City Manila Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Here Lies Love (★★★★★) works so well. Patrons expecting the ambiance of a standard theater will be shocked to see the major transformation that has occurred at the Broadway Theater, which for 10 years was home to both the original production and revival of Miss Saigon.Gone are the plush crimson-red orchestra seats.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large MANILA — Anyone who lived in Hawai’i in the early 1990s remember the story of the pint-sized Elvis impersonator in a Waikiki revue named Bruno Hernandez. He wasn’t even in grade school yet when he appeared on the cover of the local Midweek newspaper (which we all still remember), dressed fully as the King, and it soon landed him a role as an Elvis impersonator in the film “Honeymoon in Vegas.” In Hawaii, local fame is a big deal. And before he even hit 10, Bruno was a bit of local celebrity. The cute kid already had the kind of style, performing chops and showmanship that some spend a lifetime trying to attain. Definitely not the kind of thing that even crossed my mind when I was in elementary school, living in the Philippines. Coincidentally, that’s where I was on Sunday night, watching Bruno Mars perform so effortlessly on stage at the Philippine Arena (in Santa Maria, Bulacan, about 30 km north of Manila, and about 75 km away where I once lived).

Aisling Bea inspired Kodaline’s Mark Prendergast to go solo in new solo outing, Man Alive.Prendergast has now shared the debut single of his new solo project, ‘Be Someone’ that you can listen to below.According to a statement, his friend, actor Aisling Bea, proved to be “a pivotal influence for him to take Man Alive to the wider world.”A statement revealed that “he played her an early version of ‘Be Someone’ when they were in Los Angeles in 2021, and her belief in the project really pushed him to make it happen.” It also noted that she encouraged him to change the first provisional name he had for his solo project, ‘Blood Type’, telling him it was “shit and doesn’t match your music.” Eventually, he went with Man Alive.Speaking about his new single, Prendergast said: “‘Be Someone’ is about a long-distance relationship falling apart, and how when you’re with somebody, they make you feel like a certain type of person, but then when you end the relationship and you’re by yourself, you always become a completely different person.”A statement added that the break-up, followed by lockdown, inspired Prendergast to write, record and produce a catalogue of songs from his home studio.You can listen to the song here:Earlier this year, Kodaline announced a tour of Asia this autumn, where they will travel to Singapore, Philippines, Taipei, Bangkok and more.They will kick off the tour September 5 in Singapore and then play shows in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Seoul.

The Black Eyed Peas open up about the possibility of performing again with Fergie.

“Glitter and Doom” stars Alex Diaz and Alan Cammish gush over what it was like to work with the Indigo Girls on the bright, queer and joyful film featuring many incredible musical numbers.

As Filipino Heritage Month rolls into motion, the dynamic Canadian duo Manila Grey, composed of Blame Soliven and Ghostride Neeko, recently shared their experiences as Filipino artists and their deep connection to their heritage in an interview with ET Canada’s Keshia Chanté.

Meet MND3GMA.

Can’t get enough of all things Drag Race? You’re in luck, as the most popular aftershow is making a comeback right alongside the standard series…and one of the best who’s ever played the game has returning to host.Bianca Del Rio, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 6, is back to host the weekly recap series “The Pit Stop” for RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8. She returns after taking over hosting duties from Monét X Change, who was the most recent leader in a long line of queens who have helmed the program.

There are so many ways to celebrate Asian Heritage Month and pay homage to this community, no matter your background — and one of our favourite ways is to run up the streams on songs by all our favourite artists of Asian descent. While you might know a number of notable artists from the radio, we’re here to put you on to some names that are up-and-coming, fresh, underground, or simply blooming with their music careers on TikTok.

Todd Gilchrist editor Soundstage facilities, an increasingly in-demand component of film production, are at the heart of New Mexico’s growing reputation as a destination for ambitious studios. Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office, says that while locations from “the mountains of Montana in ‘Big Sky’ to the streets of Manila in ‘The Cleaning Lady’” make her state ideal for filming, what’s crucial is filmmakers’ access to interior production space. “We understand that stage space has been a struggle, not only in New Mexico,” she says. In fact, that’s what initially caused Netflix to lead the charge in making New Mexico a Hollywood away from Hollywood; in 2018, they purchased Albuquerque Studios, a 28-acre site where “Better Call Saul” and “Hell or High Water” completed production. In addition to that facility’s eight soundstages, the streamer employs workers at third-party properties outside Albuquerque, says a Netflix spokesperson.

