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Top 5 Disney Movies

January 19, 2015 Web Master

Ah, Disney! The brand that made it cool to be a kid and great to sing along to animated movies. Nobody is too old for that stuff. In the course of having your daily dose of Disney goodness, favorites cannot be avoided. But we will limit it to 5. I will make it random too because choosing among them is already too much to handle, what more if we rank them.

– Toy Story

The story of Woody and Buzz serves as a reminder to kids about pride and prejudice. And first born children with self-esteem issues can relate. Whenever a new kid arrives in the house, it becomes the center of everyone’s attention, not you. You’re still a kid but the new kid is, well, new. It’s the same self-esteem issue that Woody felt upon the arrival of Buzz Lightyear. Woody is still the same toy. He is still fun to play with for his owner and cool to hang around with for his fellow toys even if he barely concealed his disdain for Buzz. Also, Buzz’s talents that Woody lacked just worsened the bitterness. When 2 “co-workers” find themselves in the same situations, they are forced to cooperate with one another. They end up discovering each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It took forever for Woody to realize that but at least they found great friends in each other.

– Finding Nemo

Nemo, just like some kids, got fed up with his dad who constantly told him that he can’t do much without him. Sure, Nemo’s Dad will forever be scared of what could possibly happen to his half-finned son. But every parent discovers their inner courage every time their offspring is in trouble. Nemo used to be embarrassed of his dad’s cowardice or lack of self-confidence in him. But, like some relatives, the only way they get to prove each other wrong is when catastrophe strikes. And also, Dory. She’s not as useless as you think she is. It’s her short-term memory loss that might even endeared her to some viewers. Getting voiced by Ellen DeGeneres is a major factor though.

– The Lion King

According to some critics, “The Lion King” is this generation’s “Bambi”. Mufasa’s death was a rude awakening to some kids as to how their recklessness can cause death of a parent. While Simba found solace in the “Hakuna Matata” lifestyle, the fact that his uncle’s crime of killing his father has yet to be brought to justice. Of course he had to take responsibility over the death too. While he may never bring back his father’s life, the best he could do is restore the kingdom to its old glory by facing his uncle head on. As to why some writers compare it to Hamlet, it’s more about the father-son vs uncle dynamic. Remove the madness quotient and everything else is kid-friendly.

– Wall-E

If ever there would be one film to recommend to parents with toddlers that can’t speak yet, it would be Wall-E. With 75% of the movie having no dialogue and just dependent on the characters’ action to get the story going, it served as the best homage to silent films without having to go black-and-white cinematography-wise. It was on second viewing that some fans realized its slight anti-technology statement where all humanity has

relocated to a different planet and become totally dependent on machines. And it all started when Wall-E found a seedling that might be a tree if nurtured well. With the help of another robot, EVE, they end up exploring how humanity needs to be restored, not overpowered, by technology. If that sounds like the best statement against films like “I, Robot”, then I don’t know what else could be.

– Frozen

Disney’s most famous animated film to date where girl power is best expressed. It also served as the best balance between the gender roles. Our lead female characters here, Elsa and Anna, are still princesses in distress. There are men available to save the day for them – the prince and the ice vendor. There are almost no wasted characters in this film because almost everyone served a purpose including that pesky monarch. In fact the pesky monarch ended up becoming a story device in how princes are portrayed in the past – the kind of man who can save the day by marriage to the princess. The safest spoiler that I can share here is it’s one of those Disney movies that did not end with the prince and the princess getting married.

How about you? What are your favorite Disney films so far? You may have your reasons for picking them from gender sensitivity, honesty about technology or how it hit some nerves in your personal life. Also, a little favor. Please like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano. Muchas gracias.

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Top 5 Hamlet Facts

January 19, 2015 Web Master

Watching some previous versions of Hamlet get me thinking how taxing this role can get. At first I thought I would have a field day playing this role. I’m unapologetically crazy anyway. But I forgot that it is still Shakespeare after all.

