Quo Vadis, FACC? Would Rizal Center Rise Like Phoenix from the Ashes?

By: Veronica Leighton

 

Hasn’t it been many years back, in the early 1970’s, when as a young Mom and groping like a child for some kind of community involvement (even friendship), that I discovered the Rizal Community Center, a nice community building that operates under the flagship of the Filipino American Council of Chicago (word “Greater” was added later on, making it Filipino American Council of Greater Chicago nowadays)? Mind you, am talking about the pre-VIA Times/CPRTV founding years, our two sister community media companies founded in the 1980’s.

Serving as the umbrella organization for more than 100 community organizations, it was so alive, active, and a place for many Filipinos to meetup and party. My one and only son, Bobby (now in his mid-40’s), who used to tag along with Mom, would play and do his homework at the Center while Mom was attending various meetings. Also saw and had been a part of happy community celebrations and pronouncements, the meetings, matings, engagements and weddings of some personalities, even an unforgettable gun fight that sadly led to the deaths of two known people in the community, and the sad fate and passing on of some venerable community leaders. So many stories to tell about the Rizal Center, its happenings, its members and its visitors.

The credit for the purchase of the Rizal building that used to be a Swedish community center and the organization of the Filipino American Council of Chicago (FACC) go to the unrelenting work and indefatigable spirits of those elderly Filipino Chicago leaders (we used to call O.T.’s, or “old timers” at that time) whose unselfish vision and mission was to have a place of pride for the future generations of Filipinos in Chicago that they can call home. With due respects, I salute these venerable old timers/leaders for their foresight, for thinking and executing to have the first Filipino Community Center in North America that offered various community services to the Filipinos & Filipino Americans of Chicago in the early 1970’s, hoping to unite us. Sadly by now, many of them have left to join their Creators, after making ultimate sacrifices for their community.

Having been an eyewitness to the Rizal Center’s birth, growing-up years, and sad state of deterioration as years go by, made me feel sad and jealous of some other Filipino centers that started sprouting around the country, like the Bayanihan Center of Tampa Bay, Florida which I had a chance to visit a few times. This Bayanihan Center lies on a 5-acre property with a welcoming building that houses a Filipiniana library, Philippine art and artifacts, offices and a ballroom for various community functions and activities, as envisioned and started by Tampa Bay’s community leaders. Their annual April fest showcases Filipino cultural stage shows, Musikong Kawayan (story on page 8 written by our new columnist Pureza Pacis) and vendors’ booths displayed around the ground area of the property and attended by proud Filipinos from all over the country as far as PH. And, I have also heard about the New Jersey’s huge annual festival that attracts thousands, if not millions, of people.

Back to the FACC’s Rizal Center…I have also been a witness to a series of continued political strifes and dirty politics that really caused some disheartened and disillusioned leaders and individuals to part ways and shy away from the historical edifice of the Rizal Center. Gone was the excitement to be a part of what’s going on at the Center, gone too was the pride of belonging to an organization that instilled pride in us as Filipinos that are trying to build roots in a foreign land away from our birth country.

Like some community members who grew tired of the “Rizal Center sh…. or politics,” we started practicing the monkey principle of “me no see, me no hear, and me no care” attitude pertaining the Rizal Center for some years now, (f…. it, we had to say), to maintain peace and quiet in our lives. We did not want to be bothered anymore by the Rizal Community Center for a long time, but we can write several chapters for FACC book, if one will be published in the future.

But as we were trying to meet this deadline, all hell seemed to have broken loose at the Rizal Center. Former FACC President Atty. Al Bascos and new Board member Jerry Clarito and other former board members were up against Elaine Lehman, the new Executive Director under the current presidency of Dr. Rufino Crisostomo.

On Saturday, April 22, about five police squad cars were in front of the Center and a small crowd of rallyists (led by Jerry Clarito) were shouting and chanting about some kind of a take-over of the Rizal Center by a Fil-Mex from New York, Elaine Lehman, married to a Jewish American. The doors of the Rizal Center were locked due to “fumigation reasons,” and the key was handed to Ms. Lehman by the police, thereby recognizing her as the lawful keyholder of the place. Live videos, pictures and interviews were posted on Facebook by some people who were present. Quite a familiar scenario to me, remembering very well when thenpast (3-term) FACC President Al Bascos locked out its then-current President Rey Sapnu years ago. We were there rallying for Sapnu’s cause, but we didn’t prevail. So nothing new.

There’s a lot of things to unearth from this FACC’s current fiasco, but rest assured that we will try to present to our dear readers the truth, and nothing but the truth regarding the FACC and Rizal Center story. The big million dollar question is, is there still hope that the Rizal Center would still rise from the ashes like a most stunning and fabulous phoenix? As an umbrella organization, it currently claims membership of only six regular organizations (dramatic decline from 100 or more memberships). Could it go back and regain the confidence of many clubs out there to become FACC members again? Quo Vadis, FACC? *******

 

`MY FAIR LADY’ PREMIERES IN CHICAGO

(As posted on CPRTV Facebook) Behind-the- Scenes of Lyric Opera’s grand-scale production of My Fair Lady Starring Richard E. Grant and Lisa O’Hare – April 28–May 21, 2016

Veronica interviews My Fair Lady principal cast for CPRTV at the press preview (together with CH. 7, Fox, WGN) on April 18 at Lyric Opera, Richard E. Grant as Henry Higgins, Lisa O’Hare as Eliza Doolittle, Bryce Pinkham as Freddy Eynsford-Hill and choreographer Lynne Page, with some behind-the-scenes rehearsal images from its production of Lerner and Loewe’s.

The production runs April 28 through May 21 (press opening April 29) at the Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Visit for ticket information, www.lyricopera.org/myfairlady or at 312-827-5600.

My Fair Lady principal cast as interviewed on CPRTV: Richard E. Grant (Henry Higgins/Lyric Opera debut) has proven to be one of the great character actors of his generation since appearing in his first film as the perpetually inebriated title character in Withnail and I. Some of his most memorable credits include Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Henry & June, L.A. Story, The Player, The Age of Innocence, The Portrait of a Lady, Spice World, Gosford Park, and The Iron Lady. He has countless television credits, and he has several other films scheduled for release, including the romantic comedy Their Finest and the dark comedy Can You Ever Forgive Me? with Melissa McCarthy.

Lisa O’Hare (Eliza Doolittle/Lyric Opera debut) was originally trained as a ballet dancer, performing in London at Sadler’s Wells and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, before making the transition to musical theater. She has several television credits, including roles in Castle, The Closer, and Undercovers.

Bryce Pinkham (Freddy Eynsford-Hill/Lyric Opera debut) is an American stage and screen actor. Pinkham is most widely known for originating the role of Monty Navarro in the Tony Award-winning production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, for which he was nominated for Tony, Grammy, and Drama Desk awards.

David Chase (Conductor) has been on the podium for Lyric productions of Carousel (debut) and The King and I. Chase has been music director, music supervisor, and/or dance arranger on 32 Broadway productions and his work can currently be heard on Broadway in the new musicalAnastasia and the Bette Midler revival of Hello, Dolly!.

Lynne Page (Choreographer/Lyric Opera debut) is renowned for her work in theater, opera, television, and film. Career highlights in opera include Les Troyens (La Scala), Medea (English National Opera), Andrea Chénier (Bregenz Festival), and Carmen (Opera Holland Park). In film, Page has undertaken projects for Warner Brothers and Working Title as a movement director and choreographer.

FACC’s Elaine Lehman (left), new executive director, with some FACC past Movers & Shakers who were in attendance at the recent Philippine Consulate seminar held at RC, from left, Lehman, Cely Somera (exwife of past president Romy Somera), Alex Gonzales, FACC past president and former chair of the FACC’s purchase of the Rizal Center (envisioning a united home for Filipino, Filipino American individuals, families, and organizations), Bob Mittenthal & Dely Villalon, former FACC Board Members.

Behind-the-scenes of “My Fair Lady” rehearsal of “Getting to Church on Time.”

Veronica’s “My First Lady” principal cast interviews for CPRTV, (1) Lisa O’Hare as Eliza Doolittle; (2) Richard E. Grant as Henry Higgins; (3) Bryce Pinkham as Freddy Eynsford-Hill, held at Opera House Chicago during the behind-the-scenes rehearsal.