Get ready to sashay and savor! Hulu’s newest reality competition series Drag Me To Dinner is on its way and promises to be a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. The show’s first trailer is out and it is clear that this is going to be a fabulous must-see for all drag lovers. “A show about drag queens cooking and drinking,” Bianca Del Rio says in the trailer in her typical sassy manner, “what could possibly go wrong?” At first glance, it looks like we are all about to find out.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Orville Peck may be nervous about bringing drag queens onstage during his concerts in red states, but he refuses to let fear get in the way of fighting for LGBTQ rights. “We played Knoxville, and we did Memphis, and we played a few places in Tennessee and just the South in general. And I doubled down, and I had a drag queen come out in the middle of the show, and I would do a big speech,” Peck tells me. “To me, drag is extremely important not just because a lot of my lovely dear friends do it,” he continues. “It’s a cornerstone of not just gay culture but gay civil rights. It is literally why I have the ability to be an openly gay man in country music. Was I scared? Yes, but I did it anyway because sometimes you just have to do something no matter what.”

Drag Me To Dinner — and it sounds like it’s going to be messy, stunning, and so much fun. The upcoming reality program is scheduled to premiere on the streamer on May 31.The show is described as a “send-up” of traditional reality competition shows, so you know it’s going to be silly.Each episode of Drag Me To Dinner features two teams of two well-known and beloved drag queens competing to host the most extravagant and fabulous dinner parties they can.The first season of the show is set to run for 10 episodes, and it promises to be a wild ride from start to finish.A post shared by Bianca Del Rio (@thebiancadelrio)Each Drag Me To Dinner episode will revolve around a particular theme, which the pairs will have to adhere to as they plan their soirees.They will then be judged on their food and drink choices, their design and decor, and their entertainment options and the overall atmosphere of the party.The judges for the show include Neil Patrick Harris, drag superstar and Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio, as well as Haneefah Wood.

Dinner will be served at the end of May, and it’s going to be a real drag.

Gay Bash on OUTtv, writing for shows like Hulu’s Huluween Dragstravaganza, and hosting his popular podcast Just Sayin’.The six-foot-four funny man loves and respects the art of drag, but he’s never donned heels outside of dressing up for Halloween. Although, “God bless.

Alex Joseph Grayson is giving a breakout performance in the Broadway revival of Parade and we caught up with him to learn some fun facts about him that fans might not already know!

Canadian R&B duo Manila Grey recently with ET Canada’s Keshia Chanté to celebrate the release of their latest album, SOUND DRIFT, which dropped Thursday.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The global impact of traditional tattooing and the need to end its stigma is explored in upcoming feature-documentary “Treasure of the Rice Terraces,” directed by Filipino-Canadian Kent Donguines. The film sees Donguines embark on a journey of self-discovery and record the oral history recounted by 106-year-old Indigenous tattoo artist Apo Whang-Od, who was recently an unlikely cover star of Vogue Philippines. The film explores how the old practises in the Kalinga region, once banned and despised in Philippine society, have now evolved into a chic and in-demand type of body art that has become a source of pride and belonging for many Filipinos. It also delves into the issues of stolen mummified bodies, cultural appropriation, stigmatization, and discrimination faced by tattooed individuals.

Stray Kids have added concerts in Los Angeles, Japan and the Philippines to the upcoming 2023 leg of their ‘Maniac’ world tour.On November 7, the group shared a string of announcements unveiling additional dates for their 2023 ‘Maniac’ world tour. These include a series of “encore” shows in Los Angeles and the cities of Tokyo and Osaka in Japan.

slain at the Nashville Covenant School shooting last Monday and recounted her own experience of being in a school shooting in Knoxville, Tennessee.“The community of sorrow over this and the 130 mass shootings in the U.S. this year alone stretches from coast to coast,” the 29-year-old singer said.“I wanted to personally stand up here and share this moment because on Aug.

Making a statement — or two. Kelsea Ballerini did more than just host the 2023 CMT Music Awards on Sunday, April 2.

Iconic!!

