Aussie actor charms Manila on first night

SHOW STOPPING. On the first night of “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” at the CCP, Michael Cormick brought the house down with his rendition of “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera.” paramountgraphics.com.au

The applause at curtain call left no doubt as to which of the eight visiting Australian performers swept the audience off its feet on the first night of “The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines: Michael Cormick.

Cormick’s solo spots in the touring revue included the show-stopping “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera,” which brought the house down on opening night Friday.

The singer-actor has performed all over the globe, even in the most exotic, exciting and perilous places.

He has been to Europe countless times—also sang in an amphitheater in Beirut—but it’s his first time in Manila, for a long time one of his “must-perform-in” places. He’s still looking at Broadway though, he told Inquirer. “And I’d also love to see more of Asia.”

Cormick recently launched his first studio recording, “Smooth Sessions.” It is a departure from his musical-theater roots, he said. “[In the album] I sang hits by The Beatles (‘Norwegian Wood’), Elvis Presley (‘Falling in Love’), even The Carpenters (‘Superstar’).”

He keeps gravitating back to musical theater, however. He is a regular in the Webber world—having portrayed such iconic roles as Che in “Evita” and the titular monster-maestro in “The Phantom of the Opera.” He’d love to revisit the Phantom, he said. “It’s such a poignant role.”

His most recent collaboration with Webber was for the West End production of “The Woman in White.” Cormick insisted that, in spite of Webber’s reputation as a musical genius, “He is a regular chap [with] a great sense of humor—very intelligent, but I suppose a bit guarded because of his stature. But I’ve had conversations with him about the most ordinary things.”

What, in his opinion, made Webber’s music so enduring? “If I knew, I’d be a multibillionaire, too,” the actor quipped. “Seriously, it’s because he writes from a place he cares deeply about… so he touches hearts.”

Plus, Cormick said, as a composer, Webber is so generous that he allows the actor-singer to shine as well. “He writes music in a way that gives the performer freedom to come through.”

“The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber” is ongoing until July 3 at the CCP Main Theater, presented by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, David Atkins Enterprises, All Youth Channels, Citibank, Concertus and Webber’s The Really Useful Company Asia-Pacific.