Balikbayan Box Broadway Open Mic: Sixteen Bars x Broadway Barkada

BALIKBAYAN BOX: BROADWAY OPEN MIC:
Sixteen Bars x Broadway Barkada

The balikbayan box is a symbol of the far-reaching Filipino diaspora—a diaspora that, driven by Filipino family values, for the most part, actively attempts to stay in touch with its roots. The ubiquity of this humble cardboard icon has come to represent a sustained connection to one’s heritage and identity in a way that transcends geographic boundaries.

In this same vein, with the goal of bridging our local theatre community with Filipino theatre communities abroad, Sixteen Bars, in collaboration with Broadway Barkada, is proud to present BALIKBAYAN BOX: BROADWAY OPEN MIC.

Guests of Balikbayan Box: Broadway Open Mic are invited to bring selections (songs and scenes) from any of their favorite theatrical pieces. Is there a song you've just learned in quarantine and you've been itching for a platform to show it off? Here's your chance! Just prepare a backing track, an external audio device, and you're ready to go! Exclusive pre-recorded performances from selected auditionees from our open audition and Filipino Broadway performers, Marc delaCruz, Jaygee Macapugay, Billy Bustamante, Ali Ewoldt, and Devin Ilaw, will also be premiered during the event, so don’t miss out!

BALIKBAYAN BOX: BROADWAY OPEN MIC will be held on 19 September 2020, 7 PM onwards, via a Zoom link that will be distributed to pre-registered participants. Registration will open on Wednesday, September 16, via a form that will be posted on the Sixteen Bars Facebook page. Only performers need to register as performances will also be broadcast over Facebook Live.

This event supports Never Gonna Jeep You Up, a fundraising campaign initiated to support jeepney drivers affected by the mass transportation ban and jeepney phaseout amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABOUT SIXTEEN BARS
SIXTEEN BARS PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE is a performing arts education company. On top of the various classes we have been offering for the past five years, we’re closely identified with our most popular offering, the semi-regular BROADWAY OPEN MIC series.

The primary mission of Sixteen Bars is to create spaces wherein the needs of aspiring theatre practitioners in the Philippines are provided for. This covers endeavors such as artistic training in practices such as music, acting, dance, writing, direction, and even technical theatre through masterclasses and workshops.

By the year 2030, our desire is to see participants from our different offerings and activities taking an active part in the continued formation of the Philippine theatre scene. This includes participating in the numerous professional theatrical productions happening around the scene (whether as part of the cast, production team or artistic team), creating new production outfits, and sharing the skills they’ve developed by teaching.

ABOUT BROADWAY BARKADA
BROADWAY BARKADA was co-founded by Billy Bustamante, Liz Casasola and Brian Jose in 2009. Based in New York City, we are a collective of professional artists whose mission is to provide a community for Filipino artists, that CULTIVATES our talents, EDUCATES our audiences, and ELEVATES our global impact.

ABOUT NEVER GONNA JEEP YOU UP
NGJYU is a fundraising campaign initiated to support jeepney drivers affected by the mass transportation ban and jeepney phaseout amidst the pandemic. The team has surpassed its initial goal to raise Php 250,000.00 through donations, partnerships with different groups and small businesses, and several online events. The NGJYU team has reached out to 385 displaced jeepney drivers residing at C.P. Garcia Avenue, Dagat-Dagatan Caloocan, and Bagong Silang, and from different routes including Taft-Monumento-Recto, and would like to reach out to more affected drivers as traditional jeepneys continue to be banned from the streets of Metro Manila preventing thousands of drivers from earning much-needed income to provide for their families.

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