Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon | Image: Facebook/Samsung Performing Arts Theater
Broadway superstar Lea Salonga and Hollywood breakout star Dolly de Leon are set to headline the Manila run of the 1971 play from Franz Xaver Kroetz, “Request sa Radyo,” in October.
“Tony and Olivier Award winner Lea Salonga and Golden Globe and BAFTA nominee Dolly De Leon return to the stage for “Request sa Radyo,” read Samsung Performing Arts Theater’s Facebook announcement.
The two women are set to alternate performances as they portray the theatrical piece that “captures the poignant solitude of a woman through her meticulous evening routine.”
“As she navigates her quiet, solitary life, her actions and her favorite radio program reveal the profound loneliness and yearning for connection that lie beneath,” reads the synopsis on the play’s official website.
In an interview with Vogue Philippines, the Filipina icons echoed each other’s excitement.
“When I was asked by Clint and Bobby if I was interested at all in this project, an experience that told a probable and possible story that absolutely applies to our people, I said sure—even before knowing the details. It will be a challenge, but hopefully it will lend a figurative voice to those who are suffering,” Salonga said.
Meanwhile, De Leon expressed: “With loneliness one of the immediate problems society faces today, my hope is that people will understand mental health more and find compassion for those who suffer.”
The play is set to be produced by Clint Ramos, with Bobby Garcia directing.
“When we got the blessing to bring it to Manila at the Samsung Theater and have it speak to a specific Filipino condition, we could only think of two of the Philippines’ premier actors: Lea Salonga and Dolly de Leon,” Ramos said.
“Through its minimalist approach and profound storytelling, grounded in a specific Filipino lived experience, this production invites audiences to find extraordinary meaning in the everyday and the invisible,” added the producer.
“Request sa Radyo” will open its curtains starting October 10 at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater in Makati City.