Spotlight Artists Center to restage Katy: The Musical

MANILA, Philippines - Living up to its commitment of uplifting the legacy of Original Pilipino Music (OPM), Spotlight Artists Centre brings back the glory days of Filipino jazz and vaudeville when it restages KATY: The Musical at the CCP’s Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) in January next year.

The musical, originally staged in the ‘80s, chronicles the inspiring story of legendary jazz chanteuse Katy dela Cruz, who rose from the ranks to become one of the most illustrious, internationally-acclaimed and highest-paid performers of her time. From the 1930s onwards, throughout a prolific career that stretched out to more than six decades, the iconic stage livewire endeared herself to both foreign and local audiences with her mesmerizing stage presence, classic style and elegance, as well as her playful wit and irreverence.

Given the breadth and longevity of her stellar career, it’s hard to imagine what kind of multimedia frenzy Katy could have triggered if she were alive today. While her name might not ring a bell among Twitter and YouTube denizens, her legacy has been immortalized in the annals of local entertainment history.

In more ways than one, her triumph echoes every Filipino’s aspiration, reflecting the indomitable Pinoy pride and spirit. She was the Charice Pempengco and Jessica Sanchez of her generation. Her voice had the same knockout power as Manny Pacquiao’s. And her wit and humor was no doubt an inspiration to the equally-iconic King of Comedy, Dolphy, whom she shared the stage during their vaudeville days.

Such an uplifting, inspiring and culturally-enriching story definitely needs to be rekindled, and passed on to younger generations. It is this noble mission that Spotlight Artists Centre undertook to take pride and glorify our roots. Thankfully, the artistic community has wholeheartedly thrown its support to the project. For details, log on to www.spotlightartistscentre.com.