p.2 Unboxing Charice and our traditional archetypes (a 3-part post)

PART 1, p2 | [ Previous p1 ] [ Next p3 ]

The Oprah effect | Perhaps the one significant moment that Charice suddenly became more present in the consciousness of the local cable TV market, i.e. the middle and upper-middle classes — and the general public — was her “Oprah moment” (May 2008) despite her being flown to the US to debut on American television by Ellen DeGeneres for her self-titled show the year before.

Charice, then an awed, over-zealous, US TV greenhorn, appeared fumbling for the right words in English in replying to Ellen in her interview. Her performance, however, merited a standing ovation from the audience and Ellen was still taken over by Charice the next day that she couldn’t help but mention and replay a portion of Charice’s previous-day performance. "It's something to be sitting next to that and you could just smell the star on her," she said back in 2007. "You could just smell it."

For the locals, the Ellen Show appearance came and went despite it being one of the most-watched day-time shows not only in America, in part because it was televised months delayed in the Philippines on cable channels, and partly because Oprah is the more motherly, more affectionate host Filipinos are more aware of and had closely identified with; even local talk show celebrities Sharon Cuneta and Kris Aquino were fans of hers and patterned their earlier show formats after hers.

In between the two American shows was another little-known invitation to perform in London at the Paul O’Grady show. Charice’s passport was stolen just before leaving for London, and poor girl made an appeal on TV about it. She was lucky to have been given a replacement and performed on Paul O’Grady flawlessly albeit nervous and seemingly uneasy conversing in English in interviews with him. His audience let the interview pass but noticed her performances enough to give her another standing ovation.

In her Oprah debut, Charice was more candid. Having just arrived in Chicago straight from the Philippines hours into her number, she sang with the same confidence as in Ellen’s, Paul O’Grady’s, StarKing in Korea in 2007 and all other singing contests she had joined in the Philippines. Her audience gave her an ovation midway through her song and Oprah was stunned. "That was fantastic! Who are you!?," she asked and said, "Thank you so much for flying, all day all night, fifteen hours, and come here in such perfect form...".

Charice would later guest four more times on the show.

Do you see what I see? | Surely there was something in Charice that the seasoned entertainment celebrities in the West saw, their audiences felt the first time they laid their eyes on her but which we, the locals, seem to have missed.

p.3 Unboxing Charice and our traditional archetypes (a 3-part post)

PART 1, p3 | [ p1 ] [ Previous p2 ]

“Glee” | Since confirming speculations about her being cast in the Emmy-awarded Glee series in June this year, and up until the recent airing of its second season premiere in which she appeared, Charice was once again attacked from all fronts by Filipinos even as young as 13 on the Internet.

By this time, Facebook and Twitter had taken over the lives of billions and it was easy to use the cloak of anonymity to vent out ire on someone they did not know personally, had not experienced or seen perform live and hadn't done them direct harm.

For the teens, it may be a case of envy because someone like Charice whom they thought they had the right to verbally bully online looked like one of them. They disliked her because they thought she was cocky, which, really, sometimes Charice may unconsciously, unintentionally come across on stage as being.

Maybe she even looks like their arch-nemesis in school for Charice could put on all expressions on her face when singing and this looked weirdly funny it piqued them. Her movements annoyed them, her songs were old-fashioned. Worse, she sang their parents' cheesy, monumental songs like a grown-up.

At 18, Charice hadn’t grown any taller and developed into a svelte enough young lady since she lost in that singing contest to even come physically close to their preferred local or foreign idols.

A local male DJ and gossip show host known for his sweet but curt jabs at people, in a rare, polite moment on TV just a few days ago, voiced out preference for another Filipina (female) singer to be on Glee in Charice’s stead but did not state why. It sounded like a reflection of an industry that sat out through most of Charice's accomplishments in silent envy, a victim of its self-imposed sanctimony.

