ROCK OF AGES - MANILA mini-diary
ROCK OF AGES - MANILA mini-diary videos
ROCK OF AGES - MANILA mini-diary sneak peek's
ROCK OF AGES - MANILA mini-diary entries
9 November 2014 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN: Here it is. My last ROCK OF AGES performance, the last show in Manila, my last ‘Stacee Jaxx’ ever…And I am ready to hang up my cowboy hat, and move to other pastures. It’s been one hell of a journey, with many ups and downs. But the downs were few and hardly worth talking about. From the moment we first started rehearsals in NYC for the 1st US TOUR, I knew that this was going to be something special for me. I have met so many amazing friends, had such incredible experiences, traveled to so many places and ROCKED THEM ALL!! Thank you to all of those who were a part of my journey. I am so blessed to have shared this time of my life with you all. So this is our final stand, and we will take this bad boy all the way home. No prisoners!!! Namaste…
The ROCK OF AGES - Manila Company, 2014
7 November 2014 YOLANDA: Today marks the one year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda, and the beginning of production of PHIL IT UP. Never have I been involved in something so timely important as bringing the beauty of the Philippines to the rest of the world, just as God decided to put a major spanner in the works in the form of the most powerful storm to ever hit. One year on, and our job is even more important to show that the Philippines is as beautiful as ever and those regions that were badly hit are well on their way to recovery. But today, what we must remember above all, are those thousands of unfortunate souls that perished under the might and fury of Yolanda. May they never be forgotten and may they continue to be the inspiration behind the constant rebuilding and reconstruction of Tacloban and the Visayas. May their legacy be the foundations for a bright and beautiful future for the Philippines.
David Weinholdt, Sophie Sumner and MiG, mark the beginning of production of PHIL IT UP
4 November 2014 SUNDAY ALL STARS: Went on TV on Sunday at GMA 7 with the SUNDAY ALL STARS. Just a regular Sunday organized chaos in a TV studio packed with screaming live fans, a plethora of dancers, kick-arse band and so many celebrities, young and not-so-young, rookies and veterans, but one thing is for sure. Amongst all this craziness I was so totally blown away by the amazing voices I heard in that studio. OMG!! These Filipinos can SAAANG!!! Had to lift my game amongst them all. Had a blast, promoted the show, Kayla rocked it, and I was totally entertained on my supposedly day off! #itsmorefuninthephilippines
30 October 2014 AND IT DON'T GET BETTER THAN THIS: Here we are again! Opening night of the repeat, repeat run of ROCK OF AGES in Manila. Bigger, louder, ruder and SCARIER than ever before!! I love this cast and I love being here for this show. HALLOWEEN has never rocked so hard, The Meralco Theatre will never be the same again...so come on feel the Nyoy's!
27 October 2014 STUDIO M: Our last day at the awesome STUDIO M rehearsal studios. Today we hit the Meralco Theater, HARD! One long day of tech rehearsals and adjustments. Tomorrow we have our first audience preview of Meralco employees and families. It's going to be tight, but that's how we roll baby!! Strap on those seat belts and away we go...
26 October 2014 SITZPROBE: The Pogiboyz are back in town!!! ARSENAL is complete. SITZPROBE today and this show is gonna ROCK! I feel the noise....
22 October 2014 MAGIC: So I get this message from my buddy that he and his band just landed in Manila and are doing this little gig at the Newport Performing Arts Centre. But this is Ben Spivak with his band MAGIC! So this is no ordinary gig. They were brilliant. Such amazing musicians in their own right each. So very proud of their success and no one deserves it more than Ben. Their next little gig is to support MAROON 5 on their world tour. So, no biggie then...!!!
Nyoy Volante, MiG, and Ben Spivak after the MAGIC concert in Manila
20 October 2014 DON'T STOP REHEARSING: It's been amazing reuniting with all my crew in Manila, and getting to know my new cast mates! The show is shaping up great and will be even bigger, brighter and LOUDER than ever before. We are going to destroy the Meralco, one melted face at a time!
19 October 2014 I start rehearsals today for ROCK OF AGES - Manila. Our THIRD season!! Looking forward to reuniting with my good friends and meeting the new ones in a baptism of FIRE!! xx
12 October 2014 IT'S A TWISTER! Well, not really, but I did see a lot of rain fall in a very short time. The waters rose way too quickly in Manila. It was only a storm that lasted a couple hours, but even then, the streets were flooding and chaos seemed imminent. Obviously, something needs to be done to fix the despairingly inadequate drainage system of this city. This is a tropical country, subject to tropical storms. Rainfall here is frequent and heavy. I can only imagine how this city drowns when an actual typhoon hits. To improve the drainage system of this city should be the number one priority. Everyone knows it. I just don't know why it hasn't already been done. Typhoons are still coming. The city will flood again. How many lives must be lost before it is done? Where will the buck stop? When will this madness end?
10 October 2014 SHREK Atlantis has done it again. Every time I see one of their productions, I am blown away with the quality of the talent, the staging the EVERYTHING!! Their latest offering, SHREK was flawless! So proud of my ROA alumni, and proud of ALL the SHREK team, this Filipino production truly rivals any that I’ve seen anywhere around the world. I am still so buzzing with what an amazing time I had. Bravo Atlantis!!!!
6 October 2014 MANILA BOUND Manila here I come. I've also got a brand new re-order of MORE THAN EVER CDs, ready to go. Shiny and new and fresh out of the oven!! COME AND GET IT!!!!