Aliw Theater is back! And they are rising stronger with a new season for Ballet Manila

Manila, Philippines: Aliw Theater is finally opening its doors once again after an incredible restoration that surely meets the post-pandemic requirements for live performances.

The newly renovated Aliw Theater can now support concerts, theatrical performances, corporate events, and many more different types of shows! In addition to this, crucial theater characteristics have been changed for improved audience viewing.

“I feel very encouraged and happy that our home has been restored and that the theater complex is an even harder working venue that is capable of so much more,” shared Lisa Macuja Elizalde, CEO and creative director of Ballet Manila.

New top-of-the-line lights and audio equipment, brand-new seats, and carpets. And an on-stage 36 ft. x 15 ft. LED screen placed in the main theater is a great new touch that will also be a huge help in lessening the cost for production without the need to sacrifice quality.

Aliw Theater’s new smoke suction and fresh air system is a major highlight of its new renovation. “This is basically like a built-in air purifier,” she enthuses. “We were rebuilding during the lockdowns and this allowed us to put in features that will make the theater safer given the pandemic conditions.”

To top it off, the audience no longer has to wait in lines in the restroom and no longer loses time or miss performances because there are now more comfort rooms, an elevator, and special seating for Persons With Disability (PWDs). Now talk about comfort!

As the newly renovated Aliw Theater is part of the Elizalde Events Complex which aims to be the next destination for live performances, events, and intimate gatherings. Two more facilities are included in the Complex: the Elizalde Hall that is a 370-square-meter area which includes a spacious lobby and two meeting rooms, and the Custom Space which is a 500-meter area that can support all types of artistic endeavors. 

Ballet Manila is eagerly anticipating its return to the stage with electrifying live performances thanks to the Aliw Theater’s completely improved facilities. With “Rise!” under the direction of renowned conductor and musical director Gerard Salonga, it is indeed making a triumphant comeback. The inclusion of worldwide baritone singer Andrew Fernando, who will perform and serve as the vocal coach of all the opera singers, will make the launch of the production even more remarkable as the realization of Macuja-Elizalde’s “phoenix rising” promise. Opera and pop vocalists will also perform as part of the show’s complete orchestra.

With its “Holiday Cheer Series,” an annual event where the dance company will showcase ballets with Christmas themes as a gift for families and children, the group builds on the joyous energy from its incredible comeback performance. A mainstay and popular piece in Ballet Manila’s repertoire, Lisa Macuja-“Cinderella” Elizalde’s will be re-stage for the series.

Last but not least, Ballet Manila will resume its 25th performance season, which was suspended in 2020 due to pandemic lockdowns, on the occasion of its 28th anniversary. On February 18 and 19, 2023, it will open with Martin Lawrance’s “Romeo and Juliet,” under the title “Of Hope and Homecoming.” Don Quixote, including special guests from the San Francisco Ballet, will be performed during its midseason on May 27 to 28, 2023. The season will end on August 19–20, 2023, with Gerardo Francisco’s “Ibong Adarna.”

However, Macuja-Elizalde said that while the ballet company and Aliw Theater took a two-year break, they were astounded by the exponential surge in membership to their online ballet classes. The Lisa Macuja School of Ballet (LMSB) saw a surge in enrollment, with students enrolling from all across the Philippines, as well as Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Portugal, the US, Australia, and even Bahrain.

“We transferred our classes online and went on from there to develop an entirely new way of running the school. With online recitals, examinations, a developed syllabus and new classes such as the “Dance With Me” toddlers classes and the Ballet For the New Young senior citizen classes among many others – and we continue to grow!” She explains that there were other difficulties along the way, including a weak internet signal, a shortage of floor space, and inadequate equipment for pupils at home. “But some students were so invested in their classes that they bought barres and linoleum flooring! As I always say, when there’s a will, there is a way.”

The past two years have been a learning experience for Macuja-Elizalde and for the people deeply involved with Aliw Theater, Ballet Manila and the LMSB. “We will continue to innovate in the area of non-traditional distribution of content and services.  We have survived, and we continue to grow. I think that we are now stronger, wiser and better. It can only look brighter from now on. The best is always yet to come.”

Indeed it is.

Macuja-Elizalde believes that with the newly renovated Aliw Theater and her dancers’ renewed zeal, audiences can expect more fun and memorable performances. “We need people’s support now more than ever; come and watch our performances in Aliw Theater; we’ve been missing you for far too long!” says Macuja-Elizalde.

To know more about Ballet Manila and the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet, kindly visit https://balletmanila.com.ph/.

For inquiries or to book a space at Aliw Theater for your next event, visit https://aliwtheater.com.ph