Shiela Valderama-Martinez

The Aliw Awards Foundation, a pioneer in giving recognition to Filipino live entertainers in diverse categories, gave its top award, Entertainer of the Year, anew to international singer-actor Gerald Santos, who won the same prize in 2020. The 35th Aliw Awards were presented at the Manila Hotel Fiesta Pavilion on December 5.

When the film adaptation of Edgardo Reyes's novel Maynila, sa Mga Kuko ng Liwanag, helmed by acclaimed director Lino Brocka, was first released, it was praised by critics for its brave and honest depiction of the quality (or lack thereof) of urban life during the Marcos administration. Surprisingly, even for someone who was not born yet in the '70s, this stage musical adaptation of the four-decade-old novel did not feel like a dated social commentary. It strangely (or sadly) still represents a familiar story of the Filipino poor hoping for a better life in urban Manila.

Atlantis Productions brings to Filipino audiences the first licensed English language production outside the United States of rock musical "Next to Normal" at the RCBC Theater in Makati City from March 12-27.