By Bobby Garcia

It was a warm New York summer evening in 2007 when I stepped out of the Palace Theatre on Broadway and 47th with a huge smile on my face. I met my dear friend and colleague, Chari Arespacochaga, on the street corner (she was coming from class at Lincoln Center) and told her, “We should do this show in Manila!”

The show was Legally Blonde The Musical. And here we are three years later, doing the show in Manila. Chari went to see the show a few days later and fell in love with it, too. One of the producers of the Broadway production was Broadway Asia Entertainment, whom I work with a lot. I began talking to them about securing the rights to stage it in Manila. I also knew that Chari would be the perfect director for the musical. A touch of kismet was on our hands.

If the Broadway production left me smiling from ear to ear, rehearsals for the Manila production have done the same and maybe even more. It was been a joy watching Chari direct a bunch of insanely talented singers and dancers as they breathe life into this most joyous of musicals. And, as I really believe, casting a show properly is at least 70 percent of the job. At least!

And casting the pivotal role of Elle Woods was indeed a huge undertaking. We went through numerous names from the theatrical world, film and television and the recording industry. And in looking at photos from our past shows we stopped at a photo of Nikki Gil playing the Cat in the Hat in our mall tour of Seussical The Musical. She was at the right age to play Elle, was incredibly charming, could definitely sing — but could she dance and would she have the stamina to survive the rehearsal process and perform every show? We asked for a meeting with her and her management and found out that Elle Woods was a dream role of hers. We explained the demands of the show and Nikki guaranteed that she would take dance class and voice classes on a regular basis to get herself ready for the role. That impressed me a lot. Not a lot of performers these days feel they need to do that. Nikki was not beyond improving herself and making sure she would not let anybody down should she be given the chance to play Elle.

We called Nikki in to hear her sing Elle’s Act One finale song So Much Better which she sang effortlessly. I looked at Chari and saw the sparkle in her eyes. It is the sparkle a director gets when they know they have found their lead star. We contacted Nikki’s management and offered her the role. Nikki has indeed held her end of the bargain and has blossomed into a tried and true leading lady of the stage. Her hard work, discipline and attitude towards knowing what needs improvement and actually doing it should serve as an inspiration to all performers out there. Nikki knows that actions indeed speak louder than words. I can’t wait for audiences to see her transform into Elle Woods.

Nyoy Volante was actually the first person offered a role in Legally Blonde. While he has singing and dancing his way into audiences’ hearts in Hairspray, we found out we had the rights to stage Blonde, and knew Nyoy would be perfect as the unconventional leading man Emmet Forrest. Nyoy’s amazing singing voice, his abundance of charm and his honesty as an actor made it clear to us that there was really no one else who could perform the role like he could.

We assembled the rest of the cast slowly but surely. Guji Lorenzana was asked to come in and audition for the handsome (and egocentric) Warner Huntington III. I had not seen his work before, but here was another actor oozing with charm and charisma. Jinky Llamanzares has worked with us many times in the past (and we spent a few good years together in Hong Kong Disneyland). We knew her innate quirkiness would lend itself perfectly to the wacky hairdresser Paulette. And, oh yeah, Toronto’s Acid Queen is also one helluva singer! Jett Pangan is one of my favorite “bugoys.” A year is never really complete without having this rock star/theater actor in one of our shows. Not only is Jett a fantastic singer, but he is also a serious and sensitive actor, as many witnessed in Spring Awakening. Calvin Millado is also one of my favorite “bugoys.” Calvin was around from the very beginning when we first did Rent and we have spent many great moments in a rehearsal hall and in life (I was there at his wedding and am godfather to his first born). Geneva Cruz signified her interest in being in one of our shows after guest spelling in Spelling Bee. She went through the whole audition process and aced it with flying colors. I have always believed that theater is more exciting when you are inclusive and not exclusive. When you open your shows up to performers from all the different mediums who want to perform on stage and have the skill to do so, you really up everyone’s game. And I think we have done just that with Legally Blonde.

