When Celeste Legaspi was asked when was the last time she headlined a major concert, the Original Pilipino Music icon said it was over 30 years ago.
“My last major concert” was shortly before we first staged ‘Katy! The Musical’ based on the life of vaudeville queen Katy dela Cruz. I think this was around 1987 or 1988. I also had shows based on certain themes like komiks, movies and photography,” she recalled in a recent interview with InterAksyon.
Celeste then went to spend the succeeding years producing more original Filipino musicals under Musical Theater Philippines or Musicat, the theater company she co-founded with talent manager Girlie Rodis. But she also occasionally acted in films and on television and was last seen as Maricel Soriano’s aristocratic mother in the hit GMA teleserye, “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real.”
But music has always been her first love. Celeste has been singing since she was in kindergarten and was a member of the popular 1970s showband, The Ambivalent Crowd. She would later embark on an illustrious solo career that took off with the big hit “Ako’y Bakyang Bakya,” a Filipino adaptation of the Rodgers and Hart show tune, “The Lady is a Tramp” from the musical “Babes in Arms.”
This was followed by “Saranggola ni Pepe,” which included subtle references to Martial Law, her signature ballad “Tuliro,” “Mamang Sorbetero,” another Filipino adaptation of a Jose Mari Chan tune, “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal?,” “Sabado,” which suggested marital infidelity, and the playful “Movie Fan,” now often sung on movie awards shows.
During a recent press conference to promote her first major concert after a lengthy respite from the live circuit, Celeste promised to sing her best known songs plus several surprise numbers with featured guests Baihana and The Company.
The singer-actress said she’s very happy to have The Company in her concert as they were her back-up singers when she did “Celeste Komiks Konsyerto” many moons ago.
“I remember that concert was the first time they came out. There were still about 15 of them but even then and now, they were always always excellent. So when they learned I was doing this concert, they volunteered, they wanted to be part of it,” she shared.
Asked how she feels about going back to the spotlight, Celeste candidly admitted to feeling very anxious about the whole thing.
“I’m both excited and scared,” she confessed. “This will be very challenging for me for many reasons. I hope I will be in good health that day. I have asthma so I’m a highly allergic person so I hope it does not affect my voice. And yes, I also hope and pray that I will have enough stamina for this show.”
Although “Celeste” — which is happening on Saturday, August 5 at The Theatre at Solaire — officially marks her return as a singer, Celeste remains active in the entertainment industry wearing different hats.
She recently played a retired prostitute in Layeta Bucoy’s theatrical production of “Si Dolly Dalisay at ang mga Ladybugs” which was part of this year’s “Virgin Labfest” at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
And she is both producing and acting in “Ang Larawan,” the ambitious big screen treatment of the successful musical adaptation of Nick Joaquin’s celebrated play “Portrait of the Artist as Filipino,” with music by Ryan Cayabyab and lyrics by Rolando Tinio. The film is headlined by Rachel Alejandro, Paulo Avelino and Joanna Ampil.
The film’s script was submitted to the Metro Manila Film Festival early this year but was not among the initial four entries selected for the festival. Celeste still feels incredulous at the oversight.
“To say that we were shocked would be an understatement. We believe we have a strong material, it’s a period musical and the work of two National Artists. We didn’t think they would say no to Rolando Tinio and Nick Joaquin,” the outspoken entertainer pointed out.
Celeste said she and Rodis have not decided whether to re-submit “Ang Larawan” to the MMFF as a finished film for consideration in the next batch of entries that will be announced this November.
Right now, the focus is on her solo concert that will be held simultaneously with an exhibit of the paintings of her late father, Cesar Legaspi, who himself is a National Artist.
“My father’s art will be on display at the venue so my show will be a concert within an exhibit. Visually, the concert itself will be like an exhibit as this is my way of paying tribute to my father,” she concluded.
For ticket information, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph.
