Images by Kiko Cabuena
She may be one of the most visible and popular actress-singers of her generation, but Karylle Tatlonghari is not someone who rests on her laurels.
Through her many years working in the entertainment industry, she always challenges herself to do more, to be better, and to engage in new endeavors along the way.
This year, Karylle returns to her old passion, her first love—which is doing theater and musicals. Like other artists, the pandemic also hit her hard.
“I found myself several times on the floor, na nagda-drama. I guess I found that the floor was my comfort place, which was not a good thing. So, how do you make that into something positive? You know, kung mahilig ka naman mag-drama, do it on the theater floor, the theater stage,” Karylle stated.
“Perform as if it were your last, or sing your song as if no one’s watching, kind of all of those things combined. I guess go back to the theater as if it’s your last day to perform. Because we definitely did feel that it could have been our last days on Earth, although there was too much food delivery.
But I guess being on that edge, like the ‘what ifs’ became a little too real,” she continued.
Not knowing if she would have another day to live was a big shift for Karylle. Since the pandemic eased up, she has been onstage non-stop, starting with Repertory Philippines’ Carousel in December 2022, which was shown as part of the inaugural season of the CCP’s Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez.
She went on an audition streak thereafter, before landing the role of Baroness Elsa Von Schraeder in Broadway Asia’s Sound of Music in March 2023. She even went on to do a Broadway-watching marathon, watching eight plays during her trip to New York.
“Being a part of Sound of Music was a big deal as well. While we were in the dressing room, the Broadway actors were constantly talking about their difficulties because New York was really badly hit as well by the pandemic,” shared Karylle.
“They were talking constantly about plays and I would hear them but I had no idea what they were talking about. Being around these actors made me realize that I have never seen a show on Broadway. Yael, being the ever-so-supportive husband, said ‘I’m gonna book you a flight to New York.’” she added.
Shortly after, she played Paula Marasigan in Contra Mundum: Ang All-Star Concert ng Ang Larawan at the Metropolitan Theater. She will also be reprising the role of Sita in Alice Reyes Dance Philippines’ Rama Hari this September.
And yet, Karylle still has time for another project, the CCP Out-of-the-Box Series: Isang Gabi ng Sarsuwela, slated on June 30, 7:30 p.m. and July 1, 3:00 p.m., at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Blackbox Theater).
The CCP’s Out-of-the-Box Series highlights the projects, performances, and exhibits to different venues while the CCP Main Building undergoes renovation.
“Isang Gabi ng Sarsuwela” features excerpts and songs from classic and contemporary sarsuwela works, such as Dalagang Bukid, Walang Sugat, Paglipas ng Dilim, and Sa Bunganga ng Pating, Pilipinas Circa 1907, Ang Palabas Bukas, Hibik at Himagsik nina Victoria Lactaw, and Ang Palasyo ni Valentin. Derived from the Spanish zarzuela, which arrived in the Philippines during the late 1800s, the sarsuwela quickly gained popularity as a favored source of entertainment among Filipinos, especially in the early 1900s.
“I’m really happy to be doing this. It’s a welcome challenge. After doing Sound of Music, it is nice to do something that is homegrown. Eventually kasi gusto ko talagang mag-produce ng sariling musical. That’s the big dream. So, I’m working my way towards that,” said Karylle.
When asked about her first rehearsal for Isang Gabi ng Sarsuwela, Karylle compares it to an exam. “When Joed Balsamo asked me to be part of this production, he said it would be ‘fun fun lang’ so that was our main tagline for the first rehearsal. We were supposed to do the songs for chorus, but we ended up doing the whole score of the whole show. We ran through everything, and it felt like we were doing a music exam, like an impromptu pop quiz.”
But she backtracked and shared that the “fun, fun” is really there. “The Filipino works that I’ve really done would be Rama Hari, which is of course very serious, and Larawan, which is also a very breakdown drama. Sarsuwela is, in fact, fun fun. It is difficult and challenging, but the fun is really there. Not that it’s less pressure, but ‘yung paksa ay magaan. Masaya. Laughable, even.”
Seems like Karylle really does enjoy her return to live performance, “not just being onstage but also watching and immersing myself. Coming from not being in theater to returning to theater, just constantly auditioning, getting parts and not getting parts, the excitement, watching Broadway for the first time, and accepting challenges like this one.”
When asked about her advice to people who want to return to their old passions just like she did, Karylle emphasizes the need for deep introspection and a companion.
“I think questioning your existence helps. The questions become simpler when there’s nothing – when you feel like there’s nothing to lose. For some people, the questions and the answers become clear: what would I do today if there’s no tomorrow? For me, I asked myself: what would I do once the doors open, once the world opens up? The answer was clear to me. Some people are shy to admit to their passions, or they don’t know what the first step would be. If you’re shy about it, make a bucket list with your friend. It’s also hard kasi if you don’t trust yourself or a friend,” concluded Karylle.
Catch Karylle Tatlonghari perform excerpts and songs from different sarsuwela at the CCP Out-Of-The-Box Series: Isang Gabi ng Sarsuwela on June 30 and July 1, 2023, at Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez. Stay updated by following CCP’s official social media accounts and visit our website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) for tickets and inquiries.