show, theres pressure, definitely, Concepcion admits. Its also very inspiring to be given that role.

He is thankful that the people behind the project gave him the honor of playing the role and entrusting him with the musical play. That, to me, is a challenge, Concepcion humbly acknowledged.

He confessed that more than making movies and acting on TV, theater is his first love. However, his last production was No Filter, a straight play with monologues staged in 2015. Previously, he also did The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. High School Musical and Peter Pan.

I was scared to do Joseph the Dreamer at first, Concepcion said. I wasnt sure if I could still do it, if I still had the ability being on the theater stage doing a musical. I didnt want to come in cold.

Yet, Concepcion was assured by the musicals producers he can deliver the demands required for the role. Its like riding a bike, he said. It does feel like home. I did have to make a lot of adjustments. Slowly, every day, Im feeling it. Im still learning. Theres still so much room to grow.

FROM CANTATA TO MUSICAL

Thirty-one years ago, Joseph the Dreamer was originally staged in Cebu, with Gemora playing the title role. The musical was adapted from a famous cantata, Joseph: Whatever Happened To the Dreamer? by Cam Floria.

A Cebuano lady who had a choir, Gina Sybico, wanted director Freddie Santos to stage the cantata, basically with only choral music and a narrator. However, Santos, being the top concert director then and also theater person, started to add lines and Joseph the Dreamer became a full-blown musical.

Basically, Freddie just put together some songs and created a story around Joseph the Dreamer with narration, Gemora recalled. He got some of us, some from the theater, some from the concert, to go to Cebu and merged us with a choir.

The musical was staged at St. Theresas Auditorium in Cebu, supposedly only for three days. On the day we were supposed to open, we still didnt have a strong ending, Gemora said. So that was the time Never Look Down became the clincher ending.

That people came to watch and filled the 500-seater auditorium amazed the cast and the entire production team. There were people outside waiting to get in and we still didnt have an ending, Gemora shared. We were able to do only three performances, but the reaction was unbelievable. The people were cheering.

TRAPPED IN PARADISE

The next day, Gemora was surprised to hear a cast member, Carlo Orosa, shouting, Ang mga Hapon! Ang mga Hapon!

The miracle of it, our producer, Manolo Cantos, booked us in a resort. The Cory Aquino coup detat happened in December 1989. We were supposed to stay in Cebu for only three days. They closed all the airports and we couldnt go back to Manila. We got trapped. There were no flights. He transferred us to another hotel.

Cantos convinced the cast to do a show that night. It so happened that former Manila Bulletin lifestyle editor Ethel Timbol watched a fashion show at Cebu Plaza with Johnny Litton. With all the models, they were also trapped with nothing to do.

They all went to watch, Gemora remembered. When Ethel saw the musical, she convinced Freddie to bring the show to Manila.

In 1990, Joseph the Dreamer was staged at the Meralco Theater. Every time we staged it, people were packing it in, Gemora said. "We averaged 24 to 30 performances. We obviously had a hit and runs. We just kept on doing it again and again.

By 1991, Gemora and the team said, Mukhang may patutunguhan to. Why dont we formally come together as a group? We were a bunch of artists who had a spiritual renewal. We became Christians, though we still didnt quite clearly know what that meant and where God wanted to lead us. We all had our individual spiritual renewal. But what did that mean in context to our careers as theater people?

TRUMPETS WAS BORN

Theater performer Enchang Kaimo and her husband, Mari, took the initiative to urge the performers to form a theater group. That was how Trumpets, a non-stock, non-profit company, was born.

The idea was that we were going to be the first professional Christian theater company, Gemora said. Our calling, objective or goal, was to use the theater or any other form of entertainment, to bring people closer to God. That was our calling. Any earnings will just go right back to the production to do more

Our main goal was to preach the gospel. It could be in your face or it could be subtle. After every show, there was an altar call. We were asking people to accept the Lord as his personal savior. Every performance of Joseph the Dreamer from day one, always ended with an altar call. It was at that time, our calling, was really to evangelize. Joseph the Dreamer was really to preach the gospel. It was a really miraculous show.

Joseph the Dreamer was staged at Cuneta Astrodome, at the Ultra and Meralco Theater, and eventually in schools. The musical was also staged at the Davao Convention Center, Cebu Coliseum, Cebu Plaza Ballroom, Dagupan Coliseum and at the San Agustin Auditorium in Iloilo with up to 15,000 watching.

Rak of Aegis was saying they were the longest run, I will contest that, Gemora smilingly said. We did Joseph the Dreamer for 10 years.

GETTING GARY V

After that time, Gemora asked the team, Where can we bring this show after a record-breaking 10-year run? Then, he saw pop idol Gary Valenciano in the window of Glorietta in Makati. Gemora simply opened his mouth to say Joseph to Valenciano. Prior to Joseph the Dreamer, Valenciano did a Christian musical, First Name, staged in 1988. It was not hard to convince him to do Joseph the Dreamer.

Gemora knew it was providential to stage the musical play with Valenciano, who subsequently took on the lead, with Gemora alternating.

The staging of Joseph the Dreamer in 1999 was already new as Valenciano was known for his hip-hop dance moves. From 1989, it was jazz and modern ballet, Gemora said. Even Gary had a different choreography and type of singing. A lot of dance numbers were incorporated into the production.

That is the spirit of Trumpets, according to Gemora and why they are different from all the other theater companies. What made us very distinct is also the reason why, over the years, we had not been as active as all the other theater companies.

When I took over as president in 1991, most theater companies only had two challenges, artistic and commercial. Come up with a show that everybody will say, Ganda and make money. When Trumpets started, there was a dearth of materials written that had a Christian message. And the ones from the US were so hard sell.

