Critics, audiences are all praises for Anna Maria Perez de Tagle

With theater critics and audiences alike heaping praises on Anna Maria Perez de Tagle for her mesmerizing debut in the new Broadway musical Godspell, the former Disney star has morphed into a certified thespian.

“And she’s loving every minute of it,” reports Funfare’s Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre.

It doesn’t hurt that Anna Maria — who is marking her 21st birthday this month with a big bash — gets to sing Godspell’s most recognized tune, Day By Day. It’s the same song, featuring Anna Maria’s voice, that this Stephen Schwartz musical has been using in many of its publicity and promo that helps pack the intimate Circle in the Square Theatre night after night.

Edmund said that discriminating critics — including those from the New York Times, the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal — have singled out Anna Maria’s exceptional voice that is crisp and crystal clear, and closely resembles Lea Salonga’s who, incidentally, caught Godspell and enthusiastically declared her love for Anna Maria and the exuberant cast. The ensemble includes Hunter Parrish, Telly Leung, Wallace Smith, Celisse Henderson, and the half-Filipino, half-Ecuadorian George Salazar, who also have all been receiving rave reviews.

As the youngest and shortest in the bunch of fresh-faced cast, Anna Maria — the baby of the group — is hard to miss.

Anna Maria acknowledges cheers from the crowd.

The Associated Press, whose stories are used by various publications worldwide, writes: “...Anna Maria Perez de Tagle from Hannah Montana, is tiny and beautiful and yet seems game for anything, and delivers a stirring Day By Day.”

The New York Times says, “The show’s hit tune, Day By Day, is led effectively by Anna Maria Perez de Tagle.”

It isn’t actually much of a stretch for the triple-threat Fil-Am granddaughter of Philippine showbiz icon Sylvia La Torre, who began singing, dancing and acting on stage at an early age until she joined Disney’s staple of young talents.

“She was only two years old when I would bring her to my shows,” Sylvia told Funfare during her Philippine visit last year. “Maliit pa ‘yan, mahilig na kumanta, performer na.”

The Disney TV movie Camp Rock (1 and 2) and her first Hollywood feature film Fame further boosted Anna Maria’s confidence and prowess in singing and dancing, while her perfect timing in comedy is owed, no doubt, to the hit series Hannah Montana where she played the mean (but funny) girl Ashley Dewitt.

“She just finished a grueling US concert tour with the Jonas Brothers when Godspell came along,” said Edmund. “In Godspell, Anna Maria has hilarious scenes, one of them requires her to deliver a dialogue in Tagalog that caught us off guard and left us chuckling. Anna Maria, we were told, got some pointers from Lea Salonga to nail the Pinoy accent.”

Anna Maria (center, in black) with the cast of Godspell...

Since the show, helmed by Daniel Goldstein in his Broadway directorial debut, opened Nov. 7 (with previews that began in October), celebrities have been flocking to the Circle in the Square in Midtown Manhattan to see the much-talked about “colorful” and “lively” show that is based on the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

Among the stars who have met Anna Maria and the cast backstage were Martin Short, John Lithgow, Angela Bassett, Mary Louise Parker, Zach Braff, Jesse Eisenberg, Tom Wilkinson, Eugene Levy, Rita Wilson, the Jonas Brothers, and even Victor Garber, who played Jesus in Godspell’s film version. The movie is available on YouTube, featuring the former World Trade Center, where the cast is shown performing at the top of one of the towers that was then nearing completion.

Although Godspell’s first ever Broadway revival generally got mixed reviews — USA Today calls it a “cause to rejoice,” giving it 3.5 stars out of 4 and the Associated Press declares it “a lively affair,” while the New York Daily News calls it “too hip” and “pushy,” and Bloomberg Businessweek describes it as “creepy” and “sounds off-key,” — majority of the critics applauded the entire cast’s performance.

Godspell was a smash hit when it opened four decades ago off-Broadway and later became a motion picture. If memory serves me right, when Godspell was staged here years ago, a newcomer named Christopher de Leon played one of the major roles.

The latest Broadway version may be too draining or exhausting for the not-so-young-at-heart as the 10 cast members alternately and collectively unleash magnificent talent and contagious energy on an intimate theater-in-the-round arena.

...and with (from left) Martin Short, Victor Garber, Wallace Smith (Judas) and Eugene Levy

Aside from the catchy songs, Godspell also showcases some visual spectacles worthy of seeing such as when Jesus walks on the water, and his heart-wrenching crucifixion, among others.

Anna Maria’s Mamita Sylvia, who is forever young at heart, will definitely be proud to see her heir apparent in a new chapter in her entertainment career, if and when the kundiman queen decides to fly to the Big Apple from Los Angeles.

(Trivia: Godspell director Daniel Goldstein (photo) is said to have a “huge crush” on Lea Salonga since he was a ninth grader in NYC. Lea, who was only 18 at the time, was starring on Broadway’s Miss Saigon. Using lunch money and cash gifts he kept over a period of time, Daniel reportedly bought a pricey ticket to catch Lea in her Tony-winning performance as Kim. A few weeks ago, when Lea, now 40, saw Godspell, Daniel, was said to be “thrilled” to finally have met his crush.)

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit http://www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on http://www.twitter/therealrickylo.)

...with Kevin Jonas Jr. and Danielle Jonas who were among the celebrities present during the opening...