Our production of Legally Blonde was made possible with the generous support of The Philippine Star, Metrobank, SM Department Store, Studio 23, Business World, HerWord.com, Myx, Lifestyle Network, Digipost, Velvet Channel, Hit Productions, MBC, Crossover 105.1, Mellow 94.7, Astoria Plaza, Red Crab Group of Restaurants, Yoshinoya, Gloria Jeans Coffee, Congo Grille, Superbowl, Yellow Cab Pizza, Portfolio, Meralco, Mac Cosmetics, The A. Shop, our loyal blockbuyers and the City of Makati. Remember the names of these companies, buy their products, use their services as they are forward-thinking companies that value the arts in our country. They are true champions of the arts!

The greatest thing about detractors is that you have the ability to prove them wrong and rise above their negativity. Nikki has done just that. In many ways, her journey to becoming a full fledged musical theater leading lady echoes that of her on stage alter ego Elle Woods making her way from a California Sorority House to the hallowed halls of Harvard. Just like Elle Woods, Nikki found her way. And she managed to stay true to herself despite the naysayers. Now that deserves a bend and snap!

Legally Blonde runs until July 18 at the Meralco Theatre. For tickets, call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.

By Aurea Calica

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo announced yesterday that president-elect Benigno Aquino III would retain him in the Cabinet.

Romulo had a brief meeting with Aquino at his Times Street residence in Quezon City at around 1 p.m.

Aquino also met yesterday at his home with Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, fueling speculation that she might also be retained. But Cabral said she would leave any announcement to Aquino, who told The STAR he would announce his Cabinet lineup tomorrow.

Aquino also met separately yesterday with former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., former ambassador to the United States Alberto del Rosario and National Kidney and Transplant Institute executive director Enrique Ona.

Davide did not give a statement while Del Rosario said he only made a courtesy call.

Ona said he was not asked to join the Cabinet and that he and Aquino only talked about health issues.

Fashion designer and couturier Paul Cabral also arrived with a barong Tagalog, black trousers and a blue polo shirt. He did not say whether the clothes were for the inauguration of Aquino on Wednesday.

Romulo said Aquino asked him to remain at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

“I have accepted and I am honored by his trust,” Romulo said. “No term limit was discussed.”

He said that he and the Aquinos have been long-time friends and that his being an appointee of President Arroyo was not an issue in the decision to retain him.

Romulo said he is willing to serve Aquino whose program of governance is good.

DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said that the DFA rank and file was united in rejoicing over the reappointment of Romulo to head the department under an Aquino presidency.

“The DFA family welcomes the reappointment of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo by president-elect Benigno C. Aquino III. The DFA rank and file and countless officers have earlier called for the retention of Secretary Romulo at the department’s helm given his significant achievements in advancing the Philippine national interests in the international community and in uplifting the welfare of DFA personnel,” Malaya said in a statement sent to the media in a text message.

“In the next six years of the Aquino administration, the DFA is committed to redoubling its efforts in serving the nation and the Filipino people,” Malaya said.

There were reports that Romulo would only be accommodated for a year and that a new secretary would be appointed later.

Some groups in the DFA were reportedly asking for Aquino’s running mate, Sen. Manuel Roxas II to be DFA secretary but Roxas was not interested in the position.

Aquino has to wait for a year before appointing Roxas because of a one-year ban on the appointment of losing candidates.

“There is no period of course. You know all of us serve at the pleasure of the president,’’ Romulo said.

Aquino said earlier he was considering several names for the DFA and Romulo was still among them.

He cited the fact that Romulo was one of the first Cabinet members of Mrs. Arroyo who expressed support for him.

Romulo was budget minister during the term of Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino before he ran and won a seat in the Senate in 1987.

Aquino said he would announce his other Cabinet members on Tuesday.

He was reportedly considering former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Jose Anselmo Cadiz or ex-Labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to head the Department of Labor and Employment.

In answer to criticisms against Cadiz, lawyer Jimmy Miralles, president of the Alliance of Genuine Labor Organizations, said they would leave it to the good judgment of Aquino to choose the next DOLE chief.

“It is wrong to conclude that just because one is a management lawyer then he will not be a good labor secretary,” Miralles said.

Jose Umali, president of the National Union of Bank Employees, said that an appointment of a management lawyer as labor secretary would be “unacceptable and an insult to workers.”

Umali earlier urged Aquino not to name lawyers who had represented corporations to the post of labor secretary due to their ties with the management of big companies.

Miralles said the late labor secretary Augusto Sanchez was a management lawyer who turned out to be a pro-labor secretary.

Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman was a former lawyer of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and was not therefore, a management lawyer, Miralles said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda