(From: Left - Right) ALLAN PAULE, BB GANDANGHARI and JUGS JUGUETA

Awarded actor Allan Paule should consider himself very lucky this Christmas season. Imagine having three entries to the 2012 Metro Manila Film Festival? And to think that he was a reluctant actor when the late National Artist for Film Lino Brocka discovered him.

Allan Paule (Allan de Guzman in real life) first appeared in “Macho Dancers” in 1988. Since then, he has blossomed into a relevant and credible actor who may even be on his way to a political career.

Anyway, Allan’s three filmfest entries are: “El Presidente” for mainstream cinema, and “Gayak” and “Ad Ignorantiam” for the New Wave section of independent cinema. Allan is thrilled that he’s back where he started to be noticed – indie films – and playing lead and significant roles to boot.

In “El Presidente,” starring Laguna Gov. ER Ejercito a.k.a. Jeorge Estregan, Jr., and directed by awarded director Mark Meily, Allan plays the amorous Gen. Tomas Mascardo. Gen. Mascardo, Allan relates, was the rival of Gen. Antonio Luna for the attention of the Cavite charmer who eventually ended up as the former’s wife.

But history’s “love triangle,” says the actor, is not exploited romantically in the Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo biofilm.

Allan shot for eight days in the big-budget production that took more than a year to make (from pre-prod to post-prod), with two directors to boot! “But I never did scenes with Tikoy (Aguiluz, the original director),” the actor emphasizes, “and the new film is wholly by Mark Meily.”

Eight shooting days for a crucial supporting role in “El Presidente” are two days in excess for the six shooting days Allan had painstakingly gone through portraying the lead role in Ronaldo Bertubin’s “Gayak.” Reportedly produced at a minimal cost of P1.2-million, Bertubin’s “flash back movie” features a quiet and moving performance from Allan. For this, he could be a potential Best Actor in the indie division.

In Allan’s third filmfest entry, Armando Lao’s “Ad Ignorantiam,” he displays another finely nuanced acting. He portrays here an incompetent public attorney who mangles and mispronounces the English language and is prone to malapropism

The way things are going for the actor, after 24 years in the business and more than 100 films and TV dramas (his present, GMA-7’s  “Magdalena”) to his credit, Allan Paule is here to stay for a long, long time!

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BB Gandanghari As ‘Spider Woman’

Film, TV, and theater artist BB Gandanghari will star in the brand-new stage production of “Halik ng Tarantula” to be staged early next year. He will play the role of Molina. BB, who told us in a recent chance encounter at Greenbelt 3 that he is now a contract artist of Viva, is currently in the US.

“Halik ng Tarantula” is a translation of noted Filipino playwright of the acclaimed “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” It tells the story of two inmates at a Buenos Aires prison during the ’70s. One is a political prisoner (Valentin), and the other one was imprisoned because of his homosexuality (Molina).

Award-winning director and actor, Soxie Topacio, will once again take the challenge of directing this masterpiece. This will be his second time to direct “Halik Ng Tarantula.” The play was first staged in 1989 by PETA with Mario O’Hara as Molina and Julio Diaz as Valentin.

Auditions for the role of Valentin will be held from Dec. 17 to 19, 2012 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Amerasian Recording Studio, #61 Scout Madrinian St., South Triangle, Diliman, Quezon City. Interested actors may contact Ms. Anita Camba at 0919-2524162 or Katherine Caymo at 0917-8067288.

The setting for the “Kiss of the Spider Woman” is a wretched Argentine prison, where cruelty is routine. The story focuses on the two cellmates: Valentin Arregui, a leftist revolutionary imprisoned for trying to overthrow the government and Luis Molina, a homosexual imprisoned for allegedly corrupting a minor.

Misery loves company and the two ended up as close friends. Soon, friendship develops into something more and Molina falls in love with Valentin. When Molina gained his freedom, he agrees to contact Valentin’s comrade, but he was followed by the police and was brought back to prison where he was threatened in front of Valentin to make the political prisoner talk. Molina convinces Valentin not to say a word.

As the play is driven chiefly by Molina’s storytelling, the role is undoubtedly paramount to the play. The role is truly one of the most challenging and compelling in theater history, and BB Gandanghari’s acceptance of this challenge heralds his entrance to the world of theater.

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The Itchyworms This December

Catch multi-platinum pop/rock band The Itchyworms in a series of special shows this December.

Composed of Jugs on lead vocals and guitars, Kelvin on bass, Chino on lead guitar, and Jazz on drums, The Itchyworms will tour the nation beginning on Dec. 14 at Pulilan, Bulacan. The Worms will also be featured in RockEd’s Rock The Riles & Grand Revelry in Los Baños Laguna. Fans can look forward to an unforgettable evening with The Worms as the band dishes out their greatest hits such as “Beer,” “Penge Naman Ako Niyan,” “Akin Ka Na Lang,” and “Ang Gusto Ko Lamang Sa Buhay,” among many other classic pop/rock songs as culled from their impressive catalogue of multi-platinum hits.

The band’s frontman Jugs continues his hosting gig daily on ABS-CBN’s top-rating noontime variety show “It’s Showtime,” and he recently signed up to be the newest endorser of E&E’s Takuyaki.

Other gig dates of The Worms this December are on Dec. 19 (De La Salle, Lipa); Dec. 23 (Baybay, Leyte); and Dec. 28 (Davao City).

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Dec. 14, go to Leo Valdez, director Nick Lizaso, Phillip Ella Juico, Nancy Muñoz Chiongbian, Atty. Dan de Padua, Domingo Pabalate, Ryan Palma of California, Danilo V. Clarino, Grace Tapia, Shielah A. Martinez, Vergel V. Danaytan, Juiljo Pisk, Eda Nolan, Joshua Dionisio and Mark Herras…