The Wheel and Axle

I can never get enough of Rak of Aegis. Recently, Season 7 opened, and of course I had to see it again (third time, the most recent being last year).

What I love about Rak is that – like many original Filipino musicals like Zsazsa Zaturnnah, Ako Si Josephine, and Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady – every run adds new spins. Updated jokes that reference current events and pop culture memes are inserted, making each run feel fresh again while retaining everything that made the show successful.

Rak of Aegis Season 7 is such an experience. On top of small reinventions, new cast members are placed into the mix, giving returning audiences the opportunity to see different interpretations of classics.

And so it goes that we once again experience the travails of Bgy. Venizia, which gets flooded for months after a the construction of a gated community nearby prevented proper drainage. Against this backdrop and the backdrop of a social media age where virality is the way to fame, the community’s diverse array of residents struggle to cope with poverty, love, friendship, and ambition. (continue reading…)

It’s no secret to folks around me that I’m a huge fan of Derrick Monasterio. Ever since The Road and through to Mulawin vs. Ravena, I’ve always thought he had the potential of a very good actor.

So far, he hasn’t disappointed – and like I said before, I see him as a triple threat: a rarity in show business, especially local. Despite Filipino expectations that their matinee idols be capable of singing, dancing, and acting, there are really very few who can actually do all three very well. Derrick, in my opinion, is one of those rare gems.

Well, he certainly hit the right notes again last Friday night in the sequel to the 2016 Oh Boy! concert, this time called Oh, Boy! Oh, LOL.

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So my friends and I watched Oh Boy! at the Music Museum last night. Yes, yes we did. The primary common driver for most of us was to see rising artist Derrick Monasterio, whom I’ve been a fan of for a few years now. We’ve also been quite fond of all the other performers – particularly Aljur Abrenica and Jake Vargas, not to mention Rocco Nacino – but Derrick was really the main guy for three out of the four of us.

Because, well, look at him.

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