NEW YORK – Imelda, a bio-musical about the rise and fall of former first lady Imelda Marcos debuting on September 22, stars an all-Pinoy cast and is the first Filipino-themed production to be run off Broadway.

Playing the first lady notorious for having more than 3,000 pairs of shoes is Jaygee Macapugay, whose theater credits include Miss Saigon (Kim) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Mary). Other members in  the cast are Mel Sagrado Maghuyop as Ferdinand Marcos, Liz Casasola as Corazon Aquino, Brian Jose as Benigno Aquino, Jr., Alan Ariano, Angelica-Lee Aspiras, Billy Bustamante, Leanne Cabrera, Loresa Lanceta, Jonelle Margallo, and Romney Piamonte.

Stage and TV actor Sam Concepcion plays the narrator in Trumpets’ major family musical N.O.A.H [No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat], which opens September 4 at the Meralco Theater.

Directed by Jaime del Mundo, N.O.A.H. is a fun and humorous retelling of the classic story of the biblical patriarch and his famous ark.

PETA’s Noli and Fili is back for a rerun, due to popular demand. Written by noted academic Nic Tiongson and directed by Soxie Topacio, Noli at Fili Dekada 2000 (Dos Mil) presents a new take on Jose Rizal’s eighteenth-century novels using language that the younger generations can easily understand.

The well-applauded performance opens PETA’s 42nd season and will have 24 shows from July 17 to August 2, Fridays to Sundays, 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. It features a mix of young and veteran actors: Lex Marcos, Robert Seña, Bembol Roco, Bodgie Pascua, Jack Yabut, Julia Enriquez, Buddy Caramat, Jojo Atienza, Jeffrey Hernandez, Joel Saracho, Marichu Belarmino, Joshua Deocareza, Upeng Galang-Fernandez, Ian Segarra, She Maala, Neomi Gonzales, George de Jesus, Raffy Tejada, Joel Molina, Jess Evardone, Ryan Alfonso, and Paolo Rodriguez.

The women of Harana (L-R): Florence Aguilar, Karla Gutierrez, Ana Feleo, and Deeda Barretto

Overseas Pinoys in the Netherlands will finally get to listen to some really good classical Filipino music as the the Philippine Opera Company brings its hit “Harana” show on a tour of the Dutch republic from June 8 to 15, 2009.

“Harana,” which has garnered good reviews from audiences and local critics, will have a special performance at Theater de Compagnie in Amsterdam on June 11, 7:30 p.m. The show takes its audiences through a spectacular cultural journey showcasing the very best of Philippine music, from the indigenous Cordilleras and pre-colonial period to contemporary and fusion.

PETA brings back Nic Tiongson’s Noli at Fili Dekada 2000 in its 42nd season.

Continuing its tradition of productions that reflect the times, the Philippine Educational Theater Association opens its 42nd season with a post-modern narrative of Jose Rizal’s two most influential novels, mythical stories from Severino Reyes about self-discovery and values formation, a child’s tale about a friendship between a Muslim and a Christian child, and a comical vaudeville about election.

First on PETA’s list of productions is Nic Tiongson’s opus, Noli at Fili Dekada Dos Mil, an adaptation of Rizal’s El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere. Inspired by real events from a landslide in Quezon province, this reworked postmodern narrative zeroes in on small-town politics, the fight against corruption, and illegal logging.

It will be a busy year for the Philippine Opera Company, which celebrates its tenth anniversary by restaging some of its best productions and launching three albums of promising classical performers.

“POC has been growing amidst all the challenges we encounter every year.  Mounting opera seasons in 2006 and 2008 were way too expensive, but we survived it, ” says artistic and managing director Karla Gutierrez. “Our biggest achievement so far is the people we have employed here. The opera company has served as a platform for classical singers to perform, a place they can call home.” Some 85 local classical singers are part of POC’s stable.