So exploring the role ended up discovering several interesting facts about the play itself. The origins, the records it held and the limits of being crazy applied on the role to remind the audience that while Hamlet’s sanity is going nowhere, he still tried to put up a facade of being “normal”.

– Hamlet is based on Amleth

Amleth is the tale of a young Viking warrior who comes home to find his father murdered and his mother marrying his uncle, a presumed attempt to avoid a power vacuum. What power vacuum when the son usually succeeds the dead king? Anyway, Hamlet was performed in the early 1600’s which is proof that even way back then, adaptations of European literature is already common.

– Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play ever

That’s how indecisive Hamlet is in plotting revenge. He got too preoccupied with acting forlorn, depressed and antisocial that he can’t even bring himself to do it or did he? It makes the question “To be or not to be?” almost irrelevant to the scheme he concocted to push his uncle to come clean whether he killed his own brother for the throne or not.

What possibly lengthened the play was the series of soliloquies recited here. Again, another sign of indecisiveness on Hamlet’s part as he puts too much effort on contemplating his revenge that all he ever accomplished is a series of monologues directed to himself.

– Hamlet, in turn, has an opera adaptation too

3 of Shakespeare’s straight plays have had opera adaptations and Hamlet is the only one in French. With music by French composer Ambroise Thomas, it was shorter compared to the 4-hour long version of Shakespeare. Some versions even show Hamlet cutting himself on the torso and his forearms to stomach the sight of his mother marrying his uncle less than 2 months after the king died.

There was even a version that did not mind presenting Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, as a sex-starved widow. Either she really was in the play as Shakespeare intended or some directors chose to present the opera in the twisted point of view of Hamlet.

– Hamlet is about madness, real and faked

The challenge for the actor is to avoid going over-the-top when the character is feigning madness. The challenge for the audience is to guess which parts are legitimate crazy and which parts are just pissing the rest of the characters off. Hamlet seemed to enjoy the attention he’s getting from the craziness he exuded ever since he fell into depression.

The real insanity that is easiest to spot in this play is how Hamlet pushed Ophelia away from him. His mother’s marriage to Claudius really ruined his view of women as said in the line “Frailty, thy name is Woman!” So before Ophelia would get a chance to cheat on him, Hamlet pushed her away.

– Hamlet’s full original title is “The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark”

It due time it simply got referred to as “Hamlet” since much of the story revolved around him. The word “tragedy” in the title sounded like a spoiler although some deaths are not physical.

I am excited to play Hamlet next month. Expectations are high. I welcome the pressure because an actor has got to what an actor has got to do. No regrets. Roles like this can really get you thinking how therapeutic theater can get. It will be staged in February although you have to keep yourself posted for updates for the particular dates. Just like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano to learn about them first. See you around.

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Top 5 Kublai Khan Facts

January 19, 2015 Web Master

Interest in Kublai Khan was revived now that a TV series involving his “protegee”, Marco Polo, is now showing on Netflix. Knowing how creative liberties would be applied in the story, we then should take a look at history. What made Kublai Khan a legend on his own?

This is not to say he is in the same league as that of his legendary grandfather, Genghis Khan. But the moment he became emperor, he knew that his mission is to conquer the rest of the territories that the old man has not annexed before his death. These and more as we enumerate some hard facts.

– His rise to the throne meant defeating his own brother

Most of his relatives favored his brother, Ariq Boke, as the next emperor to rule them all. It was a claim that Kublai Khan contested. This caused a civil war in Mongolia for the legitimacy of the crown. This is despite the fact that his brother managed to hold a great council to support his claim to the throne. The only brother who supported his claim to the throne is his fourth brother, Hulagu Khan. With support from the monarchs from North China and Manchuria, he held his own great council to proclaim him as the Great Khan. A great clan divide and several wars later, Ariq Boke then surrendered to Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan spared him his life but not of his rabid followers.

