Tag Archives: London

THE ADOBO TOUR PART 4: MADAM TUSSAUDS WAX MUSEUM WANTS TO REPLICATE MARCOS CRYPT

imageBATAC, Ilocos Norte (The Adobo Chronicles) – The Adobo Chronicles crew members were treated to a special private tour of the Ferdinand Marcos Presidential Center which houses the late president’s refrigerated crypt. The center is located in Marcos’ hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines.

The visiting public is prohibited from taking photos or videos of the crypt, and so were we.

We learned from one of the center’s docents that the world-famous Madam Tussauds wax museum has been negotiating with the Marcos family to replicate the crypt for display at its London site. Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussauds. It is a major tourist attraction in London, displaying waxworks of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and infamous murderers.

Marcos’ widow, Imelda, has reportedly refused to grant permission to Madam Tussauds to, in her words, “waxate” the crypt until after the Aquino government has allowed her husband’s burial in the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani (National Heroes’ Cemetery).

Mrs. Marcos also reportedly wants Madam Tussauds to donate an undisclosed percentage of the daily proceeds from the London museum — effective when the wax Marcos crypt is installed — to the poor people of the Philippines.

Already, Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares has her eyes set on the potential donation from the Madam Tussauds. Always vigilant, this taxwoman!

MISS WORLD 2014 TOP 12 ACCORDING TO THE ADOBO CHRONICLES’ CRYSTAL BALL

London, England (The Adobo Chronicles ) – Once in a while, The Adobo Chronicles consults its own crystal ball to predict some world competition outcomes — like the 2014 Miss World Beauty Pageant to be held on December 14, 2014 in London. Who will succeed the reigning Miss World,  the Philippines’ Megan Young?

Here is our prediction for the Top 12, in no particular order.  Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments section.

SEE WHO’S IN OUR TOP 12.

A full list of contestants is available here.

 

 

TRANSGENDER CAST AS UNDERSTUDY FOR THE ROLE OF KIM IN “MISS SAIGON” REVIVAL

miss-saigon.jpg.pagespeed.ce.z_0DvW_yB-London, U.K. –  The West End revival of “Miss Saigon” is scheduled to open on May 3, 2014 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London. The new Cameron Mackintosh production coincides with the musical’s 25th anniversary next year.

Set in 1975 during the final days of the American occupation of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), the musical tells the epic love story between Chris, an American G.I., and Kim, a young Vietnamese bargirl, and is loosely based on  Giacomo Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.”  It features music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from the original French lyrics by Boublil.

Noblezada
Noblezada

Mackintosh has announced that 17-year old Eva Noblezada, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, has been cast to play the lead role of Kim. Noblezada currently attends the NorthWest School of the Arts in Charlotte. The plan is for her to perform four shows a week when “Miss Saigon” opens, with understudies covering the rest of the performances so she can keep up with her studies.

The Adobo Chronicles learned from inside sources that a 21-year old transgender will train and rehearse as understudy for Noblezada.  The sources declined to reveal the name or ethnicity of the understudy.  They, however, said that the transgender actress looks and sounds like a young Lea Salonga who originated the role of Kim when it first opened in London.

It will be recalled that when “Miss Saigon” opened on Broadway, the show was met with protests from Asian Americans because it cast a Caucasian, Jonathan Pryce, in the role of the Engineer. This time, Mackintosh has cast a Filipino actor, Jon Jon Briones, to play the all-important role.

Entertainment critics have speculated that the casting of a non-Caucasian for the role of the Engineer and a transgender understudy for the role of Kim, is the production’s way of sending a message that the new “Miss Saigon” is quite sensitive to issues of racial and sexual diversity.

Upon learning of the news about the transgender understudy, a small group of LGBT activists held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Prince Edward Theatre yesterday, chanting “We’re here, we’re Queer, we’re celebrating with our peer!”