Goodnews Pilipinas: April 2005

Monique Wilson stars in broadway musical in Singapore
By Jonas AbuevaMonique Wilson

Internationally acclaimed stage actress Monique Wilson stars in Andrew Lloyd Webber's acclaimed musical - ASPECTS OF LOVE in Singapore.

Monique has a long list of achievements on the musical stage.

She starred in the original West End production of “Miss Saigon” as the lead role of Kim, for which she received critical acclaim, “Chess the Musical”, “Rent”, “The Vagina Monologues” and Cabaret.

Monique is also a theatre, film, television and concert star in the Philippines, where she has won numerous film and theatre awards.

In this famous musical of Lloyd Webber “Aspects of Love”, she stars as the actress Rose Vibert. “The part of Rose is one of the most demanding roles I've played to date. I prepared extensively for this role by resuming voice lessons with my former “Miss Saigon” vocal coach, Mary Hammond in London over four months ago. She is the vocal coach for many of Cameron Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, and is also head of the Royal Academy of Music of London,” Monique says.

“To fully prepare for the role of Rose, I also had to be individually coached by premiere acting coach, Dee Cannon from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London,” she adds.

Aspects of Love being be staged at the Drama Centre in the new National Library, Singapore from April 28 to May 6 is not just any other international broadway musical.

It's a musical that stars a talented cast of Filipino stage thespians - Jake Macapagal (Alex Dillingham), Leo Rialp (George Dillingham), Rito Asilo (Marcel), and Nikki Ventosa (Jenny at 15 years old) with Julia Abueva (Jenny at 12 years old), Topper Fabregas (Hugo), Jenny Jamora (Elizabeth), and the ensemble composed of Nelson Caruncho, Crisel Consunji, Mika Margolles, Amiel Mendoza, Dandy Ramos, Gina Samson and Rona Lou San Pedro.
The official residence in Singapore of the Aspects of Love Cast is the Royal Plaza on Scotts Hotel.

ASPECTS OF LOVE, One of the most romantic and passionate shows in the world, tells the story of a handsome young English soldier by the name of Alex Dillingham, a beautiful French actress, Rose Vibert, an elderly libertine aristocrat, George Dillingham, a sultry Italian sculptress, Giulietta Trapani and a fifteen-year old girl, Jenny - fragile and convoluted relationships, troubled desire and tangled emotions flowering against the background of the South of France, Venice and Paris... A sweet and powerful romance about youth, love and desire, housed in an intricate and fragile honeycomb of a plot, reminding us that once hearts are touched by it - “love changes everything... and will never ever let us be the same” ...

What the critics have said about the production:

• “Aspects of Love, a world class production” (Daily Tribune)
• “We highly recommend this beautiful chamber musical to those who love theatre” (Malaya)
• “Watch it to be engaged by life, love and all its sublime madness” (Business World)
• “The cast succeeded in regaling the audience with a story of universal emotions - a show well worth watching” (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
• “The production was blessed with good actors/ singers who could flesh out the multilayered aspects of the characters and act out their stories with convincing truth and passion” (Business World)
• “The performers are excellent” (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Quoted from Ms. Kerry Comerford, Andrew Lloyd Webber's representative from his Asia-Pacific office - who graced the Manila premiere last November 2005: