Sheila Francisco heavyweight in more ways than one

One of the most beautiful persons in local theater goes by the name of Sheila Francisco. She’s a heavyweight in terms of talent and pleasantness of character. People who know theater have the highest respect for what she has been doing, unselfishly giving performance after performance, regardless of whether she does a big role or a cameo.

Last year, Sheila made big waves when she took London theater by storm. Her performance as Bloody Mary in South Pacific earned raves both from critics and celebrities like Glenn Close. But at that particular period in time, our country preferred to talk about the Joey Marquez-Alma Moreno break-up or J. Lo’s whirlwind romance with her half-Pinoy back-up dancer Chris Jude.

I talked to Sheila, who’s part of Honk, the musical (now on its last weekend at the Meralco Theater) and we got to know more about the stuff this thespian is made of.

What’s your greatest joy as a musical theater actress?

Simply performing! I love getting on stage and taking on a different character each time.

Briefly, what are the higlights of your acting career?

Trumpets’ Joseph The Dreamer was my first theater experience. Freddie Santos was responsible for introducing me to musical theater. He heard me sing in a gig with a band I used to be part of. This was when I used to sing on the side while working in advertising. A few months later we met while doing a commercial for Sony where he was my client. He asked if I would be interested to do theater and I said yes. I played a bit role but I was given a whole song. He Opens A Window is still my all-time favorite song. The first time I stepped on that stage, I got hooked.

Playing Bloody Mary in South Pacific in London and working with Trevor Nunn, God’s gift to theater.He directed Les Miserables,Cats,Sunset Boulevard, Starlight Express, My Fair Lady, Oklahoma to name just a few. I was very blessed to have been given the chance to work with the best in the theater world.

Did you have to undergo formal training to achieve that powerful voice?

No formal training. I’ve always admired women singers who have powerful voices – Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, Patti Labelle and Aretha Franklin.

Aside from being in musical theater, what are your other passions?

Jazz! I love listening and singing jazz. Painting. I recently took lessons and I find it very therapeutic. I like doing nudes using charcoal and flowers using oil pastels.

How did you get the role of Bloody Mary In London?

A lovely man by the name of John Robertson who worked for Cameron Mackintosh saw me perform in Singapore when I did Chang and Eng. He was told of the search that was ongoing for the prime role of Bloody Mary for the Royal National Theater’s production of South Pacific in London. And he recommended me. I sent the casting director my folio and a recording of Bali Hai and Happy Talk just in case they needed to hear what I sounded like. They must have liked what they heard, so they sent for me to audition in person. I arrived in London at 5:30 a.m., auditioned at 2:30 p.m. and I was told that I got the job at 5:30 p.m.!

What were the most memorable moments of your being in South Pacific?

Although we had been rehearsing for a week, the cast had not heard how I sounded because the music rehearsals were done on an individual basis.

So they knew that I could act but could I sing? After all, the buzz was all over London as to who got the role. The search had been going on for a year and had even crossed over to the US but they could not find anyone. So they were very curious about me. In that particular rehearsal, Trevor decided to incorporate music so I sang Bali Hai. After the song I proceeded to do the next blocking when I realized that the rehearsal had stopped and all of the cast and crew were giving me a standing ovation! I was in tears.

Not all of the critics loved South Pacific but all of them cited my performance. I received quite a number of rave reviews for Bloody Mary. One particular article, which I will treasure most, is an article in the Variety that spoke of the actors who should have been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award. My name was right next to Judi Dench! What a thrill!

Glenn Close went backstage to meet me! She hugged me the moment she saw me. I was in tears. She held my face in her hands and she said that I was "amazing." I was blown away!

What other international productions have you been part of?

Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo for Tanghalang Pilipino in Japan and Malaysia; Chang and Eng for Action Theater in Singapore and Thailand; Once On This Island for Repertory Philippines in Hong Kong; Vagina Monologues for New Voice Company in Singapore. And a sitcom for BBC. I flew to London for a week last June to shoot the pilot. It will have its premier this autumn.

What were your most unforgettable roles on the local stage?

I would have to say Jadis the white witch in The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was my first lead role and by far the most difficult vocally. I believe my chest tones became stronger after doing Jadis. I also love the characters I play in The Vagina Monologues. I love the text and it challenges me to give life to each one of them.

What is that thing you most deplore in local theater, local theater actors and the way local theater is run?

People are always late for rehearsals! Actors are in dire need of discipline when it comes to promptness. I don’t know what it is. In London, people come in at least 10 minutes before call time, so rehearsals start on time.

It is unfortunate that our government has not given enough support to the arts. Theater would probably rank last in the priority list if ever there is one. And to think that it is such a potent tool for education which eventually can effect change.

What role do you play in Honk and what to you is the best thing about this musical?

I play three characters in Honk. Grace, the leader of the poultry community, Dot the loyal gander to the militant Greylag and Lowbutt, a chicken who is best friends with a cat. The best thing about this musical is the simplicity of its message. Being "different" isn’t a bad thing. We all have a place in this world and we all have something to contribute. It’s what’s inside that counts and not one’s appearance.

After Honk, what’s next?

I leave for Singapore tomorrow to do a musical called Forbidden City with Singapore Repertory Theater. This will run until the end of September. Then I am off to do The Vagina Monologues in Hong Kong in October. In November, I will be a part of a huge inspirational concert at the Folk Arts theater entitled One.

What’s the best advice you can give those who want to succeed in the entertainment business?

Work hard, pray hard and dream big! There is a line in the song Happy Talk that I believe was written for me. It goes "You gotta have a dream, if you don’t have a dream, how you g onna have a dream come true?"