How Lea's kiss worked magic on Noah Ramos

When Noah Ramos was two years old, Lea Salonga planted a kiss on his rosy cheek and perhaps without his being aware of it, that kiss must have kindled in him a love for theater.

“That kiss has worked magic on Noah,” said Noah’s doting grandmother (identity withheld upon request) who is Lea’s good friend.

I had a lunch meeting with Noah and his grandmother at a Japanese restaurant (his grandmother’s favorite) in Makati City last week.

Now 12, Noah has followed in Lea’s footsteps to the theater. His love for theater manifested itself two years ago when he played the lead character Jojo in Seussical Jr. (performed by kids) that was presented in his school (name withheld for security reasons).

He’s now reprising the role in the Repertory Philippines’ staging of the same musical, this time with adult actors, from Aug. 13 to Dec. 18 at Onstage at Greenbelt 1, Makati City.

Repertory director Joy Virata must have exclaimed “Eureka!” after only three callbacks. Noah bagged the role hands down.

Recalling his first stint in professional theater, the smart, brainy and very articulate Noah said, “They’re all adults,” referring to other members of the cast, “and they’re all good, so I learned fast from them.” Needless to say, Noah, the lone kid in the cast, is expected to shine in that distinguished company without his trying to.

Noah in Alice in Wonderland.

He’s a natural actor and it’s a wonder considering that he comes from a family of business people who have never acted on stage. Noah’s mom is a Harvard girl and his dad is a Stanford guy.

For his initial stage outing, Noah was paid P400 per performance which was immaterial because, said Noah, “I did it for experience and not for the money.”

He’s firm on what he wants to be when he grows up.

“An actor,” insisted Noah, a 7th grader who, like his two brothers and any other kids their age, enjoys card games, sports, playing video games and hanging-out with friends during his spare time. And he reads all kinds of books (especially fiction), too, no wonder at a tender age Noah is well-rounded and can discuss any topic with adult-like confidence and authority.

“I also love to play the drums,” he added.

Asked how he identifies with the Jojo character, Noah said, “Jojo is very imaginative and I’m like that. But although we are about the same age, he acts very young; I’m not like that.”

Volunteered Noah’s doting grandmother, “The story of Seussical (the ‘junior’ version) is about kids who have dreams and who believe that it’s possible to make those dreams come true.”

Two of the songs in the musical say it all  It’s Possible and All The Thinks You Can Think Of.

Top: Noah stands out as the lone child actor (also as Jojo) in Repertory Philippines’ staging of Seussical, with an all-adult cast that includes (from left) Ayam Barredo as a Bird Girl (partly hidden), Cara Barredo as Gertrude McFuzz, Liesl Batucan as Mayzie la Bird, Oliver Usison as Horton the Elephant, Arnel Carrion as Cat in the Hat, Bituin Escalante as the Sour Kangaroo and Naths Everett as Mrs. Mayor. Above: Noah reprising the role in the musical’s ‘junior’ version mounted last year in his school.

The lunch over, I asked Noah to give us a “sample” of his singing and, you guessed it, he sang a stanza of It’s Possible at performance level. Applause, applause!!!

What other role would he like to play?

“Hmmmm,” Noah thought for a while, “I haven’t really watched that many plays.”

Why not Peter Pan? Noah’s grandmother nodded in agreement.

Would he like to work in a musical with Lea?

“Why not?” exclaimed Noah. “I saw her in Cats. She’s great!”

I guess that when he grows up and dreams of breaking into Broadway or The West End, Noah can easily make it, right in the footsteps of Lea Salonga whose “magical kiss” has for sure greatly inspired him.

Said Lea half-jokingly, “That kiss works only on boys below two years old.”

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