A tale of two Joannes

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo

The very first time I saw the Stephen Sondheim musical “Company” was in 1997 as part of Repertory Philippines’ 55th season. It was a production that included the magical Cocoy Laurel as Bobby (a performance I still consider a benchmark for this complex role) and the woman I would consider the absolute Goddess … Queen Mother … patron saint of musical theater in the Philippines, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Joanne.

Back then, Menchu was only in her mid-30s, seemingly way too young to play a twice-divorced, dissatisfied older woman who propositions Bobby while they’re out drinking at a bar.

Make no mistake, her performance was fantastic as always, mining the role for whatever truths she could, but they were the truths of a younger person.

In Upstart Theater Company’s production of this same show (whose run ended only last Sept. 22), Menchu once again played the role of Joanne. However, the actor is now in her mid-50s. She is widowed with two grown children, and in a leadership position as coartistic director of Full House Theater Company.

She hasn’t just starred in numerous productions for different theater companies, but has also directed a few. A lot of life has taken place over the last 22 years. And you could see this life replayed in this, her most recent portrayal.

Let’s just look at Joanne’s 11 o’clock number, “Ladies Who Lunch,” a number about women who don’t work and their activities, written with bite and wry wit.

When Menchu was much younger, she performed the song with bravado and supreme vocals, but in hindsight, her interpretation was devoid of the wisdom and irony that today’s Menchu most definitely possesses.

At last Friday’s performance, each word was dripping with knowledge and color, with the full grasp of what she was singing about. In her body language, without even trying, in whatever direction she was facing, it was obvious that she intimately knew who Joanne was.

Perhaps today, Menchu could see more of herself in Joanne, which she didn’t at her initial stab at the character.

It’s a rare opportunity when an actor gets a second chance at a role as meaty as this. Granted, she didn’t get as much stage time as she did in “Next to Normal,” “Evita” or “Passion” (how I would’ve loved to see her Fosca), but she is the perfect example of the adage, “There are no small roles, only small actors.” She is a study in stillness, intention, simplicity, honesty, directness and trusting in the text enough to just stand there and sing the words knowing full well how powerful they are without giving in to the temptation to add anything unnecessary.

It takes experience to realize these fundamental truths, and it’s clear that she has learned much over her life and her storied career.

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed this recent production of “Company,” I felt the need to single this actor out. She knows full well that I adored her as Joanne to the heavens and back again, but needed to write down why, if only to see in words what I observed, and aspire to be in my own life as an actor.

Acting is all about truth, Zenaida Amador used to say, but I don’t think either of us as kids had any idea of just how much that meant, or the weight it would carry.

To my forever beautiful and incandescent friend, my sincerest congratulations!

Now, you need to share the secret of those biceps.