Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra Set To Perform in Carnegie Hall

Last night was awesome! I was one of the few people who had the chance to watch the send off concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City. I only expected the best and I got that from them, and this is going to be just a taste of what they'll be doing once they step on stage at the legendary Carnegie Hall in New York City. It's the place where the world's best performers actually go to and they're nothing but just spectacular if there's a word for it.

This is some sort of Maestro Olivier Ochanine's swan song as he's leaving the company after years of holding the baton but by the looks of it he's really not holding back. Diomedez Saraza Jr., world acclaimed violinist will also be there to perform with the orchestra and a couple more solos to the delight of the crowd. His favorites include a really good upbeat music called CAVATINA by Nicanor Abelardo which you should watch out for.

Aside from that, they'll be doing a few runs on classics, mostly of Italian origin, then a couple medleys and arrangements done by no less than Ryan Cayabyab to pay homage to Philippine music. I'm sure those who miss it will cry a bit, I know I did.

Thanks to PLDT, the MVP Group, PLDT Smart Foundation, Smart Infinity for making this all possible. Without their help, the logistics of bringing these musicians, their armaments (yes some of them need their own seats too) wouldn't be able to reach New York so they could do us, and our country proud! I hope this isn't the last time we would be able to take our world class Filipinos to world class stages outside he country!

Congratulations Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra! Thank you also to Smart Infinity for hooking us up!

KUMAGCOW

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Smart Infinity Presents Les Miserables in Manila

When word came out about the staging of Les Miserables in Manila, I was really looking forward to watch it at The Theater in Solaire. With a world class cast flying all the way from Australia and London, I only expected this to be the best musical I'm ever gonna be able watch in our country's soil. I think this isn't the first time but with all the improvements they probably put in through the years, this should be a grand spectacle that we Filipinos shouldn't miss!

I'm sure Cameron Mackintosh and the rest of his production would have been happy with the performances we watched during the press preview last Tuesday, let alone the whole show last night. He probably wouldn't have been surprised to know that people were either in the verge of tears or were already crying about how the ensemble cast portrayed their roles. The premium postpaid brand Smart Infinity made sure members had their perks first. We had dibs on tickets since last year and it's no different than when they did it with Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Wicked. Infinity subscribers of course were the first ones to get tickets to the show so you don't really need to line up like rest, now how's that for perks? Ha-ha!

Here's Rachelle Ann Go on Video as Fantine

The cast also includes London's West End based Rachelle Ann Go who took time out of that production so she could do it in the Philippines and perform in front of the hometown audience. She was unbelievable. I couldn't even imagine how perfect she was during the press preview, even more during the actual musical. You could feel her, even if I was in the balcony, looking down on stage, and that takes a lot of talent to do it. I had to pick up jaws of other people since she dropped most of it.

Here's their performance on video:

The story's given, but the actors and watching it live felt like you're watching a painting come to life. To put it into words, it was just surreal! I couldn't let my eyes off the stage as I might miss some of the sequences and important parts that I need to connect with the second act.

Here's my favorite scene on the barricade!

We also saw the cast in the afterparty hosted by Smart Infinity. Thank you so much to these people who made it possible to bring these world class shows and stage it on Philippine soil. Thank you Smart Infinity!

KUMAGCOW

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Smart Infinity offers Limited Edition Samsung Galaxy Note 5 BenCab

I've been to his Museum in Baguio twice in my lifetime. Seeing the works he's done in that place plus several art galleries in Manila, I can say that he is definitely one of the greatest artists from the Philippines, if not, the world! He's got a muse, he's also fond of northern tribe artworks, he's got a collection of pieces that you wouldn't actually see anywhere in the world. His paintings are surreal, an expression of how women, their beauty, their form, is all laid out on canvass, all colorful, all unique in his style, which only a BenCab can do.

