The Newport World Resorts gaming complex in Manila, the Philippines, says it brought back the ‘Do You Hear The People Sing?’ event, to help raise funds for displaced communities in Cavite, south of Metro Manila.
The fundraising show – based around the concept of a tribute to Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, the creators of award-winning musicals “Miss Saigon” and “Les Misérables” – was held on August 2 and 3 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater.
“By the time the performers made their final bow at curtain call, a total of PHP10 million [US$176,638] had been raised for the beneficiary communities of Upskills+ Foundation,” stated the announcement.
Stars from London’s West End, Australia, and the Philippines were brought together on stage. They included: Abigail Adriano and Nigel Huckle, who played lead roles in the most recent international tour of “Miss Saigon”; West End star Bradley Jaden, famed for his portrayal as Javert in “Les Misérables”; and Australian-American soprano Amy Manford, known for her performance as Christine Daaé in “The Phantom of the Opera”.
One of the highlights was the premiere of a new Boublil and Schönberg song titled “Someday,” performed by Filipino-Australian actor Abigail Adriano.
Speaking to the audience supporting the show, Newport World Resorts president and chief executive, Nilo Thaddeus Rodriguez, said: “We are once again united by the healing power of music to build more resilient communities.”
Proceeds from the presentation will be used to construct a multi-purpose building to serve over 5,000 individuals moved to a resettlement area in Naic, Cavite, according to the release.
The facility will offer essential services, including a clinic, a kitchen and bakery, training rooms to teach livelihood skills, computer classrooms, and a sports centre.
The Upskills+ Foundation is to implement a phased approach to the construction of the building. The initial phase will focus on establishing the clinic and a temporary kitchen for feeding programmes, while subsequent phases will create livelihood-training rooms, classrooms, and the sports centre.
Newport World Resorts helps raise US$177k for local communities
