SINCE Monday is a working day for me, I conveniently forgot the State of the Nation Address (Sona) which was on July 24, a Monday.
The Sona is for the president, and there’s the State of the Province Address (Sopa) for the governor, the State of the Municipality Address (Soma) for the town mayor, the State of the City Address (Soca) for the city mayor, the State of the Barangay Address (Soba) for the barangay captain.
The acronyms may inspire Pinoy to create other versions: Sana for Sona, Sopas for Sopa, Sumama for Soma, Nakakasuka for Soca, Suba for Soba.
Sana matupad ang mga pangako ni BBM sa Sona. The resto’s Sopas tasted better than the Sopa. Sumama ang loob while listening to the Soma. Nakakasuka na ang mga kasinungalingan ng Soca. Ang Suba nahimong tuba tungod sa Soba.
It’s the Sona’s annual fashion show that takes the seriousness out of the occasion. Who cares about who the politicians are wearing? Yes, the question is, Who are you wearing? And not, What are you wearing? It’s the designer, not the attire.
The Pinoy is interested in the state of the nation and not the state of the attires of the politicians and their significant others. Still, there was Heart Evangelista wearing a Michael Leyva Filipiniana.
Evangelista has become an icon in the international fashion arena. I wonder if that kind of status is easier to maintain compared to being an actress in Pinas. All she has to do is walk along the Champs-Elysees in Paris while clad in designer apparel, and to make sure the paparazzi are around to capture the moment. Acting in Pinas may level up to starring roles in Hollywood, though, as what happened to Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon, and Kris Aquino.
And it’s Salonga who was recently in the news, not for her acting, but for refusing a request from some audience members to have selfies with her inside her dressing room. This might have made her non-fans believe that her talent is excellent but her attitude needs a repellent. Ouch.
She’s currently performing in “Here Lies Love” on Broadway, as Ninoy Aquino’s mother, Aurora. With that tidbit alone, I’m sure you can already make a wild guess on what the musical is about—Ninoy Aquino? Tita Cory? The Marcoses? Okay, it’s about the life of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Disco was popular in the ‘70s when the elder Marcos became a dictator. Then-First Lady Imelda even attended the opening of Studio 54, a famous disco club in New York, on April 26, 1977. “Here Lies Love” is using the disco design for its stage, complete with audience participation.
This is a first for Broadway: an all-Filipino cast. And this is the first time for Salonga to play a Pinoy character, and her first time to be a producer.
If the musical sounds familiar, it actually opened Off-Broadway a decade ago when PNoy was president. So, for the show to be revived now that BBM is president, and on Broadway no less, is kind of, hmmm, courageous.
Will Salonga bring “Here Lies Love” to Manila? Abangan.
