Carla Guevara Laforteza to Stage ‘A La Carlotta’ Triple Threats Concert this July
Update: 7/25/2024 Due to the declared State of Calamity due to Typhoon Carina, The Cultural Center of the Philippines is rescheduling the Triple Threats Concert I: A La Carlotta, featuring Leading Lady of Philippine Theater Carla Guevara-Laforteza, to August 11.
As previously reported, this year’s Triple Threats Concert Series by the Cultural Center of the Philippines will feature three leading women of the Philippine stage: Carla Guevara Laforteza, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez, and Tanya Manalang-Atadero.
Guevara Laforteza, who celebrates her 30th year in the industry, kicks off this year’s series with a concert entitled A La Carlotta on July 25, 2024 at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez.
When asked about her concert title, she says, “A La is according to, so it’s according to me. I want to sing songs that I want to sing.”
Regarding her repertoire, she says that audiences will be witnessing something that they normally wouldn’t expect from her.
“If you guys see my artistic staff, it’s not conventional musical theater, especially with Paolo [Valenciano] as my director. He’s a concert pop director,” says Guevara Laforteza. “When I turned 45, I did a solo concert at 12 Monkeys where I did all of the solos I’ve ever done since the beginning of my career until that point. So sabi ko, “I’ve done that na. I want to do something different. I want to sing songs that I want to sing, the ones that I bop my head to when I’m listening to it on the radio. I want to sing songs that have meaning to me. It didn’t have to be musical theater.”
“In fact, most of my songs are from movies, they’re pop, they’re dance,” she adds.
Guevara Laforteza teases that one of the unconventional songs she will be performing is Spain by Al Jarreau. “I’ve never done it. I’ve always seen Tito Gary [Valenciano] sing that song in his concerts. It’s gonna be in my spiels, but I’ve always wanted to do this song.”
“It’s a very difficult song but I have some of my special friends to sing it with me. Surprise na iyun. I’m quite excited.”
Audience members are also expected to wear black for the entire show for a special surprise. “If you’re not gonna be wearing black, I have black T-shirts that are gonna be sold outside because it’s going to affect the entire show if one single person wears a different color.”
During the launch, Guevara Laforteza sang He Opens a Window, a song she performed when she played the role of Rachel in the 2022 run of Trumpets Inc.’s Joseph the Dreamer. When asked which song defines her life at the moment, she chose this one. “I think that’s going to be my forever anthem because everything in that song just explains everything that’s happening in my life,” she explains. You can find her performance in the video below.
Carla Guevara Laforteza is currently playing the role of Rose/Edith in PETA’s One More Chance, The Musical. Just last year, she played the role of the Queen in REP’s staging of Snow White and the Prince, and as Doña Victorina in Tanghalang Una Obra’s Ibarra.
Some of her notable roles abroad include playing Kim and Gigi in Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal Dreary Lane in London (1995-1997), and the Club singer and Flo Manero for the Asian tour of Saturday Night Fever (2015).
In Philippine theater, she is widely known for playing Adult Joy in Full House Theater Company’s Ang Huling El Bimbo and Kapitana Mary Jane in PETA’s Rak of Aegis. She is also currently touring Asia as an official vocalist for Disney in Concert (2023-2025).
A La Carlotta is currently sold-out.
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