Cock by Rem Zamora

 What happens when a young gay man falls in love with a woman? That’s the central conceit behind Red Turnip Theater’s second offering, COCK by Mike Bartlett. A sold-out hit when it first premiered in London in 2009 and subsequently during its off-Broadway run a year later, COCK revolves around a gay couple whose rocky relationship derails when one of them sleeps (and falls in love) with a woman. Debates over one’s sexual identity explode when all three decide to sit down and “duke it out” over dinner. Hilarity ensues when another unexpected guest turns up and loyalties are put to the test. As one character puts it, “It’s the ultimate bitch fight”.

The New York Times calls COCK “a terrific, tense little comedy” while The Huffington Post hails it as “a terrific contemporary play that puts much of other theatre to shame”. This critical darling is the perfect bookend to Red Turnip’s maiden season.


Fresh off the success of their critically-acclaimed CLOSER last October at Whitespace, Red Turnip promises another unique, in your face theatrical experience with COCK. The vision of five estab-lished actors (Ana Abad Santos, Topper Fabregas, Jenny Jamora, Cris Villonco and Rem Zamora), Red Turnip aims to engage theatergoers with the sort of material that seems to be in short supply in the country—the straight play.


Rem Zamora makes his directorial debut with COCK.“We’re excited to be back in Whitespace. A lot of people who came to CLOSER said they enjoyed the intimacy of the experience and the space. That was in Hall B. We’re going even more intimate this time in the smaller Hall A. COCK also plays in the round so it feels like you’re watching a fight in an arena—no frills: just words and pure conflict in the ring, and an intense involvement in the audience.”

Zamora has assembled a tight cast of theatrical heavyweights for COCK’s Manila premier: Topper Fabregas (Boeing Boeing, The Producers), Niccolo Manahan (Next Fall, Doubt), Jenny Jamora (Mind’s Eye, A Little Night Music), Audie Gemora (Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables) Fabregas is John, a young man caught between his gay lover and his growing attraction to an-other woman- W, played by Jamora.
Niccolo Manahan makes a theatrical comeback as M, John’s lover who isn’t about to let him go without a fight. “I feel ‘Cock’ will be a great experiment for me; an experiment in balancing my life with the things I enjoy doing, and an experiment in pushing my range. I don’t know where this ex-periment will lead but its an incredible opportunity that I’m thankful for.”

Rounding off this impressive cast is theatre stalwart Audie Gemora as F, M’s well-meaning father whose sudden appearance at dinner throws everyone for a loop. “The birth of a theater group is always exciting and eventful with fresh artistic vision and passion. I am thrilled to be part of Red Turnips 2nd offering, ‘Cock’. This is Rem Zamora's directorial debut and my first time to be acting opposite brilliant young actors Niccolo Manahan and Jenny Jamora, while Topper Fabregas takes on his most complex character yet. Together we jump into a crackling cock fight of personalities, emotions and words.”

COCK is a comedy… with bite. No props, scenery or furniture. Just actors, sharp dialogue and some clever staging. All essential. Absolutely Red Turnip.

COCK is supported by FILA through the kindness of its President and owner Cris Albert. Supporting the arts has become one of her numerous advocacies, a true testament to her gener-ous spirit and her commitment to giving back to the community.

Direction by Rem Zamora, technical direction and lighting design by John Batalla, set design by Denis Lagdameo and sound design by Jethro Joaquin.

Cock will be staged at Whitespace — 2314 Chino Roces Ave. Extension (formerly Pasong Tamo Extension), Makati — on March 7, 14, 21, 28 and April 4 (Friday, 9 p.m.); March 8, 15, 29 and April 5 (Saturday, 8 p.m.); April 5, Saturday at 4 p.m.; March 9, 16, 23 and April 6 (Sunday, 4 p.m.) and special closing gala on April 6, Sunday, 8 p.m. Tickets are available through TicketWorld (891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph) Or Red Turnip Theater (redturniptheater@gmail.com or https://www.facebook.com/RedTurnipTheater)

Hana: BEAUTY OF NATURE TO HAIR CARE

The city’s busiest people found an oasis at the launch of HANA by leading Japanese beauty brand Shokubutsu. HANA is the newest player in the beauty category. Harnessed from nature by the technology of LION Japan, Hana believes in hair and body care the way nature intended it to be. Hana products are made with 100% natural cleansing and moisturizing ingredients to achieve another kind of beauty called Healthy Beauty.


HANA is about promoting healthy beauty and the beauty of nature. The brand believes that healthy beauty from nature is beautifying, restorative, and continues to take care through time.

Modern day deities flaunted their beauty as they walked the lush Japanese-inspired runway at the Shangri-la Hotel in Makati on February 4. With their crowning glory shining at their brightest, each model gracefully showcased classic collections from famed designers Joey Samson, JC Buendia and Randy Ortiz.

