Funfare Update: Dora the Explorer coming soon

After giving more than 2.2 million people in America and Europe a big thrill, Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer Live! — Dora’s Pirate Adventure will be staged at the Aliw Theater (CCP Complex) on April 18 to 27.

“Right in time for the children’s summer break,” said the show’s Philippine promoter. “Dora is also performing in Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea before she heads for Australia and New Zealand as part of the Asia-Pacific tour.”

Dora’s Pirate Adventure is based on the No. 1 pre-school TV show, Dora the Explorer. As kiddie fans very well know, Dora is the seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as any pre-schooler would. The infotainment is designed to entertain children while engaging them in various learning techniques.

Every step of the journey consists of a problem or a puzzle that Dora and the audience must solve before they can move on to the next challenge. The bilingual Dora teaches the audience new words or phrases, then asks them to use the words or phrases in solving a problem/puzzle so as to forge ahead.

In Dora’s Pirate Adventure, Dora with her best buddy Boots the Monkey and their friends embark on an exciting trip to Treasure Island. For the first time, the show will feature Dora’s cousin Diego, a nature/science expert. The audience will help them navigate over Music Mountain through silly Singing Bridge and help them confront the Pirate Piggies. Along the way, the audience will use their map-reading, counting, and musical/language skills to help Dora reach the treasure. Of course, all ends happily ever after onstage with a big “Yo-ho-ho!”

(Note: Tickets are now available at SM Ticketnet outlets. For inquiries, call 374-2222 or 911-5555.)

Leo home for vacation April

The almost year-long Australia tour of the long-running (since 1989) Cameron MacKintosh megahit musical Miss Saigon will end in Perth on April 19.

“After that,” said Leo in a text message to Funfare, “I will fly home for a much-needed vacation.”

The last time Leo came home was late last year to bury his mother. He stayed for only a few days.

“Up to now,” said Leo, “I’m still grieving. I may get used to it but I don’t think I will ever get over it.”

By coincidence, a reader sent Funfare a clipping of a glowing (as usual) review of Miss Saigon which has immortalized Leo as, to use the words of MacKintosh, “my best The Engineer.”

In the musical, Leo (who has shaved his head to give the role a refreshing touch) now uses Leo Tavarro Valdez as professional name.

The review entitled Good evening, Vietnam, came out in West Australian last February.

Excerpts:

...On her first night working at the seamy bar-cum-brothel — run by the slimy, often amusingly aspirational Engineer (the wonderfully charismatic Leo Tavarro Valdez — Kim (Laurie Cadevida) meets Chris (David Harris) and, amid the chaos and disillusionment, they fall in love...

...there are some engaging songs and some fabulous ensemble production numbers, with Valdez’s The American Dream a standout...

Leo has done perhaps almost a thousand performances as The Engineer (originated 1989 in London’s West End’s Drury Lane Theater by Jonathan Pryce, with Lea Salonga alternating with Monique Wilson as the original Kim).

“The Engineer is already second skin to me,” said Leo.

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