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The world’s best-loved fairy tale finally comes to Manila. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella opens its magical doors in the Philippines with Tony Award winner Lea Salonga in the title role of the mistreated and enslaved chimney sweeper-turned-princess.
Fresh from her critically-acclaimed performance as Fantine in Broadway’s current revival of the musical Les Miserables, Lea is back in her hometown to regale her countrymen with her beguiling stage presence and her enchanting voice.
“Lea will give an Asian face to Cinderella,” award-winning Cinderella director Bobby Garcia shared.
Incidentally, Lea is also celebrating her 30th year in show business this 2008. She will celebrate her much-celebrated 30 years with an anniversary concert titled My Life... On Stage at the PICC this May.
During the press conference of the much-awaited musical production, Lea sang There Is Music in You, one of the songs from the musical, to give the press a glimpse of the magical doors that Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE), the largest producer of Broadway musicals in Asia, will open for the discriminating Asian audience.
The performance is enough to convince everyone that Lea perfectly fits the glass slippers worn by the likes of brilliant English actress and singer Dame Julie Andrews and international pop singer Brandy.
Cinderella will have its world premiere on July 29 and will run until August 24 at the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
After its launch in Manila, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella will play in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
BAE is confident that its biggest and most lavish musical production of a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic will be a big hit in Asia.
“Many just don’t realize it yet, but the Asian market is huge,” Garcia said.
Producer Marc Routh of BAE says the musical will cost about $2-M on its Manila production.
The set for the stage production will come all the way from the US, according to Garcia.
The costumes designed by Italian couturier Renato Balestra will be shipped from Hong Kong. Balestra has dressed the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Lauren Bacall, Iran’s Empress Farah Diba, the Queen of Thailand, the first ladies of the Philippines and Egypt, and Saudi Arabian princesses.
Cinderella is one of the most beloved and most popular fairy tales. The story dates back to the early ninth century China. BAE’s Cinderella is adapted from the original musical written by American songwriters Richard Rodgers (composer) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyricist) for television.
The pair was famous for creating other popular musicals like Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Flower Drum Song, The Sound of Music, and others which collectively earned 34 Tony Awards, 15 Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program.
Cinderella’s score features familiar songs like In My Own Little Corner, Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?, Ten Minutes Ago I Saw You, Impossible, and several of Rodger’s most enchanting waltzes and marches.
Sponsors are Dusit Thani Manila, Getzmo?, Bayo and 105.1 Crossover.
Tickets are available at all selected major National Book Store branches; selected major Robinsons Department Stores; Ayala Malls like Greenbelt I and Glorietta I; Ticketworld offices; and the Ticketworld website (www.ticketworld.com.ph). Ticket sells at P500 to P7,000. For details, call 891-9999.
If your group, corporation or organization is interested in securing block tickets, e-mail Atlantis Productions at cinderella.phil@gmail.com or call (929) 660-0764 to set up an appointment. Only a limited number of performances are available and requests will be handled in the order they are received. Block sales packages will be sold at a 20 percent discount and are available for the purchase of full, half or quarter house. An early bird discount of 25 percent off the purchase of a full house during the first two weeks of performances is available for the first 30 days only. Weekend performances are also available.
DIRECTLINE By Boy Abunda
Monday, April 14, 2008
Philippine Star
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