Three Filipino Americans nominated for 2019 Tony Awards

By WALTER ANG
May 1, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/28585/three-fil-ams-nominated-for-2019-tony-awards

NEW YORK — Three Filipino Americans have been nominated for the 2019 Tony Awards: set designer Robert Brill; actress Eva Noblezada and costume designer Clint Ramos.

Eva Noblezada (left). Right photo shows her in a scene from "Hadestown."

Brill is nominated for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for his work on "Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Life and Times of the Temptations."

Noblezada is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing the character Eurydice in "Hadestown."

Ramos is nominated for Best Costume Design of a Play for his work on "Torch Song."

Ramos

Ramos won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Costume Design-Play for "Eclipsed," which featured Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o ("12 Years a Slave," "Star Wars," "The Jungle Book"), written by Danai Gurira (Okoye in "Black Panther").

Clint Ramos (left) and his costume designs for "Torch Song" (right)

Last year, he was nominated for Best Costume Design-Musical for his work on "Once on This Island," which featured Lea Salonga in the cast.

Born in the Philippines, Ramos moved to the U.S. to take up a master's in Design for Stage and Film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts on a full scholarship. He designs costumes and sets in New York, across the U.S. and internationally.

Noblezada

Noblezada was previously nominated for Best Actress for her work in the 2017-18 Broadway revival of "Miss Saigon" where she played the titular character Kim. She had played the same role in the 2014-16 West End revival.

Noblezada, whose father is Filipino and mother is Mexican, was born in San Diego and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. Other credits include playing Eponine in "Les Miserables."

Brill

Brill was previously nominated in 2004 for Best Scenic Design-Play or Musical for "Assassins" and 2009 for Best Scenic Design-Musical for "Guys and Dolls."

Robert Bill (left) and a set piece from "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." 

Brill is a native of Salinas, California. He took up theater at University of California-San Diego (where he now teaches) and cofounded Sledgehammer Theatre while he was a student there.

In addition to theater, Brill also designs for opera productions.

Previous

Previous Filipino American Tony Award winners include Lea Salonga, 1991 Best Actress in a Musical, "Miss Saigon;" composer Robert Lopez, 2004 Best Score, "Avenue Q" and 2011 Best Book and Best Score, "Book of Mormon;" and Celina "Lena Hall" Carvajal, 2014 Best Featured Actress in a Musical, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."

Investors in Broadway productions can acquire awards along with lead producers if productions win Best Play or Musical. Jhett Tolentino, an investing producer with business partner Joan Raffe, earned Tonys for Best Revival of a Play ("A Raisin in the Sun") and Best Musical ("A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder"), both 2014, and Best Play ("Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike"), 2013.

Ceremony

The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre honors theater professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway. It was founded by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, after whose cofounder the award is named after.

The 73rd annual ceremony will be held on June 9 at Radio City Music Hall. Actor and TV personality James Corden will host.

RELATED STORIES:

Filipino American Robert Brill designs sets for The Temptations' Broadway bio

Filipino American Clint Ramos wins 2016 Tony Award for Costume Design

Filipino American Eva Noblezada is new Miss Saigon on West End

Rising Filipino American actor Christian Quinto stars in suspense drama on gun violence

By WALTER ANG
April 30, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/28500/rising-fil-am-actor-stars-in-suspense-drama-on-gun-violence

SEATTLE — In the play "Office Hour," Christian Quinto plays a troubled college student who has been submitting grisly writing assignments to his alarmed professor.

Christian Quinto (left) in ArtsWest's staging of "Office Hour."
Photo by John McLellan

Staged by theater group ArtsWest, Julia Cho's play shows student and professor exploring gun violence, mental health, race, immigration and the breakdown of communication across society.

ArtsWest artistic director Mathew Wright directs. This is Quinto's second production with the group. He was previously in "Jane Eyre: The Musical."

