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Falling in love with Joanna Ampil

By Michael Kho Lim, Contributor

02/12/2009

London-based Filipino and West End major star Joanna Ampil takes a two-week break from playing the role of Christmas Eve in the Tony-winning musical comedy Avenue Q to stage her first solo Valentine concert entitled “Joanna Ampil, I Love…” on Feb. 13 and 14, 8 p.m., at the Music Museum.

The Valentine concert highlights the love songs of Joanna’s theater career history, spanning 16 years from her very first musical Miss Saigon in the West End to her most recent projects like West Side Story in Manila and Avenue Q in London. These songs serve as musical parallels to the milestones of Joanna’s life and career. They present the many personae she has had to inhabit: from a fresh faced teenager, to a transplanted Filipina, to a working actress, not to mention the iconic leading roles she has performed, namely, Kim (Miss Saigon), Mary Magdalene (Jesus Christ Superstar), Eponine (Les Miserables), Fantine (Les Miserables) and Maria (West Side Story), among others.

Joanna made her West End debut when she was chosen to play Kim in Miss Saigon. Since then, Kim has been one of her favorite roles to play. “It was very fulfilling each time I played Kim,” Joanna shares. “I got to apply a lot of my personal hardships and happiness to the role, which made it more real not just for me, but for the audience, too. There’s nothing worse than faking your emotions.” And because of her drive for excellence, Joanna Ampil has become a household name in London ever since.

After Kim came the role of Mary Magdalene, the prostitute friend of Jesus, in Jesus Christ Superstar. This is truly memorable for Joanna since she was handpicked by Lord Andrew Lloyd Weber, and she became the first Filipino to be included in the cast. “It was a total change of environment for me,” she explains. “It’s also my first time to work with Lord Webber.” Although Joanna finds the role rather tough to get to know, she regards Mary Magdalene as the ideal female lover. “It’s because she’s the one who had so much love to give, changed her lifestyle and humbled herself for the man she truly loved.”

Later came the role of Fantine in Les Miserables. This was a big challenge for Joanna since this was her first mature role. At first, she wasn’t even sure whether she could do justice to the role, but as it turned out, she had a pretty successful run as Fantine for two years. “It took a while before I could relate to her fully,” Joanna expresses. “It was somewhat daunting in a way that the experiences which I eventually used to play the role were too painful to delve into. But eventually, I developed a certain serenity within me during my journey as Fantine.”

On the other hand, the experience that Joanna had with West Side Story is something she will never forget. “It made me realize how much I love to perform in the Philippines,” she asserts. Hence the Valentine concert is special and exciting for Joanna. “I’m revealing a lot of myself here, that’s why I’m terrified because I’ve never done this before,” she says. “They will not see Joanna as a character, but the real me.”

Many people are curious as to who is the subject of affection of Joanna, and she finally told it to the public for the first time. “His name is Marc Vastenavondt,” Joanna broke the silence. “He is half-Thai and half-Belgian. He is understudying as Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera.”

Joanna, however, continued that the concert is not just about the story of her romantic love affairs. “The concert will also tell about the different people who have touched my life in so many ways,” she adds. “It would be great to spend Valentine’s Day with just my boyfriend as it would be a first for us. But I’ve been quite lucky to have this concert, too. So celebrating it with an audience who would be genuinely interested in getting to know me and the work that I’ve done is something I also look forward to.”

The concert will also showcase the many loves of Joanna Ampil. “The repertoire is mainly composed of songs (Broadway, pop, OPM, classics) that have influenced and inspired me to do what I’m doing now, and from shows that I’ve done in the past, but will be performed in a way that will tell my story and define me as a person on and off stage.”

Joanna will be joined by award-winning musical theater actor Franco Laurel as her special guest. “Joanna AmpiI, I Love…” is directed by Carlo Orosa.

Right now, Joanna is also busy promoting her self-titled album containing songs from her past musicals. It’s available online in London and New York, but this will also be made available at the lobby of the Music Museum during the concert.

After Joanna’s two-day Valentine concert, she will go back to London to close Avenue Q. From here, she will go to Athens for yet another performance to show more people across the globe what Filipino talent is all about, and what she is really made of.

Tickets are priced at P4,400, P3,300, P2,200, P1,100, and are available at the Music Museum with telephone number 721-6726 and all Ticketworld outlets with telephone number 891-9999 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.