Cris Villonco & Christian Bautista, Unchained Team-Up

They’ve been in theater for years, moving in the same circle. But Cris Villonco and Christian Bautista have never been paired until now when they are cast as Molly and Sam, in Ghost The Musical, the roles played by Demi Moore and (the late) Patrick Swayze in the movie made memorably touching by the song Unchained Melody.

Set to be staged by Atlantis Productions on April 25 to May 1 to celebrate its 15th anniversary at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati, Ghost The Musical is the first professionally licensed production in the Asia Pacific region.

Ghost is a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Adapted from the hit film by its Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Bruce Joel Rubin, Ghost The Musical follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death. Trapped between two worlds, Sam refuses to leave Molly when he learns she is in grave danger. Desperate to communicate with her, he turns to a storefront psychic, Oda Mae Brown, who helps him protect Molly and avenge his death. 

Ghost The Musical was nominated for three Tony Awards and five Olivier Awards. The movie version, on the other hand, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film of 1990, won numerous awards worldwide and is one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Ghost The Musical features an original pop score from multiple Grammy Award-winners Dave Stewart (one half of the ’80s pop duo the Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (co-writer with Alanis Morissette on the multi-platinum album Jagged Little Pill, among many other notable credits and collaborations). 

It is Atlantis’ first production in partnership with Ten Bridges Media Corp. of Bobby Barreiro and Tony Tuviera.  

Have you seen Ghost the movie?

Cris: I saw it when I was already in my early 20s. I downloaded it from YouTube. I love it because I’m a hopeless romantic. No, sorry. I watched the movie in 2011 after I watched the musical on Broadway.

Christian: Yes, I have when I was younger, siguro in the ‘90s pa.

How would you compare the movie and the musical?

Cris: Well, what’s nice about the musical is that there were songs there that, you know, expressive of the feelings of every character involved. Of course, it’s really hard to compare like, let’s say, Demi Moore to the one who played the role onstage. I guess they made sure that their physicality was different. The girl on Broadway was blonde with long hair, so different from Demi in the movie. Even the way they portrayed the role was different.

Christian: I saw the musical only on YouTube.

How about the way the iconic scene showing Demi and (the late) Patrick molding the clay pot? Was it also done differently?

Cris: Still very similar, still very iconic. She’s still by the wheel, still working the wheel, as the character of Swayze creeps up behind her. So it’s still very, very romantic.

When you hear the song Unchained Melody (background music for that scene), what comes to your mind?

Cris: My father (Opap Villonco, long separated from Cris’ mom Monique Siguion-Reyna. — RFL). He used to sing that song all the time. It’s one of his favorite songs, alongside My Way. Whenever I ask him to sing in a party, he always sings either Unchained Melody and My Way.

Christian: I really, really like the song. Kaya nga when I learned that they are staging the musical here, I wanted to do it and I did some research on it. And also because I get to sing Unchained Melody.

Does your dad watch your shows?

Cris: I really refrain from inviting my dad to the shows that I do now because they are quite raunchy, hahahahaha! But finally, when I got a role that I’m sure he would watch and again, I called him, “Dad, I will be part of Ghost.” And he said, “Ha, kakantahin mo ang Unchained Melody?” I told him, ‘Bibirit ako, so magugustuhan mo ‘yan,” adding, “Dad, I’m fully clothed this time so you have no problem,” hahahahaha!

How do you think he would react to the show?

Cris: I think he will love it and he will watch it again and again. My dad is also very romantic; he loves music. He will love the songs in Ghost The Musical because they are memorable. When I watched the musical, even if it didn’t do so well on Broadway, I loved it and I loved the songs. I even dreamed that I would be doing that musical someday.”

And your mom?

Cris: She would hear me singing Unchained Melody again and again every single day so she got into it as well.

Which scene from the movie did you find most touching?

Christian: The last scene when Patrick’s character Sam is about to go to heaven and he cannot see Demi’s character Molly anymore. After everything that Sam has done and gone through, he just has to go. That’s kind of sad. It reminded me how life is so short and you just have to live it to the fullest every day.

You worked in Hong Kong Disneyland. Aside from independence, what did you learn from the experience?

Cris: I worked there for a year. It was not the first time I stayed away from my family. I lived in New York for four years when I studied there. One thing that was really great about living in Hong Kong is that for the first time in my life I felt independent; for the first time in my life I didn’t rely on my family. I paid for my own apartment, for everything. I did the laundry, the cleaning, the grocery, everything! Ganoon naman talaga when you live abroad.”

You’ve been in theater for years…

Cris:…for 21 years!

Christian: I’ve been in theater for quite a time. I started as a member of the ensemble in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Then, I played Tony in West Side Story, with Karylle (as Maria) with whom I also worked in Cinderella and Kitchen Musical (the TV series shot in Singapore).

How do you think you will jibe with Cris?

Christian: I haven’t seen any of her musicals, so I wouldn’t know. But I will watch a new show that she’s producing, for sure. I’m very excited to work with her. I’m wondering nga why we haven’t worked together, but then there’s a time for everything and the time is now. I’m gonna learn so much from her.

Cris (Pretending to be angry): Don’t make me feel old!

The last musical that I saw you in was The Sound of Music. I thought you should have played the eldest of the Von Trapp children instead of Fraulein Maria.

Cris (Laughing): No, they couldn’t cast me in that kind of roles. That’s why my career now has turned in terms of being raunchier or showing a bit more skin, or being cast as a pokpok! It’s all right because I’m a squeaky-clean girl, hehehehe!

What would you consider your three most memorable performances so far?

Cris: One, my Les Miserables moment when I was nine years old; I played Little Cosette. Two, when I performed at the Vatican in 2000 with Jose Mari Chan. We sang the Jubilee song together. It was the same time I was featured in Time magazine as one of The Heroes For The Planet (in 2000). Three, I didn’t really sing but to this day I remember my one and only movie, Ang Dalubhasa, with FPJ.

Christian: One, my first-ever performance in Indonesia. I thought nobody knew me there and I was surprised when the audience was singing along with my every song. Two, when I was asked to sing impromptu during the proclamation of Pres. Noynoy Aquino at the Quirino Grandstand. I didn’t know what to do. I sang You Raise Me Up and I tweeted it, saying, “I sang Josh Groban’s song.” Josh replied, “I’m sure this is a huge event  for the great people of your country. Enjoy!” Three, well, I think it’s gonna be Ghost The Musical.

Any dream role?

Cris: Evita and Candida in Larawan The Musical.

You seem to be the favorite grandchild of your Lola Armida “Tita Midz” Siguion-Reyna, her heiress apparent. Does she give you any advice?

Cris: You know what, one thing I’m grateful for with my Lola is that, she was a stickler for clarity and diction. I have so much to thank her for in terms of my Tagalog. I cannot really do conversational Tagalog but I can say that when I’m doing a play or a musical I can deliver my lines or sing in Tagalog without any accent. I owe all that to her. People criticize her and make fun of her singing but I think that at the end of the day you cannot go against her for clarity. (Tita Midz was awarded a Gawad CCP for preserving traditional Filipino music through her long-running show Aawitan Kita.)

(Atlantis Productions is staging Ghost The Musical in the Asia Pacific region to celebrate its 15th anniversary. It will run from April 25 to May 11 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City. For tickets, call Atlantis at 892-7078 or Ticketworld at 891-9999; or visit www.atlantisproductions.com)

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