Among the show’s rockin’ rookies are: Fil Tariao, who trained as a dance scholar at the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts and has been a member of Ballet Philippines, Powerdance and the Gus Giordano Jazz Co. of Chicago; Cathee Roslovstsev, a Philippine Ballet Theater ballerina; and Ring Antonio, a graduate of the Rep summer theater workshop.
In Fame, all three portray for the first time significant characters in a stage play. What’s more, the play requires excellence in acting, dancing and singing. The real-life challenges that these performers face heat up and mirror the story the musical itself, which deals with the guts and the glories of young student artists in an intense New York performance arts school.
Here’s a sneak peak into the theatrical pyrotechnics theater goers will expect from these fab finds and the love of limelight that powers them. Veteran stage actor and TV star Ralion Alonso of Easy Dancing fame helps by focusing a seasoned eye on the young blood.
Tell us about the talents that you are bringing to the play.
FIL TARIAO: My strongest contribution would be my dancing. I’ve been dancing for nine years. I believe dancers must be all-around, able to do all kinds of styles: Jazz, funk, hip-hop, etc. It’s now the international standard to know all types. When I dance, it’s a combination of passion and technique. But technique is just a means to an end. My goal is to reach the heart of the role.
RALION ALONSO on Fil Tariao: He’s very passionate about his work. I think he’ll go far. He’s also a quick learner. For example, dancing and singing simultaneously is an art form. It requires balanced energy. It’s tricky. But Fil is getting it. He’s a singing and dancing Baryshnikov.
CATHEE ROSLOVSTSEV: My dancing. I dance using technique and heart and by having fun, too. But on stage, I don’t think of technique anymore, I simply show the audience the story. According to National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa-Goquinco, in a ballet review, I was "the epitome of grace and expressivity."
Ralion on Cathee: She is terribly talented.
RING ANTONIO: I am more of a singer. That’s my main asset. Then come dancing and acting. When I sing a song, I feel and know what my character wants or needs. Then, all of a sudden, it comes out. And I sing through the soul.
Ralion on Ring: She has very good comic timing and a very, very powerful voice. We should see more of her in the future.
Rehearsing for Fame is like being a student in the play’s New York High School for Performing Arts. From your own experience at rehearsals, how can you relate to the play?
Fil: I am a graduate of a performance arts academy in Hong Kong, so Fame is close to my heart. I remember my days there when I danced 14 hours a day, every day, from 8:45 a.m. to 11 or 12 at night. We only had short siomai breaks.
Cathee: I am like a student, because this is my first musical and my first time to deliver lines. I am also dancing jazz and funk, which is not my forte. But with Rep’s training and encouragement, as I perfect a number, I realize that I am enjoying it.
Ring: As our director Tita Baby and one of Fame’s songs say, we have to "Work Hard" to reach our goal of making the audience see what we want them to see. We have to earn it.
To perform well, you must love what you are doing. What do you love about your character? What do you love about the play? What do you love about performing?
Fil: My character is a black dancer, Tyrone. He can’t read because of a rough upbringing and articulates best with his body. He’s a fighter and doesn’t give up. I love his attitude... I’ve been a Fame freak forever. I love everything about the play: The singing, the dancing, the acting. Performing is a process of finding, controlling your body, knowing where to put your arms and center, being master of your destiny so that you can say, "Oh, I can do this stuff!"
Cathee: I can relate to my character, Iris, because she is a ballet dancer like me. My part is about the life of a dancer, a human being. After learning more about acting, the play as a whole feels like a more complete form of art than, for example, ballet. I love making the audience, who pays, enjoy. I want the audience to experience what my character is feeling. I want them to go away with a good feeling. And I love being in another world.
Ring: My character Mabel has a weight problem, but even if she is heavily built, she has confidence. I love her "Take it or leave it, this is me" attitude. For me, performance is not about wanting fame. For me, it’s about being overwhelmed by appreciation for my talent. The claps and cheers lead me to the realization that I can go on.
But besides all this youthful, blazing glamour, there is something else.
"Because real talent is just so rare," Ralion observes, "it’s really exciting to watch new talent shine."
So apart from all this brilliance, dazzle and flame, there is the quiet satisfaction of discovery. That breathtaking moment after which you smile, knowing that there is another performer that you can count on for a moving theatrical experience, cool fun and real entertainment.