Getting to know Fantine

Filipino singer-actress Rachelle Ann Go has started rehearsing for the West End production of “Les Misérables,” where she will play tragic heroine Fantine starting June 15 at the Queen’s Theatre. She tells the Inquirer how she is preparing for the plum role: “As I attend rehearsals these past few days, I am learning more and more about the story. To prepare for the part, I listen to the director and his pointers for me to discover who Fantine is. During my three-part audition, it was great to get first-hand knowledge from (composer) Claude-Michel Schönberg, who explained Fantine’s journey. I also researched and read Fantine’s part in Victor Hugo’s classic novel. I am now realizing the main reasons behind Fantine’s decision to sell her body and, in the end, her spirit. For me, she is a woman of dignity and strong character caught in a demoralizing situation. She loved her child so much that she willingly gave up her life. It is a story of a mother’s strong love and ultimate sacrifice for her child.” Bayani San Diego Jr.