Baby Barredo, Philippine theater luminary, passes away

The Philippine theater industry is mourning the loss of one of its biggest icons.

Carmen "Baby" Barredo, who co-founded Repertory Philippines in 1967, passed away on Sunday, May 23, at the age of 80.

“It is with great sadness that Etienne and I announce the passing of our dearest Mama, beloved Tita Baby to so many of you all. She died peacefully at 7:37 p.m. at St Luke's Hospital in Taguig from multi-organ failure brought about by sepsis,” Barredo's daughter, Charlie, wrote on Facebook.

“I was by her side and her family and theatre children were with her in spirit and song.”

A theater star herself, Barredo teamed up with other theater personalities including Zeneida Amador, to establish Repertory Philippines.

“Our mission is to produce live theater that is excellent, resilient, entertaining, and more importantly to champion and aid the integrity of the Filipino artist and enrich the cultural life of the community in a sustainable manner,” Repertory Philippines said about its mission.

It has become the training ground for some of the biggest names in local theater including Monique Wilson, Cocoy Laurel, Cris Villonco, Pinky Amador, co-founder Leo Martinez, and Lea Salonga, among many others.

Repertory Philippines, through the years, has staged several celebrated plays such as The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar, Wizard of Oz, and Les Miserables.

“It's funny when you think about our beginning because when we did our first show Miss Julie, we only had seven members in the audience. And only three were paying customers,” Barredo reminisced in a 2016 interview published in the Manila Standard.

Repertory Philippines paid tribute to Barredo's life and legacy with a video montage showing various photos of its co-founder in various stages of her life.

“Tita Baby was a consummate artist-- a complete actress, sublime singer, brilliant director, and theatrical creative genius,” it wrote on its Facebook page.

“Known for her unrelenting passion and discipline, artistic excellence, boldness, and abounding love, Tita Baby's legacy lives on in every REP artist and audience member whose love and passion for theater she has powerfully and indelibly set alight.”

In 2019, Tony Mabesa, another theater icon passed away. Let's remember the life of the "Lion of Philippine Theater" in the gallery below: