GLAIZA De Castro is thrilled that she is in the cast of GMA 7?s ?Diva.? It?s the first time that a local prime-time show is dabbling in the musical drama-comedy genre, she notes.

Undoubtedly inspired by the success of such US series as ?High School Musical? and ?Glee,? ?Diva? would hopefully ?start a new phenomenon on local television,? Glaiza says.

?My previous afternoon soap ?Kaputol ng Isang Awit,? had a little singing. ?Diva? is a mix of comedy and drama, with singing and dancing. When I read the script, I started imagining how the scenes would turn out. I?m sure the execution would be entertaining, as directed by Dominic Zapata,? she says.

Unruffled

Glaiza plays Tiffany, an ambitious ingénue and rival of Regine?s singing superstar character, Melody. She?s not the least bit ruffled that she?s portraying yet another bad girl ? after playing meanies on ?Kung Aagawin Mo ang Lahat Sa Akin? (Gladys) and ?Stairway to Heaven? (Eunice).

?I don?t think I?ll get typecast because I play different kinds of women each time,? she explains. ?The stories are different, so my characters? [motivations] are also different.?

For Tiffany, it is an overwhelming desire to succeed at all costs. ?She started out as kind and naïve, but she is brainwashed and there is a drastic change in her life.?

As roles go, she prefers complex contravidas to one-dimensional martyrs. ?I like extreme, intense scenes,? she says. ?It feels great that I get to shift from indie films to mainstream projects. In indie films, we portray reality. In shows like ?Diva,? we get to live out our fantasies.?

Speaking of her indie work, her 2007 Cinemalaya entry, Katski Flores? ?Still Life,? was recently shown in New York, under the auspices of the IndioBravo Foundation. She was nominated for an Urian Best Actress for this movie.

2 indies

?It took time before it was shown abroad, but I?m happy that there was sustained interest in our labor of love,? she says.

She is in the cast of another indie, ?4-5,? a political drama directed by US-based Filipinos Dan and Brandon Relucio. ?I play an undercover agent similar to Jennifer Garner?s role on the TV show ?Alias,? often changing my look,? she relates.

Also in the works is ?Rakenrol,? another indie and a musical drama directed by Quark Henares. ?We are supposed to dub next month. We are eagerly anticipating this film,? she says. Long overdue, the movie is another labor of love. ?It focuses on the music scene,? Glaiza says. ?I sing original pieces. I also collaborated on one song with Direk Quark and Diego Castillo of Sandwich.?