Around GMA

Article Inside Page

Lea Salonga

“Being an actor, you should be open in playing both the good and the bad,” says Lea Salonga about playing a villain role.

For the first time Lea will portray such role as Mrs. Lovett in the Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

At the show's media conference held on Tuesday, October 2, the actress-singer was asked about the possibility of her fans being turned off because of her role.

Lea believes that her role in Sweeney Todd won't affect the personal impression of her fans about her.

She explained, “There are roles that are written for theater that are not nice people. I mean, these two here [pointing at her and Jett Pangan's photos], we're not nice folks.

“I'm finding it extremely liberating, interesting, and fun, playing a villain, playing somebody that's not so nice.

“And I'm finding myself for having far more input and ideas about 'what if she does this?' and some other ideas that I can think of that are demented, dirty, and nasty, you know.

“Like, I guess I really have that aspect of personality, that's actually in me as in any other human being.”

And just like any actors, the former Miss Saigon actress said, “You can't always play the nice guy. I mean, I'm very nice when I do concerts and I'm very nice when I coach on The Voice.

“I'd like to think our audiences are intelligent enough to be able to separate who I am in life and who I am as character in a show.

“You'll see naman what our real personalities are when we're back to ourselves.

“So, I don't think fans will necessarily turn on me and say, 'Ay, ayaw ko na sa kanya kasi she's playing the bad guy.'

“I mean, some of the nicest people are playing the bad guy, you know.

“And some of the not so nice people are playing the good guys, so it's something to think about.

“I don't want to insult my fans' intelligence by saying that they will stop patronizing me and my work, wholesome or not, because I get to play a villain in one show.”

FANS ARE NOT STUPID

In a separate interview, Lea further stressed that her fans can separate their views about her as a person and as an actor.

The Tony and Olivier Award winner said, “But I don't like to think that my fans are stupid and I don't think that they are.

“I think they're gonna be able to separate me as a person from the character that I'm going to play.

“And I do a lot of theater, I'm not always gonna be the pretty girl with a pretty song and the one with the happiest ending that gets her prince.

“You know, I'm 48, like I'll leave that to the 24-year-olds to do.

“But now, it's nice to be able to play interesting human beings, to step into the shoes of someone who would do these kinds of things.

“As said by one of the guys in the cast, everybody has a dark side, no exception.”

Also leading the cast of Sweeney Todd is rock icon Jett Pangan, who will play the titular role.

They will be joined by Ima Castro as the Beggar Woman, Andrew Fernando as Judge Tupin, Gerald Santos as Anthony Hope, and Nyoy Volante as Adolfo Pirelli.

Completing the ensemble are Mikki Bradshaw-Volante, Luigi Quesada, Arman Ferrer, Dean Rosen, Steven Conde, Sarah Facuri, Christine Flores, Jep Go, Kevin Guiman, and Emeline Celis Guinid.

The show will be directed by Bobby Garcia and will have set design by Tony Award winner David Gallo, musical direction by Gerard Salonga, costume design by Rajo Laurel, choreography by Cecile Martinez, lighting design by Aaron Porter, hair and makeup design by Leslie Espinosa, vocal direction by Manman Angsico, and sound design by Justin Stasiw.

Sweeney Todd runs from October 11 to 27 at the Theater at Solaire in Paranaque City.