MANILA, Philippines?Filipino-Australian singer-actress Rowena Vilar bagged the lead role in the musical ?Fame,? which goes onstage in Sydney starting April 18 next year.
Rowena, who recently played Anita in a local production of ?West Side Story,? didn?t expect to get the plum part.
?I wake up every day thinking, I?m so lucky,? she told Inquirer Entertainment via e-mail. ?I wasn?t sure an Asian like me would be considered to play a Latina.?
Solid resume
It wasn?t just plain luck, though. Rowena has a solid resume, having worked with actor Hugh Jackman and director Kenny Ortega in an Aussie tour of ?The Boy from Oz??plus, she played key roles in ?Miss Saigon.?
Kenny is the man behind the last Michael Jackson concert movie, ?This Is It.?
Doing ?Oz? three years ago was a memorable experience for her, needless to say. She described Hugh as a ?beautiful man, inside and out.?
She explained: ?He?s a hard worker. It was humbling to see a man of his stature so down-to-earth and lovely to everyone. He made an effort to speak to all?coactors, janitors?and remembered our names. He treated everyone with respect.?
Rowena hasn?t seen the latest big-screen remake of ?Fame?; she is more familiar with the 1980 Alan Parker film (on which the musical is based).
She has a very clear idea of her character, Carmen. ?She?s ambitious, feisty, a girl who wants to have fun.? She sees herself there, ?especially the wants-to-have-fun part.?
Partying, however, is something she has to cut down on, as rehearsals begin. ?I?ve quit smoking. I?ll take as many classes as I can?jazz, hip-hop, ballet, modern. I?ll also do yoga?good for the body and soul,? said Rowena, who is trained as a ballerina.
Also in the works for her is a new dance-pop CD. ?I hope to release it next year, before ?Fame? starts,?? she said.
She feels strongly about making it big in the international scene. ?Everyone should celebrate his or her heritage. I?m proud to be Filipino. I can?t wait to fly back home and have crispy pata and adobo. My mouth waters, just thinking about those.?
Very grateful
She is equally proud of the gains made by Lea Salonga and ?West Side? costar Joanna Ampil, as well as US breakthrough artists Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda.
?It?s amazing,? Rowena said. ?I don?t blame people for loving them?they have great voices.?
She admitted that it?s tough for a Filipino to make it abroad. ?It?s hard [for me] to be cast in period pieces like ?Guys and Dolls,? for example. But whenever they?re specifically looking for Asians, I have a pretty good chance, as there aren?t many Asians in the industry who have the experience. I?m very grateful for [what I?ve done] so far.?
