Julia Christine Botin

Meet the 4 leading men of 'Liwanag sa Dilim'

Article (news)

Jude Cartalaba

<p>Whether on TV, in films, or even onstage, the presence of a leading man is crucial since his character carries out the narrative or shapes the outcome of a story that the audience could likely identify with. </p><p>In 9 Works Theatrical&#x27;s latest offering, the musical &quot;:Liwanag sa Dilim&quot; features not just the songs of Rico Blanco. The Robbie Guevara-written and helmed stage production features four fresh faces alternating as Elesi and Cris. </p><p>They are (in alphabetical order) Vien King, CJ Navato, Khalil Ramos, and Anthony Rosaldo. Both Ramos and Rosaldo play Elesi, while Navato and King alternate as Cris. </p><p>Asked what they would be dloing if they weren&#x27;t actors or thespians, King said he would become a hotelier since he has a hotel and restaurant management degree.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17455540557039WT_WHITE_0425_Vien.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">Vien King. JV Rabano | 9 Works Theatrical<em> </em></span></span></span>&quot;I’d focus on creating memorable experiences for guests or offering the best, coziest rooms at an affordable price. I remember my professor giving me an award for handling guests well, which made me think I have a talent for this,&quot; he said.</div><p>If King is more on hospitality, Navato would complement what King has to offer to his guests with a gastronomic experience. </p><p>&quot;I&#x27;d be in culinary arts. Probably I’ll be a chef,&quot; he said.</p><p>For film and TV actor-turned-theater performer Ramos, he&#x27;d still be in the visual arts. </p><p>&quot;Growing up, I was so immersed in the computers, video games, movies -- so I&#x27;d probably be a photographer or a cinematographer,&quot; he said. If all else fails, Ramos could see these hobbies as income-generating. </p><p>Like Navato, Rosaldo thinks he’d be a chef. “If I weren’t doing what I do now, I’d probably be whipping up masterpieces in the kitchen. I’ve always had a flair for cooking and a soft spot for creating dishes that make people smile!” he said.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17455542679839WT_WHITE_0425_Anthony.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">Anthony Rosaldo. JV Rabano | 9 Works Theatrical </span></span></span></div><p>As an actor, were there times they needed to remind themselves that they had to impersonate someone or act naturally instead? </p><p>As Elesis, the two Sparkle artists shared their thoughts on such. Ramos&#x27;s take is, &quot;One of my concerns is when I impersonate a bit too much. Impersonating talaga is pretty much a no-no. At least, in my principle and in my book. It&#x27;s one thing to be inspired by the ones who did it before you, but to impersonate kasi is to copy. That is something that I don&#x27;t feel comfortable doing, out of respect for the artist who did it.</p><p>&quot;But it&#x27;s a challenge whenever we study a material, not allowing ourselves to [subconciously] impersonate. It&#x27;s a conscious effort to make it your own and original. Be as natural and true to yourself as possible.&quot;</p><p>Rosaldo added, &quot;Never naman akong nag-impersonnate. It&#x27;s what I feel at kung ano &#x27;yung nakikita kong tamang reaction onstage, &#x27;yun &#x27;yung nangyayari onstage. So as much as possible I&#x27;m aware and I react.&quot; </p><p>&quot;There have been times when I’ve had to remind myself whether I’m leaning too much into impersonating a character or if I’m staying true to the essence of being natural,&quot; King said.</p><p>&quot;Acting for me isn’t just about copying someone, it’s about finding the truth in the character and making it real. Sometimes, I need to step back and focus on bringing authenticity to the role, letting the character come through naturally. It’s in those moments that the performance feels genuine and impactful,&quot; he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17455541288019WT_WHITE_0425_CJ.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">CJ Navato. JV Rabano | 9 Works Theatrical </span></span></span>Navato, on the other hand, said, &quot;Before entering the stage, I try to remind myself kung sino ako dapat. That way maging as natural ako.&quot;  </div><p>As actors, whenever they receive good feedback about their respective performances, how do they deal with it?  </p><p>Rosaldo is always happy and thankful for the positive comments. &quot;It&#x27;s somehow proof that my hard work paid off. It drives me to do better. </p><p>Navato is honored for the good feedback. &quot;It warms my heart. Lalo na kung there are days I&#x27;m not doing a 100. I beat myself up kasi overthinker ako. It motivates me to do better.&quot; </p><p>Ramos, for his part, never fails to feel grateful.  </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s one thing to get it into your head and allow complacency or get into your work ethic. When you have the best foundation as an artist and it&#x27;s solid, receiving those good comments and compliments is the best feeling ever &#x27;coz you work hard for it,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;My initial reaction is always gratitude. It’s rewarding to know that my work resonated with someone, but I also remind myself to stay grounded. This feedback serves as motivation to keep improving and pushing myself further. While it feels great to be recognized, I believe there’s always room to grow and use it as fuel to keep refining my craft,&quot; King added.,</p><p>As the younger breed of leading men in theater, how did it help boost their confidence and career as artists? What do they look for to sustain such momentum and longevity in the business?