Unlike your usual fashion show, guests were treated to a one-of-a-kind hair show co-produced with 3 of the top fashion and beauty magazines; Preview, Mega and Metro. Their creative direction paired with their dynamic fashion designers made for a truly monumental collaboration. Preview re-envisioned with Joey’s professional line, Mega magnified with JC’s casual collection and Metro dazzled evening wear with Randy’s collection having Hana endorser Olivia Medina close the show.

The highlight of the night was made epic by the diverse display of hair, from loose braids, natural curls and wispy straight. Gone is the constricting, avant-garde styled hair towering over heads of the models. The Hana hair show exemplified that beautiful hair can be achieved the natural way with any hair type with any style.

As hair was made the main focus of the show, each publication injected their own unique signature in displaying the hair for their segment.

Preview opened the segment by celebrating healthy beauty with a no frills minimalistic approach allowing the mane to fall smoothly and naturally.



 Mega took cues from modern oriental influences; letting the hair shine in a voluminous, bouncy and airy way creating ethereal-like hair styles.



Metro modernized vintage 50’s glamour with soft curls and natural waves immortalizing a classic and timeless look. Each publication dramatically portrayed natural beauty while staying true to their inspiration allowing the hair to be the star on stage.

The event also served as the kick-off launch of Hana Shampoo’s latest digital campaign “#NoFilterBeauty”. In this day and age, when almost every photo uploaded is masked with filters and airbrushed to perfection, Hana seeks to change people’s beliefs that looks shouldn’t be altered to be deemed beautiful. The campaign executed by each publication encourages participants to submit “selfies” or photos amidst a natural background without the aided filters to project their most natural self.
Hana encourages women to be beautiful in the most natural way. Like nature taking its course, Hana is focused on finding beauty through a healthy daily routine to achieve long term sustainable beauty.

Get Cashback on Mondays with Lazada

One week after the launch of its mobile application for iPhone and iPad, Lazada launched its ‘Lifestyle Monday With Mastercard’ promotion with MasterCard Philippines today. Through this promotion, MasterCard cardholders in the Philippines will enjoy a 10% additional discount when they shop from the Lifestyle and Fashion categories of Lazada on Mondays.


This discount will be reflected upon checkout and upon entering the credit card details of the cardholder. The ‘Lifestyle Monday With MasterCard’ promotion covers categories such as Fashion, Health & Beauty, Home & Living, Home Appliances and Toys & Babies and will run until 31 December 2014. “Through our relationship with MasterCard and the MasterCard network, we are rewarding our consumers at every step of the shopping process. 

Furthermore, MasterCard is an established brand and the partnership between Lazada and MasterCard gives cardholders enhanced security when they shop online with their MasterCard cards,” said Maximilian Bittner, Chief Executive Officer of Lazada. Lazada, who is currently the number one shopping mall site in the Philippines, is pioneering e-Commerce across Southeast Asia by offering a convenient, fast and secure online shopping environment. Bittner added,

 “Our consumers showed an increased interest in the lifestyle and fashion products and we are excited to expand the range of products offered in these categories. Lazada aims to improve consumers’ shopping experiences online by ensuring exceptional customer service, providing excellent shopping experience and offering a great range of products at all times.” For more information and full terms and conditions, visit http://www.lazada.com.ph/mastercard/. For more updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions,  connect with us via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines).

BALLY UNVEILS SPRING 2014 EYEWEAR COLLECTION

Bally, in collaboration with the international eyewear group TWC L’AMY, recently presented its Spring 2014 Eyewear Collection for men and women. Divided into lines of Formal, Business, Casual and Sport; the new wider range of models captures the essence of the Swiss brand’s world renowned craftsmanship, attention to detail and trademark design.

Showcasing an absolute elegance, it is no surprise that the event was well-attended by some of Manila’s celebrities and personalities like Maggie Wilson-Consunji, Mikaela Lagdameo-Martinez, Christine Sandejas, Sara Black and Divine Lee – who all enjoyed trying outpieces from Bally’s wide selection of sophisticated feminine style from the women’s collection.

 Also spotted checking out Bally’s luxury eye-wear collection for men were Anton Del Rosario, Callum David, and Victor Basa. During the launch, welcoming the guests was TWC – L’AMY Group Asia Manager eyewear division Arnaud Dubord. Other guests present were Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., Rico Tantoco, Mike Huang, and Mia Tambunting to name a few. Bally’s eye-wear collection have frames for every face that symbolizes quality, elegance, style and luxury.

Acetate and metal frames, crafted from the finest materials - including titanium and carbon fiber - have been precisely engineered to offer the most comfortable and elegant fit. The variety of shapes are customized with high quality polarized lenses and come in a range of colors including dark wood, flannel, toffee, racing red, tortoiseshell and charcoal black.Select styles feature intricate highlights in fine leather celebrating Bally’s status as the leading architect of leather while iconic signifiers such as the Bally Logo, Stripe and Crest are the assurance of Bally’s core principals of elegance and functionality.

