Shiela marks 25th year

MANILA, Philippines — The toast of Philippine musical theater, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, marks her 25th illustrious year in the industry with several projects lined up for her. Shiela has never been less busy for the latter half of the year, even as she has performed in over 30 productions in the local front and also in the international scene throughout her career.

She is presently headlining Resorts World Manila’s Disco Glam concert that opened last April at the new Grand Wing. Direction is by Dan Cabrera.

This month, Shiela will reprise her role as Lily Dela Rosa in Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical at the Theater at Solaire. At the helm is Joel Lamangan. The musical will release an original cast recording for its re-run. Performances are on July 12, 13 and 14.

In August, Shiela will revisit her role as Katherine Lyons in the critically acclaimed musical, Dani Girl, as Sandbox Collective’s fifth anniversary offering. Toff de Venecia directs. The show will be staged Aug. 10 to Sept. 1 at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater, RCBC Makati.

Come September, Shiela will portray Fosca, one of the most coveted roles in musical theater, in Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Passion, mounted by Philippine Opera Company, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary and mounting its first musical theater (non opera) production at the RCBC Theater, Sept. 13 to 29. Robbie Guevarra directs.

Later this year, Shiela will also make her Repertory Philippines comeback in the title role of Adarna in Repertory Children’s Theater’s first original musical, megged by Joy Virata. The show will run starting this September until January 2020 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt, Makati.

Shiela has enviably notched a number of awards and citations through the years. She has been cited as Best Actress in a Musical, Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and won Best New Female Recording Artist in the prestigious Awit Awards.

Most recently, Shiela was nominated in BroadwayWorld for her work in Guadalupe: The Musical, where she played Lady of Guadalupe. The musical will be restaged next year.

Shiela also received double nominations in Aliw Awards for Best Actress in a Musical (Binondo: A Tsinoy Musical) and Best Crossover Performer category.

Shiela started this year with several projects in her performing calendar. She lent her voice to the prestigious Ballet Philippines’ rock opera, Tales of the Manuvu, as the “First Woman.” National Artist for Dance Alice Reyes directed.

Last May, Shiela was blessed to have participated in the National Artist tribute at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), doing a stage reading in Hiligaynon dialect of Margo sa Tubig, the work of writer Ramon Larupay Muzones, National Artist for Literature.

Aside from her performances onstage, Shiela recently renewed her contract as Facial Care ambassador. She is also handling Marby Food Ventures and working as export head. She has schedules of events year round under Stages Management and Rank One, with David Cosico as her talent manager.