In less than two weeks, the stellar group of Filipino and Filipino-American performers will take over the Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center to raise funds for PhilDev (Philippine Development Foundation) through PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: Suites by Sondheim.
Much has been written about this historic, one-night only event, and that it is headlined by no less than Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga and supported by a veritable who’s who in the Broadway Fil-Am community.
This time though, we are focusing on the men of Suites by Sondheim.
Earlier this week, we were invited to an open rehearsal of the concert, where we saw concert director Victor Lirio meticulously studying the cast’s blocking and movements. When we arrived, they were in the middle of rehearsing Company, the show’s opening extravaganza.
“Generally, I am very happy with where we are in the process. Rehearsals are going great! There are details I need to address such as transition music, editing some staging to accommodate the space at Alice Tully Hall with the orchestra being on stage, last minute orchestration details,” shares Victor.
With less than two weeks before showtime, the director admits that pressure is already palpable.
“We’re ready, I have been preparing for this since April. I have also been exploring Sondheim’s magnificent world and extraordinary characters for the past few years and have done immense research on the canon,” he adds.
When we asked Victor about what the audience can expect, his response was quick: ‘Magic!’.
“The audience should expect a spectacular program expressed by a world-class ensemble. I was listening to the audio recording of some of the rehearsals this past week, and I got a bit emotional. I was riding the downtown-bound M102 bus and I had tears in my eyes,” shares Victor.
Two of the show’s leading men were there that day: Jose Llana and Adam Jacobs.
Jose Llana leads the Company number as Bobby while Adam Jacobs reunites with fellow Les Mis alum Ali Ewoldt in the One Hand, One Heart number before doing his solo for Finishing the Hat.
Jose Llana’s Broadway career began during his freshman year at the Manhattan School of Music, when he landed a lead role in the 1996 revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, essaying the role of the doomed young lover, Lun Tha, opposite Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy.
Subsequently, he was hand-picked by director George C. Wolfe to star in the New York Shakespeare Festival’s production of On The Town in Central Park. He went on to win raves as Jessie-Lee in the Broadway Motown musical, Streetcorner Symphony, before taking over the role of Angel in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway production of Rent, and became the first Asian-American actor to play the role on Broadway.
For Suites by Sondheim, Jose feels so at home.
“I felt it from the first day of rehearsals, since so many of us have worked with each other and have become a family in different productions,” Jose tells the Asian Journal in a short interview after rehearsing a couple of numbers.
The past decade has seen Jose performing a variety of roles in a host of musicals across the country, including the villainous Guillaume in Cameron Mackintosh’s Martin Guerre, Ballad of Little Jo, Candide, Flower Drum Song, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and just recently on Broadway, Wonderland.
“I’m very proud. It’s a big party every time we get together. Some of us have been friends for years and to be able to perform together to show Filipino pride and for a great cause such as PhilDev,” Jose adds.
Jose has also appeared on television in HBO’s Sex and the City, alongside Margaret Cho and made his commercial debut as a computer salesman for Circuit City in 1999. He appeared in the Sony Pictures 2005 feature film Hitch opposite Will Smith and Eva Mendes.
For many theater actors like Jose, performing Sondheim is a dream come true.
“It’s a thrill to be performing these songs. Company and the part of Bobby that we are opening the concert with are parts that I want to play someday. I’ve sung these songs a lot for auditions since I started performing professionally around 15 years ago,” he adds. “We want to really make the Filipinos proud. Rehearsals are beginning to get hectic and I’m sure everyone will be bring their A-game to the show.”
Indeed, Jose is looking forward to November 7, the biggest day to date, of Filipino and Filipino-American performers on Broadway.
“I am bringing my family again to see me onstage with not only Lea who I’ve performed with in the past, but to show them that there is a community of Filipino-Americans on Broadway that I am happily a part of and it’s going to grow and I think we are showing Broadway that we are a force to be reckoned with,” Jose says.
Adam Jacobs
For Filipino-American Adam Jacobs, who plays Simba on Broadway’s Lion King, it is all bout community.
“This event means so much to me. This project will allow me to meet my fellow Filipino-Americans as we come together to perform in this one-night only event. It’s very exciting for me to help discover my roots and help those back in the Philippines through PhilDev,” Adam explains.
Adam grew up in the San Francisco bay area and he admits not being able to connect with his maternal roots more while he was growing up.
