MANILA, Philippines?Some viewers who have enjoyed Meryl Streep?s musical performance in ?Mamma Mia? express surprise that the acclaimed actress has turned out to be such a good singer. How could she have pulled it off, they wonder? Did it take months of intensive voice lessons under a brilliant teacher?

Acting chops

Fact is, it took years?decades, even. Streep studied at Yale, where she honed, not just her acting chops, but also her singing skills. Fact is, ?Mamma Mia? isn?t her first foray into singing in public.

Interestingly, when the film version of ?Evita? was being cast, Streep was a frontrunner in the race to play the hit musical?s title role?until commercial considerations prompted the project?s producers to go for the more bankable Madonna.

After scoring such a hit as an actress-singer in ?Mamma Mia,? does Streep have more musicals in sight? Some fans want her to play the title role in ?Mame,? but others feel that Streep?s voice is too light to do full justice to Mame?s throaty vocals in that acclaimed show.

So, what are the more visible prospects in view? ?A Little Night Music? and ?Follies? are some of the other musicals that feature mature female characters. And, with some make-up, costume and hairstyle changes, Streep might turn out to be a feisty Katherine in ?Kiss Me, Kate.?

Next question: Aside from Streep, who else could have been a good Donna in ?Mamma Mia?? Suggestions include the aforementioned Madonna, Glenn Close and Bette Midler.

But, as film buffs familiar with the performances of those stars can also observe, none of them would have done as well in the role as Streep. Her edge over them is her combination of singing ability and great thespic range and creativity.

Character

In other words, Streep scored such a direct hit in ?Mamma Mia? not just because she sang well, but also because she infused her character with thrilling vitality, range and thespic commitment that made her scenes bristle with authentic emotion and verve.

It is this vitality, range and commitment that has enabled Streep to establish herself as the silver screen?s most versatile and searingly believable actress. As early as her film debut in 1977?s ?Julia,? Streep made her performance felt despite the formidable presence of lead stars, Jane Fonda and Vanessa Redgrave.

Streep followed up on this strong debut with similarly compelling characterizations in ?The Deer Hunter? and ?Kramer vs. Kramer,? her first lead role. Instructively, she got her first Oscar nomination for ?Deer Hunter? ?and her first Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for ?Kramer.? ?Talk about stupendous beginner?s luck!

Truth to tell, of course, luck had little to do with Streep?s precocious achievements?as proven by her next movies: She was again nominated for her performance in ?The French Lieutenant?s Woman??and later on went to win the Best Actress Oscar for ?Sophie?s Choice.?

Accent

That particular film best showcased Streep?s rare ability to transform herself into a completely different person for the movie camera: She changed her vocal pitch, accent, looks and deportment so totally that some film buffs initially had a hard time recognizing her.

Other exceptional characterizations followed in ?Silkwood,? ?Out of Africa,? ?A Cry in the Dark,? ?Postcards from the Edge,? ?The Bridges of Madison County,? ?Dancing at Lughnasa,? and the more recent ?The Devil Wears Prada??for an unprecedented total of 14 Oscar nominations!

We submit that Streep?s sterling record has been made possible not just by her depth and range as an actress, but also by her ability to continually reinvent her screen persona and thus keep surprising her audience. Her musical coup in ?Mamma Mia? is only the latest flourish in Streep?s career-long and continually astounding act of thespic prestidigitation.