The upcoming “Do You Hear The People Sing?” is a special fundraising concert featuring songs from Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s famous musicals, including Les Misérables and Miss Saigon.
Theater stars from London’s West End, Australia, and the Philippines are all coming together to bring to life the iconic musicals of Tony Award-winning duo Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg on stage. Do You Hear The People Sing? concert returns to the award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater on August 2 and 3, 2024.
Newport World Resorts and producer Enda Markey, in partnership with Metrobank VISA, are the organizers behind the Philippine leg of Do You Hear The People Sing?. Its star soloists, under the baton of conductor Gerard Salonga, will celebrate the works of Boublil & Schönberg, which not only include hits from Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, but also Martin Guerre, The Pirate Queen and their very first musical together, La Révolution Française. It will also feature the talents of the Filharmonika Orchestra and Ateneo Chamber Singers.
The concert aims to raise funds for Upskills+ Foundation Inc., a non-government organization with programs that support underserved families and communities in the Philippines.
READ ALSO: Backstage Musings: The Miss Saigon 2024 Cast Reflect On Their Roles And Professional Journeys
Vocal Powerhouses
The internationally-acclaimed production stars Abigail Adriano and Nigel Huckle, who played lead roles in the most recent international tour of Miss Saigon. Joining them is West End star Bradley Jaden, who many recognize for his portrayal as Javert in Les Misérables; and Australian-American soprano Amy Manford, who played Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera.
One particular highlight of the upcoming show is the premiere of a new Boublil and Schönberg song titled “Someday,” which Filipino-Australian actress Abigail Adriano will be performing. “It definitely is a historic feeling, at least for me, to be able to debut a Boublil and Schönberg piece—even better in the motherland,” she shares.
Adriano’s enthusiasm extends to the concert’s entire cast, which boasts of a strong roster of the Philippine’s own stage stars. She adds: “Knowing that we make up a majority of performers for this special show, it makes my heart beam with pride. It’s experiences like this that genuinely nourish me; not only do I get to perform my favorite songs, I get to fulfill my continuous journey of embracing my roots and reconnecting with my heritage.”
Indeed, the country’s homegrown talent will also showcase their amazing vocal chops for the benefit concert. These include Philippine theater’s luminaries Carla Guevara Laforteza (who famously played Kim and Gigi in the West End productions of Miss Saigon) and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo.
Ten years since she graced the 2014 edition of the beloved concert, Laforteza is honored return for another performance. Previously, she sang a duet with Broadway superstars Lea Salonga and David Harris. As for this concert, she reveals: “I’ll be singing two new songs, including one sung by Rachelle Ann Go during the 2014 concert. I will try my best to give it my own take.”
An Exciting Manila Concert
Meanwhile, Nigel Huckle, known by Filipino theatergoers for both his Miss Saigon 2024 and Les Misérables 2016 performances, eagerly anticipates returning to the country. “I will never forget the first time I heard the audience erupt in cheers after the first notes of the “Prologue” would play during Les Misérables,” he explains. “That audience reaction makes coming back to the Philippines such an electric experience.”
This time, Huckle hopes fans will “leave these shows not only affected by the epic sound of Claude-Michel’s and Alain’s music, but also fulfilled by the shared experience of sitting in the same hall as cast, crew, and orchestra in the goal of improving people’s lives through live performance.”
Bradley Jaden also remembers the Philippines for its passionate theater fans during his stint in the Manila production of Wicked in 2017. Jaden is particularly keen to inspire the next generation of Filipino talent with his renditions of Boublil and Schönberg’s classics. “I hope that we do them justice and enable budding young performers to continue to keep these incredible shoes alive,” he states.
Amy Manford, still captivated by the Sydney Opera House edition of Do You Hear The People Sing?, is determined to recreate the live concert experience for Filipino audiences. She shares: “This new version has been customized specifically for our brilliant Manila cast and I am so excited for audiences to be wowed by dazzling lighting, sound, and new songs that have never been heard before.”
Hear these international and Philippine theater stars sing in “Do You Hear The People Sing” at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Tickets are now available at all TicketWorld and SM Tickets outlets. For inquiries, contact James Edward Rodriguez (0917 829 2173), Paulo San Jose (0917 810 5031), Raf Sangco (0917 807 9387), JhayR dela Cruz (0917 818 9847), or Vincent Miles Jiwatramani (0917 150 3511).
Photos courtesy of Newport World Resorts.
