Creating my ‘Playlist’

MITOY

So, how does one celebrate 35 years in the business as a performer? The only way this performer—yours truly—knows how: Singing!

Tomorrow and on Saturday, I shall be at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall, performing in “Playlist.” As the concert title suggests, I’ll be singing songs off whatever jumps out of my digital music player, whether it’s on my computer or smartphone. However, the songs that will be performed aren’t exactly random. With each song is a story, whether an old one or a brand-new one, an inside joke or something more public. A song sung as a tiny tyke on the living room table, in the privacy of one’s bedroom, or a major concert stage.

More personal

Because I had celebrated my 30th anniversary looking back on (and with) songs, shows and films considered synonymous with my career, I didn’t want my 35th to take a similar journey. Instead, I wanted a more personal show using songs that people don’t immediately identify me with (save for maybe one or two gems hidden in the repertoire).

In short, I want “Playlist” to feel like a party for my voice and hopefully for the audience joining us. This girl just wants to have fun.

Just because we won’t be doing a more official retrospective on stage, doesn’t mean we won’t be doing it elsewhere. We decided to take our trip down memory lane on paper.

RACHELLE Ann Go

We have made a very special “Playlist” hardbound souvenir program to complement the show. Yes, it does have the prerequisite guest star and creative team biographies, as well as the list of personnel putting this concert together, but there’s also much more. It is a personal memoir, the larger moments of my career accompanied by a plethora of photos from a variety of sources: my personal collection, fan contributions and Facebook friends’ albums. The editorial staff (Tin Samson, GA Fallarme, Jeff Aguiman, Betsy Tuazon and myself, plus countless people who dug into their virtual and real-life baul for treasures they could share) dedicated many sleepless nights to meet our deadlines.

I wrote the text wherever and whenever I could, joined at the hip to my laptop just to get stuff done. Tin and I would then edit late in the evening, making sure everything read right. Then GA did all the photo and text layouts, very patiently dealing with us making pakialam or submitting last-minute edits to articles. Once proofs were prints, Tin would take photos or pages that needed re-checking, and if either of us spotted something (bad grammar or awkward writing), back into editing mode we’d go. Finally, in the middle of last week, everything was finished.

I can’t wait to see what the finished program looks like! To Tin, Jeff, Betsy, and everyone, thank you, thank you!

Special guests

It is only appropriate that my special guests for the evening are Mitoy and Rachelle Ann Go.

By now, everyone knows who Mitoy is, winner of the first season of “The Voice of the Philippines” (Team Lea). According to him, his life since Sept. 29’s season finale has taken a very busy turn, with him traveling to numerous destinations, domestic and international. Truly, I am happy for and proud of him. After many years of slugging it out as a singer, his turn on “The Voice” was the break he so needed and deserved.

Rachelle Ann is my guest for a couple of wonderful reasons: She is a wonderful musical theater leading lady, truly glowing on stage when inhabiting a role and very soon she will be taking that glow with her to London’s West End, where she will be playing the role of Gigi in the revival of “Miss Saigon,” opening at the Prince Edward Theatre in May 2014. She is an incredibly talented vocalist and actress and it’s so exciting that she will get to exercise the full extent of her talents in one of the centers for theater in the world.

As always, standing on the podium swinging the baton will be Gerard Salonga, conducting the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra. We have just arrived from Shanghai, China, for a round of “Do You Hear the People Sing” (my fourth, his first), and as his big sister, it made me extremely proud to watch him wield the stick with the Shanghai Opera Orchestra and Chorus, work with vocalists Michael Ball, David Harris, Amanda Harrison and Marie Zamora, and stand side by side with Alain Boublil. I had to take many photos of him at work, hunkered over his scores or instructing the rehearsal pianist, or standing before that majestic orchestra waving his arms, giving life to some of the most beautiful music written for musical theater. My big sister hat was on the whole time, be it on stage or watching from the wings—I was incredibly proud.

So please, join us for a wonderful party to celebrate 35 wonderful years. Tickets are available at Ticketworld (8919999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph). Directed by (my love!) Bobby Garcia, with costumes by Rajo Laurel and Inno Sotto. A part of the concert’s proceeds will go to Supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors, with the Philippine Red Cross ready on site.

Come, let’s just have some fun!