Perhaps the DJ's preference might have impressed him as more deserving because she had sex appeal that excited him besides her having certified box-office hits to her name. It didn’t matter how his choice sang, or, to many, how Charice could outsing most every one else with ease. In fact, it didn’t occur to many of Charice’s detractors what Glee’s co-creator was looking out for in the first place.

Their role was to get into the kind of prejudice they knew of that has existed in the consciousness of Filipinos for generations. Meanwhile, most everyone else with little or no access to news about Charice, save for mentions on local gossip shows and magazines, rendered quick judgment on her and they judged superficially they failed to even see the unique nuances of her versions of songs of others.

A well-managed lung power | Thank god for authoritative Hollywood godmothers and godfathers, Charice was taken seriously as a singer.

08-09-10, anyone?

Not for anything special, phenomenal or otherwise, but just a note and an homage to today, August 9, 2010, otherwise known as:

and to the awesome but hefty (download size is a mere 130mb+), power-hungry DropClock screensaver created by SCR, a "creative label of" interactive designers tha ltd. I came upon in April 2008.

DropClock is free to try—or US$15 for the license—and also available for Windows (power Windows users, rejoice!) and Mac's Snow Leopard.

Had fun doing today's calendar version of DropClock that I am cross-posting this to my other blogs.

a personal passage

Five Sundays in August 2010 and other finds in the birthday month

First of August Sunday morning blog.

My mother read to me an SMS message the other day which said something about August 2010 as having "...5 Sundays, 5 Mondays and 5 Tuesdays" and that "this won't happen again in another 823 years".

I checked the wall calendar and fired up my calendar in the Dashboard, scrolled through all the months of 2010 out of curiosity and found out three other 5-day combinations-in-a-month. These are:

• May 2010 with 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays
• July 2010 with 5 Thursdays, 5 Fridays and 5 Saturdays, and
• December with 5 Wednesdays, 5 Thursdays and 5 Fridays

So I guess August and May 2010 are special to others because it has 5 Sundays, Sunday being a sacred day to most Christians as it is a "day of obligation," meaning, the Christian world takes a rest from all worldly obligations to give of themselves to THAT day of Obligation—to worship, ask for forgiveness and give thanks.

While looking for more information on this supposed phenomenon, I came upon entries about August 2009, which, on the other hand, had 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Mondays just like what May 2010 had (both occurrences escaped my attention).

In 1187, or 823 years ago, the Gregorian calendar hadn't existed yet (it was introduced in 1582) so there was no ado about this strange happenstance.

I haven't come across any other reference about it happening in 823 years interval, but I guess it means the next Sunday-Monday-Tuesday combination in 2833¹ will be referencing this year's, unless the Gregorian calendar is changed to something else that befits the future. I don't know.

It's something to think about over late-morning breakfast coffee.

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¹The year should have been 2832 as pointed out by reader Matt in the comments below. Thanks, Matt. 
Image, top: Georges Seurat, A Sunday on La Grande Jatte mug from zazzle.com
Calendar images grabbed from my Dashboard, added 04 August 2010

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K-pop, etc.: A coolsmurf Q&A

"coolsmurf" is someone's internet alias that has quite a following among Asian pop music enthusiasts, specifically of contemporary Korean music known as K-pop. As a university student, his turf was YouTube and, as avid blogger, was often credited as source of information, photos and even of videos of  K-pop related matters, by users of online forums since about 2007.

"coolsmurf" is one of two people who were key to the spread of videos that became very popular, of teen singer Charice Pempengco's, particularly of her translated and subtitled first appearance in Korea's Star King variety show in 2007 which "coolsmurf" uploaded to his YouTube channel in the same year. (The other key person being Filipino "FalseVoice," whose name appears on the liner notes of Charice's eponymous debut album¹ and who uploaded videos of her Little Big Star competition videos, among others.)

"coolsmurf"'s video upload of Charice's first appearance in Star King eventually got the attention of American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, who, in turn, extended the momentous invitation on television for Charice to guest and sing live on the Ellen show and, subsequently, of Oprah Winfrey's staff in their search for talents for her program's recurring World's Most Talented Kids segment. Because of  "coolsmurf's" and "FalseVoice's" videos, the rest, as they say, is pop music history.

