Nyoy Volante raps and rocks in 'In The Heights'
MANILA, Philippines - Award-winning songwriter and acoustic balladeer Nyoy Volante surprised audiences last year with his phenomenal performance and rapping skills in Atlantis Productions’ staging of the Tony Award winning musical In The Heights. He went on to receive critical acclaim and an Aliw Award nomination for his performance as Usnavi, the rapping bodega owner in the charming musical celebration about friends and family.
He will once again get to play Usnavi when In The Heights returns for a very limited repeat run from March 16 to 25 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. Asked why In The Heights is a hit, Nyoy says: “The fact that it has so much heart. The story is very ‘Pinoy.’ And it’s real, real fun to perform! There’s so much joy within all the dancing, the singing, the witty comedy.” And when asked what thrills him about returning to the role, Nyoy responds, “I get to rap again! It’s always exciting to do something that’s a little bit out of your comfort zone! The challenge just pushes you to strive harder! Over the long break, I’ve been thinking of some little improvements I can probably apply for the repeat run.”
Joining Nyoy for the limited repeat run is the much-celebrated original Manila cast that won an Aliw Award for Best Ensemble including Jackie Lou Blanco, K-La Rivera (Aliw Award nominee for Best Actress in a Musical), Ima Castro, Calvin Millado, Bibo Reyes, Tex Ordonez, Felix Rivera, Jimmy Marquez and Jay Glorioso (Aliw Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical). In The Heights is directed by two-time Aliw Award winner Bobby Garcia, with choreography by Cecile Martinez, set design by Mio Infante, lighting design by Jay Aranda, costume design by Twinkle Zamora, musical direction by Ceejay Javier and vocal direction by ManMan Angsico.
What makes the repeat run of In The Heights even more thrilling is that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist and star of In The Heights, will be traveling to Manila to support the cast for the second run of the show. Through the support of Delta Airlines, he will be present at the opening night of the show. Nyoy says of the opportunity to work with and perform for the creator of the show, “I am extremely excited and a bit pressured to have Lin-Manuel Miranda in Manila with us, I must admit. But really, really excited to meet the genius behind In The Heights!”
After In The Heights, Nyoy returns to the stage opposite MiG Ayesa in Rock of Ages. Nyoy will play Drew Boley, the aspiring rock star with big dreams, originally played on Broadway by American Idol finalist Constanin Maroulis. MiG Ayesa will be playing the role of Stacee Jaxx, the over the top ’80s rock star, which he played on Broadway last year. MiG is currently in London starring in Thriller Live! the Michael Jackson inspired concert/musical. Rock of Ages is set in 1987 on the Sunset Strip, where a small town girl meets a big city rocker in LA’s most famous rock club. Their love story is told through the hits of Journey, Bon Jovi, Styx, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, Twisted Sister, Asia, Whitesnake and many more. The musical received five Tony nominations, including Best Musical.
Nyoy says of landing the Rock of Ages role, “I love Rock of Ages ! And I am so thrilled to be performing in it! I’ve been studying some of the music and watching clips and I just can't wait to see what Atlantis has to offer! I’m sure we’ll all work real hard to give it our own flavor, and have fun doing it too!” He says of performing opposite bona fide rock star MiG Ayesa, “I haven’t yet had the privilege of working with MiG so I look forward to this chance. I’m sure it’s gonna be great! He’s a phenomenal singer!”
Rock of Ages runs from June 15 to July 8 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati and is directed by Chari Arespacochaga. In The Heights and Rock of Ages are part of Atlantis Productions exciting 2012 Season which includes Lea Salonga in God of Carnage, a star-studded production of the Tony Award musical Nine, the Asian premiere of Disney’s Aladdin, their newest full-length family stage musical.
A limited number of Rock of Ages shows are also now available for show-buying and fund-raising opportunities with excellent returns on your investment. It is the perfect show to raise money for your organization, foundation or charity. Ticket for In The Heights are currently on sale.
For show-buying and ticket sale inquiries call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.
