BRISBANE—Singer-actress Delia Hannah is a consummate diva who, at the drop of a hat, would belt out excerpts from the musical theater canon in the middle of a conversation.
On-stage and off, she is as engaging and enthralling as her most memorable characters.
Hannah is part of the powerhouse cast of “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” a musical-concert that is currently touring Australia and New Zealand and will hit Manila next month.
In a review that came out in this city’s The Courier-Mail, Hannah was hailed “as the unquestionable star of the [show],” for “movingly” singing “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” and “Memory.”
Big-girl songs
She met the maestro when she auditioned for “Aspects of Love” in London in the 1990s. “It [could have been] nerve-wracking, but he made me feel at ease.”
Asked what’s it like to be a Webber diva, Hannah quipped, relishing each syllable: “Lovely. I’m elated to be his oracle.”
In the show, she is assigned the toughest show-stoppers. “I get the big anthems. I call them the big-girl songs.” She conceded that not anyone could pull off those classics. Apart from the dizzying high and low notes, “You’ve got to have life experience. You need to have suffered, so you can bring a touch of authentic pain to these songs.”
She related that she first auditioned for Grizabella (which she played in last year’s touring production of “Cats”) when she was in her 20s.
“I might have sounded fantastic, but I wasn’t ready for the role,” she admitted. “Twentysomethings can’t play Grizabella, Norma Desmond (‘Sunset Boulevard’) and Eva Peron (‘Evita’).”
All three parts she now gets to perform, with aplomb, in this show.
‘Brass ring’
These are roles considered the “brass ring” by every female thespian. “They are pretty grunty, strong characters. I’ve pretty much built my life’s career playing intense, passionate, gritty, flawed but interesting women. I enjoy doing these roles,” Hannah said.
A native of New Zealand, she looks forward to performing for her compatriots who are reeling from the earthquakes that hit Christchurch (in the same way that Brisbane residents were recovering from flash floods at the time of the show’s run in the city).
“The world’s been getting a hammering at the moment,” Hannah said. “We had to cancel Christchurch, but we’re pushing through with the shows in my hometown, Wellington, and my current base, Auckland.”
She’s amazed that the hearty people of Brisbane were able to pull through so swiftly after the calamity.
“Some rural areas (in Queensland) are still suffering, but our job as entertainers is to make people forget their worries,” she asserted. “They say that in times of stress, the arts flourish. I’d certainly recommend going to the theater. It’s healthier compared to wasting money on gambling or pornography.”
She counts as friends a number of Australians with Filipino roots like Natalie Mendoza and Mig Ayesa.
Gorgeous, fantastic
“They’re gorgeous, fantastic to work with,” she said of the Fil-Aussies. “I just love their warmth. They’re such spiritual, beautiful folks.”
She’s eager to visit Manila in June, her first time in the Philippines. “I want to experience the unique culture. I know that Filipinos are warm and friendly,” she noted.
The Manila run of “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber,” scheduled from June 24 to July 3 at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, All Youth Channels, Citibank and Concertus, in association with Webber’s The Really Useful Company Asia-Pacific.