It was the latest tour de force from singer, theatre artist extraordinaire Leo Valdez.
“Leo Valdez, Broadway Showstoppers” was presented at the state-of-the-art Newport Performing Arts Theatre at Resorts World, where a highly energized audience had given him two standing ovations. With us at the front row were: Nedy Tantoco, President of Rustan’s and Stores Specialists, Inc,, Patrick Jacinto, President of TJ Industries, Inc., Mario Katigbak, General Manager of Bvlgari and Hermes, journalist Ethel Timbol, Thelma San Juan, Lifestyle Editor of Philippine Daily Inquirer, with son, JJ; Joseph Calata, Chairman and CEO of Calata Corporation, George Sison, Founder of TOPPP, the beauteous Diana Jean Lopez, Mario’s son Marco and daughter Anya, with their respective spouses, Gen Katigbak and Andrew Cajucom.
The quintessential New York Broadway experience was felt, through superb performances from Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde, West Side Story and other Broadway hits. It was a justifiably hyped repertoire, and one of the most moving numbers was “Gethsemane. I Only Want to Say” from ‘Jesus Christ Superstar.’ The two hour sell-out show included performances from standout divas and Broadway performers Joanna Ampil and Ima Castro. Castro belted out Jennifer Hudson’s powerhouse song “And I Am Telling You, which was a true showstopper. The Opera Belles and Primo completed the cast.
With the expertise of Freddie Santos as Producer and Bond Santos as Musical Director, the production was seamless; set changes were fast paced, and still photographs and video images continuously merged on the floor-to-ceiling screen. The cavernous Newport stage was effectively utilized for grandeur; most notably in the ‘Phantom of the Opera’, scene, where the palatial staircase and the towering chandelier heightened the senses to the touching “Music of the Night”. Leo Valdez is the man who has played ‘The Engineer’ in ‘Miss Saigon’, and this Filipino artist has truly imprinted an indelible mark on the global stage!
