HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRIPE-VINE: OUR NEW ABNORMAL
First time I watched the musical Hamilton was in 2017, traveling with Issa to Manhattan. There’s actually a funny story attached to our Hamilton viewing. Trying to pre-book tickets from Manila was hopeless, as all shows the week we were in NYC were sold out. On the morning we flew in, I took the off-chance to call, and was told two seats were suddenly free due to cancellations. We loved the first half, but blame it on jet lag or whatever - I have no recollection of the second half, and Issa dozed off too. That was some hectic, Broadway overload New York trip, as we watched five plays over seven days; but Hamilton was forever etched as the musical we half-watched.
Fast forward to last week, and Union Bank was kind enough to send some tickets for their sponsored Sept. 23 Hamilton performance at Solaire. So I had my middle son, Matteo, accompany me to join our Manila Bulletin contingent. Matteo and Issa were joking about how, six years later, this would finally be my opportunity to sit through the second act. And to be completely frank, I kind of saw why I dozed off. The musical picks up steam to end strong; but after the novelty and power of the first act, the first forty-five minutes of the second act feels a tad repetitive, and no longer carries the surprise and intensity of the first act.
I get why Luca, my youngest, loved the musical, knew the lyrics by heart in 2015; and why so many were declaring Lin Manuel-Miranda a Broadway genius. Turning a Founding Fathers history lesson into a hip-hop and R&B extravaganza is some populist sleight of hand; and that Alexander Hamilton is one of the lesser-known historical figures from that American Revolution era served Lin well in mounting this as an unexpected, from way out in left field, Broadway surprise and pleasure - and it deserves every accolade and Award it’s received.
The energy and dedication of the entire cast is palpable, and the Hamilton run at Solaire is officially pegged from Sept. 17 to Nov. 26 - and Abu Dhabi in January is their next stop, the first time the show will be staged in the Middle East. The touring company is composed of 34 performers; and of course, the highlight is how Rachelle Ann Go as Eliza Hamilton (Alexander’s wife) is part of this cast. Brent Hill as King George III is the show’s unquestioned scene-stealer.
Don’t get me wrong, Hamilton is a great night of entertainment and I’m happy it’s enjoying tremendous ticket sales up to the end of November; but watching the enthusiastic full house last Saturday made me sad, wondering how a Bonifacio, Rizal, or Mabini musical would fare in terms of sponsor and audience support.
And I’m left wondering why we can’t give Hamilton it’s due, but also be as supportive to our local productions, especially when they’re not just acquiring the rights of plays and musicals first staged abroad, but reflect Filipino culture and content, like a Rama Hari. Hamilton will run to packed houses for over two months, while our Filipino productions are extremely lucky to enjoy even three weekends. Why? Is it the shows themselves, our production values? Or is it the lack of public interest, a sad fact we still haven’t solved - remnants of a colonial mentality? You tell me.
Kenny and the Filipino Mango Farmer
Back in July, this column wrote about the Kenny Rogers Farmvocacy. It’s a in-store promotion supporting local farmers, with ₱1 donated to an earmarked beneficiary for every KR Mango Habanero Solo Plate ordered. The chosen beneficiary was a Zambales mango growers cooperative, the Samahang Magmamanga ng Zambales (SMZ) - and you had to love the connection between the menu item and the donee.
It’s good to now report, that two months after the launch of the promotion, a check for ₱300,000 has been turned over to the SMZ. The funds will be used by the SMZ to manage the mango supply for export and local market distribution, and to create a common label and packaging for the farms who are members of the cooperative. It’s about improving branding for SMZ, improving efficiencies in harvest and distribution, and giving the cooperative a stronger bargaining position - which will redound to the benefit of the farmers.
It is a great example of Kenny Rogers making this Farmvocacy happen in a meaningful way, and not just be about flag-waving. It’s easy to mouth words of support for our beleaguered farming community, quite another thing to back up these words with viable financial support.