Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Last weekend, I watched Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. I decided to see it because I realized that I have been seeing a lot of shows that are presented by foreign producers and that feature foreign performers and I wanted to support local shows too. I went with a couple of friends and I'm very happy I saw it because I enjoyed the show tremendously.

I actually didn't know enough about this musical except for the fact that it featured songs of legendary song-writer Carole King, such as So Far Away, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, and (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and You've Got a Friend. I actually thought it would be something like Mamma Mia where you have a story about fictitious people and the music would be performed as part of their story. As it turns out, Beautiful is about the life of Carole King - the music she wrote and the music of  her time, the significant people in her life, her trials and tribulations, and of course her triumphs. It was very interesting to see the friendly competition she and her husband had with their best friends when it came to writing music and having their songs sung by popular artists. It also allowed us to see what Carole was thinking when she wrote her songs. When I now listen to the lyrics of It's Too Late, I now have a better understanding of the context of that song in relation to what she was going through and it makes me appreciate the song even more. Of course, a musical about Carole cannot be complete without including her critically-acclaimed and most commercially successful album Tapestry, which is regarded as one of the best albums of all time.

The souvenir program si designed to look like a vinyl record. Cool!

It was really great to hear all these incredible songs written by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, and other artists all in the same show. (Apparently, Neil Sedaka's Oh! Carol is named after Carole King, whom he dated in high school.) The downside for me to having such familiar songs is that at least a few people in the crowd sang along. I don't particularly enjoy hearing the audience sing along in musical theater because I want to hear the amazing voices of the artists LOL. The cast was great, including Kayla Rivera as Carole, Nick Varricihio as Gerry, Mikkie Bradshaw-Volante as Cynthia, and George Schulze as Barry. I also really like the set, with its psychedelic sixties design. Unfortunately, photos inside the theater are not allowed.

I highly recommend Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. It is showing at the Meralco Theater until July 7 so see it while you still can. Tickets are available at Ticketworld.

Random Stuff

Whenever I see an ice cream cake, I keep thinking to myself that I want to bring one home as a weekend treat but somehow I never do. That is, until last Father's Day. I went to the mall with the intention of getting a cake from Sans Rival but when I got there, they had run out. It was then that I passed by Dairy Queen and spotted a variety of ice cream cakes that were decorated specially for Father's Day. Perfect! Running out of cakes in my original choice turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Not only did I get to bring home an ice cream cake which I had been wanting to do for a while, I also got a very appropriately-decorated Father's Day cake. Oh, and it tasted great, too! :)

I also recently visited Mandalay, a speakeasy or hidden bar in Makati. (Technically, a speakeasy isn't exactly a hidden bar but that's how the term  is used nowadays.) It's the first time this year that I went to a bar because I significantly reduced my alcohol intake for health reasons. However, my doctor did say that if I had enough sleep and I wasn't tired, I could have a drink. Mandalay is really cool. It has a very cozy and chill vibe and I can imagine spending a few hours here hanging out with friends. Except for the fact that the drinks are very expensive LOL. I ordered Don't Forget, a cocktail that has Chairman's Reserve Forgotten Cask Rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, cherry heering, and orange juice. This drink cost a whopping P850 (plus service charge!) but it was very good.

Despite having ice cream cake and alcohol recently, I've managed to stay true to the diet and lifestyle change that I started a few months ago, which involves eating less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. I have now lost a total of about 16 pounds or more than 7 kilos. I didn't expect that at all. I think I have now stopped losing weight so what's important is for me to try and sustain my diet and to keep exercising whenever I can. It helps that there is a Salad Stop! nearby. They recently added a seasonal menu item: Caulifornia Dreamin' which has cauliflower cheese patties. It looked quite appetizing when I saw the picture so I tried it. While it's on the expensive side at P375, I really enjoyed it, especially the patties so I think I may try this salad again before it is taken off the menu.

Swan Lake by Moscow Ballet La Classique in Manila

Last Saturday, I had the privilege to watch Swan Lake performed by the Moscow Ballet "La Classique". It was the first time I got to see this classic ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and I was truly blown away.

I learned about this show in early April and I immediately wanted to see it. I texted my mom to see if she was wanted to watch it too and she said yes. I went to SM Aura the next day to get tickets at Ticketnet. My mom and I agreed to watch the final show on June 22.

