Sitti 'fine-tunes' her singing via theater

MANILA, Philippines - Sitti is finding growth as an artist in theater. Best known for popularizing bossa nova in the country, Sitti highly encourages fellow mainstream singers to give theater a try.

The singer is returning to the stage via Atlantis Productions’ Nine. To say the least, she will be in truly impressive company — Jett Pangan, Cherie Gil, Eula Valdez, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo and Carla Guevara-Laforteza with Yanah Laurel, Ima Castro, Jay Glorioso, Warren Saga, Ethan Paras, Reg Claravall, Japs Treopaldo, Mikkie Bradsha and Francis Anne Rivera.

Loosely based on Eight and a Half, the Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini’s semi-autobiographical movie that is set in early ’60s Venice, the Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of a famous film director named Guido Contini who is experiencing mid-life crisis as he approaches his 40th birthday. His life becomes a mess as his creativity takes a slump and as he gets caught up in romantic entanglements.

Sitti plays the Our Lady of the Spa, one of the ladies who get involved with Guido (Jett). “I own a spa where Guido goes to with his wife Luisa (played by Menchu), in order to work on their marriage, get quality time, at the same time, think on what film to do next,” she tells The STAR.

Theater work is known, among others, to be rigorous and consuming — especially of time — but for Sitti, it’s a necessary challenge.  

“Yes (I would recommend it) because it’s a different experience. For a singer, it’s stamina training because every day, you’ll be singing high notes. Then there’s singing while dancing,” she says.

Sitti adds that her theater gigs have brought changes to her singing. “My breath is longer, my delivery is succinct, mas enunciated yung mga words, kumbaga yung manner ng pagkanta ko, I was able to fine-tune it in theater.”

The last time Sitti did theater was via 2009’s Spring Awakening. “I auditioned for Nine. I also wanted to do Rock of Ages; I wanted to do the role of Aiza Seguerra. (But) I really had my sights on doing Nine.”

As her preparation, “I watched videos (of the musical). I’m supposed to sing while feeling sexy and seductive and sensual. I’ve been watching videos on that. Ang hirap!”

But she’s learning a lot from her co-stars. From Cherie, who plays the film producer Liliane Le Fleur, Sitti has learned about confidence and character immersion; from Eula, acting nuances and creating chemistry with an acting partner; and from Jett, vocal stamina. 

She also shares theater stalwart Menchu’s advice for her. “She said to think about your character, why is she there, why is she important. Why did the writer include her, and then find that, live that, and then for each line you are supposed to deliver, think of how important it is in the intention of the writer as to why it was written that way. She was really very helpful in how I would approach the lines, the character.”

Directed by Bobby Garcia, Nine runs from Sept. 21 – Oct. 7 (Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sundays at 3 p.m.) at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. For details, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078/840-1187 or Ticketworld at 891-9999.