For almost five decades now, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) has served as the country’s principal and institutional venue for artistic and cultural productions. For its 2013 season, the iconic landmark along the capital’s Roxas Boulevard will continue to raise the Filipino flag high and proud with a year of world-class offerings.

CCP Vice President and Artistic Director Chris Millado officially announced a line up filled with new musicals and revivals; classic operas; orchestral concerts; indie films and world cinema titles; arts festivals and competitions; visual arts displays; educational events; and digital and multimedia offerings.

But before unveiling a special preview of the 2013 performances at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, Millado ceremoniously bid 2012 goodbye and remembered the CCP’s accomplishments for the year that is about to end.

The CCP head proudly shared that three homegrown CCP festivals broke their own attendance records. These were the Pasinaya, a muti-arts, open-house festival; the Virgin Labfest, a one-act play festival of unstaged and unpublished works by budding playwrights; and the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

He then recalled some of CCP’s most successful shows for 2012 including three classical operas, La Traviata, Madame Butterfly and The Barber of Seville; a retrospective exhibit of works by Roberto Chabet; and lastly, the extended run of The Phantom of the Opera.

All these events, according to Millado, responded to CCP’s vision to “make art matter to every Filipino.” He then assured the gathering of artists, art enthusiasts and supporters and members of media that CCP will continue to do the same, if not top what it has done, in the coming year.

The resident companies
One of the strengths of CCP is its top-notch resident performing companies, namely the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Ballet Philippines, the Tanghalang Pilipino (TP), the Ramon Obusan Folkoric Group, the National Music Competition for Young Artists (Namcya), the Philippine Madrigal Singers, the Philippine Ballet Theater, the UST Symphony Orchestra, and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO).

For 2013, both Tanghalang Pilipino and Ballet Philippines will pay tribute to Andres Bonifacio’s 150th birth anniversary. Ballet Philippines will stage The Loves of Andres Bonifacio in September through a study of the hero’s romantic life and a peek in his loving heart.

Then in November, a new musical opera entitled San Andres B. will be mounted by Tanghalang Pilipino. The play, penned by National Artist Virgilio Almario, depicts the life, love, failures and triumphs of Bonifacio.

Besides these tributes to Bonifacio, more exciting shows are expected from the said companies. Officially ushering the 2013 season is TP’s revival of Katy, the iconic Filipino musical based on the life of Bodabil Queen Katy de la Cruz.

Katy features original music by Ryan Cayabyab, a libretto by Jose Javier Reyes, musical direction by Mel Villena, and direction by Nestor Torre. Isay Alvarez will star as Katy.

Other performances from TP include a new musical of the Bicolano folk epic Ibalong, a new version of Merchant of Venice, and a repeat of Stageshow.

At the preview, TP performed an excerpt from Stageshow, while the Spotlight Productions, an excerpt from Katy featuring Gian Madrigal.

Meanwhile, Ballet Philippines, which continues to gain international recognition, will mount A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, and Le Corsaire, which the company’s members chose to preview at the announcement.

Meanwhile, CCP’s musical extravaganzas will feature the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the UST Symphony Orchestra, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, and the Namcya.

The PPO will celebrate its 40th anniversary with the Happy 40th, PPO! concert in February. The rest of the year will feature its continued concert series, as well as a collaboration with the Namcya winners entitled Classical Champs in July.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers, or the Madz, will mount two major concerts as well as play host to the International Choral Festival and Competition; while the UST Symphony Orchestra, the training orchestra of the CCP, have also been assigned two major concerts.

For dance, The Bayanihan is set to host the annual Fiesta Folkloriada, the only international festival of folkloric music and dance that brings ensembles from all over the world on the same stage; while the Ramon Obusan Folkoric Group reprises their tribute to their founder with Ugat, Ugnayan, Obusan.

Spotlight on technology
Another exciting announcement from Millado was how CCP will introduce and embrace new technology in 2013.

By next year, Filipinos will be able to experience world-class performances from New York’s Metropolitan Opera—thanks to satellite technology. Without going out of the country, opera lovers will enjoy Met Opera productions at the CCP in high definition video and full dolby sound. Verdi’s Aida will be screened in January as the first of offering of this kind.

To this development, Millado said, “This is the way art is being delivered today. The Metropolitan Opera is very aggressive in marketing this kind of productions. In the long run, we see the possibility of us delivering our own live productions [through this technology] to New York, as well.”

Besides the live screening, CCP also strengthens its online presence through its improved and broadened website, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph. The new website now enables users to purchase tickets online, easily navigate the site and get updates about the CCP.

CCP has also started digitizing materials and making these available online. The website also allows users to explore arts and culture content through the online resource called MYCCP. According to Millado, everyone can do “anything” they want to MYCCP contents as they are what he called “Creative Commons.”

House of festivals
CCP will again mount a number of festivals that will take place at various venues. First of these is the Pasinaya in February. Millado shared that for next year, Pasinaya will go “Chinoy” (Filipino-Chinese) as it focuses on Filipino-Chinese arts and culture by partnering with Kaisa sa Kaunlaran Inc. and Bahay Chinoy.

Activities for the festival include dragon and lion dances, wushu martial arts performances, traditional Chinese opera, medicine, language and calligraphy, and of course, Chinese food tasting.        

The highly anticipated Cinemalaya meanwhile returns in July. The all-digital indie film festival will once again feature cutting-edge, new works by emerging and established Filipino filmmakers.

Millado revealed that on its ninth year, Cinemalaya will continue to grow. He said, “The Cinemalaya 2013 expands to two more cinemas in Alabang, bringing the screening venues outside of the CCP to six. Cinemalaya is steadily working its way to becoming not only a citywide festival but a national festival with screenings all over the country.”

A festival to celebrate the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ 50th anniversary will also happen in 2013. This will be the Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival in honor of the Madz founder. The festival will feature a choral competition in the categories of vocal ensemble, chamber choir and folk music.

Another tribute festival is also set in November. Entitled Fab!, the festival will honor choreographer Tony Fabella by featuring his best works. It will also bring numerous ballets schools and companies to showcase their best students and works.

Other exciting festivals to take place include CCP Earth Day in April; the Virgin Labfest in June; and the Fiesta Folkloriada in December.

From local to international
The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, the highest award given by the CCP, will also be conferred next year to seven individuals and an organization for their outstanding achievements and contributions to Philippine arts and culture.

The awardees are Agnes Locsin for dance, Ramon Santos for music, Zeneida Amador for theater, Brenda Fajardo for visual arts, Rodolfo “Dolphy” Quizon for film and broadcast arts, Florentino Hornedo for cultural anthropology, and The Silliman University National Writers Workshop will receive the Tanging Parangal for arts training and education.

To honor the genius of the late National Artist Salvador Bernal, who designed numerous operas and musicals, a major retrospective of his works—featuring scale models and actual costume pieces—will be held.

For many years now, the CCP has been home to many acclaimed international shows, from theater musicals, concerts, and more. In 2013, talents of the Paris-Manila Conservatoire will present Jacques Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne, a light comic operetta portraying aspects of Parisian life. PPO will provide live music accompaniment.

La Vie Parisienne is a collaboration with the Embassy of France which will be bringing in top opera teachers from Paris to coach upcoming Filipino opera singers. Some of these local opera performers will be sent to France for a scholarship.

For complete look on CCP’s artistic and cultural season for 2013, visit www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.