Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

"BORN in Los Angeles, CA but in the house, raised in the Philippines." That’s how Broadway and TV actress, theatre producer Elizabeth "Liz" Casasola describes herself.

"My parents raised me with oldfashioned, traditional Filipino values. They instilled in me the importance of knowing one’s history and roots. Even though we were born in the States, they spoke to us in Tagalog (the Filipino language) at home," said Liz.

Casasola is playing the role of Cory Aquino in New York’s first Filipino themed musical, IMELDA, A New Musical, which premiered last Sept 30 at the Julia Miles Theatre in 424 West 55th Street, New York. The musical is on a limited engagement until October 18, 2009. The musical spans the 1940s to 1980s, the pivotal years after the Philippines gained its independence.

Liz talks about her role in the musical excitedly. "I have the honor of playing Corazon Aquino, a woman of incredible faith, courage and strength – and the first female President of the Philippines, as well as Asia’s first female President! I am excited to play someone who is so incredibly complex. She was a wife to Ninoy Aquino as well as a mother to five children. When Ninoy was assassinated, she turned to God for guidance, which ultimately, combined with her own conviction and self-belief, gave her the strength to run for President against Ferdinand Marcos and carry out Ninoy’s vision. To go from a self-proclaimed "plain housewife" to the President of the Philippines will be a challenge I’m looking forward to playing," Liz said in an interview before the opening night of the musical.

With the Philippines now undergoing a second wave of "Cory Fever" since the recent death of Cory, Filipinos would most certainly love the role Liz plays in the New York musical. Liz herself shared that the best song for her in the musical is Cory Aquino’s song- Myself, My Heart. "The journey she goes through in that song is incredible. To see Cory go from her immense sadness at her husband’s funeral, to finding the strength within herself to lead the Philippine people to democracy…all in ONE SONG, is quite amazing. Not only that, but it’s a beautiful, powerful ballad – and we all know how much Filipinos love their angst-filled, power ballads," Liz shared.

Liz received her BA in Mass Communications from the University of California, Berkeley. She is also a graduate of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and the American Musical & Dramatic Academy in New York City. She has appeared in Miss Saigon , Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters at The Public Theatre, Pulitzer Prize Winner John Marans’ musical, Searching for Y, Shout!S and Sweet Valley High: The Musical. On television, Liz has appeared in Sex and the City, Saturday Night Liveand co-hosted a pilot for Rollingstone.com. Liz is the voice behind MCI Worldcom’s radio advertising campaign.