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‘Aladdin’ actor Don Darryl Rivera gives Iago a daring makeover
Don Darryl Rivera is a self-professed “Disney nerd.” A glimpse inside his Mickey Mouse- and Aladdin-lamp-decorated office is big giveaway. When he learned he earned the role as Iago in the Broadway musical Aladdin, it was quite an emotional experience. “I distinctly remember my hands going numb as a I got the call from the […]
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Stella Abrera named acting artistic director of American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School
Stella Abrera, former Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, has been named Acting Artistic Director of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. The appointment, effective August 22, was announced by Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre. Abrera has served as Artistic Director of Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in Tivoli, New York since June 2020, […]
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On Global Filipinos: Tenor Martin Bakari: Opera’s Fil-African American voice
By Loida Nicolas Lewis What a surprise to discover Martin Bakari, a Filipino-African American operatic tenor whose mother was born in Naga City, Camarines Sur and whose father is from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Bakari recently performed as the tenor soloist at Carnegie Hall in the well-attended “Carmina Burana” concert of the Cecilia Chorus of New York. “Praised by […]
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‘Malditas:’ 2 cousins lean on each other when an uncle passed away
In her short film “Malditas,” Filipina-Puerto Rican filmmaker Bree Nieves documents how her Catholic Filipino community grappled with grief after the death of her Uncle Vince. The director centers the film around herself and her cousin Giselle coming to terms with their new reality in the conservative Florida county where they were raised. Through heartbreak and celebration, […]
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Cardinal Tagle celebrates mass in NYC: ‘A gift to listen to him’
By Lindy Rosales Retired nurse Ave Pimo was one of many who braved the thick crowd at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to listen to Luis Cardinal Tagle celebrate mass commemorating the 40th anniversary of San Lorenzo Ruiz Devotion in the United States. “I believe it is a gift to listen to him,” she said. It was […]
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‘Top Gun: Maverick:’ Exciting aerial action adventure
By Wendell Gaa “Top Gun: Maverick” is truly one of the most entertaining and stimulating action dramas which Hollywood has produced in years, and also now one of my personal favorite movies starring the always charismatic and seemingly ageless Tom Cruise. I have cherished memories of my very first viewing of the original “Top Gun” […]
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Comedian Rich Kiamco finds ‘freedom in laughter’
FilAm standup comic Rich Kiamco is one of eight LGBTQ individuals whose stories were put on spotlight in the ABC’s special series “Our America: Who I’m meant to be.” He joins a fire chief in Fresno who is a woman, an out gay Muslim, a biracial personal chef and others who share the challenges of […]
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Magpabakuna! A survey of FilAm attitudes toward vaccines
A nationwide survey to document attitudes surrounding vaccination in the Filipino American community has been launched by the Filipino Young Leaders Program or FYLPRO. The MAGPABAKUNA na Tayo (“Measuring and Gathering data on Pilipino/a/x American Behaviors, Attitudes, and Knowledge Understanding the Novel Coronavirus vaccines”) study is a 20-minute survey that will be conducted online and […]
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One mother’s thoughts on Uvalde and how to improve school security
By Cristina DC Pastor Queens mom Casey DeLeon Pinola remembers shedding tears when she learned 19 children were mowed down in a school in Uvalde, Texas, a city once heralded as the “honey capital of the world.” She immediately thought of her three children Carlos, 15; Caydence, 6; and Coah, 4, who go to three […]