A bit more of "coolsmurf"

"coolsmurf" is Alvin Lim, out of university and now, fittingly, Content Editor of the popular site AllKpop.com. It was a pleasure exchanging emails with "coolsmurf," and I would like to thank him for his permission to share our Q and A below:

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...

K: What country are you from?

Alvin Lim (coolsmurf): Singapore.

K: When did you start getting interested in K-pop and why?

AL: I was exposed to K-Pop earlier on with Lee Jung Hyun because Hong Kong singer Sammi Cheng used her songs to sing in Cantonese. But it was not until when I watched Princess Hours starring Yoon Eun Hye and that led to me watching her variety show, Xman, which in turn led me to discover Kim Jong Kook and from then on, I was hooked onto K-pop.

K: What was in the Star King segment where Charice appeared that appealed to you enough to sub it and upload (or, was this something you regularly did with all other K-pop related videos in your free time back then)?

AL: I did regular subbing of shows back then. Primarily for Xman and interesting clips. Then a Super Junior fan suggested for me to take a look at this young girl belting out tunes. I didn't think much at first, but when I saw her singing And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going, it just felt like I was there in person even if I wasn't. It was just sensational. Charice's entrance on Star King episode (2007) singing "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)". Note coolsmurf's English subtitle (bottom of image) and chicklet below the TV station ID "SBS" (right-hand corner). Duet with Super Junior's Kyu Hyun in the same episode from coolsmurf's defunct YouTube channel.

K: Would you still remember exactly when you uploaded that segment?

AL: It was two weeks after it had aired in Korea.

K: What was your process like, i.e., did you upload as soon as the show was over or did it take days/weeks?

AL: I got the request about a week after the show. Then it took me half a day to complete and upload. Pity it got killed by YouTube at 5million hits and counting due to SBS strict copyright laws (which it had the right to do, of course).

K: I read that you are with Allkpop.com as Content Editor, and I am wondering if that's correct. (I did read in your last entries at the "coolsmurf" blog that you were scouting for a job last year, and I am curious as to what came of that.)

AL: Yes. No one offered me a job other than that.

K: I read about your videos as being popular on a "UCC" channel but I am lost in my search concerning that. Is it still active and to what market does it cater?

AL: UCC channel refers to user-created content. It's just a common term to coin video sharing websites in Korea like Daum, Naver, Tagstory, Egloos, etc. YouTube is of course the No.1 website of this kind in the world.

K: Were you aware of the impact your uploads would have given Charice back then?

AL: I wasn't aware. I just did the request for a Super Junior fan who wanted to understand the whole segment. But I guess the Super Junior factor + Charice can really sing + English subs just made it popular in the world.

K: How big do you think is K-pop as a music influence in Southeast Asia? [i.e. Korean drama series are big here in the Philippines and a few groups...do make it on radio (i.e. Wonder Girls, Super Junior) but not any bigger than Korean TV actors and actresses, in my opinion, because of their daily exposure...]

AL: It's hard for music to become a big influence outside of their fans because of the short attention span of people these days. Dramas play longer than 3-5 mins of a single song, so that's why people can identify with them more easily. It's also easier to market dramas, movies than music. It's more of selling the image over music these days in Korea even though the latter is still crucial.

K: Who were the Filipino musicians who you were aware of before Charice, and who do you know today? How about [musicians] in your country [who you follow]?

AL: My knowledge is strictly limited in this area. The only one I knew of, and [still know] now is Regine Velasquez because she sang a duet with Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung before. There isn't much of a following for me in Singapore because of the lack of interest.

K: Charice returned to Star King, as you know, which will be aired in Korea in 3 days2. Do you think that in those years since she appeared, that she had a good following among Koreans before this latest guesting on the show again?

AL: Yes, she has a good following because of her talent and she didn't just come back for the 3rd time on Star King for nothing!