– His earlier interests leaned more towards philosophy and spirituality

After getting fascinated with the healing abilities of the Tibetan monks, he made one of them a member of his entourage. This also pushed his desire to annex China to fully absorb and learn the various philosophies espoused there. He learned Buddhism from one of the top monks in northern China. So impressed was he that he eventually named one of his sons, Zhenjin (“True Gold” in English).

– He used catapults inspired by what the Christians used in war

For a religious denomination that promoted love and acceptance, it inspired a staggering weapon that Kublai Khan could use in order to penetrate China. At this time, the idea of a smaller empire conquering a million-strong empire is inconceivable. Think of the Sioux annexing Canada. Never happened and perhaps never will.

This is where Kublai Khan acknowledged that whatever they lacked in manpower, they have to make up for weaponry. With the help of Persian engineers, a catapult to improvise their attack was constructed, With a heavy duty capacity of 220 lbs, Kublai Khan lay the smack down on China by annexing first the towns with the crushed towers. The Mongols never looked back and in due time, all of present-day China is conquered.

– He ruled China through its own system of a civil service

For everyone else that Khan and his army kept alive, it included some government officials through which they ruled the land. This caused a favorable mention of Khan in Chinese history especially when he gave his dynasty a local name – Yuan. Chinese history kept a database of previous dynasties that ruled it and the Yuan Dynasty earned a spot there. Today, the Mongolians are included among the list of ethnic groups residing in China today alongside Ulghurs, Tibetans and the Han.

– He invaded China but kept the Chinese culture alive

While most conquerors would try destroying whatever history is left of their conquered area, Kublai Khan let the Chinese culture stay. It can be easily viewed as his way of showing that China is the crown jewel of his conquests. He pushed the idea further by moving the capital of the empire from Karakorum in Mongolia to Peking. Historians disputed whether it is Peking itself or Tai-tu, a district near Beijing which is the name of Peking today. Seeing the Chinese heritage preserved under the new emperor, many Chinese scholars were persuaded to serve in his court.

An invasion of China that ended up into a benevolent attempt at preserving Chinese culture and philosophy, there is little wonder why Chinese history treated him as their “favorite barbarian”. While his achievements ranged from the military to philosophical forces, there is no denying that it was just the leadership that Khan changed but not the culture.

So now the challenge comes for me to play the role of Kublai Khan at Marco Polo The Musical in the CCP, the Cultural Center of the Philippines. A big dare because it’s the most prestigious theater. And also I have to play a character way older than me and with a high and low vocal range.

Stay tuned friend!

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Top 5 Marco Polo Facts

January 19, 2015 Web Master

In case you haven’t read about it yet in some blogs, I am back in Marco Polo The Musical. Feels great to be back but this time I would be playing a different role. For the meantime, let’s discuss our hero from Venice.

As much as his Book of Travels a.k.a. The Travels of Marco Polo is highly disputed, there is no denying how it served as the biggest inspiration behind navigation-dependent exploration to new lands to conquer. It’s all about conquest anyway, a concept that may have dawned upon Marco Polo himself but didn’t do since he’s a merchant, not a conquistador. What other interesting things could be discovered about him?

– Marco Polo reached the empire of Kublai Khan

Note that I mentioned “the empire of Kublai Khan” instead of China. Why? While the skepticism surrounding on his mention of reaching Cathay (modern-day China) is understandable, the emperor he met is Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan. One of their realms is located in China. So you can see the confusion there. The place where the Khans lived wasn’t called Mongolia yet. Today, Marco Polo’s monument is found in Ulaanbatar, capital of Mongolia. It’s the best acknowledgment from the descendants of the Khan that Marco Polo settled there.

