GAWAD BUHAY! NOMINATIONS

HERE IS THE COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES FOR THE 2008 GAWAD BUHAY! (PHILSTAGE AWARDS FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS).

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION OF A PLAY: Ang Bayot, ang Meranao at ang Habal-Habal sa isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Batang Rizal (PETA); Ellas Inocentes (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino); Hamlet (Repertory Philippines); Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4);; Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino); Three Sisters,  A Noh Play

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines); Skin Deep (PETA)

OUTSTANDING DANCE PRODUCTION: La Revolucion Filipina (Ballet Philippines); Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines); New Beginnings (Ballet Philippines)

OUTSTANDING STAGE DIRECTION: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child); Chari Arespacochaga (Altar Boyz); Nor Domingo (Skin Deep); Jose Estrella (Three Sisters, A Noh Play); Floy Quintos (Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna); Floy Quintos (Kudeta); Tuxqs Rutaquio (Ellas Inocentes); Dudz Terana (Batang Rizal)

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY: Bam Damian (Latin Heat); Alan Hineline (New Beginnings); Agnes Locsin (La Revolucion Filipina); Alden Lugnasin (Latin Heat); Max Luna III (New Beginnings); Jason Zamora (Altar Boyz)

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL PLAY:  Christine Bellen (Batang Rizal); Rogelio Braga (Ang Bayot, ang Meranao at ang Habal-habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte); Layeta Bucoy (Ellas Inocentes); Floy Quintos (Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna)

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines);Ang Bayot, ang Meranao at ang Habal-habal sa Isang Nakakabagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4); Ang mga Gerilya sa Powell Street (Tanghalang Pilipino); Batang Rizal (PETA); Coppelia (Ballet Philippines); Ellas Inocentes (Tanghalang Pilipino/Virgin Labfest 4);Golden Child (Tanghalang Pilipino); Hamlet (Repertory Philippines); Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino);La Revolucion Filipina (Ballet Philippines); Latin Heat(Ballet Philippines); Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (PETA); New Beginnings (Ballet Philippines); Skin Deep (PETA);

OUTSTANDING MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: Arthur Acuna (Golden Child); Jose Mari Avellana (Tuesdays With Morrie); Dido de la Paz  (Ang Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street); Joe Gruta (Ang Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street); Mario O'Hara (Kudeta); Joey Paras(Ang Bayot, ang Meranao at ang Habal-habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte);   Arnold Reyes  (Ang Bayot, ang Meranao at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte); Jonathan Tadioan (Pamantasang Hirang)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: Lovely Balili (Ellas Inocentes); Liesl Batucan (Golden Child); Shamaine Centenera Buencamino (Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna); Tina Chilip(Golden Child);  Jenessa Roque (Ellas Inocentes); Irma Adlawan Marasigan (Golden Child)

OUTSTANDING MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL : Red Concepcion(Altar Boyz); Juliene Mendoza (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); Jett Pangan  (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); Robert Sena (Skin Deep)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL : Isay Alvarez (Skin Deep); May Bayot  (Skin Deep); Gail Guanlao Billones (Skin Deep);

OUTSTANDING MALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE PRODUCTION: Biag Gaongen (La Revolucion Filipina);  Biag Gaongen (Latin Heat)

OUTSTANDING FEMALE LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE PRODUCTION: Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Le Corsaire)

OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A PLAY: Riki Benedicto (Kudeta); Bong Cabrera (Kudeta);  Willy Casero (Batang Rizal);  Nor Domingo (Tosca); Mailes Kanapi(Ang Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street);  Raffy Tejada (Tosca);  Cris Villonco (Hamlet)

OUTSTANDING FEATURED PERFORMANCE IN A DANCE PRODUCTION: Camille Ordinario Joson (Latin Heat)

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL DIRECTION:  Vincent de Jesus (Batang Rizal); Jojo Malferrari (Altar Boyz)

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL LIBRETTO: Vincent de Jesus (Batang Rizal);   Vincent de Jesus (Skin Deep)

OUTSTANDING TRANSLATION OR ADAPTATION:  George de Jesus III (Kudeta); Dennis Marasigan (Golden Child)

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN: Loy Arcenas (Golden Child);Mel Bernardo (Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang); Gino Gonzales (New Beginnings);  Mio Infante  (Coppelia); Mio Infante(La Revolucion Filipina);  Tuxqs Rutaquio  (Kudeta)

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN: Ron Alfonso (Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang); Faust Peneyra (Hamlet);  Gino Gonzales  (Golden Child);  Jonathan Janolo (Tatlong Kuwento ni Lola Basyang);  Victor Ursabia (La Revolucion Filipina)

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN:  Katsch Catoy (La Revolucion Filipina); Martin Esteva (Hamlet); Dennis Marasigan (Kudeta); Barbie Tan-Tiongco (Golden Child)

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN:  Janice Dee  (Kudeta) ; Jethro Joaquin (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson);  Jethro Joaquin (Hamlet);  Shima Takesi (Tosca);   Gidget Tolentino (Altar Boyz);  J. Victor Villareal (Golden Child)

"KUDETA" LEADS CITATIONS FOR FIRST GAWAD BUHAY!

"KUDETA" leads with the most nominations in the quarterly citations for the first GAWAD BUHAY! organized by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (PHILSTAGE).

The full PHILSTAGE release follows.

PHILSTAGE Jury Releases GAWAD BUHAY! Citations


Productions by Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), Repertory Philippines (Rep) and the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Ballet Philippines dominated the first and second quarterly citations of GAWAD BUHAY!, the performing arts awards program organized by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (PHILSTAGE).