K: With her US career building up, would you say those who follow her in Korea took her seriously as a musician (before today, that is)?

AL: Yes, because she is recognized for her vocals.

K: How do you feel about her as an Asian making it in America, and do you think she really helps in giving other Asians the opportunity she has?

AL: It's great to see that happening and it just gives people hope that dreams do come true in some cases.

Alvin Lim, aka "coolsmurf," (second from left, standing) with Charice (seated, left) and her followers. [Used with permission]

K: I saw that you and Charice did meet in Singapore [in December 20093]. Other than that, though, did you ever get to see her in person before?

AL: That was the one and only time. And it might just stay that way. 1"Charice," the album, peaked at #8 on the Billboard charts when it was released in May 2010. 2The Star King episode was telecast on SBS channel in Korea on 24 July 2010. 3At the finals night of Singapore Idol in which Charice was special guest.

...

Some notes on subbed YouTube videos, YouTube phenomena

coolsmurf—Alvin, rather—mentioned in the Q & A above that besides the presence of [members of] Super Junior and Charice's singing, that his translation and subbed videos helped make this particular segment popular among viewers outside the K-pop environment since it first appeared on his YouTube channel.

Since then, many of Charice's appearances in many countries, particularly of those in the Philippines that have been recorded and uploaded to YouTube, continue to be translated and subbed specifically targeting English-speaking viewers such as those seen on the channels tmgtw, tmgtwASIA and tmgtworld. These channels are maintained and operated by a loose but dedicated subb'ing group of YouTube users from Asia (the Philippines/Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea), the U.S. and Canada, and Europe (i.e. Germany) collectively known as the "CTV Crew"^a.

Similar to what "coolsmurf" and other music/celebrity aficionados had started on sites like YouTube, and with newer, faster technologies that provide users the chance to communicate and exchange notes and information across boundaries, translated videos continue to thrive on YouTube and in many other video sharing sites as well. Most of these types of videos are without the prodding of the featured musicians or celebrities, but were created out of personal or group interest, or from a fan request, or as alternative way of promotion by interest-specific groups. Not all of these types of videos have become as popular as that of  "coolsmurf"'s , nor taken on a true viral status as videos with funny or unusual subjects.

It's a perpetual cat-and-mouse game that these subbed "uploaders" continually dodge, specially with regards copyright complaints and such, as what also happened to "FalseVoice"'s YouTube accounts when the Philippine network ABS-CBN appealed to have his channels banned despite soaring viewership count, or they—the "uploaders" and channel owners—being collectively instrumental in even more doubling the number of YouTube viewers and users daily.

Where it once once the playground of unknown film and video enthusiasts consisting of casual viewers, video addicts, musicians and amateur and professional film creators, today, part of what makes up the phenomenon of YouTube being well ahead of all other sites of similar nature is hosting the entertainment industry's biggest networks, celebrity shows and film outfits which use it as a public repository of their video catalogues.

It's amusing how, in the continuous evolution of these sites, particularly of YouTube, the very entities that were sources of uploads and who appealed for the banning of YouTube's anonymous users for copyright infringement are themselves very active YouTube account holders today, and, as I have observed in some cases in the Philippines, ironically use YouTube clips in network news or feature segments, albeit not all of them giving the video or channel owners due credit.

Anyhow, Charice is just one of many talents who have come out and became success stories in themselves because of YouTube (Arnel Pineda is another Filipino singer who credits the site for his success; and, not to forget, Justin Bieber and Susan Boyle). Because of this, many more, from non-English speaking countries, even, will wish to follow in their footsteps by doing it on the internet, one viewer click, one translated and subbed video at a time.

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^a"...collectively known as CTV Crew." is an updated entry, 01 Aug 2010.

Cats in Manila

I AM MORE OF A MUSIC ENTHUSIAST and do not consider myself much of a film collector as much as I am of audio titles and books. I do own a few film titles, the ratio probably being 1 film/video for every 25 audio discs, a few of these musical and film soundtracks.

