For once, I don’t really have anything to write. (I’m a little speechless, so I’m asking YOU.)
My friends: Richie, Jeff, Belinda, Mickey, Tony and Arlene.
If you loved Shotgun Wedding: The Musical, please tell us on this blog. If you didn’t get to see it, tell us you want another chance!
We want to hear from you!
Posted in catherine hernandez, filipino, fringe, issues, kierscey rand, love, memories, music, nostalgia, pregnancy, race, religion, renna reddie, sex, summerworks, thug life, writing
Tagged 1990s, 1993, 90s, carlos bulosan theatre, catherine hernandez, leonard cervantes, mississauga, old school, old skool, quixotic theatre, renna reddie, toronto, toronto fringe festival
(l-r) Belinda Corpuz, Jeff Yung and Tony Ofori take a bow -- old school style. (photo by Ramon Regozo)
This entire run has been magically SOLD OUT.
Because tonight and tomorrow night are the LAST TWO SHOWS and advanced tickets are already gone and you’ve got to get there as early as you can to RUSH — I thought I’d give you some tips on making sure you get to see ‘Shotgun Wedding: The Musical’. Don’t leave it to chance.
Here are a few tips to get in for sure:
FOR TICKETS
Phone: 416 966 1062
Online: www.fringetoronto.com
In Person: At the Door starting at 7PM on
performance nights. Cash Only.
No Latecomers. No Exceptions. Arrive On Time!
You’re all invited to celebrate Veronica Mendoza’s (Belinda Corpuz) 18th debutante birthday party! Edsel (Mickey Rodriguez) pursues his long time best friend Veronica, a Mississauga Filipino beauty queen, who shares a secret with her Scarborough boyfriend Jerome (Tony Ofori). The boys, JP and Noel (Richie Guzman and Jeff Yung) have been practising their two-step under the direction of choreographer Kate (Arlene Paculan) in this diverse coming of age story with a twist of 90s flare.
Written by spoken word poet Leonard Cervantes of FLIP TV (OMNI 2) and original music composed by Kierscey Rand, formerly the keyboardist for Down with Webster, and currently guitar player and background vocalist for Toronto artist K’Naan. Dora Nominated playwright Catherine Hernandez (Singkil, Future Folk & Eating with Lola) is at the helm making her directorial debut . Jodinand Aguillon of Kensington Market’s Pretty Freedom rounds out the creative team with the set & costume designs.
Shotgun Wedding was originally created through Carlos Bulosan Theatre’s Play Creation Unit and later went onto further development through fu-GEN Theatre Company’s Playwrights’ Kitchen.
Guests are welcome to wear their favourite clothes from the 1990s to celebrate the chaos that will ensue.
Girls dig up your darkest lipstick. Guys shine up your pointiest dress shoes.
This is our debut.
Posted in catherine hernandez, filipino, fringe, kierscey rand, love, memories, music, nostalgia, renna reddie, writing
Tagged 1990s, 1993, carlos bulosan theatre, catherine hernandez, fringe, kapisanan, len cervantes, leonard cervantes, old school, old skool, renna reddie, shotgun wedding, the toronto fringe festival, theatre, toronto
The Toronto Fringe Festival begins on Wednesday night and Opening Night Pre-Sale Tickets are SOLD OUT (you can still rush though or come another night).
If you’re getting into the groove and coming in your cotillion-best, you’re probably steaming that ruffly dress with the satin and tulle or lint-rolling the dust off that teal microfibre double-breasted suit you’re wearing with the paisley rayon shirt. It’s the biggest night of your life (again) so why not take a second to put some music on your tape deck.
Very slowly, we’ve been counting down the Top 10 Songs that would make up the ultimate ‘Shotgun Wedding’ Mixtape… and now
We’ve come to NUMBER ONE.
