Noel and Cathy, perfect chemisty

They could very well be the Guy and Pip, the Sharon and Gabby, the Juday and Piolo of the local theater scene. Perennially paired as lovers in different stage plays for years, youthful thespians Noel Rayos and Cathy Azanza have grown extremely close to each other – even if they are not a couple in real life.

They have been cast opposite each other in various plays from Sleeping Beauty to The Little Mermaid and the most recent, the Atlantis production of The Rocky Horror Show. They’ve lost count, in fact, they argue if they’ve done 8 or 9 productions together.

They know each other so well that they can even complete each other’s sentences in a seemingly innocent conversation. Even if the topic is their latest musical together, Atlantis Productions’ Urinetown, where they will essay the role of star-crossed sweethearts.

They even had the same reaction when they first picked up the script of Urinetown, the Obie and Tony-winning musical by Mark Hollman and Greg Kotis. "After reading our lines, we couldn’t help but laugh out loud," Cathy, recalls.

"I was right in the middle of a speech, so I had to tell Cathy: ‘Wait, I have to finish my line and say it sincerely!’ I kept cracking up. It was seriously funny!" Noel adds. Needless to say, the onstage chemistry between the two is impeccably natural.

This didn’t escape the attention of Urinetown director and Atlantis Productions stalwart Bobby Garcia. Asked why he handpicked Noel and Cathy for the crucial lead roles of Bobby Strong and Hope Cladwell, the young director jokes: "It’s because they’re cute!"

Seriously now.

"Actually, it’s because they work well together," Bobby explains. "Especially if you have rehearsal periods that are very short, it is a lot easier to get people who already have chemistry. It is particularly important in a play like Urinetown for the romantic leads to have genuine rapport. A lot of plays, even movies, have failed because the lead actors didn’t quite get along."

And for Noel and Cathy, there’s no need to fake their fondness for each other. Number one; Noel has been playing Prince Charming to Cathy’s Breathless Ingénue for the longest time. And number two; they sincerely like each other.

They are the best of friends, off-stage, "We call each other Blood Bro and Blood Sis," Cathy says. These blood siblings are not fazed by anything, not even by potentially awkward tender scenes. "Because we both came from Repertory Philippines, we have this tried-and-tested technique to get into a particularly tricky scene," Noel relates. "So working closely together is a breeze for us," Cathy chimes in.

"I know her every move and I can predict if she’s about to make a mistake," Noel remarks. "Even if she’s a bit off for the day. That’s why I’m able to cover for her." "And vice versa," Cathy affirms.

It’s almost psychic, really. Now, that they have landed the lead roles in Atlantis’s next major musical Urinetown, Noel and Cathy will have plenty of opportunities to put their telepathic working relationship into practice.

And Urinetown, just like The Rocky Horror Show, stretches their onstage personas precisely because the roles they are playing are not your garden-variety, run-of-the-mill romantic leads.

"There’s always a challenge in playing an ingénue," Cathy elaborates. "But with Hope Cladwell, she’s a different kind of heroine. She looks normal on the surface, but if you really listen to her closely, you’d realize that she’s kinda off. She’s not all there. She kinda quirky."

Same goes with Bobby Strong, Noel’s heroic character. "When I first read for the play, our director advised me to play him like the stock romantic leads I did in the past," Noel expounds. "It helps, I think, that no matter what I do, I don’t look like your prototypical romantic lead. So I’m sure it’s going to be funny. And my character seems to believe that he is the greatest, most handsome hero in the world."

"They didn’t exactly make it on the plane of sanity," Cathy chortles. In more ways than one, Urinetown will encourage Noel and Cathy to push themselves as artists. "It will permit me to show off my terpsichorean skills," Noel jests. "I’m really a dancer!"

"What I like about the play is it’s a wonderful ensemble piece," Cathy points out. "It will allow us to interact with not just one person, but a whole cast of characters. It will be fun for sure. I am looking forward to it." Joining Cathy and Noel onstage are such Atlantis regulars as Michael de Mesa as Hope’s father, Caldwell B. Cladwell; Jinky Llamanzares as Bobby’s boss, Penelope Pennywise; Fiona Barranda as the street urchin Little Sally; and Jett Pangan as cop/narrator Officer Lockstock.

Urinetown’s technical team is also topnotch. Light direction is by Gerry Fernandez, musical direction is by Manman Angsico, and choreography is by Val Trono. The Atlantis production of Urinetown will premiere at the RCBC Plaza on Dec. 5 and will run until Dec. 21.