20 Homegrown Performers in International Shows
If you’re travelling over the holidays (or through 2019!) and want to go to the theater, check out these shows and you might see a familiar face. Whether you’re watching a Broadway show, in the UK, or even a little closer to home like Hong Kong, you might see one of these homegrown Filipino performers on stage.
Lea Salonga, Once on this Island (Broadway)
Lea Salonga, who played Erzulie in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on this Island, is coming back to play the role for the show’s final week. You can catch her on Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre from December 27 to January 6. She will also star in Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group’s production of Sweeney Todd later in 2019!
Rachelle Ann Go, Hamilton (West End)
If you’re lucky enough to get tickets to Hamilton in the UK, Rachelle Ann Go continues her role as Eliza Hamilton! You can catch her and this award-winning production at the Victoria Palace Theatre. She was most recently Gigi in Miss Saigon on Broadway, and played Fantine in Les Miserables for the Manila leg of the 2016 Asian tour.
Red Concepcion Miss Saigon (US Tour)
The Miss Saigon tour is currently ongoing across the US, with Red Concepcion taking the lead as The Engineer. Before being chosen for the UK production, he played Chelsea in PETA’s Care Divas rerun back in 2017. The tour is currently at The Kennedy Center of Washington DC, and will next be at The Peace Center in Greenville, South Carolina.
Various Actors, Miss Saigon (UK/ International Tour)
The Miss Saigon UK/ International Tour is currently playing at the Zürich Theatre and will be ending its run in Cologne, Germany this March 3, 2019. In true Miss Saigon fashion, this production features plenty of our homegrown talent:
- Leo Valdez (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, The King and I) reprises his role as The Engineer.
- Aicelle Santos (Himala: Isang Musikal, Rak of Aegis) is Gigi
- Gerald Santos (San Pedro Calungsod the Musical, Sino Ka Ba Jose Rizal?) is Thuy
- Christian Rey Marbella (The King and I, Rama Hari) is The Engineer (alternate)
- Joreen Bautista is Kim (alternate)
Joaquin Pedro Valdes (The Engineer cover), Aynrand Ferrer (Kim understudy), and Iroy Abesamis are part of the ensemble.
Joaquin Pedro Valdes and Ela Lisondra, The King and I (UK Tour)
The King and I will begin its UK Tour in Manchester on April 2019. It will be followed by stops in Dublin, Edinburgh, Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Bristol. Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Matilda, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and Ela Lisondra (Christmas Carol, American Idiot) join the company as ensemble members. Valdes is also a cover for Lun Tha.
Various Actors, The Lion King (International Tour)
The Lion King International Tour is currently in the Keimyung Art Center in Daegu, Korea. It will also have runs in Seoul, Taiwan, and South Africa. Young actresses alternating for the role of Young Nala are Felicity Kyle Napuli (Matilda), Uma Martin (Matilda), and Sheena Bentoy. Young actors who have recently joined them are Ian Albert Magallona (Kinky Boots) and Marcus Cabais, alternating for the role of Young Simba.
Christine Rocas, The Nutcracker and Anna Karenina (Joffrey Ballet)
Ballerina Christine Rocas will be in Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker from December 1-30, 2018 at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago and Anna Karenina from February 13-24, 2019 at the same venue. Rocas joined the company in 2005 after dancing with Ballet Manila.
Luis Cabrera, The Nutcracker (Hong Kong Ballet)
Luis Cabrera will be performing in Hong Kong Ballet’s The Nutcracker this December at the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. He will specifically be playing the role of Fritz on December 19, 23, and 26. Cabrera joined the company in 2015 after dancing with Ballet Manila and Ballet Philippines.
