Published July 25, 2021, 7:30 AM
IMAGE OF AN ARTIST Lea Salonga as Eponine in
Les Miserables, John Arcilla as Heneral Luna in the film of the same name, and Arjo Atayde in the series
Bagman
Every time I hear Lea Salonga sing, I hear the voice of every child reaching as high a note as she could as though all her dreams rested there, the girl who would join neighborhood competitions held on makeshift stages at basketball courts, as well as the boy, whose parents, buoyed by their son’s promise, would sign him up at a summer singing program with a voice coach.
MOVIE REVIEW
Directed by Lamberto Avellana
CONFESSION: when I saw Lamberto Avellana’s revered film adaptation of Nick Joaquin’s classic play
Portrait of the Artist as Filipino some (mumble mumble) years ago, I wasn’t thrilled. It was an adaptation of a stage play that at first glance looked unapologetically stagy, complete with well-timed entrances and exits, and its actors spoke a Spanish-accented English I’d never heard in a Filipino film before. It was filmed in an understated style, and after the low angles and looming closeups and deep shadows of Gerry de Leon’s
Noli Me Tangere and
endIndex:
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 3) Naty Crame-Rogers, one of the pioneers of Philippine theater, died on Monday night. The matriarch of my family took her final bow, said Bam Bam Tiongson, the grandson of the 98-year old theater actress and educator, in his Facebook post. He did not state Rogers cause of death
Singer Sweet Plantado-Tiongson, Rogers granddaughter-in-law, posted the theater legend s deteriorating health condition hours before she died. Sad to say that she s nearing departure. Lungs, kidneys no more. Heart getting tired. She s on breathing machine. Palliative care is only thing we can do, Plantado said in her post.
Natividad “Naty” Crame Rogers was a true agent of Philippine theater arts, dedicating most of her life onstage and helping emerging thespians hone their craft, whether in front or back of the curtain. The Filipina artist passed away last Feb. 1, 2021, at the age 98 due to old health.
Best remembered for her portrayal of Paula Marasigan both on stage and in the film version of
Nick Joaquin’s “A Portrait of a Filipino Artist,” Naty is a respected Filipina actress, writer, drama teacher.
Since the start of her career in the ‘60s, Naty garnered numerous praises for work. She was honored with a Gawad Award in Theater by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), a Centennial Award for Women by the National Commission of Culture and the Arts, a Natatanging Gawad Award for Theater by Philstage. She was also among CCP’s Best 100 Filipino artists.