Recent 

Quinto's recent credits include "The Odyssey" (Seattle Repertory Theatre), "Rosie the Riveter" (5th Avenue Theatre), "Pageant" (A Sensible Theatre Company) and "Filipino Folktales." (Honolulu Theatre for Youth), among others.

Christian Quinto plays a troubled college student in Julia Cho's "Office Hour." 

He also just completed a run playing Sky (the young male romantic lead) in Seattle Musical Theatre's production of "Mamma Mia!"

"My mom is the biggest ABBA fan I know and I grew up listening to their music. Performing in the musical meant so much to me because I dedicated my performance to my mom," he says.

"The music brought back many happy memories when I still lived in the Philippines." Quinto moved from the Philippines to Honolulu when he was 14 years old.

"I was introduced to the magic of theater when I auditioned for `Grease' at Kaimuki High School and was cast as Jock Number 2."

He studied Musical Theatre at Cornish College of the Arts and made his Seattle theater debut in Seattle Repertory Theatre and Public Works Seattle's coproduction of "The Odyssey."

Representation

During his run in "Mamma Mia!" he was even able to wear a barong Tagalog in the show. "I got to proudly represent my Filipino culture onstage," he says.

"Director Hattie Claire Andres and costume designer Michael Nostestine had previously seen me wearing my barong when I was in A Sensible Theatre Company's cabaret last March, singing `Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang' with Fil-Am actress Rheanna Atendido.

"They said I should wear it for the wedding scene in the show. I told them that in Filipino weddings, the groom and the groomsmen usually wear barong Tagalog. It was perfect!"

Adjusting

He was still performing in "Mamma Mia!" when rehearsals began for "Office Hour." Sometimes, rehearsals for the play would fall on the same day as performances for the musical.

Quinto (left) as Sky in in Seattle Musical Theatre's "Mamma Mia!" 

"To go from a fantastical world of disco balls, sparkly costumes and feel-good music to the realistic, dark and complex world that Julia Cho has written was an absolute shift."

He would take advantage of his one hour and 30-minute bus ride from Magnuson Park to West Seattle to decompress from the musical while calibrating his mindset for the play's rehearsals.

"I had to really be mindful about my emotional and mental state before rehearsals because diving head first to the subject material in `Office Hour' is very dangerous."

"I consider myself a lucky actor to be able to portray characters like Sky and Dennis in one day!"

Conversations, opportunities  

Quinto remembers his initial reactions to the play when he first read the script. "I was scared but also very ecstatic. Julia Cho has written a dynamite play with juicy characters. It's an actor's dream! The fear is helpful for me, it keeps me on my toes at all times," he says.

He's using his instincts to drive his performance. "I never get comfortable during rehearsals. I believe that this show calls for an actor who is always making new choices and discoveries at the moment."

He hopes that the play will provide audiences a jumping off point for discussions. "Gun culture and gun violence are important issues right now, especially here in the US. After they watch it, I hope that 'Office Hour' will spark a conversation among our audiences."

He reiterates that the show tackles other issues as well. "This show is so much deeper than just gun culture. Themes like immigration, Western views on Asian males, us versus them, white fragility and privilege, and so much more.

"Julia Cho has written complex and beautiful poetry that at its core, it's about two human beings aching to connect."

He hopes that theatergoers will appreciate "how incredible it is to see two Asian actors on stage go through a spectrum of emotions and the power of representation and visibility that it holds."

"Office Hour" runs May 2-26, ArtsWest Playhouse and Gallery, 4711 California Ave. SW, Seattle. Visit Artswest.org. 

New musical captures Filipino immigrant experience in U.S.

By WALTER ANG
April 26, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/28294/new-musical-captures-filipino-immigrant-experience-in-u-s

NEW YORK — Composer and lyricist Paulo Tirol's musical "On This Side of the World" has characters that are selfless workers, young lovers, gossipy church ladies, aspiring actors and carefree millennials-all of whom are Filipino immigrants in the US.

Paulo Tirol is the composer and lyricist of "On This Side of the World." 

