OJ: Theater’s new ‘bright boy’

MANILA, Philippines - OJ Mariano has found a home in theater, and theater — musical theater in particular — has a great find in OJ.

The STAR recently caught up with the 33-year-old singer-thespian following his big win as Gawad Buhay’s Best Male Lead in a Musical for his shining performance in the 2012 revival production of the pop-ballet musical Rama Hari, beating the likes of theater stalwarts Nonie Buencamino and Michael Williams.

It was Rama Hari that gave OJ his first lead role as the titular Rama (which he alternately played with Christian Bautista). To be nominated alongside stage icons was already “rewarding enough but the recognition just blew my mind,” said OJ. 

He laughingly revealed that many weren’t aware that he was part of Rama Hari and only learned about it when he got nominated, perhaps owing to the fact that Christian’s presence in the musical, although he had fewer appearances, garnered more publicity.

OJ was the only one in the lead cast who had to audition for a part (also in the cast were Karylle and Kalila Aguilos as Rama’s wife Sita). For him, auditioning for a role makes getting it a little more special. 

“I actually find it better that I auditioned because I can say to myself that I really worked hard at it or that I really fought for where I am. I want to feel that I think I deserve whatever role I get. I’m not saying they (who didn’t audition) don’t deserve it. It’s just nice to feel that you worked for the role.”

OJ has racked up quite a considerable number of theater performances to think he’s a relative newcomer, debuting only in 2011 via Rent as Tom Collins. He said, “I haven’t really tried theater before that. I admit I have little knowledge about theater, but I have the highest respect for it and Rent was a dream project.”

Rent was also the production where we first saw OJ, and we could only imagine the pressure he must have felt at the time, essaying the role already earmarked by seasoned actor Michael de Mesa in an earlier successful staging of Rent.  

Nevertheless, OJ owned it, and in the succeeding productions where we saw him, he delivered and managed to hold the bright spotlight even when he was playing support — the most recent of which was in the hilariously entertaining The Full Monty.

OJ got into the entertainment biz through the reality TV contest Star In A Million, eventually releasing an album that won him an Awit Award in 2006.

How did he land in theater? “Since I’m in the entertainment industry, (I thought) I might as well explore. I’ve always had this general curiosity for theater. I wanted to give it a shot but I wasn’t really confident with myself, in my talent and kung matatapatan ko ba ang mabibigay ng mga theater actors, because as a theater actor, you have to do everything. But I gave it a shot. Luckily, I got Rent, fell in love with theater and tuloy-tuloy na. Although I always audition for my roles, the last ones were (offered to me). It’s really flattering!”

His acting style has been described as very generic but natural “which was true because I had nothing (acting background) to draw from, but I think that helped me a lot.”

OJ, whose father is a journalist and mother is connected with DSWD, had other career plans (he was taking up a pre-med course before eventually shifting to music studies at UP Diliman) before yielding to the call of the performing arts. His mom, Tessie, didn’t think her son would seriously pursue a career in the arts, although she fondly remembers him as a child picking up whatever resembled a microphone and using it as a prop as he entertained family members.  

OJ will be next seen in Maxie, a stage adaptation of the coming-of-age indie Ang Pagdadalaga Ni Maximo Oliveros and Lorenzo, a “rock-musical” that retells the life of first Filipino saint Lorenzo Ruiz.

In between theater work, he keeps himself busy with singing gigs and hopes to cut an album again if given another opportunity.

With many theater actors now transitioning to TV and the movies, OJ is also open to follow suit. But theater obviously is where his heart is right now, satisfying his hunger for artistic growth.

On the theater industry, OJ said, “It’s very much thriving. It’s booming for the benefit of actors and producers as well. For one, ang daming new theater companies doing well and (so) ang daming opportunities to advance our craft.”