The tickets weren't cheap but they were absolutely worth it. The production was amazing, with grand sets - I especially liked the palace backdrop - and beautiful costumes. More than that, the performers were incredible. The Russian Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Yaroslov Tkalenko, was excellent and the dancers were sensational, especially the leads. There were so many memorable moments, a couple of which I will talk about in a bit, but one of my favorite sequences was the Dance of the Little Swans. It was a bit unfortunate that the stage was quite slippery that night. Three people - Baron Von Rothbart, a woman in the chorus, and I think it was Princess Odette - all slipped during the first act. Thankfully, there were no more accidents in the second act. Nevertheless, the show was still fantastic and the cast and the orchestra got a well-deserved standing ovation during curtain call.

The lead female playing Princess Odette and Odile was replaced by Oksana Bondareva, who we got to see that night. Oksana is such a beautiful,strong, and brilliant dancer and she performed magnificently, drawing massive raves from the audience. The pas de deux numbers were awe-inspiring and in one of them, she does a pose that that drew applause from the crowd even while the performance was still ongoing: she maintains a very difficult pose en pointe with no assistance. Here is a video of Oksana doing this pose; check it out at 4:40 (I'm starting the video at 4:32 so that you don't have to wait too long to see it). I can't imagine how much talent, skill, and training are required to pull this off!


video uploaded by Антуан Мальцев

As if that wasn't enough, shortly after, Oksana impressed the crowd yet again with a dazzling pirouette sequence that lasted for more than 20 seconds and had her moving forward slowly on stage while still doing her pirouettes. I kept muttering 'wow' under my breath until she finished and the audience, including me, erupted in awe. Here is a video of her doing that same sequence (I'm starting the video at 0:37 when she starts her pirouettes).


video uploaded by Антуан Мальцев

It was too bad there was no program because I really wanted to know who the other cast members were, especially the jester who himself does a more-than-20-second pirouette sequence in Act I (here is a video of the jester's pirouettes). I also have to say that the New Frontier Theater isn't exactly the best venue - the seats were too cramped with no arm rests and the chairs sloped downwards, making them a bit difficult and slippery to sit on. Still, these were minor inconveniences and the experience as a whole was still truly magical.

I watched a couple of ballets in Russia when my mom and I went there in 2013 but we weren't able to see a show at the Bolshoi Theatre so I guess seeing a show in Manila that featured Bolshoi star Alexander Volchkov - he played Prince Siegfried - is the next best thing. I'm very happy that I have now seen Swan Lake, which is one of the most popular and celebrated ballets in the world.

Zomato Gold

Recently, some of my friends recommended that I use Zomato Gold, an annual subscription in the Zomato app which gives subscribers free food or free drinks in select restaurants. (Note that a minimum of two guests are required to get the free food or drinks.) Since I don't eat out a lot with other people and since I've been trying to eat less this year, getting free food or drinks from this app didn't seem all that appealing to me. That is, until multiple dinner plans were made this month. When I knew I was going to meet up with Meg and with Cel and Zaza, I thought it might be worth subscribing to Zomato Gold. That way, I could get a free dish or drinks. The annual subscription fee is P600 (at least when I downloaded the app) and you get a P120 discount if you apply someone else's discount code. As such, I ended up paying P480 for my one-year subscription that expires in June next year.

Calderon
https://www.zomato.com/manila/calderon-salcedo-village-makati-city

For my dinner with Meg, I suggested Calderon, a Spanish restaurant in Salcedo Village. I had never eaten there before but Meg has. Calderon gives Zomato Gold subscribers a free dish when you order at least one other dish. I ordered the Bacalao ala Vizcaina (P380), which is salted fish cod simmered in olive oil, tomato sauce, pimiento, and spices. Unfortunately for me, I thought it was a bit too salty.

Bacalao ala Vizcaina from Calderon

Meg said she normally orders the Gambas al Ajillo (P310) or shrimp in olive oil when eating in Calderon and that night was no different.