These masterpieces by Benedict Cabrera looked so good in canvass, but what if you had the opportunity to own his artwork in one of the most favorite phones released this season? Yes, we're talking about a limited edition Samsung Galaxy Note 5. This just makes a beautiful marriage, merging the latest smartphone technology and contemporary art  done by no less than the National Artist for Visual Arts Benedicto “BenCab” Cabrera. In my books, it just doesn't get any better than that. I mean, that could literally just triple the price of your phone, no joke! Complete with a certificate of authenticity.

It's now available at LTE Plan 5000, Smart Infinity’s Consumable LTE Plan 3500 and Consumable LTE Plan 8000. You may call the Smart Infinity hotline 848-8806 to inquire about these plans or visit Smart Infinity’s website http://smart.com.ph/infinity/samsungnote5 if you have more questions about the offer. 

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Smart Infinity Unveils New Premium Postpaid Plans

Not all mobile phone networks actually give you the premium you deserve. If you actually spend a lot  on your phone and data bills but don't have anything in return, it would look foolish for you especially if know you deserve more. Smart Infinity knows this, so to match your kind of lifestyle they went out of their way to come out with better, bigger premium plans powered by the BIGGEST network in the country Smart Communications Inc. 

Ms. Julie Carceller head of Smart Infinity says “These new plans have no competition. These are the most bespoke services we’ve offered in the history of Smart Infinity. We've made these plans designed with one thing in mind, our subscribers, including their lifestyle, habits, needs and aspirations. When we thought our growing Infinity family can't get more special,  here comes new plans that not only mirror their lifestyle but also matches your needs in every facet of your connected and digital lifestyle.”

Ms. Julie Carceller, Smart Infinity Executives with Smart Infinity Ambassadors during the launch (photo credits to Smart)

The first plan is for frequent travelers. If you're always out of the country for business or pleasure, this plan would get you travel assistance perks which is perfect for people on the go. There are tons of them included here. The second one is a consumable plan. For those who have varied needs everyday, this plan contain ultra flexible elements and quite high LTE data allowances so they can switch whenever they need, switching from service to service without any hassles. The third one is the Tri Net Plan, which caters to people who want to connect enormously on their network. This would entail free calls and text on Smart, Sun Cellular and Talk ‘N Text. This is because with Smart Infinity, they believe that limits are not for achievers.

Smart Infinity also has a Multi Plan, which means you can have multiple lines in  a single account. This also has a calling circle, so if you want to get connected with the people you call often like friends, family and business partners, you can have strengthened connectivity when you need it most. Aside from that, you'll have the usual things from Smart Infinity like VIP Customer Service, a dedicated Smart Infinity Officer (if you're on Plans 5000 and 8000) attending to your needs. You also have priority in Smart stores, plus additional VIP rewards and year round Smart Infinity subscriber privileges. You can only get that with Smart Infinity!

For more details, you can check out their page here for Smart Infinity.

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Use Twitter for FREE via SMART on Pope Francis' Visit!

It looks like everyone's excited about Pope Francis' visit to the Philippines. Well, Smart Communications Inc. and Twitter will make your Papal visit experience even better by giving you free access to the app from January 15 -19, 2015. No joke!

If you are prepaid or postpaid subscribers of Smart, Sun and Talk N Text, you can get this free service by texting the keyword DEARPOPE to 9999. You can then get your wishes, prayers and get in touch with @Pontifex via this social media channel. You can also include your whole experience in different venues on these dates so you can get in touch with the international catholic community via Twitter as there will be a lot of them checking out updates during his stay here in the Philippines. 

Now, there's no more reason why we would not be able to get a glimpse of the people's Pope whether he's here in Manila, UST, Quirino Grandstand or all the way in Visayas for his visit in Tacloban City which is the most hard hit during Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan (international name). Now isn't this good news? Spread the word and be on Twitter! Let's make this a worthwhile experience while Pope Francis is here and let the world know of his and God's love, compassion and mercy. Make sure you use the hashtag #DearPopeFrancis while you're at it!