– Marco Polo became a successful merchant despite learning very little Latin

Being from Venice, Latin ended up as one of the major languages of business used. But since much of his life as an explorer is spent in the empire of Khan, not learning the language did not serve as a handicap to the other trade-related skills that he learned back in his home city. Appraising is the most interesting merchant skill he learned though. It meant learning how to impose an estimated price on an item based on assessments made here. Nowadays, most professionals that has this skill work in commercial and investment banks.

– Marco Polo’s intention behind the book is for traders to have a handbook

By orally narrating his travels to Rustichello da Pisa, an opportunity opened up to share his knowledge to everyone that dreams of becoming a merchant. This is also the reason why the original book was published not in Italian but in Langues d’oil which literally means “oil languages”. It’s the other major language used in business in Europe at that time. Traders and merchants will eventually discover Cathay and its neighboring countries eventually. So Marco Polo took it upon himself to teach the next generation of traders and merchants the basics.

– Marco Polo’s book inspired the development of European cartography

Cartography is the art of designing maps, not the art of drawing sketches of wanted persons suspected of violating the law. So just in case you still hear the term “cartographic sketch” on the local news, check if what they are referring to is the sketch of a map or a person’s sketch. It took almost forever for it to develop. Expeditions only resumed en masse a century later.

– Marco Polo got imprisoned years after returning to Venice

Not much is mentioned as to the extent of his military training received in Cathay if ever there was any. The only recorded weapon he owned in Venice was the armed trebuchet. Venice was as war with the Republic of Genoa then hence the need for self-defense. He got captured in Genoa in a skirmish in 1296. It was in jail where he met Rustichello da Pisa. That’s when the handbook became a concept.

Until now several factors regarding Marco Polo’s life are still up for debate. The speculations ended up serving as creative fodder for some writers to come up with interesting productions related to his travels. No wonder why a possible love story ended up inspiring theater director Roger Chua to compose and write “Marco Polo The Musical”. You can like their official Facebook page in as much as I would like you too to like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club. Follow me on Twitter while you’re at it @kuyamanzano. See you around.

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lines someone can tell their best friend

January 11, 2015 Web Master

“You do not live in a vacuum nor can you harvest the better fruits of life without help and encouragement from others.” – Og Mandino

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself” – Henry Ford

“I am not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

“If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” – W Somerset Maugham

“One can’t give what he does not possess. To give love, you must possess love. To love others, you must love yourself” – Lee Buscagli

“Fill your heart with the creative power to accept the past, decorate the present and transform the future.” – Osho

“Love doesn’t make the world go ‘round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.” – Franklin P. Jones

“With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.” – Thomas Foxwell Buxton

“The ability to speak does not make you intelligent” – #StarWars

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed” – Michael Jordan

“Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you’ll drift in that direction.” – Warren Buffett

“In my life there is an infinite supply of love. I can never use it all in this lifetime so I don’t have to be sparing with it.” – Louise Hay

“You’ll find boredom where there is the absence of a good idea” – Earl Nightingale

“Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you. They’re supposed to help you

discover who you are.” – Bernice Johnson

“An occasional compliment is necessary to keep up one’s self-respect” – Mark Twain

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly” – Robert F. Kennedy

“The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.” – Albert Einstein

“You have not lived a perfect day unless you have done something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” – Ruth Smeltzer

“An ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness.” – Elbert Hubbard

“Two things stand out like pillars in life: kindness in another’s trouble, courage on your own.” – Adam L. Gordon

“Promise yourself to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.” – Christian Larson

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” – Sam Keen

“Love is the energy which expands, opens up, sends out, reveals, shares and heals.” – Neale D Walsch

“A strong passion for any object will ensure success, for the desire of the end will point out the means.” – William Hazlitt

To keep yourself updated with my thoughts and upcoming projects, please like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano FanClub, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano.

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Je Suis Charlie: Soy Charlie = Ako si Charlie

January 11, 2015 Web Master

While most believers have yet to prove the existence of the god they worship under, they keep giving their god a bad name.

