Journey to the Heart of Fabulous

"Puts the Glory into Gloria and the Gay into Gaynor.”

Michael Coveney - The Independent

I love musicals.

During my two-year stint in London, the West End was my playground. It was a fabulous piece of gay heaven. I only watched one non-musical, but Josh Hartnett's half naked body (about 2 meters away from where I was seated) was more than enough to compensate for the lack of songs.

Out of all the musicals I've seen, there is only one that I watched 4 times, it's the gayest musical in the West End, "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". (the stage version of the camp classic movie "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert")





With songs such as "Downtown, I've Never Been To Me, Venus, Go West, I Say a Little Prayer, and I Will Survive", how gayer can it get? See this for the complete list of musical numbers.

I first watched the show with a gay friend I met in London, I can still remember how ecstatic I felt after, I exclaimed "Ang sarap maging bakla". The musical was set in the mid-90s, a time when homosexuality was not as socially acceptable as it is now, so it was empowering to see 3 drag queens motoring their way throughout Australia (from Sydney to Alice Springs), facing discrimination, racism and bigotry, and overcoming them. I distinctly remember what Bernadette said to Tick and Felicia after seeing their vandalized bus: "Never apologize for our choices my friends." (I later found out that this line was updated to reflect current sentiments, the line used to be "Never forget the cost of our choices my friends", good thing the creators decided to do this as the original line would have been too depressing)


Another reason (well, the bigger reason =) ) why I watched the show over and over was the actor who played Felicia, Oliver Thornton. Felicia Jollygoodfellow is the most flambouyant one out of the 3 drag queens, and the hottest one as well (Guy Pearce, another hottie, played the part in the film). See for yourselves.


Too bad I can't find a photo of him doing the "Hot Stuff" number where he was just wearing a red thong ;)

On my 4th time, I was finally able to see him up-close at the stage door, kilig!

Here are my favorite scenes in the musical:

Felicia singing an aria on top of Priscilla

"MacArthur's Park" with the human cupcakes

"Go West"

"I Will Survive"

"I Love the Nightlife" with Jason Donovan (right) wearing the Oscar award winning "flip-flop" costume

The funniest funeral scene ever ("Don't Leave Me This Way")


Three Cocks in a frock on a rock singing "We Belong" after Felicia's "Kylie Medley"

Where can you find a disco ball inside a theater? Yup, Priscilla has one!


And this is the fabulous shirt I bought from the gift shop, can't wait to wear it!


So to every gay guy out there who's visiting London, don't forget to watch and enjoy Priscilla! - "Colour your world!"

You'll never see a dark cloud hanging round me.
Now there is only blue skies to surround me.
There's never been a gray day since you found me.
Everything I touch is turning to gold.

Oh, you can colour my world with sunshine yellow each day!
Oh, you can colour my world with happiness all the way!
Just take the green from the grass and the blue from the sky up above!
And if you colour my world just paint it with your love!
Just colour my world.

Just as long as I know you're thinking of me,
there'll be a rainbow always up above me.
Since I found the one who really loves me,
everything I touch is turning to gold.

So you can colour my world with sunshine yellow each day!
Oh, you can colour my world with happiness all the way!
Just take the green from the grass and the blue from the sky up above!
And if you colour my world just paint it with your love!
Just colour my world.
Um.

Sunshine yellow.
Orange blossums.
Laughing faces
everywhere!
Yeah!

Oh, you can colour my world with sunshine yellow each day!
Oh, you can colour my world with happiness all the way!
Just take the green from the grass and the blue from the sky up above!
And if you colour my world just paint it with your love.
Just colour my world.
Colour my world.
Oh, colour my world.
Colour my world!

Marking the end of emo-ness

I had a blog entry in mind to come with the song, but I realized it was too personal. Too personal for me and another person.

So I'm keeping it short, this song marks the end of my emo-ness.

OPM - Pagdating ng panahon - San Miguel Philharmonic

Alam kong hindi mo pansin
Narito lang ako
Naghihintay na mahalin
Umaasa kahit di man ngayon
Mapapansin mo rin
Mapapansin mo rin

Alam kong di mo makita
Narito lang ako
Hinihintay lagi kita
Umaasa kahit di man ngayon
Hahanapin mo rin
Hahanapin din

Chorus:
Pagdating ng panahon
Baka ikaw rin at ako
Baka tibok ng puso ko'y
Maging tibok ng puso mo
Sana nga'y mangyari 'yon
Kahit di pa lang ngayon
Sana ay mahalin mo rin
Pagdating ng panahon

Alam kong hindi mo alam
Narito lang ako
Maghihintay kahit kailan
Nangangarap kahit di man ngayon
Mamahalin mo rin
Mamahalin mo rin

Chorus

Bridge:
Di pa siguro bukas
Di pa rin ngayon
Malay mo balang araw
Dumating din iyon

Chorus

Stages (Thank you Fabcasters!)

Since I was a young kid, I've always known I was different, I was always getting bullied for being effeminate. My friends were all girls and chinese garter and 10-20 were our favorite pastime. Despite the effeminate tendencies, I was living the life of a straight guy, I had my own teenage sweetheart and shared green jokes with the guys. Silently though, I was sharing the crushes of my girl friends, I enjoyed listening to them when they tell stories about these cute guys.

My foray into the gay lifestyle started in college, it happened one day while I was walking the streets of Recto. Gay magazines were extremely popular, and so I started collecting "Cover Boy", I particularly fancied this one as it was the most daring yet tasteful mag of the time. Stage two came when I stumbled into the DVD-laden streets of Quaipo (back then it was still VCDs). For P100 for 3 pieces, you can buy a piece of gay heaven. This is an interest that I have carried over when I started working, only this time I buy my gay porn online from sellers in yahoo groups.