Embarrassing as it may sound, one of the first original videos I ever bought was when the short-lived Blockbuster video store on Matalino Street near our old dojo made the double-disc, 2-hour Cats, The Musical VCD available, something I considered quite pricey at the time, but well worth the purchase. (The video, directed by David Mallet, was shot "over 18 days" at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End; the play, accompanied by a 70-piece orchestra.)

By its very genre, Cats, being a musical, fulfilled me both aurally and visually and fit right into my other collection of soundtracks and videos.

VCD, book and Mouser captured on Moleskine

When Cats, The Musical opened in Broadway in the early 80s, the buzz surrounding it reached Manila and developed somewhat of a cult following among some of my peers in college who were in theater. When the production was given due recognition after winning both the Laurence Olivier (1981) and Tony (1983) Awards for Best Musical, we had spent many a downtime chats about mounting our own version of it at some point (something, I am sure, we shared with several other campus theater groups at the time and with many other theater companies since Cats, The Musical came into being). We had no idea what the costs were like and we didn't care. Just thinking of who was cast and who were perfect for certain roles from among friends and familiar theater names stirred our imagination no end.

Owing to reviews of the musical I had read at some point back in college and listening to a friend's original cast recording of the Broadway soundtrack on CD (Grammy-Best Musical Show Album/1984), and the video I purchased much later, I did dream of being able to actually watch it live either in Broadway or West End. It was one of those "must do" activities I would have done as a visitor had I the chance to go to either of those places.

Original Cats West End window card (Dewynters/1981)

And the poster, yes! The first time I saw a reproduction of its poster in a magazine, I was completely gripped by the minimalist layout, and, in particular, the cat's eyes with dancers' silhouettes as pupils. Designed in 1981 by Dewynters, now First Artist Corporation PLC which also did Les Miserable, Phantom of the Opera and many other West End production advertising, the poster imagery was so strong that it remains fresh and timeless even to this day and is, no doubt, one of the most iconic visual images of the 20th century.

T.S. Eliot and cats

In my book-hunting escapades in the early 90s, I came across a copy of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats [Illustrated Edition-Harvest/HBJ Books, 1982], the book on which the musical was based. Profusely illustrated by the great Edward Gorey [1], it was a real treat to have the sole copy priced at P2.50.

I love T.S. Eliot's play of words and imagination, something which, if one were unfamiliar, may seem wild but are actually accurate, sometimes dark, but over-all humane and humanistic representations of feline characteristics; also, of the funny descriptions of perceived cat inter-actions. The book was an even better read with the pen-and-ink drawings of the very imaginative Edward Gorey.

Needless to say, T.S. Eliot, since being introduced through a book from the high school library, is a favorite, one of the few poets I actually read. Like many excellent works of literature, my appreciation of his works deepened over time and was made even more special when a very good friend wrote The Hollow Men on a poster she gave me as a gift years ago. The Hollow Men still stands as one of my favorite pieces.

Chinx

It also happens that we have lived with generations of feline companions almost all our lives. Each of our cats had a back story (the ones we have still do), a name they respond to, and a distinct identity—we have a mental family tree of all our cats, by the way—that my sister and I have learned   "cat psychology" (we coined that for fun) to explain certain cat behaviors and identities to friends and acquaintances who were constantly curious about them.

We did have our Rum Tum Tigers, Our Grizabellas (Derby, JaJa, Mysteriously Mystifying Ms. T, and her kit, Ms. M), our Bustopher Joneses and our Deuteronomys, Black Cat and George. Yes, our cats were all well represented in T.S. Eliot's feline world.

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But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover—

But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name

~ The Naming of Cats, T.S. Eliot

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Near Impossible

Cats, The Musical sadly ended its run at the turn of this century—it closed in Broadway in 2000 after 18 years; London in 2002 after 21—dashing my hope of ever seeing it live in either of those venues and as they were originally staged.

