True blue Manileños, recent transplants, and visitors to our city all know — there is never a lack of things to do in Manila. This is Coconuts Manila’s guide to all things good and great happening over the coming weekend. Peruse it, take note of everything that interests you, and hit us up on our Facebook page or on Twitter @CoconutsManila to sound off on what you think.
See the story of a brilliant female scientist
Date: Feb. 1 – 3 (Friday – Sunday), Feb. 8 – 10 (Friday – Sunday)
Venue: Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, 4/F, RCBC Tower, 6819 Sen. Gil Puyat St., Makati City
Science is a male-dominated field even though women throughout history have proven that it shouldn’t be. One such pioneer was Henrietta Leavitt, an American astronomer whose scientific discoveries led to breakthroughs in the industry.
Her story is dramatized in the play Silent Sky, which will once again be staged in Manila at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium. The local production has been described as “stellar” and “witty,” while espousing themes like equality and women empowerment.
Tickets are available on Ticket World and are priced from PHP1,000 (US$19.11) – PHP2,000 (US$38.22)
For more information, visit the Silent Sky MNL Facebook page.
Welcome the year of the pig
Date: Feb. 1 – 5 (Friday – Tuesday)
Venue: Santolan Town Plaza, Santolan Rd., cor. P. Guevarra St., San Juan City
To many, San Juan City is like Manila’s modern Chinatown, making it one of the best places to welcome the year of the pig with a festive celebration.
The neighborhood’s newest mall, Santolan Town Plaza, for instance, is celebrating with a Spring Festival that will have interactive games and Chinese food booths starting Friday.
There will also be lion and dragon dances on the morning of Chinese New Year, Feb. 5 and Chinese cultural performances in the evening.
For more information, visit the Spring Festival 2019: A Chinese New Year Celebration Facebook event page.
Meet fellow “Blinks” at the band’s highly-anticipated concert
Date: Feb. 2, Saturday
Venue: MOA Arena, Mall of Asia Complex, J.W. Diokno Blvd., Pasay City
Filipino “Blinks” don’t have to wait much longer because South Korean girl group Blackpink will finally perform in Manila this Saturday.
This will be the first time members Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie, and Rosé will be performing in Manila since debuting in 2016.
Blackpink has steadily been gaining international popularity in recent years. Last year, they released the song Kiss and Make Up, a collaboration with British singer Dua Lipa.
They also became the first K-pop girl group to be part of Coachella’s line up when it was announced earlier this month that they will be performing in the music festival in April.
Tickets to their Manila concert are available on SM Tickets and are priced at PHP2,650 (US$50.64) – PHP19,750 (US$377.41).
Catch an OPM jukebox musical
Date: Feb. 2, Saturday – March 17, Sunday
Venue: Maybank Performing Arts Theatre, 26th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Those who missed previous runs of the musical Eto Na! Musikal nAPO once again have the chance to catch it when it’s staged at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater starting this Saturday.
The musical’s title literally translates to “Here, it’s now a musical,” but those who speak Filipino will immediately know that it’s a play on words that includes the musical group the APO Hiking Society.
The play features the iconic OPM (Original Pilipino Music) trio’s hits and is set in the ’70s, the decade when the band was most popular.
The story revolves around seven friends who join a songwriting competition during the height of Ferdinand Marcos’ martial law.
Tickets are available on Ticket World and are priced from PHP1,537.50 (US$29.38) – PHP3,690 (US$70.52).
Spark creativity
Date: Feb. 2 & 3 (Saturday & Sunday)
Venue: SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Seashell Ln., Pasay City
Designers and design enthusiasts seeking inspiration can look to this year’s Graphika Manila, a conference that brings together creative professionals in the fields of art direction, animation, and web design, among others.
This year’s lineup includes Filipino-American Anthony Francisco, an illustrator and concept artist for Marvel Studios, graphic designer Aaron Draplin, and letterer Lauren Hom. Accomplished artsy-fartsy folk from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Philippines will also be part of the schedule.
A 2-day conference pass costs PHP2,750 (US$52.55), while a 2-day student pass is priced at PHP2,550 (US$48.73). Tickets are available at Digital Walker branches in Glorietta 2, Shangri-la Plaza, and Trinoma.
For more information, visit the Graphika Manila website.
