Trumpets’ The Bluebird of Happiness Leads Philstage Gawad Buhay’s 2013 3rd-quarter Citations

TRUMPETS’ “comeback” musical production “The Bluebird of Happiness,” with music by Rony Fortich and libretto and direction by Jaime del Mundo, leads the third-quarter citations of the 2013 Gawad Buhay!, the Philstage Awards for the Performing Arts, with 18 nods in the performance, creative and technical categories.
“Bluebird” earned citations for, among others, its libretto and adaptation work (Del Mundo), musical composition and direction (Fortich), choreography (Nancy Crowe), costume and set design (Mio Infante), lighting design (John Batalla), and the individual performances of its child actors: Female Lead Performance in a Musical for Alessa Zialcita and Chimmi Kohchet-Chua, and Male Lead Performance in a Musical for Anton Posadas and Guido Gatmaytan. Also cited are Lynn Sherman and Joel Trinidad in the featured performance categories. “Bluebird”’s other mentions are for Outstanding Stage Direction (Del Mundo), Outstanding Ensemble for a Musical, and Outstanding Original Musical.
Placing second with 14 citations each are Tanghalang Pilipino’s “Der Kaufmann/Ang Negosyante ng Venecia,” which transposed Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” into the Nazi era, with Jews in a concentration camp forced to perform the play; and Ballet Manila’s “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang,” a celebration in dance of Severino Reyes’ enduring folk tales.
Following them are two Ballet Philippines productions—“Rock Supremo” with 11 citations, and “Giselle” with 10.
(See complete list of citations below.)
The Gawad Buhay! jury, an independent panel of critics, scholars, artists and theater enthusiasts, has decided that, starting this year, a new category will be opened for Outstanding Production (Play, Dance or Musical) for Children, to acknowledge the growing number of productions from Philstage companies specifically mounted and designed for such audiences. However, since many children’s productions run for weeks, even months, longer than the typical three-week schedule of other shows, all Philstage children’s shows will be considered for citation in the fourth quarter of the year, leading to the Gawad Buhay! final nominations for 2013.
Now on its fifth year, Gawad Buhay! is the first-ever industry awards exclusively for the performing arts. Outstanding individual and group achievements in various artistic and technical aspects of play, musical and dance productions and performances are honored based on quarterly citations deliberated by the jury who are required to watch all productions of Philstage member-companies for the entire year.
From the four quarterly citations, the jury will select the final nominees qualified to win the awards by the end of the performance season. Awarding ceremonies will be in early 2014.
Philstage is the only alliance of professional performing arts organizations in the Philippines. Its members include Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit, Peta, Repertory Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, Trumpets, Actor’s Actors Inc., 9 Works Theatrical and Philippine Opera Company.
COMPLETE LIST OF THE 2013 THIRD-QUARTER CITATIONS IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES:
Outstanding Original Script
No citation
Outstanding Original Libretto
• Nicolas Pichay, “Rock Supremo” (Ballet Philippines)
• Layeta Bucoy, “Sandosenanang Sapatos” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
• Jaime del Mundo, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Original Translation or Adaptation
• Rody Vera, “Der Kaufmann/Ang Negosyante ng Venecia” (Tanghalang Pilipino)
• Jaime del Mundo, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Musical Direction
• Francis de Veyra, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Rony Fortich, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Original Musical Composition
• Diwa de Leon, “Ang Palasyo ng mga Duwende/“Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (Ballet Manila)
• Juan Carlo Magsalin, “Anting-Anting”/“Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Noel Cabangon, “Sandosenang Sapatos” (TP)
• Rony Fortich, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Choreography for a Dance Production
• Gerard Francisco, “Ang Palasyo ng mga Duwende”/“Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Osias Barroso and Michael Divinagracia, “Anting-anting”/“Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
Outstanding Choreography for a Play or Musical
• Nancy Crowe, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Costume Design
• Maki Albay, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Tuxqs Rutaquio, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Mio Infante, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Lighting Design
• Jimmy Villanueva, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Jonjon Villareal, “Giselle” (BP)
• John Batalla, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• John Batalla, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• John Batalla, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Sound Design
• TJ Ramos, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Rards Corpus, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Set Design
• Jay Janolo, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Tuxqs Rutaquio, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Tuxqs Rutaquio, “Sandosenang Sapatos” (TP)
• Mio Infante, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Female Lead Performance in a Play
• Regina de Vera, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
Male Lead Performance in a Play
• Jonathan Tadioan, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
Female Featured Performance in a Play
• Raquel Pareño, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Doray Dayao, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
Male Featured Performance in a Play
• Lou Veloso, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Marco Viaña, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Joe Gruta, “Kanser” (Gantimpala Theater Foundation)
Female Lead Performance in a Musical
• Trixie Esteban, “Sandosenang Sapatos” (TP)
• Chimmi Kohchet-Chua, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
• Alessa Zialcita, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Male Lead Performance in a Musical
• Anton Posadas, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
• Guido Gatmaytan, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Female Featured Performance in a Musical
• Lynn Sherman, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Male Featured Performance in a Musical
• Jonathan Tadioan, “Sandosenang Sapatos” (TP)
• Joel Trinidad, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Female Lead Performance in Modern Dance
• Denise Parungao, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Carissa Adea, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Joanne Emery Sia, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (BM)
• Liza Macuja-Elizalde, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
Male Lead Performance in Modern Dance
• Michael Divinagracia, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Richardson Yadao, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
Female Featured Performance in Modern Dance
• Jan Erika Basilio, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
• Katherine Trofeo, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Monica Gana, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Missy Elizalde, “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
Male Featured Performance in Modern Dance
• Earl John Arisola, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• JM Cordero, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
• Victor Maguad, “Rock Supremo” (BP)
Female Lead Performance in Classical Dance
• Denise Parungao, “Giselle” (BP)
• Katherine Trofeo, “Giselle” (BP)
• Carissa Adea, “Giselle” (BP)
Male Lead Performance in Classical Dance
• Earl John Arisola, “Giselle” (BP)
• JM Cordero, “Giselle” (BP)
• Richardson Yadao, “Giselle” (BP)
Female Featured Performance in Classical Dance
• Rita Winder, “Giselle” (BP)
• Ana Margarita Reyes, “Giselle” (BP)
Outstanding Modern Dance Production
• “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
Outstanding Classical Dance Production
No citation
Outstanding Stage Direction—Play or Musical
• Tuxqs Rutaquio and Rody Vera, “Der Kaufmann” (TP)
• Jaime del Mundo, “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Play
• “Der Kauffmann” (TP)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for a Musical
• “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)
Outstanding Ensemble Performance for Modern Dance
• “Ang Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang” (BM)
Outstanding Ensemble for Classical Dance
• “Giselle” (BP)
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Play
• “Der Kaufmann/Ang Negosyante ng Venecia” (TP)
Outstanding Production of Existing Material for a Musical
No citation
Outstanding Original Play
No citation
Outstanding Original Musical
• “Sandosenang Sapatos” (TP)
• “The Bluebird of Happiness” (Trumpets)