Dawn’s showbiz wish list

Award-winning actress Dawn Zulueta has always cut a dazzling figure in showtown. She is not only one of the loveliest faces; she is also one of the most gifted in the acting department. So when Dawn decided to bid showbiz adieu seven years ago and led a quiet life as Mrs. Anton Lagdameo, the whole industry sorely missed her.

As such, when Dawn accepted a limited hosting engagement on the GMA 7 lifestyle show All About You, followed by a rare film appearance in Filipinas, the Metro Manila Film Festival entry last December, her grand showbiz comeback was again marked with warmth and anticipation.

So, is Dawn finally back in tinseltown?

Maybe. Seems Dawn is more than content with her current "semi-retired" status – shuttling back and forth from Davao City to Manila only when there are showbiz and/or family commitments in the metropolis. "I really only fly in when there’s work," she explains. "Or when there’s a family gathering here. So every time I’m in Manila, I try to squeeze in as many appointments and activities as I can."

That’s why her Manila visits are invariably hectic. She would juggle her appointments with interviews and pictorials, alongside the usual array of bridal showers, weddings, and even ribbon-cutting ceremonies for relatives.

On top of all these, she also has her ongoing charity work for Violence Against Women, Bantay Bata, Habitat, and the Davao Beautiful Foundation, as well as her regular writing assignments for the quarterly magazine Metro Society. "I try to maximize my trips to Manila and my stay in Davao," she quips.

Spoken like a true workaholic even though she’s now on R ‘n R mode.

Still, you can’t really blame movie producers for trying their luck. Last year, she consented to do not just All About You and Filipinas, but also the TV mini-series The Lito Atienza Story, which was aired by Viva TV on IBC 13.

What can convince the reluctant Drama Queen to stage a full-time showbiz comeback? "A really good project" is her quick reply. Meaning, high-quality scripts. "Right now, there’s an offer, but we’re still studying it." (With much excitement and trepidation, she wants to try a soap opera).

She acknowledges that she didn’t have to think twice about accepting Filipinas. "First of all, it was a filmfest entry. If I would make only one film in a year, I’d want it to be a festival movie. At least, I am rest assured that I can be proud of it because it made it in the film festival. Also, Filipinas was directed by Joel Lamangan and it had a top-caliber cast. Who would pass up a chance like that?"

Moreover, Filipinas allowed her to reunite with screen mom Armida Siguion-Reyna or Tita Midz who was also her Reyna Films producer. In fact, if there is one movie from her own filmography she is extremely proud of, it’s Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit, produced by Tita Midz and directed by son Carlitos Siguion-Reyna. "It was really a high-quality production," she beams with pride. "Another one is Patayin Sa Sindak si Barbara, under Star Cinema."

Since her big-screen comeback, Dawn had to readjust. It was as if she was a newcomer all over again. "The culture is really different now," she exclaims in mock horror. "Things have really changed. It’s shocking. Now, everything is in-your-face when it comes to scandals."

The current predominance of shock and reality TV makes Dawn a bit hesitant to completely re-immerse herself in the maddening world of show. "I don’t want to jeopardize my peaceful life for that," she asserts. I don’t want to resort to that just to get work. I don’t believe in it. I don’t believe in that paradigm."

Which is sad because Dawn sincerely wants to contribute whatever she can to the industry. "I like to work," she affirms. "I miss working. I still have so much creativity in me that wants to be expressed. If only I had enough money, I would produce my own project!"

She vows to champion good movies and give opportunities to deserving scriptwriters who can spin fresh, exciting new stories for the moribund industry.

Once, Dawn already donned the producer’s hat. "When telesines were the fad, I produced the TV-movie Halik sa Buwan," she recalls. "That was in 1996. It was under my own New Moon Productions. It was called New Moon because I only produce once in a blue moon!"

That’s another seldom-seen side of Dawn, the witty woman with the "ironic," sense of humor. Truth is, she also wants to try her hand in comedy, given the chance. "But it has to be a good script," she intones. "Look at the sitcoms abroad. They’re all character-driven. The characters are whole, multi-dimensional. Just like Grace in Will & Grace. You can see all the quirks, all the nuances of the character."

Another untried avenue she would like to venture into is music. Dawn is now yearning to revisit the same classics she used to sing on her old musical-variety show RSVP, directed by Fritz Ynfante.

"My dream is to record just for myself," her eyes light up. "I want to be able to create my own interpretation of my favorite songs."

And the singing career she has in mind consists of a whole act. "Complete with costumes," she roars. "Very visual. And it should be full blast! A karaoke just wouldn’t do."

A 60-piece orchestra, anyone?

She requires nothing less than "new musical arrangements of old standards." The only things preventing her from fulfilling this dream are the prohibitive cost and her stage fright.

She once experienced the exhilaration of live performance when she played socialite Elsa Montes in the stage musical Larawan. "I sang and danced," she relishes the memory. "I really enjoyed myself then."

The lure (and frenzy) of showtown again beckons for Dawn, and without a doubt, she will dazzle audiences once again when she decides to make the big leap to singing.

Meanwhile, Dawn continues to bloom!

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