Our very own international star, Lea Salonga, is here to make “Baby,” but it’s the musical we are referring to. I asked her when she’s going to think of having her own baby, and Lea said she and her husband, Robert Chen, are not too keen on starting a family so soon.
“Maybe next year, and we want to have two or three kids,” she said. “It’s not too late. My mom had me when she was my age, 33.” They had to put next year as a timetable to start a family because right now, they have their respective careers to attend to. Lea and Robbie are based in Glendale, California. She has her own apartment in New York, but “a friend of mind is staying there,” Lea informed us.
She added that at the moment, she’d like to enjoy being a wife to the utmost first. She loves to cook for Robbie, who thank God loves to eat and he eats anything Lea cooks for him. When she wants to cook a special dish for him, Lea said she only has to call up her mom Ligaya in Manila to get the recipe. So far so good for this occasional cook of a housewife.
What’s great about being married to her husband, Lea added, is that “he is my best friend. When you wake up in the morning and you see your best friend and also your husband, that’s a great feeling.” In California, Lea also drives now. “You have to know how to drive in the States if you live there,” she said. “And I love driving there kasi the highways are so big and wide...”
Lea drives herself to her acting and voice lessons, which is once or twice a week. She started taking voice lessons especially for “Baby the Musical” because the voice for her role has to be young and high, she said. As to the acting lessons, she’s doing it not in preparation for a movie project but “just to get better in my craft...”
In “Baby,” Lea plays a pregnant young woman. “You’ll see my pregnancy progress from six to nine months!” she beamed. It’s a light musical, a comedy-musical in fact, and in the cast with Lea are Agot Isidro and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, two other pregnant young women. The musical is about what a baby can do to affect a relationship in a couple.
Directed by Bobby Garcia, with Gerard Salonga as musical director, the cast of “Baby”also includes David Shannon, who played Chris in the London production of “Miss Saigon” when his wife, Ima Castro played Kim; Jett Pangan of The Dawn who’s been surprising audiences with his theater acting prowess; and Miguel Faustman with whom Lea has appeared in many musicals in the past. In the ensemble are Chari Arespacochaga, Cathy Azanza, Topper Fabregas, Christine Marquez, Jun Ofrasio and Robie Zialcita.
“Baby, the Musical” which is produced by Atlantic Productions, will be staged from Aug. 19 to Sept. 5 at the Meralco Theatre.
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RPN 9 anniversary event proved very entertaining
RPN 9’s 44th anniversary celebration held recently at the Aliw Theater was indeed very entertaining. We enjoyed it so much and we believed the whole audience did too. Billed as “Seriously Funny,” it featured the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance laced with comedy, what with Willie Nepomuceno, all in white as he impersonated Dolphy, to “conduct” their opening number.
Elegance and comic situations were a good mix that night. The Manila Philharmonic Orchestra, known for classy and formal symphonies in accompaniment of the country’s serious performers, proved it can also give in to humor and play music for the not so-serious singers like the comic guests during RPN 9’s anniversary event.
The show was actually opened by the country’s great comedian Dolphy who was presented in a video tape. Dolphy talked about his comedy days at RPN 9, home of his top-rating and longrunning sitcoms like “John en Marsha.”
Andrew E., Giselle Sanchez, Candy Pangilinan, Tuesday Vargas, April Boy Regino, Eugene Domingo, Patricia Ismael, and sexy Ara Mina all made the evening very memorable to everyone in the audience.
“Seriously Funny” will be aired on Aug. 8 at 9 p.m., of course, on RPN 9. Watch out for it.
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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Aug. 7, go to Randy Ortiz, Susan Limjoco, Bonjin Bolinao, Ising Mendoza, Riz Rebaya, Ed Ponceja, Henri Calayag, Peter Casas, my hijada Mala Jean Luga, Mary Jane Velayo, Dr. Susan Bolante-Kapalugan, Marichie Josue, and New Yorker Michelle M. Sampilo...San Felipe Neri Vicariate Youth Ministry presdents “Awit, Sayaw at Iba Pa” tonight at Mandaluyong Gym...