My gay life was a secret to everyone. I was contented with the way it was, it was another side of me that people didn't have to know. I hardly thought of coming out.

It was at work when I started stage three. I discovered "Guys4men". It was an exciting world, not only do I get to see pictures of cute and naked guys, I get to see them in the flesh. But I was engaging in the lifestyle in moderation as even if I wanted to do more, my job didn't give me the time to do so. G4M led me to what I consider stage four, I was invited to join an orgy group, I must admit it was a big ego boost to be asked to join them. I then later found out that I was invited as part of their efforts to have variety in the group, "not everyone is into twinks" was what the organizer said, ouch!

Stage five began when I discovered gay blogs. Manila Gay Guy was the first gay blog I've read. Like a lot of gay guys, it was the sexy photos that initially attracted me to the site. Migs also started publishing his readers' letters which I enjoyed a lot. He also featured other gay bloggers which I all eventually followed: Gibbs, Mcvie, AJ, CC, Misterhubs, Tiggah and Lobster Tony. MGG then started to do podcasts, my favorite episode ever is the "Coming Out" series. The statement that reverberates in my mind came from Gibbs, sharing the reason for his coming out, he said "It's a very frustrating thing that there is this something that is so fundamental to me that I've come to accept that I can't tell ..." . This statement was so compelling that it eventually ended up in my official "coming out" speech. Thank you Troikasters! (now known as the Fabcasters)

Over the last 18 months, I have already came out to 18 people. 6 office friends, 3 college friends and 9 elementary and high school barkada. Each time I come out, I feel lighter, I feel liberated, I feel free.

My current LSS best describes how I feel, "Electricity" from Billy Elliot the Musical (which I watched last week at the West End, cryola ang beauty ko).



I can't really explain it, I haven't got the words
It's a feeling that you can't control
I suppose it's like forgetting, losing who you are
And at the same time something makes you whole

It's like that there's a music, playing in your ear
And I'm listening, and I'm listening, and then I disappear

And then I feel a change, like a fire deep inside
Something bursting me wide open, impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm flying, flying like a bird
Like Electricity, electricity
Sparks inside of me, and I'm free, I'm free

It's a bit like being angry; it's a bit like being scared
Confused and all mixed up and mad as hell
It's like when you've been crying
And you're empty and you're full
I don't know what it is, it's hard to tell

It's like that there's some music, playing in your ear
But the music is impossible, impossible to hear

But then I feel it move me
Like a burning deep inside
Something bursting me wide open
Impossible to hide
And suddenly I'm flying
Flying like a bird
Like Electricity, electricity
Sparks inside of me
And I'm free, I'm free

Electricity sparks inside of me
And I'm free, I'm free
Oh, I'm free

Happy Birthday C!

In December 2008, I went back to Manila for a month long vacation. I have been away for 13 months. I brought home with me a list of things I had to buy, and activities I had to do.

After 27 days in the Philippines, it was time to return to London once again. I looked at my list, everything was ticked off, everything was done. On 3 January, the day of my flight, I wasn't too sad, the 27 days was enough for me, I had no regrets on how I spent my limited time back home.

But there was one thing that made leaving difficult, it was something not on my list, something I didn't plan to do. I met C on that fateful night in a hotel in Ortigas.

I was happy to have met you, but sad that things have to be put on hold for 10 months. I hope you never get tired of reading my YM messages. I hope you keep in touch. I hope fate is on my side.

In less than an hour (Manila time), this very special person in my life will celebrate his birthday. I hope you enjoy this day, I hope you have fun.

As for me, I guess I'll have to make do with seeing you in my dreams tonight.

Happy Birthday C!

Chances Are - Vonda Shepard & Robert Downey Jr.

Chances are you'll find me
Somewhere on your road tonight
Seems I always end up driving by
Ever since I've known you
It just seems you're on my way
All the rules of logic don't apply

I long to see you in the night
Be with you 'til morning light

I remember clearly how you looked
The night we met
I recall your laughter and your smile
I remember how you made me
Feel so at ease
I remember all your grace, your style

And now you're all I long to see
You've come to mean so much to me

Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met
Chances are I'll hold you and I'll offer
All I have

You're the only one I can't forget
Baby you're the best, I've ever met

And I'll be dreaming of the future
And hoping you'll be by my side
And in the morning I'll be longing
For the night, for the night

Chances are I'll see you
Somewhere in my dreams tonight
You'll be smiling like the night we met
Chances are I'll hold you and I'll offer
All I have

You're the only one I can't forget
Baby you're the best I've ever met

Afraid for Love to Fade

For the longest time, I've been singing this song as part of my "Lea Concert Series" (my officemates would know what this means). But it was just a few weeks ago that I gave the lyrics of this song a closer look.

I then realized how much this song illustrates how I feel towards C.

C, from my heart to yours!

afraid for love to fade - lea salonga


My head's in a jam
Can't take you off my mind
From the time we met
I've been beset by thoughts of you
And the more that I ignore this feeling
The more I find myself believing
That I just have to see you again

I can't let you pass me by
I just can't let you go
But I know that I am much too shy
To let you know
Afraid that I might say the wrong words
And displease you
Afraid for love to fade
Before it can come true

Like a child again
I'm at a loss for words
How does one define
A crush combined with longing?
Longing to possess you oh so dearly
I'm obsessed by you completely
I'll go mad if I can't have you

I can't let you pass me by
I just can't let you go
But I know that I am much too shy
To let you know
Afraid that I might say the wrong words
And displease you
Afraid for love to fade
Before it can come true

(Instrumental)
I can't let you pass me by
I just can't let you go
Let me say the things and say the words
To let you know
I would rather say the awkward words
Than lose you
Or for love to fade
Before it can come true