Stevie Nicholson on holding Superdudes world premiere in Manila: ‘This country is happy’

After a decade of performing with the well-loved Australian children’s musical group Hi-5, Stevie Nicholson returned to the country with the stage version of his book Superdudes. The 32-year-old performer shared why his heart is close to Pinoys. “I decided to have the world premiere here in the Philippines because of how special the Philippines is. There’s something about this country and it’s a weird thing to say but this country is happy. It doesn’t matter any personal circumstance, it doesn’t matter if any person is rich or poor. As a country, you are all happy. Now that I get to choose where I get to tour, I want to be in that environment,” he shared during the Superdudes presscon held last April 6 at Century City Mall in Makati city.

For the show, Stevie brings to life his four book characters with includes himself and three other characters called Bubble Trouble, Flutterby, and the Pencil Pirate. 'It was always my plan to develop the book into a live show. And I was able to get the best music composer in the world which is Chris Harriott. He’s written for Hi-5 for a number of years. I just found the best people I know. The best performers I know in Australia. I’ve worked with them for a number of years so they’re very professional. They’ve been in Les Miserables and Jerseys Boys so it’s the best sort of voices and dances. With Superdudes, it’s not just about that. It’s about the personalities. So they’ve performed all over the world for a number of years. And they’ve said they’ve never had more fun than with Superdudes just like I’ve never had more fun,” he explained.

A self-confessed fan of chicken adobo and sinigang, Stevie says he can’t wait for his Superdudes co-stars to meet Filipino audiences. 'I want my cast to experience that. I want them to get an understanding of what it’s like to perform in an environment where the audience is different. This is a different experience performing here. I mean it’s cray, the traffic, the population is huge but everyone’s very happy. I’m someone who’s a happy person. That’s ingrained in me and I like being around happy people so I will try to be around here as long as possible,” he admitted.

During his three-week stay in the country, the former Hi-5 member admitted he is looking into starting a TV show here and is even open to recruiting Filipino members for the cast. 'The kids here have been unbelievable. I knew that the fans would come and see the show because they miss Stevie but I've been absolutely blown away by the response to the Superdudes. That I have parents writing to me saying, ‘We want more. Where’s the TV show? Where’s the album?’ So I said I’ll make it for you guys because that’s what you want. I’m meeting with people and I’m interested in making a show here because that’s what the people here want so that’s really exciting,” he added.

With his experience in performing for Filipino families, Stevie hopes to continue his brand of clean and non-violent form of entertainment for the young and young at heart. 'I know that Filipino children and families are incredible. I know that because I’ve lived and breathed that for a number of years. But to come here and see the response to the Superdudes have been unbelievable. Best days of my life because it’s beyond my wildest dreams to see children dressed up as superheroes. And it’s something that’s not fighting. There’s no guns, there’s no bullets. Kids shouldn’t have that. It’s all about just them feeling super. And it’s their differences that make them super. For me to not only have a show that is funny and engaging and gets kids up and dancing, but actually have a heart and a message behind it that is that special, that is trying to empower kids. The feedback that I’m getting from the teachers and the parents here in the Philippines is that they love that. They want that in their schools,” he shared.

Watch Stevie Nicholson and the Superdudes on April 16 with a show and VIP workshop at the Century City Mall. Tickets are available at www.ticketworld.com.ph and at the concierge booth of the Century City Mall. For further inquiriess, call the Century City Mall concierge at 705-6200 local 111/112.