Without connecting dialogue between songs, each song is a self-contained vignette. The anthology is described as a "a mosaic of love and loss, humor and heartache, yearning and faith."

Filipino Americans in the cast include Albert Guerzon, Joanne Javien, Jaygee Macapugay, Diane Phelan and Michael Protacio.

Superfan

Tirol knows of where he creates. He himself moved from the Philippines to Boston in 2012 to study at Berklee College of Music. He then moved to New York to take up a master's in Musical Theatre Writing at New York University's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts on a full tuition scholarship.

Cast of "On This Side of the World" rehearsing choreography.

As a musical director, his credits include "Reefer Madness," "Drowsy Chaperone" and "The Wedding Singer."

Tirol grew up listening to "my dad playing LPs and cassettes of Ella and Louis singing the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, 'West Side Story,' 'My Fair Lady,' 'Camelot' and pretty much everything by Rodgers and Hammerstein. I would also ask my parents to rent `Annie,' `The Sound of Music' and Disney movies—on Betamax!—over and over again."

"But it wasn't until the late '80s that I actually learned what a 'musical' is. I got the double-cassette of the cast recording of `Miss Saigon.' It was huge in the Philippines because of the many Filipinos in the cast and it was many Filipinos' entry point to musical theater.

"I was obsessed with how the music, with all its lushness and expressiveness, was in the service of character, moment, and storytelling."

Though Tirol could not play the piano or read music, he asked an aunt in the U.S. to send him sheet music for 'Miss Saigon.' Soon he acquired the sheet music for other musicals and taught himself to read them and play the piano.

He eventually wrote, composed and arranged music for groups and clients as well as scored films.

Development

"On This Side of the World" began as a project for his school work at NYU. Tasked to choose a community to create a song cycle on, Tirol chose Filipino immigrants.

"It's a community I'm part of and familiar with . also it was something unique to me, something only I could write," he says.

The community grew along the way. "When I started, the Filipino immigrant community I was a part of was comprised of grad students, medical professionals and artists.

"Over the years, my community has expanded dramatically. I lead music every Sunday for a predominantly Filipino parish in Jersey City, which includes Filipinos of all backgrounds, professions, ages, who speak different Filipino languages and come from all parts of the Philippines.

"My husband, a high school science teacher, has Filipino colleagues and lots of first-generation Filipino American students."

Mission   

"As my community of Filipino immigrants has expanded, so has the array of stories and characters that have gripped, intrigued and inspired me," says Tirol.

Cast rehearsing songs from "On This Side of the World."

"The Filipino immigrant story is one of courage, sacrifice, searching for identity, struggling to belong, and ultimately, redefining home."

For a long time, Tirol was reluctant to have his songs performed, assuming that "these were stories no one was really interested in hearing." 

"But my collaborator, director Noam Shapiro, who is not Filipino, believes in it so much and has pushed me to finish it and helped me present it."

A staged reading was held earlier this year to test the material's developments. "People's responses to it-Filipinos, Asians, non-Asians, immigrants, children of immigrants and people whose families have been here for generations, artists and non-artists alike-have convinced me that this is a piece worth sharing," says Tirol.

In addition, "the theater community has welcomed this piece with an excitement that I honestly didn't expect. Fil-Am actors are excited to share their own culture and heritage, to tell their communities' own stories, to play characters from their own lives."

"For the Filipino American community at large, my mission is to share the community's stories with pride, honesty and love. I'm happy to be telling it."

"On This Side of the World" runs May 2-12 at Access Theater, 380 Broadway, New York. Visit Onthissideoftheworld.com. 

Filipino American artists Kimberly Arteche and Wilfred Galila explore immigration, survival, adaptation

By WALTER ANG
April 23, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/28137/fil-am-artists-explore-immigration-survival-adaptation

SAN FRANCISCO — A group exhibition focusing on ways Filipinos have "coped, survived and adapted to diasporic life" will be presented by Kularts performing arts group this May.

Kimberly Arteche (left) and Wilfred Galila.

