This year, Manila will be treated to a ‘Season of Maria’ as two international award-winning productions – each featuring ‘Maria’ as the leading lady – come to Manila for the first time: the electrifying classic WEST SIDE STORY and the highly-anticipated, legendary musical THE SOUND OF MUSIC!
Those who register on the TicketWorld ticket waitlist get 10% off and first dibs on seats during the week-long pre-sale beginning 6 March 2017. A season special of 20% off will be available to those who purchase tickets for both shows. Both shows will be staged at The Theatre at Solaire, with WEST SIDE STORY premiering on 10 August 2017 and THE SOUND OF MUSIC opening on 27 September 2017.
To add to the exciting news, THE SOUND OF MUSIC will feature 18 stellar children from Manila (six local children cast in three rosters), who will be selected from an open audition call. Follow the Concertus Manila page for audition announcements.
Described as ‘the No. 1 greatest musical of all time’ by The Times, UK, WEST SIDE STORY is inspired by Shakespeare’s tumultuous love story Romeo and Juliet, and is set amidst the vicious rivalry of teenage gangs in 1950s New York. Its ground-breaking choreography and unforgettable score changed the face of musical theatre for ever when it burst onto the Broadway stage in 1957. This timeless story of Tony and Maria and their fateful love affair remains as relevant today as it has ever been.
This vibrant new stage production of the classic dance musical has received wild acclaim during sold-out seasons around the world, and now makes its debut in Manila. An outstanding American cast, many of whom come direct from Broadway, will electrify audiences with their impassioned high-energy dance routines and their astounding vocal range in such classic songs as Maria, Tonight, Somewhere, America and I Feel Pretty. Musical Supervisor is the renowned Donald Chan, who studied under Leonard Bernstein himself, and who leads a live orchestra of 20 musicians.
In a sweltering New York summer, the boys from the Upper West Side neighbourhood are on the prowl. Ready to explode at any moment they dance with their girls, the air vibrating with the rhythms of mambo, rock ‘n’ roll and jazz. They belong to two enemy street gangs ruling the immigrant quarter – the Jets and the Sharks – and a clash is imminent. The Jets, sons of previous immigrants to America, are fighting the new arrivals from Puerto Rico, the Sharks, for domination of the streets in the area. Among them, Tony, a Jet, and Maria, sister to the leader of the Sharks, fall in love.
The action takes place over no more than a few hours of two consecutive days and portrays a love story, action thriller and social study all at the same time. WEST SIDE STORY tells the tale of a love between two young people whose happiness is destroyed by the hate of two enemy camps in New York City’s urban jungle.
WEST SIDE STORY packs a powerful punch, both dramatically and musically. With exhilarating choreography by the legendary Jerome Robbins, book by Arthur Laurents, a sublime and innovative score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the show was ambitious in that each of the four aimed to contribute their talent equally and unreservedly. The result was awe-inspiring. They achieved a unity of music, dance, book and lyrics that no one had ever realised before, and that has hardly been matched since.
WEST SIDE STORY has been produced three times on Broadway, twice in London’s West End, and enjoyed numerous US, UK and international tours over the last 60 years. The movie version, released in 1961, went on to win an incredible 10 Oscars (including Best Picture) and further cemented the reputation of this undoubted masterpiece.
Another classic musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, tells the uplifting true story of Maria, the fun-loving governess who changes the lives of the widowed Captain Von Trapp and his seven children by re-introducing them to music, culminating in the family’s escape across the Austrian mountains as tensions rise prior to the outbreak of World War II.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC features some of the most unforgettable songs ever heard on stage and screen, including My Favorite Things, Edelweiss, Do-Re-Mi, Sixteen Going on Seventeen, The Lonely Goatherd, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, and the title song The Sound of Music. Even today, THE SOUND OF MUSIC is considered the world’s most popular musical – an iconic show that touches the hearts of all ages.
The original Broadway production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s biggest success. The 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews as Maria won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and remains one of the most popular movies of all time.
This dazzling, critically-acclaimed production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC comes from the home of West End musical theatre – the famous London Palladium – and is produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Company and David Ian Productions, and is presented in Manila by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises.
WEST SIDE STORY is a Michael Brenner production, produced by BB Promotion GmbH in association with Sundance Productions, Inc. NY, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises.
For sponsorship, corporate nights and bulk buy inquiries, please call +632-403-8646 or +632-403-8678.
LUNCHBOX THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS
Headed by James Cundall, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions is one of Australasia’s leading producers of live entertainment, and over the last two decades has created a reputation for bringing top quality international productions to audiences across five continents.
Since 1993, Lunchbox Theatrical Productions has brought a wide array of live entertainment to Australasia, including musicals (The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Chicago, Cats, We Will Rock You, The Sound of Music, Miss Saigon); spectaculars (Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria, Riverdance); boutique shows (Stomp, Potted Potter, Slava’s Snowshow, Blue Man Group); musical concerts (ABBA Mania, Thriller Live, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, The Bootleg Beatles); international artists (Elaine Paige, Bryn Terfel, David Helfgott); children’s shows (Barney the Dinosaur, Louis Pearl the Amazing Bubble Man) as well as The Imperial Ice Stars productions of The Sleeping Beauty on Ice, Swan Lake on Ice, Cinderella on Ice and The Nutcracker on Ice to name just a few. Lunchbox Theatrical Productions is based in the UK with companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, The Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.
CONCERTUS MANILA
Founded in 2004, Concertus is one of the leading promoters of live entertainment in the Philippines. The company focuses on providing high‐calibre shows that elevate the entertainment scene year after year. With the trust and confidence of our international partners, Concertus Manila has become the finest source of entertainment productions; a full-service production company with a reputation for excellence, creativity and passion, producing numerous concerts, musical and theatrical shows, both local and international. Concertus Manila values strategy, dynamism and strong visual branding. Early this year, Concertus Manila also brought in Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Les Misérables. Since 2010 Concertus has partnered with Lunchbox Theatrical Productions in bringing Cats, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stomp (twice), Potted Potter (three times), Barney the Dinosaur, Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Chicago, Wicked, Beyond the Barricade, La Soiree, Louis Pearl the Amazing Bubble Man, Singin’ in the Rain and Blue Man Group to the Philippines. Concertus Manila lives to entertain you.
For further information, please visit:
www.lunchbox-productions.com
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