Arts & Culture (04/02/25)
Dear Evan Hansenarrives in Manila in September
THE critically acclaimed, Tony award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen is finally making its way to the Philippines. GMG Productions has confirmed the run of the UK touring production of Dear Evan Hansen, set for September 2025 at The Theatre at Solaire. It tells the story of Evan, an anxious high school student longing for a sense of belonging. When a misunderstanding spirals into something far bigger than he ever imagined, he faces an impossible decision: tell the truth and lose everything or embrace a lie that brings him closer to the life he has always dreamed of. Tickets will officially go on sale on April 15 exclusively via TicketWorld.
CCP holds Papet Pasyon 2025
THE Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in partnership with Teatrong Mu, will have a special Lenten presentation that brings the Passion of Christ to life through the art of puppetry. The performance will take place on April 6, at 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater) in Pasay City. Written by National Artist Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio, “Papet Pasyon” is a Semana Santa tradition that creatively retells the story of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection, inspiring reflection and devotion. Tickets are available via Ticket2Me.
Benilde takes on Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S All’s Well That Ends Well, a tale of love, obsession, and deceit, is set to be staged at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Design + Arts Theater starting April 4. Directed by Palanca awardee Baby Jay Crisostomo, the play will be presented by the Aninag Theater, a student-run production company. The plot revolves around the unrequited romance of the heroine Helena, a woman of low rank who is madly in love with Bertram, the Count of Rosillion’s son. It features performances by Rianne Ang, Lindsey Corral, and Alex Cruz as Helena, Kiefer Jet Francisco as Bertram, Heleynah Galan as the Countess, Luis Bordallo as Elder Dumaine, Dave Palomo as Younger Dumaine, Gero Rojas as Parolles, Joaquinito Ventura as Lafeu, and Andre De Luna as the King. The show runs from April 4 to 12. Tickets cost P350 for DLS-CSB students and P400 for the general public. Interested viewers can register via tinyurl.com/CSBAllsWellThatEndsWell.
Andrea O. Veneracion choral festival open to submissions
THE Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival (AOVICF) Manila 2025 is accepting applications, with the deadline for submissions set for April 30. Choirs from around the world are encouraged to take part in the competition, which will be held from August 20 to 24 in Metro Manila. Now in its sixth edition, AOVICF features six competition categories: Children’s Choir, Equal Voices, Folk Song and Indigenous Music, Mixed Choir, Musica Sacra, and Popular Music. Winners in each category will receive cash prizes of P150,000 upwards. Accepted applicants must pay a registration fee of $400 for non-Filipino choirs and P15,000 for Filipino choirs. For full details, visit www.aovchoralfestph.com/guidelines.
