Calvin’s brand-new world

These days, Calvin Millado is singing a different tune.

Broadway songs have been pushed to the backburner because this talented singer-host has become more inclined to belt out lullabies of late. Yup, he is experiencing the heady joys of first-time fatherhood.

Calvin and wife Catherine (nee Gomez) recently welcomed their firstborn son Rafael Santi Millado. "He was born on May 1," the proud papa pipes in. "It was, quite literally, a big Labor Day celebration for us."

So now, aside from his usual corporate shows and hosting gigs, he spends most of his time at home, "taking care of my baby and my wife." Needless to say, fathering came with a slew of challenges for this newcomer.

"It’s really tiring, but fulfilling at the same time," he remarks. "I’ve had my share of sleepless nights." Still, he firmly believes that this new role will have positive, profound effects on the other areas of his life.

"It will trickle down to my work," he explains. "To my relationships with other people. Now, I truly understand why I work. Now, it’s not just about me. It’s now about my son, my wife, my family." Becoming a dad has taught Calvin to be more appreciative of his own parents.

"I come from a big family," he volunteers. "I have eight brothers and sisters. That’s why I don’t know how my parents did it. How they raised eight kids and sent us all to good schools. I only have one child and I am already worried about the future!"

Parenting, he avers, has made him mature even more and has expanded his perspective even more. "It really makes you appreciate the simple things in life," he professes.

Now, he is inspired to work even harder, to give more than 100 percent, all for the love of his family. "I’ve always worked as if my last meal depended on it," he relates, "but now I really know its meaning. I really value my work now."

Which leads us to ask: Just how will fatherhood affect his craft?

"My friend (and frequent stage director) Bobby Garcia jokes that I should only do father roles now," Calvin roars. "But I think I can still do cute boy-next-door characters, like the lead of West Side Story!"

No need to fret. Variety is still the name of the game for Calvin who has always been dauntless in his career choices. After all, this is the same guy who once appeared in such diverse musicals as Noli, Fili, Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Dreamgirls. In Rocky Horror, Calvin willingly did the unthinkable and donned tight corsets and high, high heels in the star-making role of Sweet Transvestite Frank N. Furter. All in the name of art.

Fortunately or not, his (then-future) bride Catherine missed Rocky Horror. "At that time, she was in the United States, where her family is based," he recounts. "She hasn’t even seen the video of the play. But my friends were able to convince her naman that it was just a job. That it was just a role. That her future husband was not a cross-dresser in real life!"

Kidding aside, Catherine actually gives her all-out support to Calvin’s career. "She enjoys seeing me on centerstage," he points out. "She would just stand quietly in one corner and watch me sign autographs and attend to admiring fans. She’s really proud of me." Moreover, "she’s not the jealous type. She understands my work completely. That’s why there’s no friction." Those were precisely the traits he was looking for in a lifetime partner, he reiterates.

"I enjoy every minute that I am onstage, but once I step off it, I am a totally different person," Calvin owns up. "I am intensely private. I cherish my privacy. I am the most un-showbiz person in the business."

Truth to tell: Calvin even successfully kept his wedding with Catherine top secret. "I like to keep things simple and low-key," he affirms. "We had the civil ceremony last year. We’re planning to hold the church wedding sometime in late 2005."

Seems everything in Calvin’s life is organized and on schedule. Case in point: He insists that he didn’t feel the pressure to get hitched even if he was the last among his contemporaries to settle down. "Dante Ponce and Ariel Rivera both got married long before I did," he attests. "It wasn’t a conscious effort on my part to stay single for so long. I guess, it just took me awhile to find the right woman. I really wanted to know my future partner well, that she indeed was my one true love." In Catherine, he enthuses, he found his "perfect match".

Maturity was also part of the equation. "Now, I am more than ready for it," he says, confidently.

If he was able to grow up and evolve beautifully in this crazy business, it was because he made it a point to hold on to his "private life".

"Although I’m in showbiz, I’m also not in it," he asserts. "I’ve managed to have a life off-stage, so to speak. That’s good for me, I think, because it gives me a fresh approach. It also keeps me sane and stable. It gives me the balance that I so badly need in my life."

That’s the oh-so private Calvin speaking.