Ateneo BlueRep BAREs All Again

The Ateneo BlueREPERTORY brings back on stage BARE: A Pop Opera as season finale. BARE, with book, music and lyrics by Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, tells the story of Peter Simmonds and Jason McConnell, two boys in love with each other and struggling with life's issues amid peer pressure, societal expectations, among others. Peter is getting tired of living his life in the closet, while Jason is not yet ready to come out, given the high expectations of his family and peers. The story is set in a Catholic boarding school.

Reprising his role as Peter is Bibo Reyes, whose roles in other productions include Sonny in Atlantis Productions' In the Heights; and Berger in Hair, Dennis in All Shook Up, and Tank in Zanna, Don't, all of Ateneo BlueREPERTORY.

Coming in as Jason is Jaime Barcelon, who appeared in Atlantis Productions' The Little Mermaid as Jetsam, Repertory Philippines' Little Women as Laurie and The Sound of Music as Rolf, and Ateneo BlueREPERTORY's Tick... Tick... BOOM! as Jonathan Larson, among other productions.

Maronne Cruz plays the role of Ivy Robinson, the pretty and popular student who falls for Jason. Maronne has appeared as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Jeanie in Hair, Woman 2 in Edges, and Scaramouche in Rock and Rule, all produced by Ateneo BlueREPERTORY.

Directed by Ana Abad Santos, BARE opens on February 29, 2012, 8pm at Teatrino, The Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan. Other play dates are March 1 to 3, and March 7 to 10, with gala shows on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8pm, and matinee shows on Saturdays at 3pm.

For tickets and inquiries, you may contact Chiz Jardin at 09165787618 or through e-mail at nicojardin12@yahoo.com. Show buyers can contact Luis Marcelo at 09175025847.

Facebook users can subscribe to www.facebook.com/bluerepbare and www.facebook.com/blueREPERTORY. Twitter users can follow @_blueREPERTORY.

BARE: A Pop Opera is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), 570 Seventh Avenue, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10018 (www.theatricalrights.com).

Awesome Threesome

I went to a threesome this weekend, and it was orgasmic—actually better than that. Together with friends I met through MGGFF, I went to the launch of Threesome: Books to Break the Rules. It was the launching of the following blogs-turned-books: McVie's The Wetbook: Stories from the Bathhouse, E's The Chronicles of E, and Migs' Dear Migs: Letters to MGG, the Manila Gay Guy.

It was a mix of emotions. There was anxiety of what to expect at the launch. I also felt the paranoia and excitement of seeing familiar faces, paranoia because of the possibility that I'll come out once more to someone I know personally, and excitement because of the thought that if I indeed see someone familiar there, it's either he's one of us or at the very least accepting of us. Then as the authors presented their books, I laughed at the authors' humor, got teary-eyed a bit at the heartwarming stories, admired the courage of E and Migs to come out in the open (sige na nga isali ko na rin si McVie, hehe), and just felt happy that I witnessed this momentous occasion for these three bloggers/authors, their editors, and the new publisher in town, Grey Matter Publishing. Congratulations to all of you!

I was also able to see, although not mingle with, Cookie Chua, Ryan Chua, and RG Cruz—haha shy type ako. :)

Of course, I was able to see some friends again, meet new ones, see online friends in person, and see a number of hot, goodlooking guys. I'd like to send a special shoutout to that one hot guy who, most of the time, caught me looking at him. Haha. I wish I could see you again. :)

Now I can say that once in my life, I joined a threesome and it felt gooood—way better than what any casual sexual encounter could offer. :)

For those interested in buying the books, you can buy online at mybookstore.ph for now. Soon they will be available in National Book Store. So buy, read, and share with your friends. :)