“Even though I had my grandparents close by, I was still yearning for more,” he admits.
Adam gets to do that now, and more.
Through this Sondheim fund-raising project, Adam was able to meet other Filipino-Americans in the industry, almost in one fell swoop.
“I feel like I am a part of a big family now. It feels really good to share the stage with so many Filipino-Americans specially since we are working for such a great cause,” he says.
Like Jose, Adam shares that Sondheim’s songs are tough.
“Sondheim is a little intimidating. He has brilliant lyrics and you have to wrap your head around those lyrics and make sense of them as an actor. It’s a challenge and I love taking on that challenge. I haven’t had a chance to do this before in a show so to be able to do this in this concert is going to be great,” he says.
PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: Suites by Sondheim reunites Adam with his Les Mis co-stars Lea Salonga and Ali Ewoldt.
Adam admits he can’t wait to work with Lea again. He also can’t wait to watch Lea’s performance in the concert.
“I am astounded by the talent. We saw Jose at the rehearsal for Being Alive and the power, the emotion, the way he interprets the song is beautiful. I can’t wait to see Lea. We’re all excited to see how each of us brings our own personality and backgrounds to the songs assigned to us,” he says.
With Ali, it’s all about the chemistry that began on the Broadhurst stage of Les Mis where they essayed the roles of Marius and Cosette, respectively. Les Mis was also Adam’s Broadway debut.
“With Ali, even though it’s Sondheim now, it’s still love. The love that we share onstage is the same, whether it’s Les Mis or it’s West Side Story. It’s fun to rekindle the flame and to sort of reconnect here. I hope the audience will see the chemistry and enjoy our performance,” Adam adds.
As Simba
Adam took over the role of Simba two months ago after doing the role for 10 months with the touring company.
He auditioned for Simba while he was in college and auditioned five more times after that.
“I didn’t get it then but they gave me notes each time and I got a little better,” Adam quips.
For Adam, it was New York or bust.
“I’m happy that I was able to go on tour and play the role, I was just astounded to get the call to do it. Even now, I am still excited to play the role. I am living the dream. That was the goal when I went to school, I wanted to live in New York on work on Broadway, and now I’m doing it,” he says.
Juggling his crazy schedule has become an art for him. Not that he is complaining because he loves the show and it is a dream role that he had always wanted to do.
With eight shows a week in a very physically demanding show, Adam makes sure to take care of his voice and his body by eating right and being healthy.
Slowly, everything began to sink in. He is back in New York doing what he loves. He is also reconnecting with his roots, and his community that he considers close to his heart.
“Being on Broadway, I guess it has sunk in. I’m playing this big role and I feel it when I come off the stage and I see the audience and I meet them face to face and it impacts me there. When I’m onstage, I don’t see the audience,” he says.
Paolo Montalban
Paolo most recently played the King of Siam in The King & I in Hawaii.
He is thrilled to be joining this amazing cast of fellow Filipino-Americans for this historic concert.
On Broadway, Paolo has done Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures, The King & I and off-Broadway: The Romance of Magno Rubio and Two Gentlemen of Verona. He was also a part of Love Inc., Flower Drum Song, Nero, The Boys from Syracuse, The Long Season, Kiss Me Kate and Man of La Mancha.
He is best known as the Prince in the ABC/ Disney movie musical Cinderella opposite Brandy and Kung Lao in the TNT series Mortal Kombat: Conquest.
Jose, Paolo and Adam are just three of the more than sixty performers in the concert, and the show’s director is beyond words when asked for a message to his amazing cast.
“Thank you for your generosity, collaboration, and expansive creative spirit. Thank you for being on this journey with me … for trusting me. I am very grateful to all of you,” says Victor. “We are creating something very special. To be able to do what we do as a means of giving back to help our kababayans back home is very exciting and deeply gratifying … more than I can express.”
Tickets for PhilDev Celebrates Broadway: Suites by Sondheim can be purchased at the Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center box office located on Broadway and 66th Street in New York City, online at www.lincolncenter.org, or by calling Center Charge at (212) 721-6500. Ticket prices are $100, $150, $250, and $500. Limited patron/VIP subscriber seats of $1,000 are available which includes a pre-concert VIP reception by contacting Rene Encarnacion at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (650) 288-3937. 100% of net proceeds will benefit Philippine Development Foundation.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ Oct 28-Nov 2, 2011 LifeEASTyle pg.2)
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