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My "Chicago" the Musical Moments with Smart Infinity

We went all the way to Solaire a few days ago to attend the first few days of one of the worlds greatest musicals "CHICAGO" hosted by equally great premium mobile services of Smart Communications called Smart Infinity. Members didn't just get discounts but perks to actually get tickets way before the public could get one. They do this to most of the musicals they've brought here from around the world. It was a dream for me though because I fell in love with the story when the movie came out. 

I super duper love the way they do it with Smart Infinity because their approach is very personal. I felt the sincerity, and they were there (literally on the venue and in character) to always make you feel special. Mind you, this is the only one I've experienced but they've got a lot of other things in the pipeline. There were a bunch of shows I think that they will be doing on 2015 which was awesome to know they'll be sternly supporting as part of their services.

The production here was awesome. Although there were not that much set design or art direction happening in this version of Chicago, you still get to see why musicals like these differ from the local ones we have in Manila. It was a performance, lead stars Terra MacLeod (Velma Kelly) and Bianca Marroquin (Roxie Hart) brought their A game and didn't short change the people who wanted to watch the show as much as I do. Aside from the lead cast, the guy who played Roxie Hart's husband and the one who did Matron "Mama" Morton. Don't be fooled by the weak character he played because he's a mean singer, whilst Mama had us stare and marvel at how big her character was during the screening. Aside from that, the ladies made a great job with the Cellblock tango who had explained their roles and lives individually, a feat that was tantamount to the success of pointing where the story will be heading. It was like 20's, mobs, tommy guns, cash, prostitution, gangsters and jazz all in one package.  

Much to everyone's surprise, there were several Filipino musicians in the orchestra. I even think there were only a few of them who were not, like the pianist and conductor. Robert Billig, Chicago's Musical Director Robert Billig says he had around 14 Pinoys do the show aside from those flying in from the US and just got them materials to rehearse with. They got a 4 hour rehearsal last December 2 and voila! That was the start of their Chicago run in Manila.

Robert knew we had really good musicians here because he worked pretty much with Lea Salonga during the Miss Saigon run in New York. Lester Dematillo (banjo, mandolin) and Jayson Rivera (ukulele, woodwind) were part of it and they knew it wasn't going to be easy. They rushed into rehearsals and had to do the show on the next day, unlike their previous staging of Phantom of the Opera and Wicked, they had very small time in order to do this. Yet they sound exactly like Chicago, even when they had their eyes were closed. It's so great to know that getting the chance to watch this is just one of the perks being a Smart Infinity member. In “Chicago” alone, some were able to get complimentary VIP tickets, discounts and privileges received through Smart Infinity, alongside Visa who are major sponsors.

Ms. Julie Carceller, Department Head of the Smart Infinity Business Group at Smart says “Just like the successful local runs of other world-class stage spectacles like ‘Cats,’ ‘Mamma Mia,’ ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ and ‘Wicked,’ bringing ‘Chicago’ to the Philippines is again a very special treat for our subscribers” whilst Smart's Marketing Manager at Smart Infinity Mr. James Chi adds “The ongoing run of ‘Chicago’ is part of the realization of the premium mobile lifestyle that complements the experience our members get from Smart Infinity. The experience of seeing the longest-running Broadway musical in Manila is really a big takeaway for our members”. I personally didn't get to attend the iPhone 6 launch but Smart Infinity got first dibs in the iPhone6 plus last November 14. Today, they still have on going promos for new Smart Infinity subscribers to have the option to get the iPhone 6 (64GB) or the iPhone 6 Plus (16GB) with an additional P5,000 worth of GCs or bill rebates compliments of Smart Infinity starting on the consumable Prestige Plan 5000. You can also opt for SMART's fully consumable Premium Plan 8000 where new subscribers can get two 16GB units of the iPhone 6, or an iPhone 6 16GB plus a MacBook Air. If you opt for the Plan P3500 per month, or have the Aspire Plan, it can come with a 16GB iPhone 6. Amazing!

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