New comedy-musical revue tickles viewers to ‘Laugh Out Loud!’

During these stressful times, musical-comedy revues’ delightful combination of laughter and songs is the best “medicine!” So, viewers are eagerly awaiting the gala performance of the latest club-theater stress-reliever, “Laugh Out Loud!,” opening at the Mabuhay Restop Theater Café in Rizal Park (near the Quirino Grandstand) on Monday, Dec. 8.

Mabuhay Restop is the same place where another popular musical-comedy revue, “Manila Vanilla,” has been running to great acclaim for the past two years! —So, hopes are high that “Laugh Out Loud!” will be similarly outstanding and delightful.

Dinner theater

Like “Manila Vanilla,” “Laugh Out Loud!” is written and directed by Nestor U. Torre, who is credited with having helped popularize dinner theater in Manila, aside from coming up with major musical-theater works like “Katy!,” “Cory,” “Magsimula Ka,” “Magnificat” and “Sino Ka Ba, Jose Rizal?”

The new “LOL” revue has even more funny skits and novelty songs, so a rousing good time awaits patrons out for a fun time on the town.

“Laugh Out Loud!” has a high-flying, “high-fiving” cast made up of five acclaimed musical-theater performers— Andy Bais, Rito Asilo, Nadia Matining, Rae Francis Quilantang—and Melinda Torre of the famous “Baihana” trio, in her first comedy-musical outing.

This early, some observers say that “Laugh Out Loud!” might turn out to be the funniest and most tuneful show in town, because its stars are stand-out singers and comedians.

Andy Bais is a popular musical-theater lead who also starred in the indie movie, “Saan Nagtatago Si Happiness?” and, earlier this month, romped off with the Best Supporting Actor award in the Cinema One film fest.

For his part, Rito Asilo is an acclaimed theater director in his own right (“Into the Woods,” “The Vagina Monologues,” etc.), aside from topbilling a number of musicals, like “Magnificat,” “Magsimula Ka” and “Pag-ibig Sa Bayan.”

Nadia Matining is a versatile comedienne, Rae Francis Quilantang is a promising singer-guitarist, and Melinda Torre bids fair to be hailed as the club theater discovery of the season.

“Laugh Out Loud!” is produced by Rose Cabrera and will be performed at Mabuhay Restop in both dinner-theater and show-only modes. “LOL” would also be delightfully right for Christmas parties, events, office or birthday celebrations, etc.

Bookings

For bookings and other details, call Mara Salvacion at 0917 810-8194, (02) 353-8762, (02) 359-2927, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.mabuhay restops.com.

Writer-director Torre’s other hit dinner-theater shows include “Close Encounters With the Third Sex,” “Cabaret,” “Enter Laughing,” “Tutti Frutti” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Those intimate productions were designed to provide an early showcase for then emerging talents like Isay Alvarez, Jograd dela Torre, Gigi Posadas, Angelique Lazo, Cynthia Patag, Ric Segreto, Olive Owel, Arlene Borja, Lou Veloso and Malu de Guzman—many of whom continue to turn in stellar performances to this day. It is hoped that “Laugh Out Loud!” will be similarly successful and productive!