Yummy humdinger treats in August

VALDES. Topbills “Comic Divas” with Tessie Tomas and Nanette Inventor.

MANILA, Philippines – Most show biz activities this month are as pat and predictable as they come, but a few new developments are exceptional events, and should be singled out for interested people to take note of, and patronize:

First on our list of should-sees is the “Comic Divas” show at Resorts World, top-billing Mitch Valdes, Tessie Tomas and Nanette Inventor. Quite recently, we wrote to express the wish to see Mitch in a new show and Tessie doing comedy again after a spate of melodramatic roles in teleseryes—so, it’s wonderful to see that our wishes are going to be fulfilled starting next month! Call 908-8888 or 687-7236.

Savvy following

Also a really special treat was Baihana’s new musical humdinger at Music Museum Friday. In an impressively short time, the jazzy, razzmatazzy female trio has developed quite a loyal and savvy following.

On the big screen, fans of Meryl Streep should make it a point to catch her new comedic starrer, “Hope Springs,” with costars Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carrell. Yes, they’re neither pullet nor cockerel, but hope indeed springs that their zany cinematic caper will make our day—and week!

On a more personal note, I’m penciling in a date with the late, great National Artist for Music, Lucrecia Kasilag, who will be honored at the Philippine Women’s University on Aug. 31 with Mass and a program on the occasion of her birthday. Featured singers include Fides Cuyugan-Asensio, Marie Catherine Versoza, Dante Oblimar and Elitess Cariño.

Collaboration

Before she passed away, we worked with Ms Kasilag on an original Filipino musical for the Bayanihan Dance Company, and we treasure fond memories of that unforgettable artistic collaboration. She was quite ill and already advanced in years, but her spirit and verve remained bright and spunky! “Tita King” was one of a kind.

Finally, the Apo musical, “I Do Bidoo Bidoo,” will be shown in theaters before the end of the month, and our fervent hope is that it lives up to its promise and starts a trend for local movie musicals inspired by the songs of our best tunesmiths.

If it does turn out to be an exceptional production, we trust that you will go out of your way to watch and celebrate it as one of the high points of the current pop-cultural year. For a gaunt movie industry starved for good news, that would be a most beneficent boon, indeed!