</p><p>King started by doing ensemble and supporting roles, and those experiences made him a better artist. Whether he gets a leading role or any other role, it’s always an opportunity for him to improve his craft. </p><p>&quot;As an introvert, being considered part of the younger breed of leading men in theater has [definitely] boosted my confidence and helped shape my career as an artist. It has opened up many opportunities, and I’m thankful for that,&quot; he said.</p><p>“As for sustaining momentum and longevity in this business, it’s really about staying connected to what truly matters: the love for what I do, the support of people who believe in me, and most importantly, the strength I find in God. As long as those things remain in my heart, I know I’ll continue to push forward. There may be challenges along the way, but I believe I’ll always find my way back to the stage.&quot;</p><p>Navato, who started as a child star on &quot;Goin&#x27; Bulilit,&quot; is more than glad to be identified or given such lead roles.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m very honored. Since &#x27;One More Chance&#x27; (The Musical), I&#x27;ve been getting lead roles. I think ang pinaka-focus ko lang, hindi naman sa kunin mo lahat ng roles. Alam naman ng mga directors kung ano ang para sa akin,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I have to keep myself healthy. I make sure the passion should always be there. I would keep on auditioning. Keep reading, studying. Hindi puwedeng one-dimensional lang tayo sa theater. I think I should keep evolving &quot;. </p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17455541914629WT_WHITE_0425_Khalil.png" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"/><span class="fr-inner">Khalil Ramos. JV Rabano | 9 Works Theatrical </span></span></span></div><p>For his part, Ramos admits that he&#x27;s always terrified of doing anything live. It&#x27;s a nightmare to him, and he wants to get rid of it.</p><p>Theater has helped him a lot. &quot;I realized I can do things as long as I allow myself to. It has benefited my life in many different ways,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;My goal as an actor: Think of the truth of each material I would be working on. I tell the truth as exciting as possible, as real as possible, no matter how scary or as funny or as dramatic as possible it may be -- that&#x27;s what the audience deserves.&quot;</p><p>For Rosaldo, &quot;It boosted my confidence. Not everyone has that opportunity. To sustain that drive, I want to do one production each year.&quot;</p><p>What are their takeaways since they began acting onstage? Would there be limitations when they do theater productions in the future?</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m so glad that the theater industry in this country is ever so growing at a rapid pace,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#x27;s nice to see my colleagues from TV and films venturing into new horizons by performing onstage. When I opened my doors to theater, it unlocked so much more within me, not just as a performer, but as a human being.&quot;  </p><p>His respect toward his co-actors, with whom he had the chance to work before and who were theater actors, deepened even more when he started immersing himself in theater work. He looks forward to doing more productions in the future. </p><p>Rosaldo, like Ramos, values his theater work. &quot;It&#x27;s the discipline I get from working in this industry. It helped me not just at work, but in life in general--being on time and being professional,&quot; he said. &quot;I value my cast mates. I look forward pa to do more challenging roles.&quot;</p><p>King and Navato also had their insights on embracing theater life.</p><p>&quot;Since I began acting in theater, my biggest takeaway has been the power of storytelling and how it can connect people on such a deep level. The industry and community are constantly growing, and it’s exciting to be part of that,&quot; King said.</p><p>&quot;As for limitations, I would say my only real limitations would be if a theater production doesn’t truly speak to my heart, if it doesn’t sustain me practically, or if it doesn’t offer me room to grow. I’m a passionate actor, but at this point in my life, I’m not getting any younger, so I don’t have the luxury of saying yes to every offer. It’s important to be mindful of where I invest my time and energy, both for my [personal] well-being and my growth as an artist.&quot;</p><p>Apart from being open to learning, Navato finds real fulfillment in performing onstage. </p><p>&quot;Kakaiba siya sa taping or shooting na may bukas ka pa. Heto matatapos mo siya ng two to three hours. Instant ang reaction and gratification. You will feel it right away. The energy is different,&quot; he said. &quot;Iba &#x27;yung pagpuno sa puso mo eh. When you make people happy, you also feel it back. It&#x27;s not just making people happy. It&#x27;s the play, the story. It&#x27;s the magic of live theater.”</p><p>Limitations? He doesn&#x27;t have any. For him, theater would be a priority.</p><div><em>Catch the last few shows of &quot;Liwanag sa Dilim&quot; at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati City, until May 4.</em></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tD1GKlValDE?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GcCoOv5kUgk?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>9 Works Theatrical's latest offering, the musical ":Liwanag sa Dilim," features not just the songs of Rico Blanco but also four fresh faces alternating as Elesi and Cris.</p>

9 Works Theatrical's latest offering, the musical ":Liwanag sa Dilim," features not just the songs of Rico Blanco but also four fresh faces alternating as Elesi and Cris.