Je Suis Charlie: Soy Charlie = Ako si Charlie — Screenshot from Mashable

Another terrorist-related attack occurred in France last January 7, 2015 after a cartoon published in the French magazine “Charlie Hebdo” offended some Muslim extremists. As seen on the retrieved CCTV footage, a car driven by the assailants arrived and started shooting people in the magazine’s office. 12 people including 4 cartoonists were reported dead while 11 were left wounded. And this is all because of a satirical cartoon.

It wasn’t the first time that it happened as another reported incident was traced way back in 2011. The cartoonists were defiant claiming that they would rather die standing than on their knees. Fighting words indeed, much like the words that the assailants screamed after going out of the building “Allahu akbar” (God is great).

There goes the irony in this terrorist attack. If their god is indeed great, why do they have to do the killing themselves? Can’t the god they believe in do the killing instead since he was the one that got offended? This is where you realize a harsh reality in the way some religious folks handle their faith. They get offended more than god itself just in case it exists. It’s like a fanclub that cries louder whenever it’s their idol getting attacked. If the idol gets pricked, the idol’s fanbase bleed.

The worst thing that religion ever did to human beings is divide them. It has become a tribal thing. Or a clique thing where everyone is welcome but only those who are welcome get fair treatment. Only those with positive things to say about the movement or the belief get fair treatment. Everyone else that doesn’t belong get excluded. In worse cases, they get ridiculed, persecuted and publicly vilified.

Now when it’s some satirists’ turn to mock or ridicule a certain belief, some of these believers bleed like hell. They get butthurt. Instead of taking a joke or explaining how some jokes can just get so far, they retaliate in violence. What kind of faith teaches its followers to retaliate violently before understand what the joke really is about? Or was it really a joke?

Satire is one of the most underrated methods of shaking things up in society. And this is because people often get offended first before they understand. Almost everyone’s concern today is being politically correct knowing how the rest of the populace easily gets butthurt. Whatever happened to teaching your kids how to face a world that is not fair? Whatever happened to the freedom to question beliefs? If you believe your faith is devoid of bullshit, why retaliate with guns?

This is why it is heart-warming to see a sea of support for the slain cartoonists. Maybe they did not initially get the joke. Maybe some of them have difficulty identifying satirical journalism and I can’t blame them. Some news items look funnier than what’s found on Onion.com only to discover later on that it’s real news. But the crowd started raising placards with the words “Je suis Charlie” implying that everyone felt the impact of the attacks. If believers bleed whenever their faith is put to question, everyone else bleeds too when freedom of expression is hurt.

France is one of the first secular countries in Europe. Publications like Charlie Hebdo will still persist to keep freedom of expression alive. They would continue whatever is left behind by the slain satirical cartoonists especially now that individuals that labeled themselves as “secular Muslims” are inexplicably silent on the matter. Can’t they be human beings first and religious individuals later? Better yet, can’t they just get rid of religion altogether if it only meant widening the divide between human beings?

Religion is becoming less and less a tool for morality and becoming more and more of a tool of oppression. Some deaths need to mean something. Hopefully this would be the ultimate dealbreaker for most religions like Islam.

To keep yourself updated with my thoughts and upcoming projects, please like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano FanClub, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano.

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Forever More Selosa

January 11, 2015 Web Master

Why are women (and in some cases, men) jealous creatures? Sometimes it’s a win-lose situation. Win because it feels great when someone is so afraid to lose you. Lose because it can get suffocating after awhile.

