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Second Time’s a Charm: Manila Luzon on a New Bop, Republic Records, and All Things ‘Drag Den Season 2’
Alexi Aquilino | February 8, 2024

Aside from new slate of Drag Enforcers, a new den for the Drag Cartel, the second season of Drag Den sees a new theme song for the series performed by the Drag Lord herself, Manila Luzon, featuring drag runner and social media superstar and freshly-inducted urban musician, Sassa Gurl, easily encapsulating the magnetic energy this show has in store for fans, past and new.

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How to Continuously ‘Switch’ it Up: A Guide by Anthony Rosaldo
Alexi Aquilino | January 30, 2024

From being hailed as Kapuso’s Pop Rocker, to his first jab at stage productions as ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo: The Musical’s young Hector, 29 year-old multi-hyphenate Anthony Rosaldo makes his way to the Music Museum for his first major solo concert.

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One, Two Step: This Young Filipina Creative is Taking Her ‘Idol’ Dreams into the Right Direction
Li Marie Meso | January 17, 2024

As the global phenomenon of K-Pop continues to capture the hearts of millions worldwide, young creative and performer and idol-in-the-making Janina Antolin makes a case for talent and tenacity in pursuing a dream that transcends borders.

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‘Gusto Mo Bang Sumama?’ ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo Musical’ Soars Back to the Stage with its 2023 Run
Li Marie Meso, Jamilla Ledda & Jedidiah Valenzuela | May 17, 2023

The cherished ensemble of ‘Ang Huling El Bimbo’, years after it last made its way to the live stage and after reintroducing the beauty and power of the theater to a larger audience in its momentous streaming event amid the pandemic, recounts their personal journeys in bringing the beloved narrative to life in the highly-anticipated return of the musical hit.

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The ‘Baklang Parlorista’, the ‘Salot’, and Making the ‘Bida’ in the Flight of Zsazsa Zaturnnah
Li Marie Meso & Mike Bryan Agcalis | March 22, 2023

On representation, Phi Palmos, who plays the role of Ada in Ateneo Blue Repertory’s sold-out staging of Carlo Vergara’s iconic superheroine ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah’, stands firm on the notion that there’s something intrinsically wrong when people call to ‘break the stereotypes’ when they refer to the queer community being represented in media because more often than not, they refer to and look the loud, effeminate, ‘baklang parlorista’ stereotype, as if this is a wrong representation of the LGBTQIA+ community. While he makes the case that it rings true that this should not be the only way to represent queerness, it is a “lazy advocacy” for representation when they say this and fail to recognize the realities and truths anchored on these stereotypes, thereby inadvertently erasing the existence and lives of those who are loud, flamboyant, and effeminate. To which, he points out, “Instead of saying ‘break the stereotypes’, why don’t we ‘humanize the stereotypes’ and not use them as a punchline, a joke, or worse, an insult?” Palmos, along with the cast of fresh and established movers in theater behind ‘Zsazsa Zaturnnah The Musical… Yun Lang,’ take us on the journey of bringing an iconic gay character to today’s audiences.

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New Heights: Inside the [He]Art of Human Connections on kumu
Mike Bryan Agcalis | February 22, 2023

As kumu strives to successfully expand throughout the world, countless people, particularly, but not limited to the younger generations, have nabbed its magic and are gearing up to access and ultimately, thrive on the landscape. Three rising streamers, Kelly Canoza, Lawrence Balbuena, and Algeleth Mika Pardo, took a seat with Rank Magazine to describe the beauty of stepping into the realm of streaming.

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‘Black Adam’ Goes for the Jugular with Riveting Action, Dark Humor, and a Big Heart
Rank Magazine | October 17, 2022

With its forthcoming release in cinemas worldwide, global icon Dwayne Johnson stars in the title role as the DC universe’s fan-favorite antihero, ‘Black Adam’, bringing his compelling origin story to the big screen for the first time.

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Step Into Your Boundless Future: These 2022 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) Awardees Emerge Through Limits
Mike Bryan Agcalis & Allysa Mae Esperida | September 19, 2022

Showcasing talents in the midst of the pandemic, Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE), with the theme “Emerge: Step Into Your Boundless Future,” continues to serve as a beam of light for these artists as they return to their realms after the scarred vision in artistry. Over 500 of them turned the relentless episodes of catastrophe and deafening adversity that the crises left ingrained into effulgent works using various painting and sculptural techniques, but only four completed the final piece.

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An Adage to Misfits, Fools, and Dreamers: Inside the Homecoming of ‘Mula Sa Buwan’
Mike Agcalis & Clark Casabuena | August 23, 2022

After four long years since it last raised its curtains to the public, the hit musical “Mula sa Buwan” returns to bless the theater stage this August. Marking as one of the first full-blown productions that seeks to make a return after the two years of virtual makeshift stages for Philippine theater, we sat down with director Pat Valera, choreographer JM Cabling, and the talented cast of the game-changing musical on love and defiance to discuss the inner workings of the highly-anticipated production.

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New Breed & New Voices: Charting the 18-Year History and Revolution of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival
Tifany Soringa | August 5, 2022

After two years without a physical theater, without a sizable crowd, and a long line of people excited to witness the distinctive film festival experience, Cinemalaya comes back to life, again, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and in cinemas across the country to the delight of fans of Filipino cinema. Festival Director Chris Millado talks to Rank Magazine to revisit the storied years that marked the biggest and most prestigious film festival in the land.

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