The double life of Rachel A

MANILA, Philippines - Rachel Alejandro has a big year ahead of her. Not only will she be launching a new album in 2010, but she will be starring in two musicals produced by Atlantis Productions.

In March, Rachel returns to Avenue Q in the dual roles of Kate Monster/Lucy The Slut. Avenue Q has had four sold out runs (including an extended run in Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre) and brought Rachel rave reviews and an Alie Award for her performance.

Rachel says, “I’m really excited to do Avenue Q again because I know a bunch of people who missed seeing me in it two years ago. One of them is my mom. I love seeing the way people come out of the theater with big smiles on their faces. It is really one of the funniest shows ever.”

Avenue Q is the Tony award-winning musical about being jobless, homeless, politically incorrect, having sex (whether hetero, homo or porno — and that’s just the puppets) and, ultimately, finding (or not finding) your purpose in life. For those weaned on Sesame Street, the Avenue Q puppets may look familiar, but with musical numbers like Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist and If You Were Gay, this send-up of political correctness that includes all puppet nudity is not for the kiddies. It runs from March 12 to 27, 2010 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.

In September, Rachel will put on roller skates and leg warmers when takes on the lead role in the hilarious Broadway musical comedy Xanadu. Xanadu is the roller skating, musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you. It rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrer, and includes, Magic, All Over The World, Suddenly, I’m Alive, Evil Woman, Have You Never Been Mellow and Xanadu, to name a few, and is based on the Universal Pictures cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly. Xanadu was nominated for several Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Rachel will take roller skating lessons in New York with the coach who taught the Xanadu Broadway cast members how to skate and groove. She says, “I’m very nervous about learning how to rollerskate! For someone who is such a klutz like me, surviving Xanadu in one piece will be a huge accomplishment!”