A Few of my Favorite Things!!

Our journey to see The Sound of Music is quite an adventure in itself. When I’ve heard that Resorts World Manila, will be staging The Sound of Music at the Newport Performing Arts Center, I was pretty much not interested because I have seen The Sound of Music four years ago when Repertory Philippines presented it with Menchu and Audie as leads so I sort of brush it off and didn’t bother to get updates. But on our way to the airport going to Cebu last month and seeing the big poster outside saying that they got Joanna Ampil as Maria, that made me excited, changed my mind and said to myself that I have to see this if Joanna Ampil will star in it. I’ve seen Joanna Ampil, a Filipina who starred in major productions such as Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar etc in West End, in the West Side Story three years ago and I was very impressed by her. I then went on to even see her on her valentine concert the following year. I had a chance to get a picture with her during West Side Story as I won a backstage pass. It’s thrilling to stand beside her.

With Joanna Ampil backstage after West Side Story (2008)

Anyways, going back to The Sound of Music, with a dead set goal to see the musical, I started checking for updates and ticket prices. Ticket prices are a little bit higher than any major theater productions but still good. Browsing Resorts World Manila’s website, I saw their promotion “Find the Von Trapps”. It’s sort of a hunting game wherein you will have to look for the seven Von Trapp Children ‘stand-in’ pictures scattered all across the RWM. I was viewing this and checking the mechanics early in the morning of Oct 8 and seeing the Facebook post on the clues where the stand-ins were. Given that Oct 8 was the first day of the Week 2 contest, we just decided to just go and join. The contest needs the first 10 who will be able to send their pictures with the stand-ins so we went to RWM just before 10AM with some shops still not yet open. Armed with the research I made that morning, pretty much I know where each kid would be. We easily found four plus I know the last one would be outside at the Star Cruise building but we still haven’t found Liesel and Brigitta. We went around the mall couple of times before finding Brigitta and we had to ask one of the guards if we can go up the Maxim’s side of RWM to check and that’s where Liesel is. On we went to Kenny Rogers for the last kid, It’s Kurt I think and then had lunch. Good thing that Kenny Rogers has Wi-fi, so I plugged in my camera and laptop and at around 11:30 or 12, we were able to send our entries. One week after that, we got a confirmation that we won VIP tickets. A total of 6 VIP as my wife and company worth 2000 pesos each. I'm getting good with these contests, right?

Last Saturday we went to see the Matinee and Newport Performing Arts Center is huge but that’s not a problem because we’re seated 4 rows away from the stage at VIP seats. As the curtain went up, I was filled with awe as they show the first set, they were also huge and so realistically looking. And they had the biggest LED screen at the back added more to the illusion. By the way, I’m just so happy that Maria was played by Joanna that day and Jon Joven as the captain.
Aside from the world class performance from its leads and powerhouse supporting cast and the children, I’m very much impressed with the set design. The Von Trapp mansion looks very real and big with the drapes over the window.

The classic songs were lovely and the whole music just never fails to touch anyone. Do-Re-Mi is a timeless classics. There were new songs though that I’m not quite familiar (sung by Max and Elsa) but it is still The Sound of Music I know. I had goosebumps when the children sang ‘The sound of Music’ for the first time to Elsa and the Captain sang with them.

After almost three hours, can’t believe it was that long because you won’t notice the time, Jethro went out singing “Doe, a deer a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun.” over and over again until now, actually. He’s trying to learn the lyrics of the rest of the song though and hopefully would be able to complete the verse.