TIM eMagazine Vol.3 Issue 7
T
HE Cultural Center
of the Philippines
presented Franco
and Ayen Laurel in
the last concert of
the Triple Threats
series last October
11 at the CCP Little
Theatre.
Triple Treats is
a series of solo concerts featuring the
stalwarts of Philippine Musical Theater.
Each concert is an intimate evening of
beautiful music, personally selected by
the artists themselves, from their vast
repertoire of favorite songs from Broad-
way, West End, original Filipino musicals
and the movies. The definition of a
'triple treat' is someone in a particular
field who exhibits the three skills that
are necessary to excel - can act, can sing
and can dance.
Dubbed as a series of 'concept con-
certs', the narrative of the performance
is dictated by the song choices. It is a
rare opportunity for the audience to
see a different facet of the acclaimed
theater, television and film artist being
featured.
Mention Franco and Ayen Munji
Laurel, and what you have is the power
couple of Philippine performing arts,
whose performance as husband-and-
wife in both real and stage life continue
to mesmerize us all.
Married for 18 years now, Franco and
Franco and
Ayen Laurel
Credits : culturalcenter.com
Ayen met in the musical Rama at Sita, which Ayen produced in 1999. She
was inspired to produce the epic musical years after she played of Sita in
Rama Hari.
Viewing their performance in Kitang Dalawa, at the CCP's Little Theatre,
one cannot describe in one particular word what their performance really
is. Instead, we can come up with nothing but superlatives: awesome, mov-
ing, incomparable, and most importantly, stellar!
It was like turning back the hands of time when both Franco and Ayen
rendered their favorite numbers from Broadway, OPM, pop and other
timeless standards. And when they sang Corner of the Skyfrom Pippin, this
was regarded as a sort of paean to the vast experience in their decades
with theatre that truly honed their profession and has put them on a par
with our world-class performers. It was also in theatre where the two have
developed their passion for professionalism, discipline, excellence and
versatility as honest-to-God performers.
What better way was there for both Franco and Ayen to add more glow
to that performance night than with numbers from the Philippine
adaptation of the immortal Hindu war-and-romance epic Rama and Sita,
where they first met -- and portrayed the lead characters? Though
rendering songs from this production will surely bring out the tears
from the two leads, both Franco and Ayen shed no tears at all and instead
belted these out majestically and graciously, truly touching the audiences'
hearts, and making them shed tears . . .
Just like the epic characters of Rama and Sita, Franco and Ayen, in real as
well as in make-believe life have really proven that, amidst all the trials and
triumphs, love truly conquers all! www.culturalcenter.gov.ph
Viewing their performance in Kitang Dalawa, at the CCP's Little Theatre, one cannot
describe in one particular word what their performance really is. Instead, we can
come up with nothing but superlatives: awesome, moving, incomparable, and most
importantly, stellar!
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