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic During the opening monolog at Sunday night’s CMT Music Awards, broadcast from Austin on CBS, there was a comedic bit in which Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown exchanged anniversary presents to celebrate their cohosting of the show for the third consecutive time. Brown gave Ballerini a cowboy hat, and she reciprocated by giving him a pink hat to put on in return. At least a few audience members shared a joke about the exchange: By wearing pink, would Brown be breaking Tennessee’s recently passed law that some believe would ban most drag performances in the state, if they were back home? Viewers whose minds went there during that silly opening were just kidding — but Ballerini really went there later in the three-hour telecast, when she chose four “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queens to perform with her as she sang “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too).” That song, off her 2022 album “Subject to Change,” is Ballerini’s anthem of female friendship — and, with the way the CMT Awards routine played out, she very much seemed to be counting drag performers as among those friends. The performance was playful and ostensibly non-political, and in a different year might not have raised very many shaved or unshaved eyebrows. In spring 2023, it was hard to read it as anything other than a statement of: If drag queens are brought down, the rest of us will be dragged down with them.

Kelsea Ballerini made her feelings about the Tennessee drag ban known during her performance at the 2023 CMT Music Awards Sunday.

K-pop boyband TREASURE was recently caught in the middle of a stage equipment malfunction, leaving him with minor burns.Yesterday (April 2), the 10-member boyband performed at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand as part of the ongoing Asia leg of their ‘Hello’ tour.As seen in photos and videos taken by fans at the concert, member Yoon Jae-hyuk had been walking over stage equipment with a fire-emitting mechanism when it malfunctioned and unexpectedly released a burst of flames.The idol quickly moved away from the equipment and made sure that his clothes were not on fire, before heading backstage to receive medical attention.Is Jaehyuk ok? He step on fire OMG@treasuremembers pic.twitter.com/KXWbZnUhKm— bLub (@chubbyhubbybaby) April 2, 2023According to news outlets and fans at the show, Yoon returned onstage after a brief break with a bandage on his hand, where he sustained minor burns. After the concert, the singer held a livestream where he told fans not to “worry too much”.

Kelsea Ballerini made her feelings about the Tennessee drag ban known during her performance at the 2023 CMT Music Awards Sunday.Ballerini, who also served as the night's co-host, transported the audience backyard barbecue in the '60s, where she was surrounded by a bevy of drag queens while belting out her hit, «If You Go Down (I'm Goin' Down Too).»The group served as Ballerini's backup dancers, while the singer sang and strummed along on a pink guitar. After throwing her long, green coat to the side, Ballerini showed off a yellow two-piece, which she strutted her stuff in while the drag queens followed behind — all dressed in their best '60s-inspired wears.The performance ended with a flutter of confetti that was illuminated with rainbow stage lights, which made Ballerini's stance loud and clear.ET spoke to the drag queens — Kennedy Davenport, Manila Luzon, Jan Sport and Oliva Lux — that performed alongside the «Penthouse» singer, who shared the importance of taking the stage with Ballerini.«Just like all these amazing country music artists, we drag queens are also artists.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Vanessa Hudgens, the Asian American actor whose career kicked off in Disney’s “High School Musical” series, is set to shoot a travel documentary in the Philippines, the country of her mother’s birth. The untitled project will shoot in Palawan and Manila in March. Paul Soriano is attached as a director, producer and executive producer. Mark A. Victor of TEN17P will also serve as executive producer. No distributor, broadcaster or streaming platform has yet been disclosed. Soriano’s recent credits include directing the 2019 film “Mañanita” and Manny Pacquiao biopic “Kid Kulafu.”

K-pop girl group IVE will be releasing a new single ‘Kitsch’, ahead of their first studio album.Today (March 21), the Starship Entertainment act unveiled a teaser clip announcing their upcoming pre-release single ‘Kitsch’. Due out on March 27 at 6pm KST, the song will be part of IVE’s first studio album ‘I’ve IVE’ arriving on April 10.Titled ‘It’s our time, Kitsch’, the teaser clip features individual close-up shots of IVE as a snippet of the energetic new track plays, with the members chanting “kitsch” over a thumping beat.In addition to ‘Kitsch’, IVE’s upcoming studio album will also include new tracks ‘Blue Blood’ and ‘Not Your Girl’, which the group previously performed at their first concert ‘The Prom Queens’ in Seoul last month.Following the release of ‘I’ve IVE’, the six-member group will be embarking on their first Asia tour ‘The Prom Queens’ in June.