Some of the new features for this season men’s styles are directly inspired by the Bally Scribe collection: alaminated beige inner to the frame temple inspired by the traditional lining and soles of these iconic shoes. Men’s models range from contemporary thin, rectangular frames to more vintage shapes such as the aviator.

For select women’s styles Bally’s expertise in leather craftsmanship is highlighted through the use of perforated leather on the temple, mirroring the timeless elegance of the brand’s accessories collection. Women’s models feature oversized shapes including square or rounded, butterfly frames and the cat-eye.

Casual and Sport lines have been designed for a relaxed and versatile style. Sunglasses and eyeglasses for everyday use in a variety of shapes - including round, rectangular and sport inspired - all developed in acetate or stainless steel, which is renowned for its super lightweight strength and functionality.

5 Minutes Matter with Panadol

 

 GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a global leading healthcare company and maker of Panadol^® announced the brand entry and launch of the new (paracetamol) Panadol^® with Optizorb^® in Philippines today. The world’s trusted pain reliever will be made accessible to consumers at pharmacies across the country starting next month.

1. 

“Pain is one of the greatest personal, social and economic burdens faced by people around the world,” said John Sayers, President Consumer Healthcare, Asia, Pacific and Latin America, GSK. “Panadol has helped people find pain relief across 85 countries for over 50 years and today we are pleased to bring this leading paracetamol brand to Philippines’ consumers. This is a significant milestone for GSK in line with our global commitment to help people do more, feel better and live 
longer.”

The men and woman behind the PH launch of Panadol. GSK released the fastest-acting (5mins!) pain reliever in the market at Manila Peninsula Hotel today. Glad to have witnessed the arrival of a medicine I have come to love and only got to buy in SG or HK previously. Now, each 10's catch cover sells for just P32 SRP! Love it ;) Panadol, beloved in 85 countries p, is finally in the PH market and this iteration is its best one yet

Panadol^® is one of the world’s leading paracetamol-based pain relievers which is sold in more than 85 countries. Last year alone, 15 billion (paracetamol) Panadol^® tablets were sold worldwide.

Panadol 's pitch: It works 5 times faster than the leading paracetamol brand because of the Optizorb technology

“The brand is testament to our customers’ trust and faith in the product which boasts an extensive scientific research breakthrough such as the Optizorb^® technology in our new Panadol^® which is the first and only paracetamol product that contains Optizorb^®,” added Sayers.

Panadol^® with Optizorb^® is the only paracetamol brand with the unique Optizorb^® disintegration system which allows the release of its medicine in as little as five minutes vs. regular paracetamol tablets. Studies conducted by GSK have proven that 75 percent of people who take Panadol with Optizorb^® caplets reach pain relieving levels of paracetamol in the bloodstream significantly faster than those taking other generic pain relieving brands.

LACOSTE CELEBRATES ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY

In celebration of its 80^th Anniversary, LACOSTE unveils an exclusive and unique brand experience roadshow in Manila, which is on display from January 10 to 12 and January 14 to 16 at the Shangri-la Plaza’s East Wing Atrium. Visitors will encounter three cubes filled with moving and still images and objects from the brand archives dating back to the invention of the polo shirt and founding of the brand in 1933 by tennis champion René Lacoste.

EIGHTY YEARS OF REINVENTING THE CODES

The first cube showcases the iconic polo shirt. The walls will feature a carefully curated collection of LACOSTE polos over the years, including the Holiday Collector’s Series, where each year since 2006, the brand features guest artists to re-imagine the classic polo. These include British industrial designer Tom Dixon, British product designer Michael Young, Chinese artist Li Xiaofeng, American designer Jonathan Adler, Brazilian designers the Campana Brothers and American fashion icon Visionaire with singer/photographer Michael Stipe. A screen loops film clips that tell the story of the iconic L.12.12 polo shirt, the brand evolution through the decades, and the Polo of the Future.

EIGHTY YEARS OF NATURAL EVOLUTION

The second cube contains a cabinet of Crocodile Curiosities. Here, visitors will discover the various shapes and sizes, colors and contexts that the LACOSTE crocodile logo has adopted and adapted to over the decades during its natural evolution. Along the walls is a timeline highlighting the important dates and milestones in the brand history. Complementing this is a set of fun facts about the crocodile species at large: Did you know that crocodiles live up to 100 years?

