IN COSTUME as the Wizard of Oz, which Laga’aia plays “simply.” “He can’t be a caricature. He can’t fight with the show’s grandness.”
AUCKLAND, New Zealand—“I always feel that I have a responsibility to open doors for others. My 30-year career has always been about opening doors whether for Filipinos, Indians or Chinese. I see that as part of my job.”
Thus, said actor Jay Laga’aia, the first Polynesian to play the role of the Wizard in the Stephen Schwartz Broadway hit production “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.”
“As a Polynesian, as an ethnic, it’s never only about us. When we travel with some other guy, we always try to reach out and say ‘C’mon!,’” he told the Inquirer. .
Laga’aia, who was born in New Zealand and of Samoan descent, was also the first Polynesian to play Mufasa in the celebrated musical “The Lion King” (2003).
Excited
Laga’aia is excited to bring “Wicked” to Manila, where it will be shown at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City starting Jan. 22. “This is because Filipinos are show people. I know this after working with a lot of them during my stint in ‘Lion King.’”
He claimed to be a “huge fan” of Tony Award-winner Lea Salonga.
“Our Polynesian language has always been sung and danced. I think it’s the same with the Filipino language,” he said. “Filipinos understand good music and have outrageous costumes like ours.”
“Because I do children’s music, I’ll be looking for someone to make me some ukeleles,” Laga’aia added. “Mostly, I’m looking forward to tasting good food.”
“Wicked,” directed by Joe Mantello, features Jemma Rix as Elphaba, Suzie Mathers as Glinda and Steve Danielsen as Fiyero. The musical will also have a benefit show on Jan. 31 at 1:30 p.m. for Supertyphoon “Yolanda” survivors, to be followed by an auction.
No audition required
Unlike most of the cast members who had to audition to be part of the “Wicked” production, Laga’aia was offered the role of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
“I suppose it’s a compliment and indicative of the amount of work I’ve done,” he said. “I feel flattered that they recognize my being a pseudo-celebrity, but my job here is to tell a story and never to just show off.”
What Laga’aia likes most about being the Wizard is the challenge of making the character “as simple as I can.” He explained, “My mother is a Samoan and speaks very little English. She has to be able to understand me. I also need to make the Wizard, first and foremost, a man. He can’t be a caricature. He can’t fight with the grandness of the show so he has to be simple.”
Laga’aia added that his “greatest problem” was doing the Wizard’s last scene. “It’s such a small but poignant scene.”
‘Pseudo-celeb’
Laga’aia explained that describing himself as a “pseudo-celebrity” was his way of saying, “I never take praises well. I always say my son sings better than I do. I guess it’s a Polynesian trait.”
He added, “[I’ve always been aware] that it’s not about your talent but the opportunity you have. We should realize that people don’t write (roles) for us—for this color.”
To respond to this personal challenge, Laga’aia said that “whenever producers say I’m supposed to do something, I’d do it but also do something more.”
Laga’aia is known for his role as Captain Typho in “Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith,” among others. He also played the role of Draco in several episodes of the TV series “Xena: Warrior Princess.”
First break
He recalled an incident in 1984 that got him permanently hooked on acting. “I answered an ad in the paper from one of the prestigious theaters here (Auckland), but it was just to be one of the warm bodies. In those days, you have to be educated to get into theater. This was five days after my 21st birthday—I already had a one-day-old child,” he recalled.
Taking part in the said production, which he later revealed to be the Cy Coleman Broadway musical “Sweet Charity,” was how Laga’aia realized that theater was his calling.
“I love theater because every night is a battle. You may not win the battle but that doesn’t mean that you have lost the war. You’ll promise yourself that tomorrow night, you’ll be better,” he explained.
“I love film because of the technical aspect. I was lucky that I got to work with people like Jodie Foster (“Nim’s Island”) and Samuel L. Jackson (“Star Wars”), but what I realized was that for these people, it was all about opportunity—they were at the right place at the right time.”
Visit www.wickedthemusical.com.ph for details.
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)