The girl Placido Domingo used to carry

Not every baby can lay claim to have been cuddled by Placido Domingo, one of the world’s greatest tenors. Marie Preizer is among the very lucky few. How did it happen?

Listen to Marie’s mom, Maria Luisa de Vera-Preizer, a retired Saudia Air flight stewardess, tell the story.

“Marie’s father, an Austrian who died two years ago, worked as the light designer for the Vienna State Opera where the likes of Domingo would perform. When I visited my husband at work, I would bring Marie with me. She was two years old then. That was how she met Domingo who would ‘baby’ her.”

Of course, Marie was too young to know that the arms carrying her belonged to a great artist.

“My regret is that I didn’t have another chance to meet Mr. Placido Domingo and that my mom didn’t take a picture,” said Marie in flawless Filipino even if she was born, raised and educated in Vienna where she and her mom live. “Sayang na sayang. I would have had that picture blown up and displayed it at our sala and kept a copy in my wallet.”

That close encounter with Domingo must have rubbed off on Marie a love for theater…that is, aside from her dad’s theater involvement and that of her mom who is an artist in her own right.

Marie with mom, Maria Luisa Vera Preizer, a former Saudia Air flight stewardess

“After I retired,” said Maria Luisa, “I decided to settle down in Vienna with Marie, my only child. I am an active member of the Filipino community and I used to write and direct plays. I did that for 22 years. But before that, before I joined Saudia Air, I did a play called Magkano ang Pagibig Mo with Lorli Villanueva. It was Mars Cavestany (a theater director) who got me after another actress backed out.”

Marie has just signed a five-year build-up contract with Leo Dominguez’s LVD Management outfit which is, as starter, making Marie attend acting workshops.

“Acting is not really new to me,” shared the blue-eyed Marie, 17, a high school graduate. “As a kid, I have had acting experience.”

Added Maria Luisa, “I was a member of the Dulaang Pilipino in Vienna. Every time I directed a play, gulo nang gulo si Marie sa rehearsal so, hayun, isinasali ko na lang siya.”

Maria Luisa still has roots in the Philippines. Her mom is from Bulacan and her father is from Bicol. Among the relatives she mentioned are one-time retired actress Mutya ng Pilipinas Rosemarie de Vera (a cousin) and director Fritz Ynfante (cousin of Maria Luisa’s dad).

“Most of my family, led by my mom, also live in Vienna, but I come home to visit my remaining relatives in the Philippines.” 

Happily widowed, Maria Luisa said that she doesn’t plan to marry again.

“I married a very good man and he was one of a kind. May mga manliligaw noon but I always compared them to my husband. I know it’s wrong to compare but I can’t help it. You know, my husband and I shared many things including love for the arts. I met him at the painting exhibit of a Moroccan artist who used to fly Saudia Air and became my friend.”

Asked what she’s expecting in the talent-laden showbiz industry, Marie looked at her Mom and smiled, “I trust my Tito Leo. Let’s see where I go from here.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)