"PostColonial Survival Kit" will feature soil paintings, sculptures, installations and video/media art as well as scheduled panel discussions and performances.

Through the artists' works, the exhibition explores "challenges of racism, marginalization and the ways that colonization has affected interpersonal, familial and intra-communal relationships."

Filipino American artists joining the exhibition are Kimberley Arteche and Wilfred Galila.

Other included artists are Filipino Australian Caroline Garcia and Filipino artists Salima Agra-an, Marcelino Necosia Jr. and Rodelio Saway-all three of whom are Talaandig, an indigenous group in Bukidnon province.

Dreams and journeys

Kimberley Arteche's work for the exhibition, "Kulambo Dreams," is a soft sculpture installation using mosquito netting and Sto. Niño figurines. The work characterizes her "inherited intergenerational colonial dreams" and touches on her family's history.

Kimberly Arteche's sketch plans for her "Kulambo Dreams" installation.

Arteche works in photography, installation and performance. Recent credits include Kearny Street Workshop's APAture Festival and residencies at Vermont Studio Center and Growlery. She has shown at East Tennessee State University and at Wailoa Arts and Cultural Center in Hilo, Hawaii.

Kularts resident artist Wilfred Galila's work "Ang Paagi sang Panglakaton kag Pamaagi Pakadto sa Pakiguli sang Kaugalingon (The Way of Journey and Process Towards the Integration of Self)" is a multimedia installation with choreography and performance by Jonathan Mercado.

The work is his "exploration of an ongoing journey of decolonization and survival in a postcolonial world and the process of piecing together fragments of a Filipino identity."

Galila's recent video work for performances include "She, Who Can See" (and its film adaptation), "Incarcerated 6x9" and "In the Belly of the Eagle: Man@ng is Deity." His films have been screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Garcia will present a digital video work featuring field recordings that have been turned into compositions by Fil-Am musician Josh Icban. Necosia Jr. and Agra-an will present soil paintings.

Performances

The exhibition will have an opening reception on May 3 featuring musical performances from the Talaandig artists.

In the "Komiks as Survival Kit" program on May 17, there will staged reading of Isugid Pinoy!, a comic book by illustrators Don Ellis Aguillo and Rafael Salazar. The performance will be done by Fil-Am theater group by Bindlestiff Studio.

In the "Hip Hop as Survival Kit" program on May 24, Joy Ng will moderate performances by Sammay Dizon and Rocky G.

Discussions

A panel discussion on May 11 will feature artists from the exhibition. This will be the fourth installment of what has become Kularts' series of panel discussions titled "Dialogue on Arts and Culture in the Pilipinx Diaspora."

Sculpture by Wilfred Galila. 

Focusing on "pressing issues and share successful models of impactful art-making," the series convenes Filipino American and international Filipino artists, funders and administrators.

This year's topics include Creative Survival Tactics; Folkloric/Indigenous Diasporic Expressions; and Intersection of Arts, Civic Engagement, and Funding.

That same day, there will be a Kamayan Kabaret in the evening. The traditional communal meal eaten without utensils will feature entertainment by comic Joe Cascasan and others.

There will be a closing reception on May 31.

"Postcolonial Survival Kit" runs May 3-31 at The Luggage Store Gallery, 1007 Market St., San Francisco. Visit Kularts-sf.org.

Filipino American George Salazar's bestie bathroom anthem now on Broadway

By WALTER ANG
April 9, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/27020/fil-ams-bestie-bathroom-anthem-now-on-broadway

NEW YORK — If you don't know who George Salazar is, it means you are not a teenager (or you are not a parent of one).

George Salazar (right) originated the role of Michael Mell
in the musical "Be More Chill."
Photo by Maria Baranova

He's a theater actor who currently plays a character who sings in a bathroom in a science fiction musical on Broadway.

The musical's title is "Be More Chill" and it's based on Ned Vizzini's 2004 young-adult novel about high school junior Jeremy who swallows a supercomputer (in pill form) that instructs him how to be cool.