But before we get irritated, we better understand first the kind of emotional turmoil that they are going through. It’s not easy being a girl. Well, that’s what they say and let’s enumerate some of the reasons why:

– About being afraid to lose us

There is always that fear lurking at the back of their heads that they would lose their boyfriends. Is there a competition going on that we are not aware of? No, some girls enjoy having a boyfriend in a way that they would like be with the guy 24/7. They like getting into activities with the boyfriend. They like going out with friends, family, relatives, co-workers and even total strangers like in a conference with a boyfriend. It’s like remove the boyfriend from all the appointments and they feel like they lost a boyfriend. Please! Not seeing each other for 12 hours meant nothing lost. You’re still separate individuals with your own set of appointments that are separate from the relationship. Some of those appointments might have been there already long before you got into a relationship. What’s there to be afraid of if you got part of your life mapped out? And even more, what’s there to lose when even if you’re already a couple, you still lead normal lives

Not seeing the boyfriend meant that he is already flirting with someone else. It doesn’t always mean that way. If you as a girl feel threatened about losing your boyfriend, it only shows your insecurities. And this brings us to the next pointer.

– About your insecurities

Girls and women will always have insecurities about themselves even outside a relationship. What more if they get into a relationship? The fact that sex and children are no longer guarantees of a long-lasting relationship only aggravates the insecurity more. But much of that mindset is self-imposed.

– About change in behavior

Some men get a haircut, a new cologne and perhaps a new set of clothes to wear for the next few days and instead of being happy for the positive change, some women go “You hate it whenever I ask you to change your bacon briefs because you refuse to do so and now you went into a major overhaul. Who is she?” What?!?!?!?!?! Is that what it’s all about? Can’t it just be that I need to change the way I look because I need to look professional? And do you really have to mention how crinkly and crumply my briefs have gotten?

– About what men do or did

Rumor has it that women’s favorite subject in school is history because they like bringing it up in relationships. I am not referring to history taught in schools but how history is used to remind students that whoever does not learn in history are bound to repeat it. Okay, I get the gist. But how will men learn the lesson gradually if every time they commit mistakes, the girlfriend or the wife will keep bringing it up in an effort to justify the jealousy and paranoia? Some women only hear what they want to hear, not the truth.

Women (and in some cases, men) please? If you keep punishing your loved one due to a mistake they have done in the past, you are pushing them away. Trust is broken. I get that. But if you keep claiming that you’re hurt and heartbroken from something that already happened years ago, instead of hurting only yourself, you end up hurting the one you love too.

– About comparing yourself to practically any person your guy gets in contact with

You are not as bad as you think you are. But you keep feeding your brain negative thoughts. How can you be so in love with someone so bad when you don’t even love yourself? If you have forgotten about why you became in a couple before, then you need to remind yourself that among all the possible better partners for him (or her, in some cases), you got chosen. Start all ideas from there and there would be less insecurities for you to worry about.

Feeling better? You better be. Nobody wants to live 24/7 wallowing in jealousy. Imagine the energy wasted on paranoia and hissy fits because you let your jealousy overcome you and define you. If you can’t trust your partner enough, maybe you can’t love your partner enough. I hope to share some insight there. To keep yourself updated with my thoughts and upcoming projects, please like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano FanClub, and follow me on Twitter @kuyamanzano.

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Earthquake felt strong in Pasig and several other locations in Metro Manila

January 10, 2015 Kuya

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake shaked Luzon at Sunday a.m., which later grew to to 6.0.

It was strong I can tell you.

I live in floor 11 of a condo building and I had to rush to the door because the whole building was shaking so much that I’m still dizzy three hours after.

The shake’s epicenter was in placed 13 kilometers southeast of San Antonio, Zambales with a profundity of 85 kilometers said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The tremors were additionally felt in Metro Manila. Phivolcs said consequential convulsions are normal from the shake albeit no harm to base is normal.

Distinctive levels of the tremor were felt in the accompanying zones:

Power IV – Pasig City; Pasay City; Manila City; Quezon City; Hagonoy, Bulacan; Makati City;

San Mateo, Rizal; Obando, Bulacan

Power III – Tagaytay City; San Miguel, Tarlac;

Power II – Baguio City; Batangas City

Stay safe all!

