Entertainment

By Mark Kennedy / The Associated Press New York—Tony Award winner and The Voice of the Philippines coach Lea Salonga will join the cast of Star Trek actor George Takei’s musical Allegiance on Broadway, its producers announced last Thursday (last Friday in Manila).

By Alvin I. Dacanay The Philippine entertainment industry is mourning the death of showbiz luminary and Movie and Television Review and Classification Board member Liezl Martinez, the only daughter of veteran stars Amalia Fuentes and Romeo Vasquez and wife of actor-director Albert Martinez, who lost her eight-year battle with cancer—first, Stage 3 breast cancer; later, Stage 4 lung cancer—last Saturday.

Story and photos by Alvin I. Dacanay For many denim-lovers, the mere mention of the name “Wrangler” suggests ideas of independence, freedom and adventure, as well as images of wide, open spaces. It also suggests style, durability and comfort—just three of the many qualities that have endeared the enduring American clothing brand to Filipinos for more than four decades now.

Christine Armario / The Associated Press Los Angeles—Mountainside hikes along urban cityscapes. Ramen noodle bars, Korean teahouses and taco trucks serving every regional Mexican specialty. Sure, Los Angeles is known for classic Hollywood, but these days the city is getting attention for other attractions, too.

CHEF MOM / Adoree Chong-Uy Question No. 1: I consider myself an intermediate baker. I have been baking brownies, cookies and cakes for years now. I thought that a baked cheesecake is an easy thing to make, but I was wrong. Last week, I made New York cheesecake using a recipe I found on the Internet, and it turned out …

LIVE WELL / CJ Rodriguez Not all those who wander are lost.—J.R.R. Tolkien As our 15th wedding anniversary fast approaches, my better half and I have come to several realizations. One is that we really need to see about getting each other new wedding bands, as our original ones have mysteriously disappeared! Mine first before his, I am embarrassed to …

By Teresa Cerojano / The Associated Press Tony award-winning actress and The Voice of the Philippines coach Lea Salonga says talks have not yet been finalized on her joining the cast of Star Trek actor George Takei’s musical Allegiance on Broadway, but added that it is a show she wants to be a part of.

By Vijay Joshi / The Associated Press Burhanpur, India—It is no secret that the Taj Mahal is a monument of love, built by a Mogul emperor as the final resting place for his beloved empress who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631.

Lindsey Bahr / The Associated Press Los Angeles—Things started to come into focus for Will Smith when After Earth bombed. Once the biggest movie stars in the world, his $130-million sci-fi spectacle After Earth opened in June 2013 to a lousy $27.5 million and would only go on to make up less than half of its production budget, domestically, by …

LIVE WELL / CJ Rodriguez In our last two columns, we learned how starting a mindfulness practice at work might help us become more effective in carrying our our respective roles for the jobs required of us. In his book Full Catastrophe Living, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the leading expert on the topic, offers concrete ways to practice mindfulness in the …