Posted in fringe, love, memories, music
Tagged carlos bulosan theatre, catherine hernandez, classic, fringe, kierscey rand, leonard cervantes, old school, old skool, r&b, swv, the toronto fringe festival, theatre, weak
(I’m unearthing this awesome post by my homey Manny… because it’s so awesome. This post was originally written in June 2010. – Len)
Back in ‘94 during (Catholic School) Confirmation Classes (grade eight) I made a mixtape for a girl from one of the other schools and wrote a stupid letter in the liner notes. This mixtape didn’t even have music on it. I gave her a blank tape as an excuse to write to her†. She’s kept it ever since and though I hardly see her nowadays, she never lets me live it down. She’s keeping the tape, but she made me a photo-copy for a going away present. Continue reading
"Shotgun Wedding" cast members Belinda Corpuz and Jeff Yung
Since ‘Shotgun Wedding’ takes place in the world of suburban Catholic High schools of the early 90s, I thought it might be a good idea to make special invitations to the alumni of some old-school high schools that made up our universe back then:
Wed. July 6 – Opening Night
Thurs. July 7 – St. Jean de Brebeuf / Philip Pocock
Fri. July 8 – Cardinal Carter / Cardinal Newman / Cardinal Leger
Sat. July 9 – Pope John Paul / Father Michael Goetz
Sun. July 10 – Loyola / Mother Teresa
Mon. July 11 – NO SHOW.
Tues. July 12 – Neil McNeil / St. Martin’s
Wed. July 13 – Jean Vanier / St Thomas Aquinas
Thurs. July 14 – Ladies Night! Notre Dame / Holy Name of Mary / St Joe’s Wellesley
Fri. July 15 – Francis Libermann / St. Francis Xavier
Sat. July 16 – Notre Dame / Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sun. July 17 – Closing Night
We’re getting really close to #1 in the Shotgun Wedding Top 10 Countdown! For now…
‘Can We Talk’ – Tevin Campbell
‘Saving Forever For You’ – Shanice
As teenagers in 1993, we might have wanted sex but what we wanted more was LOVE. We thought about it in class. We wrote about it in our private journals, wrote hints about it in yearbook messages and wrote to express it on 3-hole punched binder paper folded into cute origami and wedged between locker doors during 3rd period spare.
The truth is that in high school, being in love HURT. Continue reading
Why Arsenio isn't on late night TV anymore: Things That Make You Go Hmmm..
Not sure what kind of “world” you’re stepping into when you come to see ‘Shotgun Wedding’ at The Fringe? If you are lucky enough to have old Arsenio Hall episodes on VHS (or beta!), you could watch those to get an idea.
In 1993, Arsenio Hall *ruled* late night. He may not have been officially the ratings leader but for our generation, our worlds revolved around who was on Arsenio last night and who was coming on the next episode. LET’S GET BUSY!
Dark school gym corners. Red-lit basements. Rented church halls. You remember them. These were the places were teenagers became adults. Well, at least did adult things. Sort of.
In 1993 Mississauga, there was one place in particular where there were no parents, no chaperones and no teachers imposing 1ft restraining orders around our gyrating teenage hips — STREETSVILLE CHURCH. Continue reading
Posted in fringe, memories, music, nostalgia, sex
Tagged 1990s, 1993, carlos bulosan theatre, catherine hernandez, dancehall, flex, kierscey rand, leonard cervantes, mad cobra, mississauga, ragga, reggae, shotgun wedding, streetsville, the musical, theatre, toronto
If 1993 seemed like it was all about the ladies, well… it probably was, as far as music goes anyway. At our high school, it was all about guys singing to girls, guys asking girls out, guys asking girls to the prom — whatever. That’s a lot of pressure! If you want to know where adult gender role expectations originated, it was probably high school.
You SO CRAZY.... ____(fill in the blank)_____!!!
At least Salt ‘n’ Pepa thought of the GUYS for just a second when they did ‘Whatta Man’. Continue reading
Posted in fringe, issues, love, memories, music, nostalgia
Tagged 1990, 1993, back in the day, carlos bulosan theatre, catherine hernandez, hip-hop, kierscey rand, ladies first, len cervantes, leonard cervantes, old school, old skool, rap, retro, salt n pepa, shotgun wedding the musical, theatre
Shotgun Wedding: The Musical 