Gambas al Ajillo from Calderon

For our free dish, we got the Pescado Croquetas (P280) or potato balls with sole fish. I love croquettes and I often order them when I dine in Spanish restaurants. I really liked this dish; meat and potatoes are always such a great comfort food. :)

Pescado Croquetas from Calderon

Mazendo
https://www.zomato.com/manila/mazendo-1-salcedo-village-makati-city

Since both Cel and Zaza work in Salcedo Village, we agreed to have dinner there (my second time in this area in a week). I shared possible venues with Zaza and Cel and from that list, we ended up choosing Mazendo, a Taiwanese Restaurant. Zomato Gold subscribers get a free dish when you order at least one dish. I ordered the Taiwanese Style Pork Chop Noodle Set (P330).

Taiwanese Style Pork Chop Noodle Set from Mazendo

Zaza ordered the Hainanese Chicken Rice (P340).

Hainanese Chicken Rice from Mazendo

For our free dish, we got the Pan-fried Dumplings (P240).

Pan-fried Dumplings from Mazendo

Unfortunately, Cel got caught up in a major work issue and by the time she joined us, she said that she was no longer hungry. She did eat the dumplings that we set aside for her before we moved to another place for coffee and dessert. I suggested Single Origin Osteria which also had a Zomato Gold promo for drinks and was just two establishments away and both of them agreed.

Single Origin Osteria
https://www.zomato.com/manila/single-origin-osteria-salcedo-village-makati-city

There is a key difference between the free food promo and the free drinks promo of Zomato Gold. The free food promo allows the group to get the cheapest dish for free, which means the group can order any of the item from the menu. For the free drinks promo however, the group orders two drinks and they two more of those exact same drinks for free. Cel had initially wanted to get milk tea but she decided to just get Zaza's free drink, the House-Made Ginger Ale Craft Cocktail (P140); she said she could just have milk tea the following day. I ordered a Duomo Decaf served via French Press (P175) which meant I got an extra press that I shared with Cel and Zaza. We also ordered the chocolate cheesecake to share. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it is called exactly - it's not on the menu on zomato so I guess it is a new dessert in Single Origin - and how much it cost but it was good. (It looks good too!)

chocolate cheesecake from Single Origin Osteria

In the short time since I downloaded the Zomato app and subscribed to Zomato Gold, I've used it three times and I already got a return on investment. It really is value for money, especially if you eat out a lot with your friends and/or family.

Three Weeks, Three Dinners

Over the last few weeks, I got to meet up with some really good friends for dinner. The first ones were my ex-colleagues from my second job. Amy, John, and their kids were in Manila for a few weeks so we had dinner with them in Little Flour. Me-ann organized the evening and it turned into a mini-reunion because I also got to hang out with Romi and Mike for the first time in a really long time. Also there were Joh, Raffa, and Alvin. It's been about a year and a half since I last saw Amy and John so it was great getting to catch up with them. It's also cool that Amy got a very well-deserved promotion recently so that provided an additional reason for us to celebrate (not that we needed any :)).

A week later, I met up with Meg in Makati. We had been talking about having dinner for a while now but it was only last week that our schedules matched. We has such an animated conversation that evening, ranging from travel plans and tips to watching concert to politics to our issues with people cutting in line LOL. We had dinner in Calderon in Salcedo Village, the first time I ate there. (I will write in more detail about this in my next post.)

Finally, just this week, I had dinner with Cel and Zaza. While I get to see Zaza quite often, the last time I saw Cel was during the Coldplay concert where we happened to be in the same section of the audience. For the second week in a row, Salcedo Village served as our dinner venue. We met up first in Mazendo where we enjoyed Taiwanese dishes before moving next door to Single Origin Osteria for drinks and dessert. There was a lot of catching up that evening - both Cel and I had started new jobs since we last saw each other - and the discussions went from serious to hilarious, including Cel's very funny celebrity sighting. It was close to midnight when we parted ways and even then, it felt like our time with each other was too short. I guess we need to organize another get-together soon, and hopefully our other friend Doms will be able to join us then.

