2 Pinoy studes make it to Asia’s 1st Musical Theater

Two Filipino students were among those who joined the inaugural of Asia’s first Musical Theater degree program, and each received a scholarship to study at Asia Pacific’s leading contemporary arts institution, La Salle College of the Arts in Singapore.

Nineteen-year-old Red Concepcion and 30-year-old Jay Espano arrived in Singapore in June and commenced their studies at La Salle-SIA on July 5. Both Concepcion and Espano have an immense passion for the performing arts, and have had some training in acting, music and dance.

Concepcion was a member of Trumpets, as well as Kaloob Philippine Music and Dance Ministry (an ethnic dance company) before he went to Singapore to pursue his passion for musical theater. He has been in theater since he was 10 and has played numerous leading and supporting characters in several school productions and musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Psalty’s Christmas Calamity. He credits his father, a former voice teacher, for instilling a love for the performing arts, and for offering pointers on improving his voice. Concepcion also trained under choreographer James Laforteza and Steps Dance Studio and up-and-coming stage director and actress Chari Arespacochaga of Trumpets. Last year, he made his first appearance as a professional performer in the musical Honk! The Ugly Duckling, which played in Manila in August of last year.

"I am enjoying the Musical Theater program at La Salle-SIA immensely. I have had an excellent training for some of the best teachers in the world, and it’s just such an exciting course. It’ll certainly prepare you for a career on the world stage!" gushes Concepcion.

To which fellow Musical Theater student Espano agrees: "La Salle-SIA provides a conducive environment for aspiring talented artists. The classes are amazing, tiring, fun – all rolled into one. The focus on each individual’s needs allows us to discover new things about ourselves and explore infinite artistic possibilities. The College sets us up for a higher level of learning and at the same time equips with skills needed to rise above the challenges of the theater world."

Espano has more than 10 years of experience in theater and television and was a member of Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. He has appeared in several soap operas on ABS-CBN as well as plays here and abroad, including Singapore’s critically and commercially acclaimed musical Chang and Eng: The Musical, in which he understudied the role of the Siamese twin Eng. He also acted in the film Intermates, which was recently screened in the Philippines.

When he was based in Singapore during his acting stint for Chang and Eng, Espano also appeared in popular Singapore television sitcoms such as Phua Chu Kang and Mr. Kiasu.

Besides attending his classes at La Salle-SIA, Espano has also been rehearsing tirelessly for a lead role in the upcoming play Mardi Gras, which features a group of people who has come together to organize Singapore’s first Pride Parade. It first played to a sold-out audience in Singapore August of last year and opened on the last week of July 2004 at the Jubilee Hall of Raffles Hotel.

Espano is enthusiastic about the part he will play in helping develop Singapore’s performing arts scene. "The performing arts scene in Singapore is in its growing stage and it’s a good feeling to be a part of this development. I feel that aspiring Filipino performers should take this wonderful opportunity to come to Singapore and study Musical Theater since so many Filipinos are such natural performers and can sing so well," Espano shares.

Concepcion is also enjoying his stay in Singapore. "Living in Singapore is a unique experience. You get to meet people from all walks of life and from every corner of the world. Its cosmopolitan atmosphere encourages cultural openness so you’ll have no problem living in Singapore – you’ll fit right in!"

The Bachelor of Arts Musical Theater program in La Salle-SIA is led by Australia’s leading Musical Theater expert Denis Follington, who was also the former head of Musical Theater at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

"Having been one of the architects of the WAAPA Music Theater course over a period of 16 years, I have seen its reputation spread worldwide. I am very excited to be in Singapore establishing an international Musical Theater program that will take its place alongside the very best in the world and produce graduates who will enrich not only Singapore’s cultural life, but that of the world’s performing arts," shares Follington.

He continues: "Even before I came to Singapore, I was extremely aware of the amount of musical theater talent in the Philippines, as well as its substantive history. In fact, one of the things that excite me the most about starting the program in Singapore was that we were going to audition for potential students in the Philippines and to hopefully accept Filipinos into the program. Both Red and Jay have such positive energy — they are really keen to learn and work very hard. It’s been an absolute joy having them in the program and we hope to accept even more from the Philippines in the next auditions. I believe that Filipinos are extremely natural performers."

(Interested students may call La Salle-SIA in Singapore at (65) 6344-4300 or e-mail at www.lasallesia.edu.sg)