Marco marks ‘31’ by taking off clothes

This year, so many performers who started their careers in the ’80s mark their 30th year in the business. But Marco Sison, one of the most popular balladeers of the ’70s and ’80s, is unique because this year, as he celebrates his 31st year in showbiz, he’s marking it by doing something he’s never done before.

“Yes, I’m taking my clothes off onstage,” laughs Marco, who is part of the cast of The Full Monty, which is being staged by Viva-Atlantis Theatricals, Inc., a joint venture between Viva Entertainment and Atlantis Productions.

Although he’s not exactly young, Marco says he has no fear about the scene in The Full Monty where he and his co-stars will be naked for a few seconds onstage. “I’m not doing it alone, so matapang ako,” says the singer, who is sharing the stage with Mark Bautista, Arnell Ignacio, Jamie Wilson, OJ Mariano and Nino Alejandro. “Kung ako lang mag-isa, siguro medyo matatakot ako, mag-iisip ako, pero ang dami namin, anim kami, at saka walang (still) cameras, at bago sila maka-tingin sa akin, siyempre nadaanan na nila kung sinu-sino.”

After being in the business for more than three decades, with a solid string of hit songs behind him, why does Marco feel the need to go out on a limb and do something as daring as The Full Monty? Marco admits he had some doubts in the beginning. He would lie awake at night and wonder if he should go ahead with the project. He was second-guessing himself. “Kasi I’ve been in this business for quite some time, tapos iniisip ko kung kailangan ko bang gawin ito after accepting it, ha? Meron akong mga ganoong moments sa gabi. Tinatanong ko ang sarili ko, ‘Bagay ka ba dito? Babagay ba ako sa mga kasama ko?’ At this age, gagawin ko pa ba ito, or should I just sing and sing and sing?’”

In the end — and after consulting with people that included his manager Norma Japitana — Marco decided to go ahead. But he didn’t agree to do it because he felt he needed to shake up his career after being in the business for 31 years. “It’s just that it’s something new,” he says. “I’ve been a balladeer, a romantic balladeer since I started singing. I can’t call it a career move. It’s just something new, but it’s very exciting, as far as I’m concerned.”

He is comforted by the fact that his fellow cast members are not exactly “hunks.” Not to say that they’re not fit for the roles; rather, it’s more that they’re all “normal” guys with “normal” bodies — which underscores the fact that the story is about five normal guys who are down on their luck and are forced to come up with a quick way of making money.

Had the production hired actors and singers with perfectly-chiseled bodies, it would have defeated the purpose. “Oo, may gan’on na maghuhubad ka, which is something different, but I think I have something naman to show,” he says with a laugh. “Yung gan’on, pare-pareho naman kami, kung titingnan mo ‘yung cast, it’s realistic, may malaking tiyan, may sobrang laking tiyan, may tama lang, may payatot, may maliit.”

Being a singer, you’d think that doing a musical like The Full Monty would be a piece of cake for Marco. But he still finds the idea very challenging, since according to him, singing for theater and pop singing are very different. “Singing for theater is character singing,” explains Marco. “You’re playing a role, siyempre kinakanta mo ‘yung nasa isip mo, yung gusto mong iparating sa eksena mo, so it’s a character unlike recording. Recording is about somebody else’s experience.”

As he enters his 31st year in the business, this father of three (all sons) is grateful to still have a stable career. He continues to sing and make music — his latest recording effort is an album titled Isang Pagkakataon — and he is grateful for that. And yet, he continues to dream of doing something really big, or scoring a major achievement. “My blessings have been spread out. It’s been steady, it’s been there, hindi nawawala,” says Marco. “I’m grateful for that. Pero ang wish ko ha, before I actually get really, really old, gusto ko makaranas ng ganoong level of respect or popularity.”

But regardless of where his career goes from here, Marco Sison has already made his mark — and in his corner of the world, he’s a star.