CCP Met: Live in HD season ends with Cossi Fan Tutte
SEASON 8 of The Met Opera in HD — a collaboration of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc., and Ayala Malls Cinemas — culminates with Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte on Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m., at Greenbelt 3 Cinema 1 in Makati City. Part of the Met’s popular English-language holiday series, this opera is a twisted tale about two pairs of lovers who find themselves on one emotional, and sometimes literal, thrill ride after another. Tickets are priced at P450. Students and young professionals may enjoy the screenings for P100 upon presentation of a valid ID. Tickets are available at Greenbelt ticket booths and on the website www.sureseats.com.
Free film screenings with CCP
THE CULTURAL Center of the Philippines (CCP), through the different programs under its Film, Broadcast and New Media Division (CCP FBNMD), will screen local and international films for free in various venues nationwide. The CCP Arthouse Cinema puts the spotlight on the fight for human rights with a special screening of Maria, Cinemalaya’s first documentary film in competition, on Dec. 7, 1 p.m., at the FEU Mini-Auditorium. This event celebrates the 75th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights. To get the latest updates, follow the official CCP and CCP FBNMD social media accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Pomeranz returning to the Philippines
Newport World Resorts welcomes Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter David Pomeranz back with a Coming Home concert that marks the 40th anniversary since he first performed in the country. The one-night show rewinds his greatest hits — which include “Got to Believe in Magic,” “King and Queen of Hearts,” “On This Day,” and “Born For You” — with his special guest Vina Morales on Dec. 8 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets for the upcoming concert, priced from P1,800 to P9,000, are now available at all TicketWorld and SM Tickets outlets.
Jose Mari Chan, CompanY in joint concert
JOSE MARI CHAN and The CompanY headline a holiday concert called Going Home to Christmas on Dec. 9, 8 p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Jose Mari Chan’s name has become synonymous with Christmas, with his song “Christmas in our Hearts” as the anthem of Filipino Yuletide celebrations and the biggest Christmas OPM album in history. Joining him in perfect harmony is The CompanY. The acapella pop group from the 1980s popularized songs such as “Everlasting Love,” “Muntik Na Kitang Minahal,” and “Now That I Have You.” The group is currently composed of Annie Quintos, Moy Ortiz, OJ Mariano, and Sweet Plantado. Tickets are available via TicketWorld.
Spotify launches 2023’s Wrapped sharing feature
IT’S THAT time of the year again: Spotify has just launched 2023 Wrapped which gives users the opportunity of sharing data on their musical preferences. This year’s Wrapped is [acked with brand-new interactive features for users to celebrate their year on Spotify. They can find their personalized 2023 Wrapped experience when they open the app or head to Spotify.com/Wrapped. In addition to revealing the Spotify user’s top artists, genres, songs, and podcasts, there is the “Me in 2023” which will reveal one of 12 listening characters that best describes the way the user listened on Spotify, e.g. the Shapeshifter (quick to move from one artist to the next), the Luminary (play light, upbeat music more than others), and the Alchemist (create your own playlists more than others do). There is also “Sound Town” which matches users to a city based on their listening and shared artist affinity. Wrapped has also received a look upgrade this year, with data stories appearing in a refreshed way. Data stories include: The Top 5 Genres, Top 5 Artists, and Your Artist Messages (including Taylor Swift, Jung Kook, Ben & Ben, Shanti Dope, FELIP, and more). Eligible users can now access their personalized 2023 Wrapped experience in the Spotify mobile app (iOS and Android) and also, this year, via web view on mobile or Desktop by heading to Spotify.com/Wrapped. Also available is the Wrapped Feed, a one-stop shop for all things Wrapped, including the best of editorial playlists, merch from the user’s top artists, nearby concerts, and more. Users can also invite their friends to create a Blend and tap the ‘2023 Wrapped Top Songs’ filter to combine all of their top songs from this year into one shared playlist. Spotify will also bring the Wrapped experience to the Philippines in real life, with the opening of the Spotify Sari-Sari Store. In exchange for a user’s Wrapped results, they can take home exclusive merch, and hear from their favorite podcasters in real life, among other experiences. The Spotify Sari-Sari Store will be at the SM MOA Main Atrium from Dec. 8-10.
K-Drama Death’s Game comes to Prime Video
ONE OF the most anticipated K-dramas of the year, Death’s Game, starring Seo In-guk and Park So-dam, will premiere on Prime Video in the Philippines and more than 240 countries and territories on Dec. 15. Death’s Game, a TVING and Amazon Original produced by SLL, is based on a popular webtoon of the same name. Seo In-guk (Cafe Minamdang, Doom at Your Service) plays depressed failure Choi Yee-jae who decides to take his own life. Park So-dam (Parasite) plays Death, who decides to punish Yee-jae and reincarnates him 12 different times to live different lives that must be saved from their imminent deaths. The series is written and directed by Ha Byung-hoon, who previously directed 18 Again, Go Back Couple, and The Sound of My Heart. Prime Video is available in the Philippines for P149 per month.
The Ransom Collective, Bandang Shirley in show
MANILA-based production outfit GNN will be wrapping up the year with their annual yearend event at 123 Block in Mandala Park, Mandaluyong City, on Dec. 15, 7 p.m. onwards. The show will feature some of their favorite collaborators: The Ransom Collective, Oh Flamingo!, SOS, Ang Bandang Shirley, and Ciudad. Early bird tickets are currently on sale for P700 for a limited time only. Regular/door tickets will be available for P800. Slots can be secured via this link: bit.ly/gnnyep23.
Jose Mari Chan joins Aegis in Christmas concert
FILIPINO music icon Aegis is set to conquer the big stage with a Christmas-themed concert at the Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City, Metro Manila, on Dec. 20, 8 p.m. Dubbed Aegis: The Christmas Bonus Concert, the yearend celebration aims to showcase the career-spanning legacy of the powerhouse band and its signature anthems. The show will also feature Jose Mari Chan, known for his beloved classics and Christmas-themed repertoire. The Manila String Machine will also transform into a 15-piece orchestra to accompany Aegis in some of their songs. Tickets to the concert are now available at TicketWorld outlets nationwide and on their official website.
TikTok awards short film fest winners
On NOV. 28, short video platform TikTok awarded the winners of the first #ForYouPelikula Short Film Festival, in partnership with multimedia company Viva. The entry Lotto or JackPat by Iloilo-based content creator Novy Mae Recate clinched three out of four awards: best actor, best actress, and best short film, which comes with a cash prize of P50,000. She has nearly 900,000 followers on TikTok, a following she gained from her regular short-form discussions of movies and TV online. Her short film is about a couple with differing views in life, which forces them to confront whether they will stay together or let go. The entry Nomi (Inom) by UP Diliman student Rico Romano Kamatoy brought home the best entry award, which comes with a cash prize of P50,000. His short film chronicles a young man’s day at the beach with friends until a tragic twist is revealed. Their films can be viewed on the TikTok platform.