Movie Watching 2019

Godzilla II: King of the Monsters

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla:_King_of_the_Monsters_(2019_film)

I've been a fan of giant monster movies since I was a kid so watching Godzilla II: King of the Monsters was a no-brainer for me. I thought the 2014 Godzilla film was enjoyable enough but wasn't 'wow', but when I saw the many trailers of this second film (such as this one and this other one which is my favorite) and seeing all the monsters that would be making appearances in the movie, I coudn't wait to see it. So much so that I watched it on its opening day.  And it didn't disappoint. In fact, it actually exceeded my already very high expectations. If there wasn't enough exciting monster battle action in the 2014 film, this one totally made up for it. The fight scenes between Godzilla and Ghidora were epic, the introduction of Rodan as he came out of the volcano was absolutely kick-ass, and Mothra was so beautiful that you couldn't help but root for her. The effects were also stunning (even the posters are so aesthetically pleasing, such as these ones). There are many references to the old Godzilla films that will please its fans. Even the Godzilla and Mothra themes in this 2019 version are based on the original themes. I really enjoyed and was so thoroughly entertained by Godzilla II: King of the Monsters.

Aladdin

photo from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aladdin_(2019_film)

I was hesitant to see Aladdin because I saw a clip of Prince Ali online and I was a bit on the fence about it. However, a friend of mine said that he really enjoyed the live action version of the 1992 animated film. That sparked my interest. When I checked Rotten Tomatoes, I saw that while the critics had mixed reviews at 57%, the general audience rated the film quite positively with 94% (as of this writing). So I made up my mind to see it. And I'm glad I did. SPOILER ALERT: stop reading now if you don't want to know details of the story. It sticks to the original story for the most part but makes adds a few things to make the film a bit more relevant and strengthen the original social commentary about women's equality and changing traditions to make society better. It keeps most of the original songs (Jafar's song was taken out though, too bad) and adds a couple of new ones. I thought the best production number was Friend Like Me. I think the live action adds to the depth of emotion: there was a bit more suspense in the scenes where Jafar was trying to be deceitful and manipulative and Aladdin setting the genie free was more heartwarming. All in all, this was a pretty good remake and I'm happy I got to see it while it is still showing. 

PRU Life policies for my nephews

One of the most important and "adult" things I've done this year so far is to get PRU Life investment and insurance policies for my nephews.

How it came about: I'm at that stage of my life where I think of and plan what I need to do to secure my future when I retire. While I already have my own investment and insurance policies, it has always been on my mind to secure my future and the future of my family even further. However, at my age, the value I get from a policy is nowhere near as good as what a much younger person would get. I then thought that it could be a good idea if I get policies for my nephews, both of whom are still really young. Even if I put just a little money now, by the time they retire, that pot could be huge.

I reached out to my friend Joyce who is a PRU Life agent and asked her if it was possible for me to get policies for my nephews. She prepared a few options and after a few meetings, I decided what I wanted (and could afford) to get for them. I held a family meeting with them, my brother/their dad, and my mom to explain the policies to them and make sure they understood what it covered. I then submitted the application and thankfully, they were both approved. Cool! Now my nephews are guaranteed to get something when they are older and hopefully the fund value is worth a very good amount by the time that they retire (or when they really need to use it).

Mr. Moriarty Room in Mystery Manila

My friends and I recently tried the Mr. Moriarty Room in Mystery Manila at Ayala the 30th. We wanted to do this two years but unfortunately, this room was under construction at that time so we ended up trying the Rebel Resistance room instead. It was only recently that we resumed our discussions on the Mr. Moriarty room. We agreed on a date, I booked it online, and we were set!

Unfortunately for us, we didn't solve the mystery. We were tremendously close, though. Despite our misfortune, I really enjoyed this experience. I also really like the room set-up; while I'm a Star Wars fan, I personally feel that the Mr. Moriarty room is cooler than the Rebel Resistance room. It's definitely worth a try.

While our luck run out in the room, we did find some fortune. We went there during their promo-week: BUY 1 GET 1 FREE mystery game every Monday to Friday that was valid from May 21 to 31:



As such, we got a free voucher for another trip to Mystery Manila. My friends and I are now thinking of trying to conquer the Harry Potter-inspired Sorcerer's Stone room. Now we just need to agree on a schedule and book it. Hopefully, we will be successful in our next Mystery Manila visit.

Nadal wins his 12th French Open title!

Rafael Nadal, the undisputed King of Clay, just won his 12th - yes, 12th! - trophy at Roland Garros. Wow, just wow!

