Lisa Macuja-Elizalde

MANILA, Philippines -- From the pigeonhole:  A tearful Lisa Macuja-Elizalde accepted the lifetime achievement award given by her peers in theater last May 25, coming as it has on her 27th year as a professional ballerina.

Macuja-Elizalde was accorded the Natatanging Gawad Buhay Award by the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group, Inc. (Philstage), an umbrella organization of top-caliber performing companies in the country.

The prima ballerina was one of four recipients of the award, along with stage veterans Tony Mabesa and Tony Espejo, and composer Ryan Cayabyab.

Introduced by former dancing partner, acclaimed danseur Nonoy Froilan and his wife, former ballerina Edna Vida, Macuja-Elizalde noted, “First of all, I want to make an announcement. Malapit na akong mag-retire, kaya abangan.”

The 46-year-old artist is still expected to dance though for another three to four years. Her performance schedule is full, including tours with her company Ballet Manila in England, Ireland, Singapore and Korea this year alone. In October, she will also headline “Swan Lake”— the last time, she said, that she will be dancing its full-length version.

The ballerina then proceeded to thank the people who have helped her in her career, including her parents Cesar and Susan Macuja, husband Fred Elizalde, and her ballet teachers in the Philippines and in Russia.

She, likewise, paid tribute to all her partners who, she said, “have really made me look good in the 27 years that I have been dancing,” notably her co-artistic director in Ballet Manila Osias Barroso who was her partner for 16 years.

Philstage is comprised of Ballet Manila, Ballet Philippines, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM), Philippine Education Theater Association (PETA), Repertory Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino and Triumphant People’s Evangelistic Theater Society (TRUMPETS).

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Warner Bros. makes presence felt

Warner Bros. is making its presence felt in the Philippines through Pacific Licensing Studio Pte. Ltd. (PLS) whose services Warner Bros. Consumer Products has tapped to promote its product line-up, among them the Looney Tunes characters, DC Comics and Green Lantern. PLS is a licensing and brand management company with headquarters in Singapore and a recently-opened office in Manila.

Warner Bros. is of course home to Looney Tunes characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety and Tasmanian Devil to name a few. It also owns DC Comics with popular characters, namely: Superman, Batman, The Flash, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. Similarly, Warner Bros. Consumer Products is known for its outstanding movie releases – its most recent release being “Green Lantern.”

This June, PLS promotes DC Comics, particularly the forthcoming film “Green Lantern.” On June 18 and 19, Warner Bros. Consumer Products will showcase DC Comics merchandise at the lower ground floor Event Center of SM Megamall.

“Green Lantern” is bannered by Hal Jordan, a fighter pilot who gets enlisted into an intergalactic peacekeeping corps and protects Earth from enemies at home and abroad as Green Lantern. He is the greatest member of the Green Lantern Corps and founder of The Justice League of America with The Flash and Aquaman.

Hal Jordan is played by Ryan Reynolds with Blake Lively as his love interest, Carrol Ferris. Also in the movie are Mark Strong, Peter Saarsgard, Tim Robbins and many more. “Green Lantern” is directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Donald de Line.

“Green Lantern” opens June 16 in 3D, 2D and regular format.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, June 14, go to Giselle Toengi, Digna Rosales, Josie Salcedo, Wylda Jimenez, Carmelita Borlongan, Norma Calleja, Crescencia P. Lopez, Rosemarie Tolentino, Yola Viana, Christian Jason Dimaapi, Maricar Seludo, Lilia A. Tolentino, Venus Velasco, Bulgar columnist Erlinda Rapadas, Aldred Gachalian, director Jerry Sineneng, and awarded actor Coco Martin... Happy wedding anniversary to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago and Narciso “Jun” Santiago...