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How to Have a Career in Musical Theater

January 6, 2015 Web Master

Oh, musical theater, how do I describe thee? In the Philippines, despite the world-renowned reputation of exporting talent from Disneyland to Cameron Mackintosh’s productions of Miss Saigon, it’s still quite tough to find yourself in a role for a musical. Would that be reason enough for you to stop?

Of course not. If rejection would easily discourage most aspirants, there might not be enough left behind to even get cast in starring roles. For every discovery like Lea Salonga (she contemplated about accepting the role of Miss Saigon since she’s a minor and it meant living in London), there is a sea of struggling theater actresses waiting for their time in the sun. Some of those actresses might have even contemplated about moving to New York or London just to bag a meaty role in mainstream theater. It is hard. But for individuals passionate enough with what they do, no rejection is too painful to stop them.

So it’s about time that some pieces of advice be dished out to anyone still interested to secure a spot in musical theater without having to leave town.

1. Either be a triple threat or at least be great (not just good) in singing and acting.

Because not all roles contained dancing parts, you should at least be great at singing your heart out in congruence to the acting demands of the song. Ever wondered why Elphaba is such a challenging role? It’s not enough that you can sing. The anger, frustration and depression must be felt in some of the songs in the latter acts. Maybe the only moments where she was happy was when she reached Emerald City, when she elevated herself up into the air and when she kissed Fiyero. But the angst is still in the voice. Most songs in her angles are acting songs.

In the earliest performances of Sweeney Todd, he is supposed to sound scary. It’s not enough to have that deep resonating voice often associated with baritones. You need to infuse acting into the songs. You need to sound diabolical especially on the murderous parts. The only dancing parts perhaps involved him and Mrs. Lovett.

2. Training meant time spent in theater troupes

This is why some aspiring musical theater actors and actresses are willing to relocate to New York or London just to get exposed to the industry itself. Prolonged exposure gives them a closer look at how it really is to be in musical theater.

It’s also the reason why in some teasers for the revival of Miss Saigon, Cameron Mackintosh mentioned what made Jon Jon Briones a natural fit for the role of The Engineer – because he’s been in the production way back when it has not been staged at West End yet. He was part of the ensemble. So once the moment arrived for his turn to play The Engineer, the grit added to the performance served as a major improvement. If that kind of immersion will not make you absorb your environment deep enough into your bones, I don’t know what else can improve your talent.

3. Classical training serves as a solid foundation

Voice lessons really help improve the way you sing. Even more, musical theater veterans that got exposed into bel canto singing get to apply the things they have learned into the performances. Suddenly, you find a way to apply lessons like stomach resonance, chest resonance and head resonance into your performances.

You don’t just sing for the sake of hitting the high notes. You sing because the anguish, pain and other emotions required in the story needed to be expressed appropriately. Most musical theater performers sound pop now rather than classical. But that doesn’t mean proper breathing and correct pronunciation are no longer applicable right from the moment you showed up for audition. Some audition directors would eventually notice that too. It is still an advantage after all.

4. Guts

What is talent without guts? A repressed performance. A watered down performance. Something with the energy level of a slow-poke (to borrow a term from Pokemon addicts). Can you imagine such characters like Dr. Frank N. Furter and Hedwig becoming larger than life if the actors that channeled them did not have enough guts to show around?

To borrow a line from “Jerry Maguire”, you hang your balls out there. You just go and do it. You already have the talent. The next sensible thing you are left to do is have fun and perform to your heart’s content. Let go. If the character needs to go borderline crazy then get borderline crazy. It’s the easiest way to add authenticity to your performance. The best performances are those thrown out without inhibitions.

Glad to be of help to everyone interested in getting a spot in musical theater. And chances are I would be sharing more tips and helpful articles in the future. All that you need to do is like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club. See you around.

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To Be or Not To Be: The Evolution of Hamlet as a Piece of Theatrical Literature

January 6, 2015 Web Master

Hamlet is one of the most memorable roles ever to establish the Shakespearean plays as challenging from the get-go. Not everyone is willing to take the risk in inhabiting this role, whether straight play, musical or opera (yes, the opera version was by French composer Ambroise Thomas).