YOU CAN’T STOP THE KING 👑
@RafaelNadal is the 2019 @rolandgarros champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/zMw8SAFq7p

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) June 9, 2019

Words cannot fully encapsulate how monumental this achievement is but here are some stats to try and frame the magnitude of Nadal's win:

• Rafa alone holds the record - male or female - for the most titles at a single Grand Slam event at 12. He tied Margaret Court last year when he matched her 11 Australian Open titles with his 11th French Open title but he just moved past her record now.
• He also matches Martina Navratilova for winning a single tournament the most times. Navratilova won the Virginia Slims of Chicago 12 times. No other player has won a single tournament more times.
• His 12 French Open titles equal Roy Emerson's total Grand Slam singles title haul. Emerson previously held the men's record with 12 majors before Pete Sampras overtook him in the 1990s. Nadal's tally of 12 also exceeds Rod Laver's and Bjorn Borg's total slam count of 11. So all of Nadal's wins are matching and exceeding the total tallies of some of the greatest male players of all time.

Merci @rolandgarros for this amazing experience. 12!! Still can't believe it pic.twitter.com/iNj8Me4iRJ

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 9, 2019

• Nadal now has 18 Grand Slam singles titles, equaling Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. A couple of decades ago, it was unimaginable that the greatest male players would match the Grand Slam records of the best women players. (Sampras had the record at 14 while Court had 24, Steffi Graf had 22, Helen Wills Moody had 19, and Navratilova and Evert had 18). Now Federer has passed Navratilova and Evert and Nadal has matched them.
• He now has a win-loss record of 93-2 in Roland Garros. That is just staggering.

Despite being a Rafa fan, I felt really bad for Dominic Thiem towards the end of the match and during the trophy ceremony. At some point in the 3rd set, he started looking dejected. While he continued to show flashes of brilliance, it looked like he ran out of gas. One has to think that Thiem's tough semifinal against Novak Djokovic that went to 7-5 in the fifth set and had to be played over two days - until the late afternoon of Saturday - had some effect. It must've taken a lot of will power and physical energy to edge Novak in a match that could so easily have gone either way, with all its twists and turns up until the very end. I do hope that Thiem wins this tournament in the near future. If there was any one player who I wouldn't mind as much to take the throne from Rafa, it is Thiem.

🇦🇹 @ThiemDomi deserves plenty of 👏 for his run at #RG19

📷: @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/996KEp5UPV

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) June 9, 2019

Rafa has already been one of the greatest players of all time for a while now so he didn't need this win to prove that. Nevertheless, his 12 French Open titles may very well be a record we never see getting broken in our lifetimes and I feel very privileged to witness history in the making.

Congratulations, Rafael Nadal!

Downtown Cafe in Angeles, Pampanga

On our way back home to Manila from Bataan, we decided to have a late lunch in Downtown Cafe in Angeles, Pampanga. This restaurant is by Chef Claude Tayag who is known for Bale Dutung. In fact, the Bale Dutung website indicates that "if you do not have reservations and just want to sample the food, you can go to Downtown Cafe". I was up for eating in a restaurant I had never eaten at before, so when Downtown Cafe was suggested, I readily agreed.

Downtown Cafe is located at the Quad at Nepo in Angeles. The food here is really good but I was so hungry when we got there that I forgot to take photos. (You can check out the menu here.) The highlight of our order was the Bagnetta, which is a cross between Ilocano bagnet and Italian porchetta. This dish is presented differently from any other crispy pork dish I've had so I naturally had to take a picture.

Bagnetta

Aside from the really good food, this restaurant also has a really interesting vintage theme going on, with images of Filipino celebrities from the 20th century adorning one wall and photos of the menu items plastered on the opposite wall. There's also a working jukebox. How do I know that it is working? The kids of my friends actually tried it.

In the wash area, Ginebra San Miguel bottles have been converted into hand soap, alcohol, and hand sanitizer dispensers. Cool!

I'm happy I got to have lunch in Downtown Cafe because the food is excellent, the service is friendly and efficient, the atmosphere is relaxed and casual, and the decor gives you a warm feeling of nostalgia. I definitely recommend this place to anyone who is near the Angeles area or will be passing by.

Downtown Cafe
https://www.facebook.com/downtowncafe1956/
The Quad at Nepo, Plaridel Street, Angeles City, Pamgpanga
0917 676 1689