JOKEbox SELECT!

April 10 was a fun-packed Sunday for me. After attending my friend’s graduation at PICC and his graduation party at Gateway and being a buzzer beater, I flew to UP Diliman to watch UP SAMASKOM’S Live A.I.D.S. 27: Jokebox Musical at the UP Abelardo Hall Theater, College of Music. With an impending deadline and hellache (hell+head+ache), I rushed to say hi to Oble again and watch this hilarious musical-comedy-variety show. And mind you, for two or three hours, I forgot all the about the cares of my own world and just laugh my head off. Laughter is the best medicine, indeed. Cliché much! Hehe.  🙂

For those who are not yet familiar with this event, Live A.I.D.S. (Ang Istoryang Dinebelop ng SAMASKOM) is a WIN performance written, choreographed, directed, and produced solely by the members of UP SAMASKOM, which are UP students from the College of Mass Communication. According to my research (thanks to clickthecity.com), Live AIDS‘s first started to make people laugh in 1985. Since then, the entire UP community, other universities, and showbiz personalities have anticipated their annual showcase of sheer talent and free-flowing wit. The people behind this oh-oh-awesome production include UP SAMASKOM’s alumni – Tuesday Vargas, Giselle Sanchez, Ate Glow, Wency Cornejo, band performers Miro Valera of Stonefree and Kris Gora of Eraserheads, directors Jeffrey Jeturian, Lauren Dyogi, Jerry Sineneng, broadcasters Riki Kwek and Kim Atienza, among others.

My friends and I were lucky that night to meet and greet Tuesday Vargas, who jumpstarted the tickling of everyone’s funny bone. She was hilarious, spitting jokes here and there – unscripted and uproarious – during the pre-show of the event. Her subject of comedy was a non-UP student whom she cordially invited to the stage for a contest, but meanly embarrassed, because of her pambabalahura. Haha! They guy was so alaskado. I bet non-UP students will forever stay on the sidelines, avoiding being asar talo. Hehe. 🙂

Anyhow, the show started around 8pm. Upon the AVP intro, I was bracing myself not to be overawed, but did look that way anyway, I bet. Hehe. The whole prep for the show was amazing enough for me and I was not disappointed with how the performance was executed. Since it was my first time, my comments are safe and light, because I do not have anything to compare it with. Nonetheless, the whole event was filled with hilarious spoofs, platformed in a classic kid’s tale, Wizard of Oz, but it appeared to me as the adventure of Dora (and her Bekpek), the Explorer. Monologues and other theatrical performances were squeezed in song and dance numbers, which were all originally choreographed and musically scored by the members of SAMASKOM. One more thing to be applauded in this show is the live music, which was carried throughout the show. (Clap clap to Mela Senga, the sister of Ruth, my teammate, and of course, to the whole crew.) Indeed, it was a jukebox musical, infused with witty jokes and funny gags.

 The parts where I literally jumped out of my seat in laughter include the stint of the evil queen of QC (Queen City) and Shalami’s monologue. The evil queen of QC (Queen City), with her green face paint on and feathery outfit, was insanely funny, especially when she gave clever comments while pictures of popular personalities were projected on the screen. You would really laugh if you see Justin Bieber’s bald head and Mosley punching Pacquiao’s Mommy Dionisia! Hahaha! And who wouldn’t giggle upon hearing the impersonator of Novaliches councilor Shalani Soledad deliver her spiel about her recent breakup with President Noynoy Aquino and Pnoy’s pre-empted love affair with fashion icon Liz Uy? “Masyado kang mahilig sa fashion. I have one word for you: Dammit!” was reverberating in my head. Haha! Ruth, my team mate, said that the real Liz Uy went to see Live AIDS on the last night (April 11, Monday) and the impersonator cut and pasted adlibs because of her surprise appearance. Imagine how hilarious it is to see Shalani 2.0 and ze Liz Uy in one live show! Haha! The other parts, of course, made me laugh and were noteworthy, too.

Even though the show may seem just-for-laughs, it was no shallow slapstick comedy. It has depth and semblance of brilliance, which is really a product of an intelligent mind, only sweet coated in jokes and gags. More than comic relief, Live AIDS subtlety imparts social relevance and active social participation. Behind the witticism, political satires and social commentaries were embedded in the Live AIDS’s brand of humor. Some parts touched current events like JanJan’s abuse in Willing Willie and Ombudswoman Mercedita Gutierrez’ recent corruption clamor.  True to its nature and setting, one cannot deny that UP blood runs in the veins of the performers and down to the core of Live AIDS.

No wonder Live AIDS has become a must-see! It started as a standing-room-only event, but now has become and deserved a standing ovation! Kudos to UP SAMASKOM for giving laughter to students, faculty, alumni, and others who want sheer entertainment, but in-depth performance! Till next year! 🙂