‘Wicked’ star used to date a Filipino

EDWARD Grey (Boq) would like to see the famous Philippine beaches. PHOTO BY JEFF BUSBY

Australian actress Emily Cascarino, who is in town as part of the Australasian production of the Broadway hit “Wicked,” said she came determined to sample as many local dishes as she could.

In an interview at the Civic Theater in Auckland, New Zealand, where the musical had a two-month run that ended in November, Emily recalled that she dated a Filipino for three years. “His mom, Grace, used to cook longganisa and sinigang, as well as pancit with a little calamansi on top,” she told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“We used to eat big purple cakes that you call ube,” Emily recalled, “I can’t wait! I’m counting on everyone to give us some cooking classes. Or you can just cook for us and I’ll be more than happy to eat them.”

Emily plays Nessarose Thropp, the handicapped but spoiled younger sister of lead character Elphaba in Stephen Schwartz’s “Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz.” The musical began its limited run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City on Jan. 22.

Edward Grey, who plays Boq, Nessarose’s boyfriend, also told the Inquirer: “Apart from the food, I’d like to experience the sunshine. I’ll try to go to some of the beaches.”

“SHE’S such a beautiful character,” Cascarino says of Nessarose Thropp. PHOTO BY JEFF BUSBY

Edward graduated from Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2010. He was a part of Australian productions like “Spring Awakening” and “Prodigal.”

His TV credits include “Mornings” and “Sunrise.” He recently played Kiki in the musical “Legally Blonde.”

Edward said he liked that his character Boq “begins as a bright-eyed optimistic boy” madly in love with the character Glinda, who becomes the Good Witch of the North. “She never loved him back. The mystery is what he turns into when he continues his relationship with Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose.”

Kindred souls

Emily said she and Nessarose were similar in a lot of ways. “She is such a beautiful character. I think all the characters are a little naïve in the beginning and then, as the story progresses, learn the intricacies of life—of how good people become bad and bad people become capable of doing good things,” she pointed out. “I like it that Nessa’s strengths and weaknesses all work together and turn her into a really complex character. With her, nothing is plain and simple, black or white.”

Emily was part of the musical “Mamma Mia!” and “Jersey Boys,” which toured Australia and New Zealand. Her other theater credits include “Blue Heart,” “Carmen: The Opera” and “Dead Man Walking.”

Emily was convinced that “Wicked” became a global hit because “it has magic.” She explained, “It’s not just the magic on stage with all the colors, lights and the dragon, but the magic of friendship and how a lot of people work together to put up a production that can affect other people on so many levels. It’s a very powerful show.”

Edward added, “I think people love ‘Wicked’ because everyone sees a bit of themselves in either Glinda and Elphaba, even though the circumstances are magical and they live in Oz. It’s what they go through that’s very relatable.”