Ima returns on stage

After triumphing in the title role of Aida, Miss Saigon star and award-winning recording artist Ima Castro returns to the stage as Vanessa in the smash hit Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights.

Called his “Miracle from Manila” by Miss Saigon composer Claude-Michel Schonberg, Ima left Manila in 2001 to star in the UK Tour of Miss Saigon after succeeding Lea Salonga in the role in the Manila engagement of the hit musical. Ima’s first break in the music industry came when she won the grand prize in the 1991 Panasonic nationwide Quest for the Best singing competition. She went on to win several local and international awards including Best Singer Award in Osaka, Japan and Best Interpreter in the First Asia Song Festival in Bali, Indonesia.  She also has a Gold Record and has recorded a duet with Enrique Iglesias.

Aside from being a recording artist, Ima also appeared in the pop-zarzuela, Paglayang Minamahal where she played the lead role opposite Albert Martinez. She was later offered to play the lead role Kim after Lea finished her contract. She was offered again, this time by IMG Australia for the Asian Tour in Hong Kong and Singapore. Impressed with her talent and professionalism, Sir Cameron Mackintosh asked her to join the UK Tour of the show for two years where she got the chance to travel and live in beautiful places like Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh, Bristol, Birmingham and Southampton. In the 2005 to 2006 tour of Miss Saigon she had the chance to perform in Lisbon, Belfast, Cardiff and other cities in the UK. She also did concerts in Manila and Tokyo with Russell Watson: The Voice in May 2005. Ima did a workshop for a new musical called Desperate! based on the ’80s film of Madonna Desperately Seeking Susan.  She recently recorded demo tracks for the upcoming West End musical Sacrifice which will be directed by Bobby Garcia.  She also received critical acclaim as Aida, her first musical back in the Philippines after a 10-year absence.

Ima now plays Vanessa in In The Heights, the salon worker with big dreams of moving downtown.  She is reunited with director Bobby Garcia, who was her first director in the Manila run of Miss Saigon and was pivotal in selecting her to succeed Lea.  She joins an all-star cast that includes Nyoy Volante, K-La Rivera, Jackie Lou Blanco, Calvin Millado, Felix Rivera and Jimmy Marquez.

In The Heights runs from Sept. 2 to 18 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

For tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.

Christian stars in Indonesian film

Christian Bautista stars in A Special Symphony, an international movie along with a stellar cast of Indonesian actors.

A Special Symphony or locally known in Indonesia as Simfoni Luar Biasa was shot entirely in Indonesia by young Indonesian director Awi Suryadi through Indonesian film company Nation Pictures. It is an inspiring and entertaining light drama musical for the whole family. Christian plays Jayden, a struggling Filipino musician who finds himself in Jakarta to visit his estranged mother and discovers his purpose in life in the form of a school for special children.

Christian describes his character, “Jayden knows what he wants. He doesn’t easily listen but accepts if proven otherwise.” Although Christian may not be as imperious and outspoken as Jayden, he identifies himself with his fictitious role in their common love for music, children and faith.

Christian says that it is a big responsibility to portray the lead. “I did my best to be a good example to everyone.”

The film focuses on the magic that happens between Jayden and his special “students” mostly child actors and choir singers. Christian warmly recalls his heartbreaking while watching the child actors perform their song for the last time, “We had a great time. We were playing together, crying together and enjoying the time we had together.”

Christian also sings the movie’s official soundtrack titled I’m Already King.

He says that the movie has influenced him so much as an artist, “It broadened (my) views as an entertainer and an artist in another country. It takes me to another level. I’m happy that I’m learning so much, and working with different cultures that feed you a new inspiration.”

Working on an international film, Christian discovered that Indonesians hold Filipinos in high regard. “They have high respect for Filipinos and they share our passion in music and the arts.”

A Special Symphony opens today in Philippine theaters and on Sept. 29 in Indonesia.