Cinema Bravo theater

Artist Playground presents Chalmers + Shakespeare’s Macbeth in ‘M Episode’

M EPISODE is a back-to-back play about Macbeth and a prelude to it. Now on a new venue, Artist Playground will run this on June 16 until July 1, 2017.

Here are the schedules:

  • Fri. Jun 16 (7pm) | Sat. Jun 17 (3pm) | Sun. Jun 18 (3pm)
  • Fri. Jun 23 (7pm) | Sat. Jun 24 (3pm) | Sun. Jun 25 (3pm)
  • Fri. Jun 30 (7pm)| Sat. Jul 1 (3pm) | Sat. Jul 1 (7pm)

Artist Playground II, Arts Above is located at the Penthouse of West Venue Building, 112 West Avenue, Quezon City (beside McDonald’s).

Ticket at only 550 pesos with 20% discount for students with valid ID (via Ticketworld outlets).

Artist Playground proudly presents a breakthrough rare theatrical treat with ‘M EPISODE’ – a two-in-one experience about Macbeth, one of the most famous tragic characters during the Renaissance period.

SYNOPSIS:

Once there were three people thrown together by ambition, the pursuit of happiness, and passion both youthfulness and maturity share. A decade or so later, they meet again. What was done is now recalled, what was promised is now collected, and what was taken away is now reclaimed.

Directed by Roeder Camanag, ‘M EPISODE’ will take audiences to an in-depth view of Macbeth’s world and witness every episode that formed his psyche in two acts.

Act I: James Chalmers’ “PRELUDE TO MACBETH” introduces us to Lorna Stewart, Macbeth, Thane of Glamis, and Duncan, King of Scotland for the first time.

Act II: William Shakespeare’s “MACBETH” returns to us the three characters, Macbeth now about to be Thane of Cawdor, and Lorna Stewart, now Lady Macbeth. The Past now spurs a huge cloud of malice, malignancy, and murderous plots. All in the name of the golden round.

The cast are as follows: Prelude to Macbeth – Paul Jake Paule (Macbeth), Jernice Matunan (Lorna), Mariella Munji Laurel (Lorna), Andre Tiangco (Duncan), Juan Carlo Martin Pacheco and Vincent Pajara (Callum), Tasha Guerrero, Marjorie Duldulao, Princess Tuason, Kia Del Rosario, Jeremy Cabansag & Kathleen Francisco (Spirits 1,2,3);

Macbeth – Paul Jake Paule (Macbeth), Mailes Kanapi and Cathrine Go (Lady Macbeth), Anjo Resurreccion (Banquo), Mitoy Sta. Ana and Andre Tiangco (King Duncan), Al Gatmaitan (Macduff), Vincent Pajara (Malcolm), Dan Sheneill Solis (Fleance), Juan Carlo Martin Pacheco (Ross), Basty Batistis ( Porter), Gry Gimena (Lennox) , Marjorie Duldulao and Tasha Guerrero (Lady Macduff), Tasha Guerrero, Princess Tuason, Kia Del Rosario, Jeremy Cabansag, Marjorie Duldulao & Kathleen Francisco (Three Witches).

The artistic team of M Episode are as follows: Roeder Camañag (Director); Myra Beltran (Choreographer); Jesse Lucas(Music By); Banaue Miclat-Janssen (Speech and Voice Consultant); Reynoso Mercado (Production Designer); Anthony Salvador (Lights Designer); Paul Jake Paule (Lay-out Designer); Jaynus Olaivar (Photographer); and Alvin Espiritu (Dance Captain).

William Shakespeare’s MACBETH is more than 400 years old and the play has been adapted for the movies before, most notably by Orson Welles and Roman Polanski. (Akira Kurosawa’s “Throne of Blood” is loosely based on the play.) Other famous interpretations include Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in a much-lauded 1955 production; and Ian McKellen and Judi Dench in a staging in 1976 by the Royal Shakespeare Company that was filmed for television.

