MUCH has already been written about M Butterfly, the David Henry Hwang masterpiece that hits the Maybank Performing Arts Theater stage throughout the month. On the fantastic sets, to the dazzling performances of the actors, especially its lead RS Francisco, and how powerful and relevant the material is no matter that the play was written more than 30 years ago.
Not to trivialize what’s been gushed about but one thing I would like to highlight about this current Manila staging is that 100 percent of the earnings will go to charity. Each night, a different beneficiary will be helped.
Key people behind the staging of M Butterfly chose the charities and these are producer Jhett Tolentino, who focused on Iloilo organizations and religious sectors that are into community-building; lead actor RS Francisco, who chose organizations that focus into performing arts and developing new artists; and director Kanakan-Balintagos, who also chose beneficiaries that would help artists and education.
Thus, a motley mix of beneficiaries would be helped by RS and his team and these include:
Love Yourself Inc., Philippine Stages Foundation, Teach for the Philippines, Environmental Legal Assistance, Love Lipa Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, SM Foundation, 1Meal Program, Trip to Quiapo Workshops, Philippine High School for the Arts, UP Samaskom, Philippine Science High School Foundation, Arko ni Apo Gallery, Philippine Animal Welfare Society Animal Rehabilitation Center in Quezon City, Love is All We Need, Dulaang UP, Pakisama, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish Calumpang Elementary School and Hope4Change.
So if you would want to be entertained and beguiled by the magnificent staging of M Butterfly, and help make a difference to many people’s lives, try to catch a show or even two.
M Butterfly runs until the end of September at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater, Bonifacio Global City. Call 891-9999 or 0917-6233834 for show schedules and bookings.
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DIVIDED into three studios—Fantasy, Reality and Retail—with a total of 15 attractions situated in a sprawling 1,400-square-meter site, Studio XP welcomes guests into a uniquely themed attraction-cum-experience store, allowing for an action-packed and awe-inspiring visit for the whole gang.
Fantasy Studio’s ARX lets guests cross the threshold of make believe in an augmented-reality game where players or stunt trainees wearing head gears can punch to throw fireballs and beat their enemies—the virtual monsters.
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IN “The Voice: Open Mic,” themed after the singing competition series The Voice Philippines, virtual coaches get to judge visitors who sing for them, recreating the studio experience of contestants as they seek the approval of local celebrity coaches Bamboo, Lea Salonga, Sarah Geronimo and Sharon Cuneta.
The 80-seater 4D Kapamilya Theater gets transformed into an interactive multiplayer hub where guests compete in games with up to 80 people using the tablets provided. At other times, it showcases 4D shorts, shows or plays host to live events. It also screens “ASAP 4D,” the Philippines’s first 4D production featuring the country’s longest-running musical variety program exclusively produced for Studio XP.
Studio XP offers more unique experiences, such as singing, performing a dramatic scene, throwing comic lines with the cast of the children’s comedy program Goin’ Bulilit, and being an interviewee in the talk show Tonight With Boy Abunda through the Star Lab, where visitors get to act, sing or talk face-to-face with local stars through the digital screen.
A behind-the-scene adventure also awaits visitors in “It’s Showtime’s Directors’ Booth” arcade role-playing game. Here, they can have a feel of what being part of a TV crew is like—with all the drama, tension and excitement while helping a director orchestrate the top-rating daily variety show’s production.
Aside from these digital offerings, the Reality Studio also features physical and mental challenges. These attractions include “Minute to Win It: The Experience,” based on the international game show franchise where participants need to beat the time to be the Last Man Standing; “Pinoy Big Brother: Breakout,” inspired by the hit reality TV show where housemates have to accomplish tasks in a challenge-filled environment; and “Celebrity Calling,” where visitors get a chance to receive a call from an ABS-CBN star.
More extreme adventure awaits guests at the Fantasy Studio, with the Action Academy calling out participants to become stunt trainees, and the Superheroes Playground solely intended for 12 years old and below looking for adventures with kids their age.
The ABS-CBN Studio Experience is in Ayala Malls TriNoma in Quezon City. Visit studioexperience.abs-cbn.com for more details.