Ronnie on singing with Sarah in solo concert: It’s a dream come true

Sarah Geronimo

While he has done well enough to stay in show biz for more than 10 years, Ronnie Liang knows he needs to continue coming up with new things to offer his fans if he wants his career to last even longer.

“You should always think of new ways to keep it fresh, so your followers won’t get tired of you—may it be about trying out other musical genres and styles, or sprucing up your image,” he told the Inquirer at a recent press conference for “Love X Romance,” his solo concert on Nov. 8 at the Music Museum.

Other than singing, Ronnie has already tried acting; he has done a soap opera and appeared in a handful of movies. But what he would like to do more of is theater work.

“It’s important to expand your skillset, especially these days when it pays off to do multimedia work. If there are new platforms for you to showcase your talent and hone your craft, grab them,” said Ronnie, who played Garry Diaz in the 2015 staging of “Bituing Walang Ningning.”

His first experience starring in a musical, Ronnie recalled, was a humbling experience.

“It’s a great training ground; you will be compelled to improve your acting and singing. But more importantly, I have seen how disciplined theater artists are. While I had to focus only on my own role, others had to juggle more. It’s not a lucrative field, but the people in it perform with such passion,” he said.

Ronnie Liang

The 2006 “Pinoy Dream Academy” second runner-up said he plans to audition for the upcoming OPM musical “Bongga Ka, Day,” and perhaps even “Rak of Aegis,” should the opportunity arise.

As its title suggests, “Love X Romance” (call 88919999) will have the singer-actor delivering a setlist composed of love ballads from the ’70s all the way to the present. “Trends come and go, but Filipinos don’t get tired of listening to love songs. They don’t really go out of style,” he pointed out.

“I will perform some upbeat songs—even a bit of K-pop, for fun,” he added.

Joining him in the one-night show are guests Ella Cruz, Janine Teñoso and Sarah Geronimo. “It’s a dream to have Sarah in one of my shows. This is a first for me. I had to personally ask her, and I’m very lucky she said yes,” he related.

And Ronnie got more than what he asked for. “She also agreed to collaborate on a new track, an original duet that she personally picked,” he said. “It’s called ‘Liwanag.’ We will release and perform it for the first time during the concert. I’m looking forward to that.”