On Broadway, actors who have played the Scottish usurper include Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Plummer and Michael Redgrave. In 2013, Ethan Hawke headlined a production at the Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre. He followed Alan Cumming’s experimental “Macbeth” who depicted the title character as a mental patient who enacted most of the roles in the play. In the UK, Kenneth Branagh starred for the first time at the Manchester Festival. The production, which Branagh co-directed, was also shown in US cinemas. James McAvoy (who, like Cumming, is Scottish) also appeared in a West End production. A 2015 movie version of “Macbeth” featured Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.

For tickets and inquiries, visit Artist Playground’s website at https://www.artistplayground.ph/ or contact 09759193179.

Cinema Bravo Movie

Robots take spotlight in new ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’ posters

Eight character posters featuring the robot cast of Paramount Pictures and Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight have just been released by the studio and may be seen below.

Featured in their own one-sheets are Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Hot Rod, Hound, Barricade, Cogman and Sqweeks.

Transformers: The Last Knight, the fifth instalment of the massively successful Transformers franchise is coming to Philippine cinemas on June 21, 2017.

Transformers: The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).

There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.

Transformers: The Last Knight is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.

Cinema Bravo Movie

‘Despicable Me 3’ super-villain is a former ’80s child star

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s new comedy adventure Despicable Me 3 features a new addition to the franchise: Balthazar Bratt, a formidable super-villain who has been plotting to destroy Hollywood after his TV show was canceled.

Once mocked and shunned after his TV series was canceled—due to his quick onset of puberty—Bratt has become obsessed with everything from his glory days. Now embodying his former role’s villainous traits, Bratt surrounds himself with everything ’80s—re-creating the show’s gadgets and vehicles for plotting his revenge.

In classic Illumination fashion, the character is just as defined by his Machiavellian schemes as he is his ridiculousness. “Balthazar Bratt has taken on this child-actor persona as his villain persona,” says cast member Steve Carell who provides the voices of brothers Gru and Dru. “There is also a silly madness to him, and he uses ’80s components as a part of his villainy. The bubble gum he chews become an extremely effective weapon, he dresses in a purple outfit with padded shoulders and parachute pants, and he dispatches people with dance fights.”

Brought aboard to portray Bratt was Trey Parker (TV’s South Park), who was engaged by co-director Eric Guillon’s distinctive character designs. Parker has never lent his vocal talents to a tentpole animated feature that he didn’t write, and—during his first recording session—he revealed that this was the first time he had been directed by anyone but himself.

In defining the role of Bratt, producer Chris Meledandri found Parker to be a key collaborator. “Trey is one of the great vocal actors of our time, and he brought a defined personality that was broad and ‘cartoony’ in the best sense of the word, but one that also has vulnerability and intention in it,” he says. “You leave this film understanding why this character is who he is. Trey has this ability to be wildly funny, but while you’re laughing, you care about what is making you laugh. He is able to embody that, and it’s invisible to you; you just feel it.”

In developing Bratt, the team proposed what would happen if Gru had to face off against someone else who was struggling with the ghosts of his childhood. Director Kyle Balda notes: “Trey had a lot of fun with the voice of Balthazar Bratt, a cheesy character who takes himself very seriously. Trey was able to turn himself into a guy stuck in the ’80s almost immediately. Since he is an animator, he knows exactly what kind of energy is needed for a character. He delivered strongly when it came to giving dynamic, energetic performances.”

Meledandri admits that Gru’s new nemesis is one of his favorite characters Illumination has ever created. “Balthazar Bratt is such an original and funny villain. He can’t get past the fact that his fans don’t care about him anymore, and his motivation is seeking revenge on the world that turned its back on him…and doing it in the guise of a grown-up version of his childhood TV persona. When you take that wacky idea and bring Trey’s voice to it, it brings a whole new attitude into the film. It’s the design, the voice and spectacular animation; the nuance in this performance is exceptional. That’s a tribute to an incredible group, a team who has pulled off one of the greatest animated performances I’ve ever seen.”

Illumination Entertainment continues the story of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters—Margo, Edith and Agnes—and the Minions in Despicable Me 3 now playing in Philippine cinemas.

After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down the latest bad guy to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother—a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps—one former super-villain will rediscover just how good it feels to be bad.

Despicable Me 3 is distributed by United International Pictures through Columbia Pictures.