The untold story behind Something More - DIRECT LINE by Boy Abunda

One night at the San Jose seminary on the Ateneo de Manila campus, Jesuit musician Fr. Manoling Francisco sat before his piano to play an unfinished song for Fr. Johnny Go. The two had collaborated on songwriting before, like Pilgrim’s Theme and Far Greater Love, two songs for which Fr. Johnny provided the lyrics.

After hearing the first few strains, Fr. Johnny remarked, "sounds like a song perfect for Lea Salonga." Fr. Manoling laughed and confessed that he really had Lea Salonga in mind when he began creating the music. Right there and then, the two Jesuits, both self-confessed Lea admirers, decided to write that song as if she would actually sing it – even if they both knew there was probably no way Lea Salonga would record their song. "That would be too good to be true," they agreed.

Famous last words.

After the song was completed, it remained in the files of the Jesuit Music Ministry for a couple of years. Then last year, Fr. Johnny casually mentioned the song to Narciso Chan, BMG Sales Manager, who suggested that Fr. Manoling e-mail Lea to express their request. Lea quickly responded by promising to listen to the song. Late last year, when Lea Salonga came back to Manila to play Kim once more in Miss Saigon, a demo tape of the song was sent to Lea through Gerard Salonga, who was at the time working with the Jesuits for a tribute concert to Fr. Eddie Hontiveros, one of the pioneers of Filipino liturgical music.

To the delight of its songwriters, Lea liked the song and agreed to record it. Gerard was immediately requested to make the musical arrangement. On the night before she left for New York, Lea recorded the song Something More fulfilling its songwriters’ dream.

Anyone who listens to the song will know why the song is truly a dream-come-true. Lea’s moving performance evokes out deepest desire for the "something more" that we seek in our lives, something we often forget in the daily rush of things. Listening to Lea Salonga, one cannot help but agree that indeed, the song has been tailor-made for her.

Something More is the title track of the latest album from Jesuit Music Ministry. Newly recorded, this latest collection of Jesuit songs is called Something More: Songs for Skeptics and is available in all BMG outlets. The album is dedicated to His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin on the occasion of his 25th anniversary as Cardinal.

Also featured in the album are Ariel Rivera, Noel Cabangon and Jose Mari Chan. Joining them are the usual stable of artists of JMM: the Bukas Palad Music Ministry, Hangad and the Himig Heswita and Friends.

AAA Theater Arts Workshop

Aspiring actors for film, television and the theater are currently sweating it out at the Aguinaldo Academy for the Arts (or AAA) at the Summer Theater Arts Workshop in Acting & the Musical Stage. Classes are held at the Teatro Aguinaldo Complex located inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. The course in acting is being taught by two outstanding theater personalities, singer-actor Raymond Lauchengco and Teatro Aguinaldo’s resident Artistic Director Roxanne A. Lapus. This collaboration promises to impart a wealth of training combined with the latest in stage movement exercises, vocal projection, hands-on ensemble acting methods and tutorial scene studies.

Lapus’ impressive theater credentials range from directing dinner theater for SRO Philippines, to teaching theater arts in some of the country’s most exclusive colleges, to directing and line-producing corporate events and product launches.

The AAA is the brainchild of Col. Eduardo Visperas (Ret.) who is the General Manager of Teatro Aguinaldo. Together with Col. Carlos A. Mabagos (Ret.), he has envisioned the AAA to be an extension of the AFP’s corporate and civic citizenship. It is the theater’s way of giving back to the public a significant contribution for the enrichment of arts and culture in the country. The AAA aims to provide short yet comprehensive courses in the performing arts which are taught by the best teachers in the country’s arts scene. Thanks to visionary efforts of Col. Visperas, Teatro Aguinaldo has become the venue of choice for most prestigious corporate and artistic events. The FAMAS, Awit Awards and plays of the Teatrong Gantimpala, not to mention the Broadway musical They’re Playing Our Song.

As a popular star of the stage, live concerts and musicals, Raymond Lauchengco has a lot to say about Teatro Aguinaldo, which is soon to become his new home both as a teacher and actor, as well as resident Technical Director.

AAA’s Basic Acting course will teach the rudiments of stage movement and elocution as the two vital tools which actors employ to give life to their roles on stage. A mid-June theatrical production will be mounted as the students’ final showcase at the Teatro Aguinaldo. But AAA’s courses for its Summer Workshop series is not limited to Basic Acting alone. In fact, there are also Ballet, Street Dancing, Children’s Theater as well as Voice and Music Theory classes to choose from who are handled by a most distinguished roster of teachers that includes Prima-ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Bryan Rosal and Jojo Zafra, Manouevres and Joshua and Jason Zamora, Adriana Agcaoli and Simon Ang. For inquiries, please call 912 6260, 912 6162 or 912 9234.