Menchu’s undying love for the theater

It has been some 26 years since Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo first made her foray into show business in a botched audition for the theater musical The King and I. In the interim, she has tried just about everything a career in the spotlight has to offer.

"I’ve done lounge singing. I’ve done TV. I even did a movie Good Morning, Sunshine with Vilma Santos and Lloyd Samartino – where I had one scene and that was it," she recalls with a barely suppressed laugh. "I tried all of that and I can say theater is where I’ve always felt most comfortable with; it’s where I could best give what I have to offer."

Which is nothing to sneeze at. From her bungled try-out, she has gone on to essay some of the most memorable women characters created for theaters including Fantine in Les Miserables, Anna in The King and I, Queen Guenevere in Camelot, Joanna in Sweeney Todd, Nancy in Oliver! And, most notably, Eva Peron in Evita.

"I like everything about theater, not the least of which are the demands it makes on you," she says. "In fact, I can say I like the rehearsal process more than I do the actual performances. I like the process of creating a character and the discoveries that go with that."

Given her exacting approach to her craft, theater aficionados are certainly in for another memorable theater experience with Baby The Musical, which opened at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas Center last Aug. 18. A fifth anniversary presentation of Atlantis Productions, the acclaimed musical has Menchu joining Tony Award-winning Lea Salonga, Agot Isidro, David Shannon, Jett Pangan and Miguel Faustmann in a provocative exploration of life and motherhood. Featured in the ensemble are Chari Arespacochaga, Cathy Azanza, Topper Fabregas, Christine Marquez, Jun Ofrasio and Robie Zialcita, with Bobby Garcia directing.

"Besides the fact that I enjoy working with Bobby (they first collaborated in the local production of the award-winning Proof), I readily agreed to do Baby because I’m familiar with the material and knew it was great, and the story of my character–a fortysomething mother who finds herself pregnant again after believing she had left all of that behind – is something I can relate to at this point in my life as a working mother myself," says Menchu, who has two children.

"Not the pregnancy, of course, but the internal issues my character is confronted with on account of her becoming unexpectedly pregnant. The issues are universal – motherhood, relationships, your growth as a woman – and this universality, along with the really fantastic music, is what makes Baby such a thoroughly accessible and engaging musical."

Playing until Sept. 5 at the Meralco Theater, Baby was nominated for seven Tony Awards and has book and lyrics written by Richard Maltby Jr. (who also co-wrote Miss Saigon with Alan Boublil) and music by David Shire. Musical direction is by Gerard Salonga. Choreography is by Andy Alviz, with lighting design by Gerry Fernandez, costume supervision by Rajo Laurel, and sound design by Gerry Fernandez.

The production is presented in cooperation with Creamsilk. Because of its mature subject matter, parental guidance is advised. For tickets and inquiries, call 892-7078, 840-1187 or 891-9999.

Elbow Room party

Elbow Room, the most exciting party place located at the Podium in Ortigas Center, recently hosted a cocktail party for the Mutya ng Pilipinas beauties.

The Buhay Beauty Queen contestants partied all night long and even played a round of billiards with lucky patrons of Elbow Room.

The event was highlighted by a mini-billiard tournament where the Mutya beauties were paired with some of Elbow Room’s yuppie regulars.

Seen partying the night away were Elbow Room directors Jerry Lim, Anthony Lim, Aldwin Ku, Danny Tan, Nelson Aguinaldo and Iving Sy. Also seen hobnobbing with the Mutya beauties were Wilson So of Bose Speakers, Vernon Go of Pulp and MTV Ink, Joe Guerrero of Awava Manila, Brian Siew of Lemon Magazine, Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, Kester Kaw of Advance Paper Products, Ed Lopez, Albert Co of Mossimo Kids, Laurence Laureno and Bel Bautista of [email protected], Jonathan and Lailani Sy of Artcakes, Gino and Yum Ongpauco.