Salazar plays Jeremy's best friend Michael Mell. A song that he sings in the show—titled, well, "Michael in the Bathroom"—is what has made him very popular with the teenage demographic.

The pop-rock musical adaptation has music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Tracz.

Onstage, online

Salazar has been with the show since its first incarnation in 2015. After its world premiere by Two River Theater in New Jersey, a cast album was produced.

Filipino American theater actor George Salazar.
Photo by Billy Bustamante

With no advertising or promotions, by 2017, the album had been streamed over a 100 million times by teenage fans worldwide.

The fandom spawned fan art and fan fiction on Tumblr and Reddit as well as fan-animated (called "fanimatics"), fan-lip synced and fan-interpretations of the show's songs on YouTube.

The online fanbase's numbers and enthusiasm prompted the show's creators to produce an Off-Broadway run last year. It sold out with ticket-buyers from all 50 states and all five continents.

The successful turnout paved the way for the show's transfer to Broadway.

Resonate

Throughout the years, Salazar's embodiment of the Michael Mell character has resonated with fans, online and otherwise.

To wit: he now has more than 36,000 followers on Twitter and 150,000 followers on Instagram. A video of his rendition of "Michael in the Bathroom" posted (back in 2017) on YouTube has garnered 3 million views.

"It is a truly overwhelming feeling to know that the art that I created with friends in a theater in New Jersey back in 2015 has become this beacon of love, acceptance, visibility, and hope for so many young people," he says.

"I make it a point to look each of those young people in the eye after the show at the stage door because somewhere in the crowd is a person who has been told they're too weird. In the next few years, they'll better understand their full potential and grow up to be someone who makes an impact.

"It's an honor to be a part of something like this. And to feel their energy, excitement, and exuberance night after night."

Background and credits

Salazar's interest in acting began in high school because of a friend's prodding.

"During my junior year, I was a bit of a class clown. I would rewrite lyrics to pop songs to make my classmates laugh. Some were appropriate, most were not."

One of his songs caught the ear of his friend Donald Rupe. "He came up to me and asked me to audition for the school musical 'Little Shop of Horrors.' I went and was cast as Seymour. I never looked back from then." 

He went on to study musical theatre at University of Florida. His credits include "Here Lies Love" (a musical about Imelda Marcos), "Godspell," "tick, tick.BOOM!," "The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical."

Salazar was born in Orlando, Florida to a Filipino mother and Ecuadorian father.

"Growing up as a first generation American, I was being groomed to go into medicine. My dream was to be a neurosurgeon, but life has a funny way of throwing curveballs that make you reassess.

"I now know that I found my calling, my purpose as an entertainer and I am so grateful I did."

Representation, encouragement 

The awkwardness of high school may be a universal experience, but Salazar imbues Michael Mell with an added layer for theatergoers to relate to.

Salazar in a scene from "Be More Chill."
Photo by Maria Baranova

"In the novel by Ned Vizzini, Michael is a white kid with a red `fro," he explains. "I am so grateful to the creative team for taking such a risk by casting me.

"It feels like a tremendous responsibility, one that I cherish and care immensely about, to represent not just Asian and Latin heritage, but also represent what it means to be mixed race in America."

He recalls that growing up was a "tricky time" for him. "I didn't feel like I fully fit in with either sides of my heritage and I was also coming to the realization that I was gay." 

"I experienced an identity crisis that stunted me a bit, but I've learned to embrace my differences. These things make me unique, special and like no one else.

"And so it's become my mission to use this moment as a bit of a platform to encourage brown kids, gay kids, trans kids, kids who feel left out, who feel a little weird-to own their weirdness and trust themselves."

For parents, too

Salazar isn't just taking advantage of the show's popularity to encourage the youth, he's also welcoming parents to use it as a way to connect with their children.