EIGHTY YEARS OF REINVENTING SILHOUETTES IN MOTION

The third cube houses a collection of images from the brand archives. Black and white heritage photos of brand founder René Lacoste, himself a tennis legend, as well as his wife and daughter, both golf champions, are mixed with more recent images of fashion shows, products and other objects that combined, offer a compelling visual narrative of LACOSTE’s development and expansion from a single item –the iconic polo shirt– to a truly global lifestyle brand. Film clips of current Creative Director Felipe Oliveira Baptista and Design Director Christophe Pillet speaking to the inspiration and ideas for their innovative work round out the content of this room. Outside the cube, a window showcases tennis dresses from the 1970’s, the Golden Age of that sport and an important time for the brand as it began seriously producing women’s sportswear.

OPENING OF THE FIRST AGORA STORE CONCEPT IN SHANGRI-LA PLAZA’S EAST WING

The newly opened Lacoste store in Shangri-la Plaza’s East Wing is the first Agora store concept in Manila. Its polished look gives a glimpse of clean lines and a breezy store design. Inside, visitors will be able to touch and try on the special collections featuring the 80th Anniversary logo created by British art director Peter Saville and designed especially for this important birthday of the brand. The capsule collection of the 80^th Anniversary, as well as the brand’s seasonal collections, include apparel, leather goods, footwear, eyewear and other accessories.

In the Philippines, Lacoste is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc. (SSI) and is located at Shangri-la Plaza East Wing, Greenbelt 3, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Tower Shangri-la Plaza, The Power Plant Mall, Megamall, The Podium, Mall of Asia, Gateway Mall, Trinoma, Eastwood Mall, Newport Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Robinson’s Magnolia, Robinson’s Place Manila, Alabang Town Center - Corte de las Palmas, Ayala Center Cebu, SM Davao, Abreeza Davao, and Veranza KCC Mall. Lacoste Accessories is also exclusively distributed by SSI and is located at Glorietta 4 and Gateway Mall.

American Eye Gives Back to OFW's

The Christmas season is all about the spirit of giving. And give is what the American Eye Center, the country’s leading eye care center, will do this Yuletide season.

In line with its support of Filipinos working abroad, the American Eye Center is giving eligible OFWs the ultimate gift with its Pamaskong Handog OFW Privilege Card through its Shangri-La and Greenbelt branches. With the OFW Privilege Card, kababayanscan now secure eye health for themselves and for their dependents from anywhere in the world through discounts on diagnostics and treatments.

“The essence of the holidays is giving back to the community and American Eye Center does so by honoring our beloved OFWs. These modern day Filipino heroes deserve much recognition and we do that by offering quality eye care for them and the rest of their families through our exclusive OFW Privilege Card,” says American Eye Center’s COO Dr. Benjamin Cabrera.

American Eye Center offers the OFW Privilege Card to all overseas Filipino workers and their qualified dependents. The card is absolutely free and entitles the bearer to a 50 percent discount on comprehensive eye examinations and 15 percent discount for their dependents. The card also allows special 20 percent discount on cataract surgery, 15 percent discount on All Laser or Bladeless LASIK, and 10 percent off on diagnostic procedures.

The card also offers exclusive discounts at American Eye Center partner SPEX Optical. All OFW’s need to do is set an appointment and present valid overseas employment documents to avail of these unlimited discounts starting December 2013 to March 2014.

Eye health and OFWs

“American Eye Center honors OFWs with this privilege because we believe and respect the sacrifices they make to provide a better life for their families. In order to do so, these modern day heroes need to be physically up to take on this challenge which is where eye health comes in. They deserve nothing short of optimum eye health to achieve overall well-being,” Dr. Cabrera said.

Excellence in Ophthalmic Care

American Eye Center has been breaking new ground in ophthalmic care since its establishment in 1995. American Eye Center’s level of excellence is backed by the Associated Eye Specialists, the most experienced and longest-running EyeMD group practice in the country, composed of 17 doctors extensively trained in various ophthalmic subspecialties. The Center is also staffed with highly qualified optometrists, nurses and counselors to provide patients with personalized quality eye care.  

           

American Eye Center is a full-service diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical eye facility fully accredited with the Department of Health and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. It houses the latest diagnostic equipment for the early detection and monitoring of all eye diseases such as Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy and Cataract.  

Its location in Greenbelt 5 in Makati City has a laser suite, an operating room, a recovery room, examining rooms, and a spacious reception area.  Clients can also choose from a wide array of elegant eyewear from SPEX, a world-class eyewear center adjacent to the American Eye Center and managed by The Optical Shop. 

The company’s main office is located at the level 5, Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries and details, call tel. nos. 636-0762 or 729-EYES (3937) or email us at info@americaneye.com.ph. You may also visit www.americaneye.com.ph for more information about the OFW Privilege Card.

Avail of American Eye Center’s OFW Privilege card and ensure a clear future for the entire family.Set an appointment today via phone or e-mail or through American Eye Center’s appointment planner available at their website. Always stay in the know by downloading the American Eye Center App available on iPhone, iPad, and on Android.