Acting keeps Nyoy on his toes

Some artists shine and they get swallowed by their own shimmer, others soar past the stars and manage to plant their feet on the ground.

Singer and songwriter Nyoy Volante belongs to the second league. Since debuting in show business several years ago, with many calling him King of Acoustic Pop, thanks, to his seminal hits Nasaan and What Did I Do, he has successfully reinvented himself musically and has taken on acting projects that keep him on his toes.

Sometimes he does both, as in the case of In The Heights. In the local staging of the Tony Award winning musical, Nyoy is Uznavi, the Washington Heights bodega owner who dreams of returning to the Dominican Republic. Though acting in theater is nothing new to Nyoy, it’s the first time he is required to rap, a skill that’s been alien to him until his first “Yo!”

“I almost backed out of the project because there were just too many lines to memorize! I’ve been memorizing my songs since early this year and, yes, I have it all in here,” he said, touching his forehead.

Many do not know it but Nyoy is a fan of rap music as with other musical genres. Being a musical arranger and director, he has kept abreast with the different global musical trends. Classical, metal, dance…name it, Nyoy knows a thing or two about it.  

Playing Uznavi is no joke. On Broadway, the role was essayed by Lin Manuel Miranda, the composer of the songs in In The Heights.

Nyoy also stayed with it because of director Bobby Garcia, whom he has worked with in the past. The singer respects Garcia’s works and trusts him completely when it comes to bringing out the best in actors.

“Sometimes I think he knows my strengths better than I do,” Nyoy said with fondness.

After having achieved an enviable status in showbiz where even newbies recognize and respect his mettle, Nyoy says he really is in a “good” place. He relates to Uznavi with the way he handles trials: Roll with the punches.

“Besides, if it doesn’t kill you, it can only turn you into a better person.”

Asked to choose between being an actor and a musician, Nyoy chooses the second without batting an eyelash.

“Music will always be where my heart lies,” he said.

In The Heights is the next Atlantis Productions’ offering after the highly successful Aida. The upcoming show boasts of a star-studded cast that includes Ima Castro, Jackie Lou Blanco, K-La Rivera, Tex Ordoñez, Calvin Millado, Felix Rivera, Jay Glorioso and Jimmy Marquez.   

The Manila premiere of In The Heights is the first officially licensed production after the New York and US Tour. It is made possible through a special licensing agreement with Broadway Asia Entertainment.

In The Heights runs from Sept. 2 to 18 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati. For inquiries, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or visit www.atlantisproductionsinc.com.

A tribute to Filipino icons

Art 2 Art pays tribute this month to Filipino icons whose names and works have become bywords in Philippine culture.

Aug. 14 – Juan Luna. Prof. Michael Charleston Chua, vice president of the Philippine Historical Association and a Juan Luna enthusiast, relates anecdotes about the hero, including his best known work, the Spoliarium; Luna’s “other” life as a seafarer; and his friendship with national hero Jose Rizal whom he included in several of his paintings. Chua also shares the story behind the controversial purchase of Luna’s painting, The Parisian Life, and the interesting interpretations that have been attached to it.

Aug. 21 – Constancio de Guzman. Music critic and professor Antonio Hila discusses the man who rendered music to Bayan Ko, a poem originally written by Jose Corazon de Jesus in 1929. De Guzman called the Dean of Filipino Movie Composers and Musical Directors, produced many compositions, among them Ang Tangi Kong Pag-Ibig and Maalaala Mo Kaya.

Aug. 28 – Art 2 Art caps the month with a tribute to a National Artist, a monthly feature of the program since it began airing in 2007.

For inquiries, e-mail [email protected].

Aired nationwide every Sunday, 3:30 to 4 p.m., on DZRH (666 khz on the AM band), Art 2 Art can be viewed simultaneously on Cablelink cable television’s Channel 9 and accessed on the Internet through the website http://dzrh.tripod.com. It is produced by the Manila Broadcasting Company.