Rachelle Ann Go sees ‘Les Miserables Spectacular’ role in new light after motherhood

MANILA, Philippines, January 26 ------ A decade apart has provided more insight for Rachelle Ann Go as she adds more depth as the ill-fated Fantine now that she is a mother herself in the Manila show of “Les Misérables World Tour Spectacular.”

Rachelle returns to the Manila stage as one of the iconic roles of the hugely popular Cameron Macintosh musical, this time staged as a musical concert at The Theatre in Solaire, Parañaque City, until March 1. Rachelle was a relative newbie then in international stage production when she went home to the Philippines to play Fantine in 2016 after her stint in London’s West End, notably in “Miss Saigon” in 2014.

Calling Fantine a role that has been through every season of her life, Rachelle related how the role is much easier to play now than when she first played it a decade ago. The singing contest winner-turned-theater star said that she learned about Fantine’s strength, vulnerability, and humanity now that she is a mother of two herself. “It's easier because now I don't need to spend a lot of time before the show, you know, internalizing what it means to be a mom. Now I can just rock up on stage and just open my mouth, and just cry on the spot because I know how it feels. I feel it… It's heartbreaking to know Fantine’s story, and she had to go through that,” Rachelle said at last Wednesday's press event for the show.

Rachelle, who is not the only one who returns to Manila for “Les Misérables Spectacular," is joined by Earl Carpenter. In the 2016 Manila show, Carpenter played the rigidly moral inspector Javert. In this year’s show, Carpenter plays The Bishop. Both Rachelle and Carpenter are excited about the format of the show. “I think with this version, it's surprisingly alive, you know. When you think about it, ‘Oh, there's no revolving stage,’ because that was part of the original version. It's just still alive. The music itself has its own heartbeat, and no matter where you put the actors, the people who are playing the role, it's gonna stand on its own. It's just amazing because the younger generation nowadays, who are probably not familiar with the music, can also enjoy the musical,” Rachelle said.

Apart from Carpenter and Rachelle, “Les Misérables World Tour Spectacular" also features Filipino theater greats, Lea Salonga and Red Concepcion, as the conniving Thenardier couple, and promising Filipino-American actress Emily Bautista as their daughter Eponine. She played Eponine during the musical’s North American tour.

Source: philstar.com