NOT A ONE-SHOW COMPANY

Hence, Trumpets was compelled to write its own materials for stage musicals. How many Bible stories have a beginning, middle and end?, Gemora asked. Most of the Bible stories dont have that. Thats why I was really challenged. At one point, we asked, What else can we do? We cannot just be a one-show company.

That was when the company started to do The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and The Little Mermaid. Yet, Gemora was still always being questioned. A lot of the hard-core Christians were telling me I was destroying the vision. As a matter of fact, putting up Stages happened because there were a lot of people coming to us to do their corporate shows.

There was a time the people behind Trumpets prioritized their careers, family and jobs. Yet, more than any other time now, Gemora feels the world really needs to know about God more now than ever.

We want to come back and pave the way for the next generation and do what we have to. That is a conviction I feel stronger now than ever. Why are we looking at younger people now? Theyre the ones we need to reach out to. It has to be their language and point of view. If we do Joseph the Dreamer now the way we did it in the eighties? They will find it too preachy, unbelievable and politically incorrect. They will never buy it.

TRUMPETS' RELAUNCH

After two decades, Joseph the Dreamer returns onstage as a reintroduction for Trumpets, because weve been away for so long.

This will be Trumpets relaunch, Gemora declared.

Gathering some of the most formidable, as well as promising, names in the local theater industry to complete the cast, Joseph the Dreamer boasts of a powerhouse ensemble to join Concepcion. He is paired with Kayla Rivera, who plays his wife, Asenath.

Gemora, this time, plays Josephs father, Jacob, with Bituin Escalante as his wife Rachel and Josephs mother. Orosa, a returning cast member, essays the comic role of Pharaoh.

Completing the 22-member cast are Mitzi Lao, RJ De la Fuente, Carlos Canlas, Paul Anthony Valdez, Neo Rivera, Jim Ferrer, Renz Bernardo, Edrei Tan, Matthew Barbers, John Paul Fausto, Joshua Ade Valenzola, Guido Gatmaytan, Aldo Vencilao, Alys Serdenia, Jo Mari Logdat, Coleen Paz, Samantha Libao and Kathleen Francisco, with two child wonders Elai Estrella and Eli Luis.

Before, there was even a choir, so the cast was about 80, Gemora bragged.

Working at the helm of Joseph the Dreamer is young concert director, Paolo Valenciano, who is making his directorial debut in a stage musical.

We wanted a young director, Gemora explained. It was a big gamble, because I didnt know whether or not he would accept or he would understand the [theater] medium. He was so used to directing concerts. The moment he took on the script, he knew exactly what to do.

He reassigned and re-sequenced the songs. He worked on the same script, but Paolo moved the material around to give this version a new context. He removed the word God in the script that was peppered with God. He also worked on the list of songs in a sequence.

Gemora noted that Valencianos affinity to the play is too strong. Initially, he didnt think he could do it. His dad first did it. He did Trumpets musicals before. He and Sam previously worked as brothers in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. So it was not hard for him to give his nod.

The day came when we needed to get Freddies approval for the script, Gemora said. At the end of the day, you know, intellectual property rights. In terms of writing, very little is new. But for direction, 95 percent is new. Paolo is so good at giving purpose.

I had to talk to Freddie to give Joseph the Dreamer to the young director. I had to assure him and manage him. Freddie is a hard act to follow. He played Jacob to my Joseph. His portrayal is so in my mind. He is a really good comedian, but I dont know how to make my character comic. I can make it because Im an actor. Freddie is a big shadow to follow.

NEW, DIFFERENT EYES

Now that Joseph the Dreamer is under totally new, different eyes, Gemora is certain they have a production that everybody can certainly look forward to. Paolo had seen the musical when he was still a kid. Even when he was still an actor, he was already very promising. He did Playshop workshop every summer.

I was recognizing Paolo even earlier. I told his mom, Angeli, her son was a good actor. She didnt allow Paolo to do theater. She insisted he was a rocker. I knew he had it in him. I just took a chance on Paolo, Gemora said.

Everybody in the artistic team is young. Valenciano gathered the finest young artists to form his artistic team. Myke Salomon takes on the musical directors hat, after having worked in recent acclaimed hit musicals as Rak of Aegis and Ang Huling El Bimbo.

Ive been aware of the work of Myke Salomon, Gemora said. I know hes good. But I didnt know hes that good until he took this material. Mon Faustino is a genius. He was the musical director before. I dont know how you can top that.

Myke can give the songs a different context, story, under story, emotion. First time to sit down with him and Myke was teaching me. I was only listening and I wanted to cry. He was incredible. Theres a song, Like Father, Like Son which he gave a different, absolute context and that made me cry.

Also part of the team are Mike Arda, choreographer of the hip-hop group A-Team; and Nelsito Gomez as associate director.

Trumpets president Butch Jimenez cannot be more pleased with the young artistic team behind the musical. The time is ripe for younger generations to experience this incredible musical, Jimenez said. The best way to teach them is to have millennials at the helm of this new production. We did not have to look far to assemble the best artistic team.

After Joseph the Dreamer, Trumpets will also re-stage The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in two years. The company is also set to do a musical featuring songs of the group Smokey Mountain, with Krina Cayabyab as the musical director.

I dont want to rest on our laurels, Gemora said. I want to challenge our young people to start writing materials.

Joseph the Dreamer will run from February 21 to March at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, BGC Arts Center in Taguig City.

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Sam Concepcion feels the pressure as he stars in new staging of 'Joseph the Dreamer' - ABS-CBN News