Because of the cost of mounting a production like Cats, The Musical, a major, professional staging in the Philippines as Webber and Mackintosh had intended it was near impossible at that time, or since. It's been quoted that Andrew Lloyd Weber's Really Useful Group spent $5M to mount the Broadway production in 1982.

(If I recall correctly, the costliest Philippine musical production ever staged locally was S.K. Productions' Rama at Sita in 1999 at the UP Diliman Theater. It was said S.K. Productions' generosity resulted in spending for necessary upgrades of many of the venue's facilities for the first time since its construction, i.e. the orchestra pit, hydraulic lift and dressing rooms, among others.)

Anyhow, of all the re-staged hit plays and musicals in Broadway or West End that were ever mounted in full in the Philippines, it was Cats that was missing big time.

Cats in Manila: at last

Fast forward to 2010 and Manila will finally be able to experience Cats (Now and Forever)-The Musical with no less than Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awardee Lea Salonga as Grizabella (done originally by the great Elaine Paige/London and Betty Buckley/Broadway).
[Watch Elaine Paige's rendition of the song "Memory" here and about the character here (starting at 1:17).]

Lea Salonga sings Memory at the Cats (Now and Forever) launch, Nov09
[courtesy of Cats in Manila]

First announced in November 2009, Cats (Now and Forever)-The Musical, Manila will start its limited run on 24 July 2010 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). And since Cats (Now and Forever) is basically an ensemble production, Lea will be supported by an international cast, notably theater actors from the UK and Australia, as well as select Filipino thespians. I didn't catch what orchestra will be accompanying the production, though, or who the other cast members will be.

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TICKET PRICES
(inclusive of 3% service charge)

Matinees

SAT (3:00 pm) / SUN (2:30 pm)

PhP 7,210/ 5,150/ 3,605/ 2,060/ 1,030

-

Evenings

TUE (8:00 pm) / WED (8:00 pm)

THU (8:00PM) / SUN (7:30PM)

PhP 6,180/ 4,635/ 3,090/ 1,545/ 772.50

-

Evenings

FRI (8:00 pm) / SAT (8:00 pm)

PhP 7,210/ 5,150/ 3,605/ 2,060/ 1,030

-

NO CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE WILL BE ADMITTED

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The last time I saw Lea on stage was in Miss Saigon also at the CCP in 2000—yes, that long ago yet. Before that, I caught Grease at the UP Theater (1994) in which she played "Sandy". I remember her playing that role perfectly despite the venue being ill-equipped acoustically that, on the night I saw it, the rain outside almost upstaged the audio in the theater several times.

In recent years, I'd caught her briefly and occasionally on TV in noontime variety shows or televised specials.

It is, therefore, interesting to watch Lea on stage again, definitely more mature this time, and in the footsteps of legends. Quite a contrast to when she played "Kim" as a teenager, the role which won for her the Tony and other awards and set the standard by which all other "Kim"s are expected to uphold in the succeeding runs of Miss Saigon.

And to see the costumes, the junkyard set, the lighting, music and choreography—I am looking forward to seeing all those. Finally, in Manila. At last.

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• Cats (Now and Forever) the Musical will run at the CCP Main Theater until 15 August, 2010.
• Presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions Ltd. and David Atkins Enterprises
• Produced by Citi in association with The Really Useful Group.
• More details can be read at its Facebook page and at its official Tumblr blog.
• Tickets at Ticketworld, and from its outlets: NBS Shangri-La Plaza, Market Market Extension, North Edsa, Harrison Plaza, Glorietta 5 / Robinsons Department Stores / Ayala Malls Greenbelt 1, Glorietta 5, TriNoma 4th Floor /  CCP Box Office / Music Museum, Teatrino Promenade (Greenhills) / GRAND SQUARE STADIUM, Sta. Rosa, Laguna / TicketWorld Head, Suite 701, V. Madrigal Bldg. 6793 Ayala Ave., 1226 Makati City Telephone: 891-9999 TicketWorld Website  
• Online purchase using your VISA, JCB or Master Card credit cards.