Jed Madela mulls crossover to musical theater

THE POP singer will perform an eclectic set of hits in a concert on Friday.

Compliments are more meaningful, singer Jed Madela said, when coming from people he looks up to, like musical theater stalwarts Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil.

In late January, Jed, with a formidable roster of local talents led by Lea Salonga, took the stage for the Manila stop of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” The concert tour featured music from Schönberg-Boublil works, including “Miss Saigon” and “Les Misérables.”

Jed sang the rousing “I’m  Martin Guerre” from “Martin Guerre.” As exhilarating as the performance was, what happened during rehearsals was more memorable.

He recalled his first encounter with the famed creative tandem: “In rehearsals, I went over my song with Gerard Salonga on the piano, while Lea Salonga watched. Midway through the song, Schönberg and Boublil entered the room. Schönberg asked me to stop.”

Too beautiful

Continued Jed, who made it to the lineup on the strength of Lea’s word: “Schönberg said I was singing too beautifully. He asked me to do the song from the top, with grit and anger, the way it was intended.”

He did, and Schönberg was so impressed, he said the 33-year-old’s voice would be perfect for theater. “He told me, ‘When you’re tired of being a pop star, come and visit us.’ Boublil simply said I was very good.”

Schönberg and Boublil’s compliments remain among the best he has received, Jed said. “For them to listen to me was an honor enough.”

Despite his accomplishments, Jed said, “I still doubt myself from time to time.” He was inducted last year to the World Championships of Performing Arts’ hall of fame.

So now he’s looking at theater. He’s been offered roles in several local productions, the latest of which is “Lorenzo,” a rock musical depicting the life of San Lorenzo Ruiz. It will be produced by actor Christopher de Leon, with music by Ryan Cayabyab.

Pop album

“I need to be sure I’m doing the right thing,” Jed said, “so we’ll see how that pans out.”

He doesn’t seem tired of being a pop star. In fact, he’s working on a new album and doing a concert, “All Requests,” on July 4 at Music Museum.

His team turned to social media to solicit suggestions for the playlist. “We received hundreds of suggestions; it was a challenge to trim the number and make sure we didn’t end up with a chop suey playlist or karaoke lineup,” he said.

The requests make an eclectic bunch, Jed elaborated. “From the challenging to the peculiar—new hits like ‘All of Me’ by John Legend, for instance, and ‘Let It Go’ from ‘Frozen’ to operatic pieces like ‘Nessun Dorma.’ And then there’s ‘Boom, Panes’ by Vice Ganda.”

He’s happy to note, “People no longer associate me with just love songs.” But, he added, laughing, “I still can’t dance!”

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