Salazar (left, 2nd row from top) with cast and crew of "Here Lies Love."
Photo from Instagram

"One of the things I've loved the most ... is watching this show bring parents and their kids closer together," he says. "I've met hundreds of parents who talk about how the show has opened up a dialogue with their kids."

"Teenagers are, by nature, incredibly angsty and volatile. Hormonal changes make them crazy! But this show has become something that parents and their kids can enjoy together.

"This musical is not just for teenagers. We've all been there, we've all experienced the nightmare of high school; it's universally relatable. High school is hard. It was hard when I went through it and it's hard for young people now.

"It's so easy to feel like those years are the only thing that matters, but I like to think our show disproves that. And that it shows everyone that what's most important is staying true to themselves.

"Parents experiencing that with their kids, I think, can help strengthen that bond in a really beautiful way."

"Be More Chill" runs at Lyceum Theatre, 149 West 45th St., New York. Visit Bemorechillmusical.com.

Filipino American Mikko Juan plays lead in Seattle staging of musical 'Urinetown'

By WALTER ANG
April 4, 2019
Inquirer.net
https://usa.inquirer.net/26407/fil-am-plays-lead-in-seattle-staging-of-musical-urinetown

SEATTLE — Filipino American Mikko Juan will be playing the lead in "Urinetown," a musical set in a dystopian future where a 20-year drought has crippled a city's water supply.

Mikko Juan (center) plays Mark Strong in the musical "Urinetown."
Photo by Rosemary Dai Ross

The citizens are forced to use the pay-per-use amenities owned and operated by Urine Good Company. Those who try to circumvent the fees by not using the facilities risk being taken away to Urinetown-a mysterious place where many have been sent but from where no one ever returns.

Juan plays Bobby Strong, a character that will lead the city to revolution in this tale of greed, corruption and love.

A coproduction of 5th Avenue Theatre and A Contemporary Theatre, music is by Mark Hollmann and book by Greg Kotis with lyrics by both.

Credits

Juan's interest in acting began when he was still a child. He enjoyed watching movies starring Harrison Ford as well as behind-the-scenes documentaries about the Harry Potter films.

When his sister forced him to watch a film version of "The Phantom of the Opera" musical, he loved it so much, he was moved to tears. After finally catching and being awed by a stage version, he realized he wanted to give musical theater a shot.

He started acting on stage in high school and landed roles such as the Tin Man in "The Wizard of Oz" and Chip Tolentino "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (a role originated by Fil-Am actor Jose Llana). He went on to study musical theater at University of Washington

Juan's credits include "Jane Eyre: The Musical," "The Journal of Ben Uchida: Citizen 13559," "Kiss Me, Kate," "Peter and the Starcatcher" and "Pippin."

Rehearsals

"Rehearsals have been going really well!" he says. "We just finished our first week and we've really hit the ground running. It's been so humbling and inspiring to be in a room of brilliant actors and to watch them work."

Mikko Juan is humbled and inspired by his co-actors. 

"It helps that we have an amazing director in the form of Bill Berry. He has such a strong and innovative vision.

He credits Berry, for establishing a creative work environment.

"He's created a room where we all are given permission to make bold choices; to play and fail in order to bring out the best results. I'm having such a great time."

Lessons

While the show is a comedy, it touches on environmental, civic and social issues.

"With the current political climate, it's very easy to lean very strongly towards one side and to block out anything and everything the other side has to say," Juan says.

"After seeing this show, I hope audiences learn that there are gray areas to everything, that not everything is black and white."

He expounds further, "There is nuance in everything, and not everything has a perfect solution or foundation. Flaws exist in everyone and everything.

"Of course, I acknowledge that there is a line that needs to be drawn on some cases. However, as cliché as this sounds, we all need to listen to one another more."

He adds, "I don't want to give anything away for people who have never seen or heard of this show, but I will also say that the conclusion of the show offers a wake up call on a topic that is very much in discussion today. I hope people continue that conversation and even work towards action steps."

"Urinetown" runs April 6 to May 26 at A Contemporary Theatre, Visit acttheatre.org.