Tanghalang Pilipino’s Kudeta romped off with a total of nine citations while Rep's Hamlet and PETA's Skin Deep tied with six citations each.

A Filipino translation of Mustapha Matura's black comedy about a coup that toppled a country's president, Kudeta romped off with citations for outstanding play, stage direction (Floy Quintos); ensemble performance (cast of Kudeta); male lead in a play (Mario O Hara); featured performance in a play (Bong Cabrera and Riki Benedicto); adaptation/translation (George De Jesus III); sound design (Janice Dee); lighting design (Dennis Marasigan); and set design (Tuxqs Rutaquio).

Rep's Hamlet, a futuristic take on the William Shakespeare's classic, was cited for outstanding play; ensemble performance (cast of Hamlet); featured performance in a play (Cris Villonco);sound design (Jethro Joaquin); lighting design (Martin Esteva); and costume design (Faust Peneyra).

Billed as a musical comedy on ordinary people's search for beauty and happiness, PETA's Skin Deep was cited for outstanding musical, stage direction (Nor Domingo); ensemble performance (cast of Skin Deep); male lead performance in a musical (Robert Sena); female lead performance in a musical (May Bayot, Gail Guanlao Billones and Isay Alvarez); and original libretto (Vince De Jesus).

Ballet Philippines' Latin Heat earned five citations for outstanding dance production, ensemble performance (cast of Latin Heat); original choreography (Bam Damian and Alden Lugnasin) male lead performance in a dance production (Biag Gaongen) and featured performance in a dance production (Camille Ordinario-Joson). Another TP production, EJ : Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay Nina Edgar Jopson at Evelio Javier, was cited for outstanding male lead performance in a musical (Jett Pangan and Juliene Mendoza) and sound design (Jethro Joaquin).

Other citations include Jose Mari Avellana for outstanding male lead performance in a play (Rep's Tuesdays with Morrie) and Lisa Macuja Elizalde for outstanding female lead performance in a dance production (Ballet Manila's Le Corsaire).

ALTAR BOYZ, Repertory Philippines' production of an off-Broadway musical about a Christian boy band, was the lone qualified entry for the second quarterly citation cycle. The production garnered citations for outstanding musical, stage direction (Charri Arrespacochaga), ensemble performance (cast of ALTAR BOYZ), male lead performance in a musical (Red Concepcion), choreography (Jason Zamora), musical direction (Jojo Malfrrari), and sound design (Gidget Tolentino).

PHILSTAGE President Dennis Marasigan explained that Gawad BUHAY! honors outstanding accomplishments in theater, dance and music among PHILSTAGE member-companies. Quarterly citations, nominations, and winners are juried by a panel of performing arts practitioners, critics, academicians and enthusiasts invited or selected by the PHILSTAGE Board of Directors.

“The jury members are required to watch all productions of Philstage members and only those who have watched all productions are allowed to cast their final votes for the quarterly citations, nominations and winners, ” Marasigan stressed. The jury meets quarterly for the citations from which will be culled the nominees qualified to vie for the annual award to be announced in fitting ceremonies during the National Arts Month in February 2009.

PHILSTAGE is an alliance of the country's leading and established performing arts companies which include Actors Actors, Inc. (AAI), Ballet Manila (BM), Ballet Philippines (BP), Gantimpala Theater Foundation (GTF), Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines (REP), Tanghalang Pilipino and the Triumphant Peoples' Evangelical Theater Society (TRUMPETS). It can be reached via email philstage@tri-isys.com.

The complete list of Gawad Buhay! citations for the first and second quarters of 2008:

Outstanding Play: Hamlet (Repertory Philippines); Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino);

Outstanding Musical: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines). Skin Deep (PETA)

Outstanding Dance Production : Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines)

Outstanding Original Libretto: Vince De Jesus (Skin Deep)

Outstanding Original Choreography: Bam Damian and Alden Lugnasin (Latin Heat) Jason Zamora (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Stage Direction: Chari Arrespacochaga (Altar Boyz); Nor Domingo (Skin Deep); Floy Quintos (Kudeta);

Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Altar Boyz (Repertory Philippines), Hamlet (Repertory Philippines); Kudeta (Tanghalang Pilipino); Latin Heat (Ballet Philippines); Skin Deep (PETA)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Play: Jose Mari Avellana (Tuesdays with Morrie); Mario O’Hara (Kudeta);

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Musical: Red Concepcion (Altar Boyz)), Jett Pangan and Juliene Mendoza (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); (Robert Seña (Skin Deep)

Outstanding Male Lead Performance in a Dance Production: Biag Gaongen (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Musical : May Bayot, Gail Guanlao Billones and Isay Alvarez (Skin Deep);

Outstanding Female Lead Performance in a Dance Production : Lisa Macuja Elizalde (Le Corsaire)

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play: Bong Cabrera and Riki Benedicto (Kudeta); Cris Villonco (Hamlet);

Outstanding Featured Performance in a Dance Production: Camille Ordinario-Joson (Latin Heat)

Outstanding Translation/Adaptation: George de Jesus III (Kudeta);

Outstanding Musical Direction: Jojo Malferrari (Altar Boyz)

Outstanding Set Design: Tuxqs Rutaquiio (Kudeta)

Outstanding Costume Design : Faust Peneyra (Hamlet)

Outstanding Lighting Design: Martin Esteva (Hamlet); Dennis Marasigan (Kudeta)

Outstanding Sound Design : Janice Dee (Kudeta); Jethro Joaquin (EJ: Ang Pinagdaanang Buhay nina Evelio Javier at Edgar Jopson); Jethro Joaquin (Hamlet); Gidget Tolentino (Altar Boyz)