What is the play Hamlet all about? Its full title is actually “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”. The tragedy pertained to is the vengeance that Hamlet plotted on his own uncle, Claudius, whom he suspected of killing his father, King Hamlet, in order to seize the throne and marry his widow, Gertrude.

Where did he get this idea? The 2009 version aired on BBC shows Hamlet seeing the ghost of his father. Here, King Hamlet tells his son how he actually died. He was poisoned by his brother after seducing and corrupting his wife. It was this act of treachery that would not put his spirit at peace, summoning his son to avenge his death. It’s quite different from some versions where the ghost would appear to Horatio, Hamlet’s confidante, and other guards and would demand vengeance as well only for Hamlet himself to go to that same spot and see the ghost.

Could it be that the ghost’s appearance was so timely – at the time that Hamlet is halfway through madness? At the banquet that Claudius and Gertrude hosted, Hamlet was the only one wearing black. And Hamlet could only state the obvious. King Hamlet just died and Claudius rushed in to marry the widowed queen. It was as if she’s so afraid to return to her bed alone.

It also shattered Hamlet’s view on women so much that he started pushing Ophelia away from him, afraid that she will betray him too right after his death. If madness can be diagnosed as something contagious then it applies on Ophelia although her madness would go much later.

The main difference in the BBC version? An attempt at modernity. As you may have realized, the CCTV installed in the palace served as a plot device to present the ghost as a “ghost” that cannot be captured on camera and to record Hamlet’s descent into madness.

To Be or Not To Be: The Evolution of Hamlet as a Piece of Theatrical Literature — David Temnant as Hamlet in the 2009 BBC version

It gave Hamlet the idea that he’s some lab rat subjected to scrutiny by everyone including Ophelia’s father. Sometimes it comes across as an attempt to speed up the narration here and focus on the madness instead. It’s the version that served as contrast to Kenneth Branagh’s version.

The Shakespearean purists enjoyed Branagh’s version – the 1996 version that he directed with him donning the titular role of Hamlet. Realizing how multi-layered this play could ever get, he tried to balance the presentation of Hamlet’s madness and the court intrigue. It makes you question too if Hamlet is really mad or everyone in the palace just refuses to address the awkwardness of the situation between Claudius and Gertrude.

Have you ever felt like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? No need to pretend to understand Hamlet when in fact you don’t. Some men find comfort in listening to their own understanding of the world. And you realize the difficulty in portraying a man this crazy. The craziest people in the world are the folks that are least aware of the levels of insanity that they have plunged into.

If Hamlet is not crazy, what does he think he is? If Branagh’s version is to be viewed, Hamlet views himself as a philosopher – one with depressing view of the world. So depressing that it seems as if he’s just speaking just to watch the people around him react. For a mind so messed up, he’d like to mess up everyone’s minds as well. Otherwise, there won’t be rapid cuts to the facial expressions displaying the reactions to whatever Hamlet says.

It’s the least that he can do because he can’t bring himself to kill his uncle. He is not even sure if the ghost that talked to him is really his father’s ghost. What is left for him to do? Spit invective quotes and suspect everyone, including Ophelia, of whatever he could manage to accuse them of.

Excuses, excuses. It’s the kind of performance that made the line “To be or not to be” credible if Hamlet’s indecisiveness is to be identified. Hamlet is a character that is too messed up in the head to even take action into his plans. And it’s also the kind of multi-layered prose that placed immense pressure on actors to deliver them right. In other words, challenge accepted since I will be playing Hamlet in February at DITO Marikina.

To like or not to like, that should not even be a question. Like my official Facebook page, Kuya Manzano Fan Club, in order to keep yourself updated of my next projects like Hamlet. See you around.

It was strong I can tell you.

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